Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

[KINGV02]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

Asinine garbage. It is quite obvious wood influences sound. It can be demonstrated easily. take two identical necks, same scale, same hardware, same fret materials, etc. Say make one Wenge, and one maple, you should hear a difference. It tends to be obvious. IMO, I prefer the cheaper, less exotic option between those. I have built a few dozen guitars and woods matter.

Also, black winters are a great option. I have a Bridge one in a single pickup strat hardtail with alder body, maple neck, ebony
fretboard. It is awesome.

Okay thanks for telling me I dont wanna sound like an idiot, one day I may try my own expiriment to see what I find but anyways thanks.

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

I think it depends on how brigth the actual am may be but the SH-6 is a great pickup for metal for that kind of guitar as I have in my charvel socal 2014, I my case my preamp lead channel is a bit dark and I find my self adding a bit of treble and rolling back the mids a bit but not scooped. For the crunch channel, well I do get a good crunch tone with that pickup. About the cleans, if you have a clean channel I think it will do the work but I find myself doing cleans with the middle position of my HH guitar. If you just want semi cleans by rolling down the volume in a gain channel I think those can be dirty-cleans if you know what I mean.

 

[Gibson 1964]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

Okay thanks for telling me I dont wanna sound like an idiot, one day I may try my own expiriment to see what I find but anyways thanks.

I would strongly encourage it, however, some folks make very, very subtle changes that can't be heard. Some things are more obvious. I know that for me, a lot of things don't sound that different, but then some do.

I had a limba body with p90s. The maple neck was thin sounding. the limba neck sounded a bit acoustic like. The rosewood neck sounded perfect with it. Again, all the same carve, all the same hardware. I think neck wood is perhaps the most important wood component.

 

[KINGV02]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

I would strongly encourage it, however, some folks make very, very subtle changes that can't be heard. Some things are more obvious. I know that for me, a lot of things don't sound that different, but then some do.

I had a limba body with p90s. The maple neck was thin sounding. the limba neck sounded a bit acoustic like. The rosewood neck sounded perfect with it. Again, all the same carve, all the same hardware. I think neck wood is perhaps the most important wood component.

Okay thanks again! :yourock:

 

[elelpe]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

Well, electric guitar is like a puzzle right? Every parts contributes. A friend had guitar built from exotic woods and boutique hb pickups. It sounded thin. He didn't want to replace neck, body or pickups. They're expensive and hard to get. Then I replaced the saddles of the bridge with saddles I'd kept in my drawer. Voila, the sound became thicker the way he wanted. I found my saddles have more mass and density. Back to the topic' I'd suggest PATB2 -PATB1.

 

[Gibson 1964]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

I'd suggest since clarity is wanted, choosing the black winter. (Or a PATB-1)

I would strongly suggest avoiding the invader as clarity is not its strong suit.

The SH-6 is a fine choice, but the BW is like a clearer, less peaky distortion with extra clarity.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

Sh-6, Alt-8, X2n would be my go to choices for that Jackson.

My humble 2 cents worth.

 

[EDX]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

well, let me dissect it

as far as Megadeth and Anthrax goes you pretty much have their pickup combos as both mustaine and ian used Jb's and Jazz combo for years onto jacksons through boosted to hell marshals, mustaine's guitars were mahogany bodied and ian used both mahogany and alder, nowadays mustaine has an active pickup set based on the JB Jazz combo but they're tighter and the output level is hellish, ian had a custom shop pickup named a hot hot hot screaming demon (or original El Diablo) and then he started to use the custom shop a2 rails monster called El Diablo, now he went back to JB's and some of his guitars are still equiped with El Diablo sets (both neck and bridge are the same pickup, but the neck one is set lower for better balance)

with metallica, james went through quite some p'ups, first he had Duncan Distortions, and then a custom shop set on his v, on his explorers he went through dirty fingers, 500t's and then when his good gear was stolen so he equipped both his v and explorer with invaders to thicken up his tone, then he went with emgs after MOP and now has his sig set
kirk used duncan distortions on his V and presummely had his strat equiped with emg's before RTL, he then equipped his V with emg's for ride the lightning, kirk has gone through quite some setups, first 81-81, then 81-85 and currently (i think) 81-60

Slayer was Dimarzio Super Distortions, Dimarzio Mega Drive's and then Bill lawrence l500l's before they went with emg's 81-85 set

Death Angel..... i don't f*****g know sorry dude

Testament with heritage alex used JB and 59' set, with esp the last time i cheked he had both guitars with JB and some with duncan distortions on the bridge and keeped the 59' on the neck
eric had used a lot, 81-85 set on his deans, also Dean Time Capsule's, Dimarzio Super Distortion's, JB on bridge Jazz on middle and 59' on neck for his 3ple bucker guitars

 

[Lorenzar]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

well, let me dissect itas far as Megadeth and Anthrax goes you pretty much have their pickup combosas both mustaine and ian used Jb's and Jazz combo for years onto jacksons through boosted to hell marshals, mustaine's guitars were mahogany bodied and ian used both mahogany and alder, nowadays mustaine has an active pickup set based on the JB Jazz combo but they're tighter and the output level is hellish, ian had a custom shop pickup named a hot hot hot screaming demon (or original El Diablo) and then he started to use the custom shop a2 rails monster called El Diablo, now he went back to JB's and some of his guitars are still equiped with El Diablo sets (both neck and bridge are the same pickup, but the neck one is set lower for better balance)with metallica, james went through quite some p'ups, first he had Duncan Distortions, and then a custom shop set on his v, on his explorers he went through dirty fingers, 500t's and then when his good gear was stolen he equipped both his v and explorer with invaders to thicken up his tone, then he went with emgs after MOP and now has his sig setkirk used duncan distortions on his V and presummely had his strat equiped with emg's before RTL, he then equipped his V with emg's for ride the lightning, kirk has gone through quite some setups, first 81-81, then 81-85 and currently (i think) 81-60Slayer was Dimarzio Super Distortions, Dimarzio Mega Drive's and then Bill lawrence l500l's before they went with emg's 81-85 setDeath Angel..... i don't f*****g know sorry dudeTestament with heritage alex used JB and 59' set, with esp the last time i cheked he had both guitars with JB and some with duncan distortions on the bridge and keeped the 59' on the neckeric had used a lot, 81-85 set on his deans, also Dean Time Capsule's, Dimarzio Super Distortion's, JB on bridge Jazz on middle and 59' on neck for his 3ple bucker guitars

Thanks for your complete and detailed reply !
I'll stick with the JB for now I think and wait to see if my amp situation evolves.

If I end up with a 6505 I guess there won't be need to add muscle.

If not, maybe the distorsion would be a good idea.

One important thing I forgot to tell, I'm not a terrific lead player (trying to ! Ahah). I know people go JB (ok not Scott Ian) for leads mainly.

So when I'm thinking thrash pickups, I'm thinking mostly Riffs over leads so to speak.

 

[EDX]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

by the way with an alder guitar you can pretty much throw any of the JB family (JB, Distortion, Invader, Black Winter) and get thrashing in a pinch also a dimebucker isn't a bad idea, it keeps a paf-ish like flavour on the top of the crushing metal madness it does, also on alder it has a crustier sound than on mahogany without being shrill

 

[Lorenzar]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

Ok !
If I end up swapping the JB for DD, I won't invest on another neck pup on that guitar.

I'll stick with Jazz in the neck or maybe I could try to use the JB in the neck then ?

Would a JB/DD be a nice pair ?

 

[JB6464]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

A distortion-class pickup into a high-gain amp is not a necessity for Thrash. If you were running into a medium-gain amp and needed the pickup to slam the front, then yeah, but you may end up with an inarticulate mush instead of an articulate mosh if you try to push an amp that doesn't need it.

That all depends on how much gain your using from the amp .
Just because you have a high gain amp does'nt mean you have to use all of it .
I use Slodano amps , but i only drive the preamp gain on 5 and slam the front end with higher output pickups because i like that tone better than low output pickups and using all amps gain to get where i want to be ..

 

[EDX]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

Hmm well they should balance but i've only seen the jb used on the neck with something hotter than the distortion on the bridge, like an invader or a dimebucker

Enviado desde mi SM-G313M mediante Tapatalk

 

[Lorenzar]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

and I'll loose versatility anyway. Jazz/DD combo should be more coherent.

 

[EDX]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

Uh i dunno what kind of versatility you think you will lose, you can run dual El Diablo pickups an still get glassy cleans since the amp is more determinant of how versatile your rig is than your pickups, and that comes from someone who filled in for a worship band with a single dimebucker flying v and got compliments about how good it's tone was

 

[Timius]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

If you really want a thrash sound then I think the following would be good choices

Emg 81/60
SD mustaine live wires
Sh-6 Duncan distortion

 

[jonsick]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

Just to end this stupid tonewood debate.

I have two ESP SV Standard offset V guitars - can provide pictures if proof is needed.

Both are the exact same, bar one is black with white pinstripes, the other is white with black pinstripes. But both have EMG 81/85 combos, floyd tremolos, alder body wings with maple thru neck and ebony boards. I string them both with the same brand and gauge of strings (one serves as a backup on alternating gigs/rehearsals).

They both sound different. That simple.

As for the OP, my (so far) favorite thrash 6-string pickup combo that isn't an EMG 81 is a Duncan Full Shred with a 59(b) in the neck position.

 

[EDX]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

For me the 81 85/60 is the worst thrash pickup set sice it lacks balls and evil big time, the only time i really digged an active emg equiped guitar was for blues and soft rock, but then on my mind my thrash tone is a giant chaimsaw grinding 100 zombies sound....

Enviado desde mi SM-G313M mediante Tapatalk

 

[Lorenzar]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

Just to let you know guys, that I ended putting an SH6 in the bridge of my Jackson JJ4 and it rocks ! (although, I'm totally in love with the SH5 installed now on my detuned SG, might be my favourite Duncan yet ! I still have to install the A2P Slash in the Les Paul though, different flavour anyway).


One question about the Distorsion while I'm at it.

On my Jackson, I have a 250K volume pot (only 2 pots : 1 volume for both pickups, SH2 and SH6, and 1 tone).

I know the JB usually benefit from 250K pots. But what about the SH6 ?
Should I rather keep the 250k in there or would it benefit from a good 500k CTS ?


Talking about 250k and 500k, the difference is only felt for the treble and the value's progression right ?

The pickup output stays the same (with less treble on 250k) when everything is on 10 ?

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Metal/Thrash bridge for Alder body/Maple neck

500kΩ will be brighter and most probably louder.