Need a double-cream Bridge Pickup. Recommendations?

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NoelH

New member
OK. So I have an '83 Ibanez Destroyer "Phil Collen". Started out life as a DT-500 that the original owner (West Coast Ibanez rep) ordered in black. So I put in a Kahler and middle pickup.
Problem, to maintain the look, I need the bridge pickup to be double cream. So, sadly, that leaves Seymour Duncan out. It's a 3-piece maple neck, basswood body with a thin Maple cap.
It has the original Ibanez V-2, and it really is kinda bland. Meaning it really doesn't pick up harmonics well. My other guitars are the opposite. Harmonics jump off them.
So I'm considering a few options: Suhr Aldrich, Lawrence/Wilde L500XL, and the Dimarzio Steve Morse.
My '76 Destroyer now has a 59/Custom Hybrid with an A8 mag. It absolutely kills.

I'm open to any and all suggestions. BTW, when played acoustically, the harmonics are all there. It isn't the guitar.
 
You can't go too wrong with a Wilde L-500. Great, affordable, and supports a very small family shop that offers lots of expertise and very personal service. Pick your inductance from four different models, ranging from "quite light" (almost Tele-bridge-like) to "quite heavy" (heavier than most people would want).
 
I appreciate the responses. The issue with the Super D is that it is fairly thick on the bottom end. The V-2 was Ibanez' answer to the Super D. And the frequency response of that pickup is what is not working. I'm looking for a pickup that leans more toward upper-mids. And the three I mentioned are the ones that go in that direction. I had an L500XL in maple necked 'Superstrat', which was a really bright guitar to begin with. But it really was responsive and harmonics jumped off it. And yes, I got it directly from Bill ~15 years ago or so. Not the "Bill Lawrence USA" crap.
I'm kinda leaning toward the either the Suhr Aldrich or the Wilde.
 
Ima make you the same offer I made an hour ago on the gear page: I have a handwound "overwound" double cream bridge humbucker in like new condition that I will trade even for your V-2.
it's 9k or so, with a rough-cast A8 magnet. I think i even have a smooth A5 I can include if you want more sparkle and clarity.
It sustains well and is an all around nice rock pickup but it just doesn't sound as good as the V-2 did in this particular guitar. (Yes, I sold the V-2 like an idjit. Took me a couple weeks to realize it suited this guitar so well and by then it was long gone.)
The pickup is from Benson Custom Pickups, built to my specs.

Having said that, if clarity and harmonics are your goal the Wilde will do the job. They are narrower than standard humbuckers, though, so they look a little odd next to other pickups in a HHH guitar. (Unless you do all three.)
 
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I was going to say super d, but since OP wants upper mids and clarity/harmonics, I'd go norton for something a bit lower power.

How about the full shred bridge?

The wilde 500 series sounds like a fit too
 
Well, regarding the V-2, as "the answer" to DiMarzio, I'd say they got that question wrong! I'm pretty fair minded about "living with a pickup for a bit before a condemn it.

However - based on the OP, I like the Suhr Aldrich. never played one, but every time I have heard one I really like it.
 
Is there a Duncan you are really interested in? If it was Cream JB or nothing, you could build one out of a Zebra and reverse Zebra JB.

If the Super Distortion is too bassy, is a Super 2 too bright?
 
Yeah, you know, I had a Super II in a '74 Les Paul Special 55 (previous owner routed the bridge Pickup already). Sounded really good in an all mahogany ride. Kind of a humbucker with just a whiff of P90 EQ.
I thought about that as well. This one is 3 piece maple neck with that thin maple cap, so not sure. Good idea though.
As far as doing major surgery on a Duncan, don't think I have that level of skill. Too bad that Duncan can't do double cream. I think that was lame of Larry Dimarzio to patent it. Business is business I guess. My first choice would have been the same pickup I have in my '76. 59/Custom with an A8 mag. Most harmonic-sensitive pickup I've ever had.
I'm thinking I'll try the Aldrich first and see how it goes. Worst case I can sell it for close to what I paid for it.

Dave, I genuinely appreciate the offer, but I want to go with a 'known value'. But I'm sure the pickup Benson wound was great.
 
Duncan CAN do double cream - they are just chicken ^%$#$% about it. Case in point - you ARE able too get them from others.
 
There are double cream Duncans out there. They aren't *that* rare, even if you can't get one made. There were many made, and you can always make one yourself for the cost of 2 pickups, new or used.
 
NoelH said:
Dave, I genuinely appreciate the offer, but I want to go with a 'known value'. But I'm sure the pickup Benson wound was great.
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No problem! I thought it might appeal as being a bit similar to your A8 hybrid.
It is a really good pickup but it just does not work for me in this guitar. Sounded great in a previous guitar. This one needs the scooped eq of the V-2. (Scooped relative to a Super D, I mean.)
​I am thinking of trying a Super 2 in this thing if I can't find a V-2 cheap enough.

Good luck in your quest. I'm Aldrich-curious, too.
 
Double-cream Duncans can be had. I've got an old JB, Seths, Brobucker and Skinnerburst that are all double cream. Search used. They are out there.
 
i think the aldrich will do what you what, but is Suhr's "parchment" a good match for the other 2 cream pickups? i get hung up on little things like that.
 
The Satchur8 and Evo 2 are both in the Super Distortion ballpark in terms of power but have their tones focused around those upper-mids, without a harsh treble spike nor the booming bass of the SD, so everything jumps out a little more without becoming 'too much'. There's also the Super 3, which is basically a Super Distortion with some of the power taken off the bass and added to the upper-mids instead. Any of those three will get you increased harmonic sensitivity with still a general high-output tone, without bass getting muddy which can be a problem with basswood.

I'd stick to DiMarzio if you really want the colours to match, because no two companies make the same shade of 'cream' bobbin. I've had bad luck mix-n-matching different cream pickups in guitars before and found it pretty much impossible to get any pickups or pickup rings to match unless they're all made by a single company. Given how many pickups DiMarzio make and how easy it is to get them in double cream that will match perfectly for you, I don't see any reason to go for any other brand.
 
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