Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

[jblevins1991]

I have two ibanez guitars and I am going to convert them to duncans as right now they are stock.

For the rhythem guitar I want to play only rhythem metal on it. I want tight low end in the bridge position and nice cleans in the next position.

For the lead guitar (I dont care if its HSH or HH) I want tight lows in the bridge but also want great harmonics and for the neck I just want a warm tone that distorts well.

Any suggestions?

EDIT:
The rhythm guitar has mahogany body and rosewood fingerboard.

The lead guitar has basswood body and maple neck.

 

[gregory]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

How many frets in each guitar?

Are you interested in pickups from other manufacturers?

 

[jblevins1991]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

I'm open to try different things.

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[gregory]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

What style of metal/can you give specific examples?

How many frets? It matters when choosing a neck pickup.

 

[jblevins1991]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

Both 24 frets. I'm writing my own music. Not really playing anybody else's music. I'd like to avoid scooped mids like the plague though.

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[gregory]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

Maybe you can see what you like in this video and work from there?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0FE2PDH61h0

 

[starskyloki]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

I have two ibanez guitars and I am going to convert them to duncans as right now they are stock.

For the rhythem guitar I want to play only rhythem metal on it. I want tight low end in the bridge position and nice cleans in the next position.

For the lead guitar (I dont care if its HSH or HH) I want tight lows in the bridge but also want great harmonics and for the neck I just want a warm tone that distorts well.

Any suggestions?

EDIT:
The rhythm guitar has mahogany body and rosewood fingerboard.

The lead guitar has basswood body and maple neck.

for the Rhythm guitar I highly suggest the Sentient/Pegasus combo. You definitely can't go wrong with that as you said u want a tight low-end.

for the lead , I really strongly recommend the Jazz Neck and Perpetual Burn bridge. I have installed this combo on my RG550 and it absolutely rips. it's probably one of my fav HH combos right now. you can chug in a Classic Stack in the middle if you intend to put this combo on the HSH guitar. The Jazz neck has great harmonics and it distorts well. both Jazz and Perpetual Burn has a very sweet and bright split tone as well. so you can opt for that.

or a 59/Custom Hybrid in the bridge and a Jazz Neck would be a great combo as well. and it also splits well.
very versatile and yet, tight and articulate under high gain for lead solos.

 

[gregory]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

If you want vintage output, the Full Shred Neck has a much better voice for lead playing. The Jazz is scooped, giving a very thinly voiced and lifeless lead tone. The DiMarzio Humbucker From Hell is also a far superior pickup for the same reasons. Both the Full Shred Neck and HFH are every bit as articulate as the Jazz, but are clearer and better defined under gain. For higher output in the neck DiMarzio has it in spades (LiquiFire, Illuminator, PAF Pro, Titan, Gravity Storm, Evolution, Super 2). For lower output the original PAF is awesome too. For higher output from Duncan, I wouldn't venture beyond the 59B, Black Winter Neck or the JB for a scorcher. The Sentient is also good for lower output. The 59N can also work well in a bright guitar. The Pearly Gates Neck also has a suitable voice (in stark contrast with the Jazz).

As for the Pegasus, I was considering recommending it, but the OP said he didn't want something scooped.

IMO and YMMV.

 

[jblevins1991]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

If you want vintage output, the Full Shred Neck has a much better voice for lead playing. The Jazz is scooped, giving a very thinly voiced and lifeless lead tone. The DiMarzio Humbucker From Hell is also a far superior pickup for the same reasons. Both the Full Shred Neck and HFH are every bit as articulate as the Jazz, but are clearer and better defined under gain. For higher output in the neck DiMarzio has it in spades (LiquiFire, Illuminator, PAF Pro, Titan, Gravity Storm, Evolution, Super 2). For lower output the original PAF is awesome too. For higher output from Duncan, I wouldn't venture beyond the 59B, Black Winter Neck or the JB for a scorcher. The Sentient is also good for lower output. The 59N can also work well in a bright guitar. The Pearly Gates Neck also has a suitable voice (in stark contrast with the Jazz).

As for the Pegasus, I was considering recommending it, but the OP said he didn't want something scooped.

IMO and YMMV.

I think I will try the Pegasus combo. If I wanted to use a full shred in the neck position, what bridge pickup would you recommend? Has anybody tried the Alt8? If I wanted to use an Alt8 in the bridge with the full shred neck do you think it would be a good combo?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

The Jazz is scooped, giving a very thinly voiced and lifeless lead tone.

The Pearly Gates Neck also has a suitable voice (in stark contrast with the Jazz).

I have the Jazz in the neck of an ash-bodied guitar and it is anything BUT "thinly voiced and lifeless"! It certainly doesn't sound scooped, but admittedly, the ash adds some mids to the overall tone.

If there is a "stark contrast" between the Jazz and the Pearly, it is mainly that the pearly is very aggressive with a noticeable bite and the Jazz is smooth but articulate but without the bite.

 

[gregory]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

...and that bite is everything. Jazz (and Screamin' Demon, for that matter) in the neck for high gain soloing: hate it!

Unlike the Screamin' Demon, I bet the Perpetual Burn would make a great high output neck pickup. I bet it will smoke the SH-6N as well.

 

[gregory]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

I think I will try the Pegasus combo. If I wanted to use a full shred in the neck position, what bridge pickup would you recommend? Has anybody tried the Alt8? If I wanted to use an Alt8 in the bridge with the full shred neck do you think it would be a good combo?

The Full Shred Neck and Screamin' Demon Bridge make a perfect combo, but the Screamin' Demon might be too weak/dynamic depending on the style of metal you play. The Full Shred will work well with the Perpetual Burn too. Go any hotter in the bridge and I'd look to other pickups in the neck.

The Full Shred is also amazing with high gain rhythm, but I don't recommend it if clean tone is important. I would instead look to the Jazz for better cleans and the ability to play high gain rhythm (I really only hate it for lead work, otherwise it can be a great pickup).

The Sentient is more of a jack of all trades, but with nice cleans. I'd use it over the 59 if you need something thinner than the 59. Except in the most bass-heavy guitars or against a thin bridge pickup or if you use the neck to play high gain rhythm, I'll take the Sentient over the Jazz any day.

The Alt 8 is a great pickup (as is the Black Winter Bridge and PATB-2). For the neck I'd look to DiMarzio.

People sing the praises of the (non-USA) Lawrence L500XL. It's worth a look.

There are so many good bridge pickups for metal it is staggering.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

For any guitar strictly playing metal rhythm, there are 2 sets to check out, the Black Winter and the Pegasus/Sentient. While both are excellent for metal, the Black Winters will have more mids. I wouldn't call either pair 'scooped' though.
For the lead guitar, I'd have to ask for examples of tones you like, or at least what you don't like about the stock pickups, as there are a ton of options (including the above sets).

 

[gregory]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

I don't consider the Pegasus to be particularly scooped either, but that seems to be a common complaint.

 

[jblevins1991]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

For any guitar strictly playing metal rhythm, there are 2 sets to check out, the Black Winter and the Pegasus/Sentient. While both are excellent for metal, the Black Winters will have more mids. I wouldn't call either pair 'scooped' though.
For the lead guitar, I'd have to ask for examples of tones you like, or at least what you don't like about the stock pickups, as there are a ton of options (including the above sets).

If I were to describe my rhythem tone to a t, I would want a neck pickup that does sparkling and warm cleans and should not distort the amps clean channel. I don't expect to use distortion with the neck pickup at all. For the bridge pickup I want tight lows, plenty of mid range and plenty of highs.

For the lead tone I would like the bridge pickup to cut through the mix and do harmonics well with high gain and the neck pickup to have a round tone.

If it helps I am thinking about playing in standard tuning and drop d tuning. I'd like the pickups to be able to do both.

 

[gregory]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

a neck pickup that does sparkling and warm cleans

I find sparking and warm somewhat contradictory, but there is a tone control at your disposal.

not distort the amps clean channel

What's the amp?

For the lead tone I would like the bridge pickup to [...] do harmonics well

Pinch harmonics, correct?

and the neck pickup to have a round tone

I'm not sure what a round tone is.

How hot do you want pickups to be in each guitar?
How do you like your highs in each guitar?
Do you want a fast bass attack in either or both guitars?

 

[jblevins1991]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

I find sparking and warm somewhat contradictory, but there is a tone control at your disposal.


What's the amp?


Pinch harmonics, correct?


I'm not sure what a round tone is.

How hot do you want pickups to be in each guitar?
How do you like your highs in each guitar?
Do you want a fast bass attack in either or both guitars?

I would like both guitars to be pretty hot.
Id like the highs to match the mids or be a bit more than the mids.
Id like fast bass attack in both guitars.

 

[gregory]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

You want ceramic.

 

[jblevins1991]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

So for the bridge pickup it looks like the Nazgul is what I am looking for.

 

[jblevins1991]

Re: Need a HH set for rhythem and HSH/HH for lead

So for the Rhythem guitar I have done a bit more research and have these options to consider.

Nazgul or Duncan Distortion in the bridge and the Sentient or Jazz in the neck. Has anybody A/B'd these yet? I will most likely get all four and determine which set I like the most. But any pre-purchase help would be appreciated.