Need help deciding between alnico types for Epiphone Explorer

[bdqwerty]

Hey guys. So, I've been through several pickups in my Epiphone TV Silver Explorer Pro. I've taken out the stock pickups and volume pots. The volume pots were replaced with standard CTS 500k's and the bridge pickup was changed to a JB. I found the JB to be too harsh in the highs and not enough bass response for me (I hear this is a common gripe). So, I changed both pickups to some cheap chinese ceramics. They're ok, but I really dig the sound and feeling of alnico magnets.

So, my problem is I don't know if I should go for alnico 5 or alnico 2. I don't know if I should go for vintage output (7-8.5 k) or modern output (9-14 k). Recommendations of other types of pickups are welcome, too. I just need help, and I'm not a master on pickups.

The explorer is all stock except for the strings and volume pots.
Tuning - Standard, though I want good response across the board even if I go down to C.
Guitar body wood - indian mahagony
Fingerboard wood - rosewood
Amp - RMS G80R (solid-state, tends to run a bit bright)

Music styles I plan to play - Psychedelic/progressive rock, stoner metal, indie rock (my band does this), classic rock, blues, death metal, 70s metal, jazz, David Gilmour-ish stuff, etc. Pretty much anything but country.

All help is appreciated, and I thank you in advance.

 

[EDX]

Re: Need help deciding between alnico types for Epiphone Explorer

if you had gain enough a pearly gates set, some a2 p'ups can be dull in a explorer (am extra big chunk of war, mahogany with the warm a2 based p'ups sounds like dullnes to happen) maybe a8, the alternative 8 and the jazz could be nice, or a Custom Custom with an A2P (NOT THE SLASH P'UP) if you are willing to give ceramics a try (not your overly harsh one trick pony tipe ceramic p'up) you could try the dimebag set (yeah is the signature of the metal player that made nigel tufnel look like a low gain guy, but they are also designed to made big chunks of wood articulate and almost mud proof) that thing will do the death stuff with ease, but by actually messing a little with tone and vol knobs you can dial blues, 70's, stoner and rock, in the clean chanel blues and jazz comes naturally.

the pearlys are my favorite pafs, they are sweet and vintage sounding but with actual bite, so, that if you actually run them through some gain you will do anything wich has the words rock, metal or extreme without even notice, also you must try hard to made them sound bad.

 

[bdqwerty]

Re: Need help deciding between alnico types for Epiphone Explorer

thanks, dude. Gain really isn't a problem. The amp has plenty of it, but I usually boost with a T-Rex Crunchy Frog to give it a little more... something, lol. DOn't know what to call it. Anyway, thanks. I'll look into the pearly's and dimebucker and stuff.