Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

MacBradley said:
I never said it did, hence the question mark. The words don't mean the same thing, and although resistance isn't linearly related output, it is related. When a pickup has around 6 times the output of a classic strat pup, chances are its a very high output pickup. I'm hoping someone has more info on those specific pickups, other than a response to a claim I never made.
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Your last two examples you stated the resistance, as if you were implying that they were so hot you couldn't believe it. Then you make the claim that something has "6 times the output of a classic strat pup", when you're clearly referencing resistance.

First, a Humbucker will have the resistance of the sum of both single coils. That doesn't mean twice the output of a single coil.

Second, someone else already posted links to the Steve Morse Bridge and Neck models from Dimarzio. 10k on the bridge, 21k on the neck. The bridge has nearly twice the output, not the other way around. The neck D-Activator is 7.22k and is still in their top 10 as far as output goes. (It falls between the Tone Zone and Steve's Special. Not as hot as an X2N, but definitely has enough output to slam an amp.)

Third, rather than picking a humbucker at random, work more on balancing the guitar with the pickup. Something that sounds great in one guitar may sound like angry bees or a wall of mud in yours. Amps and pedals will go a long way towards sculpting a sound but you need to have a decent sound to start with.
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

I had a pup to replace my bridge in my Les Paul a while back when we took it off it measured frikkin 16k wasn't remotely louder then any other pickup. Think it was a Dimarzio PAF type. I would suggest the Lindy Fralin High Outputs they are made to be loud and obnoxious, hit the front end really hard etc.
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

Gibson 1964 said:
Black Winter: Balanced, articulate, takes effects well. Very loud, but really behaves more like the pickups you are used to. I would say sounds like a flatter frequency response version of the distortion. A great all arounder
Invader: Muddy, no treble, no definition
Slug: Over your price cap, as it is $130. But it is what you are describing in that it will slam your input. It keeps definition better IMO than an invader even with its 48k resistance. It oddly reminds me of what you would get if you made the worlds most powerful noiseless p90. It is dark and clear and powerful all at the same time. Best way to describe it is more of everything. It is not what I was expecting from the specs. I bought one, thinking I'd probably end up flipping it. I ended up buying a set of neck and bridge and building a guitar around them.
PATB-2: Sounds cool, but has a definite 80's vibe to me, not in a bad way, but something in the harmonic content makes me hear that, yeah, stryper used this one.
Duncan Distortion: Bigger bass and more scream than a black winter. Sounds more compressed, and a bit boxier to me.
I own an alternative 8, but have not gotten around to installing it.
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Thanks for the useful input!

lostinthemasses said:
Red Duallies are fun, wouldn't own one myself though.

DiMarzio X2N was a huge disappointment to me.
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Could you elaborate a little more on these two please?

orpheo said:
If you wanna go hot, take the Blackout 3.
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Aren't those actives? I have no interest in going the active route.
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

Oinkus said:
I had a pup to replace my bridge in my Les Paul a while back when we took it off it measured frikkin 16k wasn't remotely louder then any other pickup. Think it was a Dimarzio PAF type.
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DiMarzio does some unusual things, but I don't think they would call a 16K PU a PAF-type. Perhaps you're thinking of something else.
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

Yeah I know it sounds crazy but that is what I was told when I bought it. I gave that pickup away so I have no way to tell what it really was. Bad info from the sales guy is first on the list , actual model will remain unknown.Just pointing out my first trip into DCR and how it doesn't translate to volume for me personally. Pretty sure the Shaw in the neck is wound around 8k or less and it was much louder at the same height.
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

orpheo said:
The slug isn't that hot, actually. I was surprised that it gave me a super-saturated tone, but not really that much... juice? The fullshred/JB hybrid I made (and even more so, the Fullshred/Alt8!) was about as hot but was a lot more aggressive, less smooth, more articulate and a lot, and I mean a lot, more nasty.

If you wanna go hot, take the Blackout 3.
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Whats funny is mine really slammed my JCM800 preamp and gave me the impression of being very, very hot. I am comparing it as hot against the black winter and some other pickups. I intentionally ran it into some vintage style preamps as those really let me see how hot things are. It may be the relatively large amount of lows and low mids in the mix as well, which tend to sound more powerful electrically.

It also reminded me more of a p90 tonally than a humbucker, but it really is its own beast. I like it. But for me, I am not after needing to juice the last bit of output out of a pickup as I own several high gain amps and pedals.

I don't have a milliamp meter or anything.
 
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Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

I'm actually going to recommend the manlius custom hot. Monster of a pup. Clear and articulate but not harsh. Tight bass and a meaty growling mid range
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

Gibson 1964 said:
Whats funny is mine really slammed my JCM800 preamp and gave me the impression of being very, very hot. I am comparing it as hot against the black winter and some other pickups. I intentionally ran it into some vintage style preamps as those really let me see how hot things are. It may be the relatively large amount of lows and low mids in the mix as well, which tend to sound more powerful electrically.

It also reminded me more of a p90 tonally than a humbucker, but it really is its own beast. I like it. But for me, I am not after needing to juice the last bit of output out of a pickup as I own several high gain amps and pedals.

I don't have a milliamp meter or anything.
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Hmmm, might be a difference in PERCIEVED output. Like the JB custom hybrid would SOUND louder despite having a weaker signal than the slug because of it's brighter and more dynamic tone in contrast with the slug's fat monster of a tone. The slug would also produce more cliiping would it not? This could reduce perceived output even more if both amps are running hot enough that they are only being driven by a greater signal and not necessarily made louder.
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

SD Nazgul and Black Winter, Lace Deathbucker, Fastback Beard Comber, or Mojotone PW Hornet are all great. High output, but very articulate and much more versatile than you would think.
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

MacBradley said:
Could you elaborate a little more on these two please?
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I had an X2N in a Jackson Kelly for 6 years, I tried different amps and pedals and just as I'd get the tone for one range dialed in, another range would be thrown off, either I could get tones perfected for low notes or high notes, but never all across the board. That's my experience though, everyone has different tastes.

Red Dually was a great sounding pickup, but a little too trebly for me.
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

Falloffthebonetone said:
Hmmm, might be a difference in PERCIEVED output. Like the JB custom hybrid would SOUND louder despite having a weaker signal than the slug because of it's brighter and more dynamic tone in contrast with the slug's fat monster of a tone. The slug would also produce more cliiping would it not? This could reduce perceived output even more if both amps are running hot enough that they are only being driven by a greater signal and not necessarily made louder.
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Most aggressive tone I ever got was a tv jones bridge magna'tron into an amptweaker tightmetal. Used wrongly, those pickups are spiky, aggressive monsters, though low output and trebly. I chalk aggression up to change in dynamics, sufficient treble, and lack of compression.

My guess is that the hybrids have more clarity and dynamics which can sound more aggressive.

I think slug is much smoother than some pickups I have played, but if I adjust a black winter to be edge of breakup on the 800 style preamp, the slug was distorted. But it was fairly fuzzy and smooth. A much more black sabbath style than I anticipated.
 
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Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

Gibson 1964 said:
Most aggressive tone I ever got was a tv jones bridge magna'tron into an amptweaker tightmetal. Used wrongly, those pickups are spiky, aggressive monsters, though low output and trebly. I chalk aggression up to change in dynamics, sufficient treble, and lack of compression.

My guess is that the hybrids have more clarity and dynamics which can sound more aggressive.

I think slug is much smoother than some pickups I have played, but if I adjust a black winter to be edge of breakup on the 800 style preamp, the slug was distorted. But it was fairly fuzzy and smooth. A much more black sabbath style than I anticipated.
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Dude if I ever get my hands on an sg it is going right the hell in it.
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

I don't bother with high-output pickups any more. I liked the tones of the Gibson 496R/500Ts in my Les Paul Classics, but they just had too much output for the Mesa amps. I think these are a good choice though for someone trying to drive a non-master volume amp, like a BF Twin Reverb.

Still, for me...the best choice has been using a low-to-moderate output pickup (PAF), and using a preamp booster (ala my DOD FX-10, BBE Boosta Grande, Duncan Pickup Booster, et. al.) to "kick it up a notch" when I need to.

Bill
 
Re: Highest Output Humbuckers Available?

Kramer QuadRails. If you'd rather stay with SD, I could suggest a '59 but, swap the A2 for the Nazgul's ceramic magnet. you may even like the tone of a Nazgul with an A2 magnet.

Mix it up a little.
 
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