Hot Dirty Hairy humbucker for blues rock with an edge

[JB6464]

I'm building a Tele Esquire with a humbucker and I'm looking for a pickup that's good for blues rock but fatter.
I need a hot, dirty, hairy humbucker but won't throw me in heavy metal or over compressed late 80's rock.
Think of playing some ZZ Top in a smoke-filled raunchy bar with bikers and gambling tables.
I've tried the 59/C but lacks some hair, Custom models just sound like a loudmouth PAF, next up to the Ant JB, the JB is the closest so far for what I'm looking for but it's just slightly too smooth.
Maybe something like a JB with some hair but not so compressed.
Any suggestions would be great.

 

[Gtrjunior]

You specifically mentioned ZZ Top so how about a Pearly Gates?
My other suggestion would be a Whole Lotta Humbucker.

 

[JB6464]

You specifically mentioned ZZ Top so how about a Pearly Gates?
My other suggestion would be a Whole Lotta Humbucker.

Not hot enough, the 59/c at 11.2 was barely hot enough to get by.

 

[Hsb]

In the JB realm with more hair is the Distortion or Black Winter

 

[Securb]

Not hot enough, the 59/c at 11.2 was barely hot enough to get by.

I don't know about the Whole Lotta Humbucker not being hot enough, I was using one with my post-hardcore band. It is the pickup I was also going to suggest. Anything hotter, and you will find yourself rolling back the volume pot to get back in that ZZ Top zone.

 

[ICTGoober]

Saturday Night Special?

 

[jeremy]

zz top is all about the pg type pup and a cranked amp. whats your rig? if you need fat but not over the top, the dimarzio sd is a great, fat sounding pup. if the jb is what you like best so far, then you seem to be pretty far away from zz top. that said, put a c8 in the jb and you get more cut. or even try a c8, thats a great pup

 

[servin up spaghetti]

Carvin C22B if you can hunt one down.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Saturday Night Special?

Yeah, good suggestion. I didn’t think of that one.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Not hot enough, the 59/c at 11.2 was barely hot enough to get by.

I would go PG and boost it with your favorite boost pedal.
I prefer the Friedman Buxom Boost.

 

[Clint 55]

Hybrid the JB with a vintage output coil.

 

[beaubrummels]

RTM

Perpetual Burn

Or maybe Black Winter

Or maybe DiMarzio DP100

 

[servin up spaghetti]

Or Dimarzio Super Distortion with a .047 cap wired in series to take out the mud.

 

[JB6464]

zz top is all about the pg type pup and a cranked amp. whats your rig? if you need fat but not over the top, the dimarzio sd is a great, fat sounding pup. if the jb is what you like best so far, then you seem to be pretty far away from zz top. that said, put a c8 in the jb and you get more cut. or even try a c8, thats a great pup

Currently using a Soldano Hotrod 100+ , but I don't run the pre-gain past 5.
It will do ZZ easy, but you have to be careful not to get too much gain going on or you can go into hyper drive really quick.
What I love about Soldano amps is I don't need gain pedals to get the dirt, there's plenty in the amp to spare.
Would an A8 be a good choice in my 59/C I already have?

 

[JB6464]

Hybrid the JB with a vintage output coil.

Now that sounds interesting.
Would you be talking about a JB/59 hybrid.

 

[Aceman]

I was gonna say Pearly Gates. Seems to work for the Rev with either the right amp or a dirt box. Why fight it?

And that amp should have no problem doing what you want. I'm feeling you are having trouble communicating the sound you seek.

My 2nd call would be a DiMarzio Super Distortion

 

[jeremy]

Currently using a Soldano Hotrod 100+ , but I don't run the pre-gain past 5.
It will do ZZ easy, but you have to be careful not to get too much gain going on or you can go into hyper drive really quick.
What I love about Soldano amps is I don't need gain pedals to get the dirt, there's plenty in the amp to spare.
Would an A8 be a good choice in my 59/C I already have?

if you want more output and a thicker tone, than yes, a8 in the hybrid might work for you!

 

[Clint 55]

Now that sounds interesting.
Would you be talking about a JB/59 hybrid.

It works well. The JB provides some rattly blues character then the vintage coil increases edge and lowers the compression. A 59 is a good candidate or you might have something else that would work. I used a Seth once and it worked really well.

 

[soulforger]

Just for something different Dean DMT Leslie West "Mountain of Tone".

 

[Ascension]

I'm building a Tele Esquire with a humbucker and I'm looking for a pickup that's good for blues rock but fatter.
I need a hot, dirty, hairy humbucker but won't throw me in heavy metal or over compressed late 80's rock.
Think of playing some ZZ Top in a smoke-filled raunchy bar with bikers and gambling tables.
I've tried the 59/C but lacks some hair, Custom models just sound like a loudmouth PAF, next up to the Ant JB, the JB is the closest so far for what I'm looking for but it's just slightly too smooth.
Maybe something like a JB with some hair but not so compressed.
Any suggestions would be great.

Maybe look at the Saturday Night Special set? That is the closest I have used to what you are describing. They hit a lot harder than many think and are much better at higher gain than most think.