Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

[Coryd]

Hey everyone,
So for most of my life as a musician i have been a die hard EMG guy. 81/85 all the way. Lately i have just been wanting to get away from EMGs and go passive. I have a Jim Root Tele i want to replace the pickups in. I play mainly rock/hard rock/funk rock/reggae along the lines of a mix of Alice in Chains/Sevendust/311/Deftones/Rage Against the Machine. I know that is probably a strange mix of bands, but thats the kind of music i like to play. I mostly play in drop C#, but the lowest i usually go is drop B.

A few of the pickups i have been contemplating are the Duncan SH-5, Dimarzio Dominion, price is a bit much but maybe BKP Black Hawk or Impulse. Basically, i'm after a good bridge pickup that is kinda versatile. One that can do a nice modern rhythm sound, but could also clean up nicely as well. I probably play 70% distorted tones and 30% clean in the music i write.

Here is the newest track i have recorded, but this was with EMG pickups: https://www.dropbox.com/s/exm92rno90v4rqi/D20 - Demo.mp3?dl=0

Any suggestions are most welcome! Thanks everyone.

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I play in C# 80% of the time with similar tones. I know what you're talking about with the 81/85 set, they're good for a certain tone but not really an all-bases p/up.

My two favorites are the SD SH-5 and Lace Hammer Claw. The Custom sounds a bit more compressed, the HC is slightly better for big chord work but lacks a little in top end sparkle. The Custom will clean up a little with volume knob adjustments the HC will not. Also consider the 59/Custom hybrid. Good luck

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

Dude that song was fn killer! After hearing that, if you're playing rhythm and lead go with the Custom, if two guitar players the rhythm player should go with the HC for sure.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

Also consider the 59/Custom hybrid. Good luck

I can recommend the 59/Custom hybrid. I have one in the bridge of my swamp ash telecaster. I've been using that guitar in a 90's cover band and we play a good amount of drop/down-tuned songs. It might sound even better in your mahogany tele. It is not a super tight metal pickup, but I prefer the versatility.

Check out this comparison video of Duncan pickups, if you want to hear how they sound for metal rhythm:

 

[Coryd]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I play in C# 80% of the time with similar tones. I know what you're talking about with the 81/85 set, they're good for a certain tone but not really an all-bases p/up.

My two favorites are the SD SH-5 and Lace Hammer Claw. The Custom sounds a bit more compressed, the HC is slightly better for big chord work but lacks a little in top end sparkle. The Custom will clean up a little with volume knob adjustments the HC will not. Also consider the 59/Custom hybrid. Good luck

Dude that song was fn killer! After hearing that, if you're playing rhythm and lead go with the Custom, if two guitar players the rhythm player should go with the HC for sure.

I can recommend the 59/Custom hybrid. I have one in the bridge of my swamp ash telecaster. I've been using that guitar in a 90's cover band and we play a good amount of drop/down-tuned songs. It might sound even better in your mahogany tele. It is not a super tight metal pickup, but I prefer the versatility.

Check out this comparison video of Duncan pickups, if you want to hear how they sound for metal rhythm:

Thank you for the suggestions!!! Very happy you liked the demo track too Thundermtn!!!

I'm really being torn between the Dominion and the SH-5. I've mainly played EMGs like i said, but have had brief stints with the JB, X2N, D Activators, Crunchlab.

I didn't really dig the JB that much. It was ok, but a bit too loose in the lows and had that upper mid spike. The D Activator was cool, but can be very ice-picky. X2N was too hot and the Crunchlab doens't fit Mahogany when i tried it.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

The Dominion is a cool pickup if you don't want to stray too far away from the EMG 81 camp. The Dominion to me is sort of like a cross between a DiMarzio Breed and an EMG 81. It's tight (almost to the point of thin) and dry sort of like the 81, but it's got more of that passive openness to the frequency response (compared to an active, but compared to other passives, it's still more towards the focused-sounding side of things).

 

[Ben1962]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I hate to beat a deadhorse, I like the Pegasus and Alt8. The chunk parts would sound killer on the bridge and I think the lead tones cut thru better. Thats my opinion. That song was killer and I may be jammin to er today

 

[Coryd]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

Thanks for the suggestions so far!!!

I'm still leaning towards the Dominion at the moment, but that is just from what i read online about it.

I play lead and rhythm and played both in the track above as well.

 

[CaptainWhizz]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I hate to beat a deadhorse, I like the Pegasus and Alt8. The chunk parts would sound killer on the bridge and I think the lead tones cut thru better. Thats my opinion. That song was killer and I may be jammin to er today

IIRC, Tim Mahoney switched to the Pegasus and Sentient in at least one of his live guitars. I can't remember which Duncan's he used before that.

Jerry Cantell used JBs for a while, switched to a boutique maker though.

Tom Morello has used a bunch of different pickups.

Not sure that helps much, sorry.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I'm still leaning towards the Dominion at the moment, but that is just from what i read online about it.

Although the Dominion is a cool pickup in the right guitar, I wouldn't call it versatile. I still have one lying around. It does what it does well, which is tight and dry modern tones, but not much more. Maybe it's not as compressed as a JB, but it's not far off either.

Maybe that's just me. I do like it, but I've never really loved it either.

 

[Coryd]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

Although the Dominion is a cool pickup in the right guitar, I wouldn't call it versatile. I still have one lying around. It does what it does well, which is tight and dry modern tones, but not much more. Maybe it's not as compressed as a JB, but it's not far off either.

Maybe that's just me. I do like it, but I've never really loved it either.

Do you guys think the SH-5 would be a better more versatile fit for my Jim Root tele?

 

[Coryd]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

Although the Dominion is a cool pickup in the right guitar, I wouldn't call it versatile. I still have one lying around. It does what it does well, which is tight and dry modern tones, but not much more. Maybe it's not as compressed as a JB, but it's not far off either.

Maybe that's just me. I do like it, but I've never really loved it either.

I guess why I’m leaning towards the dominion is that I’ve read very little people who use say they don’t like it. Most say it’s a great pickup. I’ve read similar on the SH-5 as well.

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

For ratm ur gonna want a good split coil tone, so id go bkp juggernaut set all the way

 

[Coryd]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

For ratm ur gonna want a good split coil tone, so id go bkp juggernaut set all the way

I have though about those too at some point, but i keep hearing they have like this half cocked wah sound to them that you can't dial out well.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I guess why I’m leaning towards the dominion is that I’ve read very little people who use say they don’t like it. Most say it’s a great pickup. I’ve read similar on the SH-5 as well.

I don't say it's not a great pickup, but I wouldn't call it versatile. It is VERY focused-sounding with a very fast attack and tight low-end. Not exactly what I'd call a great clean pickup, but YMMV.

i keep hearing they have like this half cocked wah sound to them that you can't dial out well.

The Dominion kinda has those kinda AWWWW vocal mids at times too. At least it did moreso than any other pickup I've had in the bridge position of my RG570.

 

[Coryd]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I don't say it's not a great pickup, but I wouldn't call it versatile. It is VERY focused-sounding with a very fast attack and tight low-end. Not exactly what I'd call a great clean pickup, but YMMV.


The Dominion kinda has those kinda AWWWW vocal mids at times too. At least it did moreso than any other pickup I've had in the bridge position of my RG570.

Have you had much experience with the SH-5 Duncan Custom?
I've been reading up on that one as well. I've heard the clarity on those is better than the JB.

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I have though about those too at some point, but i keep hearing they have like this half cocked wah sound to them that you can't dial out well.

Yea its definitely there pretty much all the time. I absolutely love that sound, but if thats not your bag definitely steer clear of the juggs

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I don't say it's not a great pickup, but I wouldn't call it versatile. It is VERY focused-sounding with a very fast attack and tight low-end. Not exactly what I'd call a great clean pickup, but YMMV.


The Dominion kinda has those kinda AWWWW vocal mids at times too. At least it did moreso than any other pickup I've had in the bridge position of my RG570.

The cleans are better than anything i couldve ever gotten out of a duncan humbucker. Im not sure a more versatile pickup exists, besides the fishman fluence multi voicing stuff and the p-rails. And the bass, while fast and tight when needed, isnt overly so. I found the custom to have a much faster bass response. Id say the bass response is some kind of a cross between a custom custom, a custom, and a bkp aftermath. its got that nice metallic attack when u need it, but it does that alter bridge/killswitch engage sludgy grind thing too.

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

Have you had much experience with the SH-5 Duncan Custom?
I've been reading up on that one as well. I've heard the clarity on those is better than the JB.

Sh5 custom is probably the best duncan pickup ive tried. A touch lacking in clarity (but thats coming from a bkp guy so take that how u will). The sh5 has a really nice low mid growl to it

 

[Ghwar]

Re: Passive Pickup Suggestions needed

I think you're right on the money when you're thinking SH-5 honestly. It has that ceramic bite you're used to with the 81, it punches you right in the gut but it still makes a very clear statement that it is a passive , raunchy pickup. It's slightly lower output than the 81, less compressed, and it has slug pole pieces instead of a blade so you're stepping very much into classic passive territory, and it's pretty versatile. I use mine for metal and also my blues band. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the SH-5 at all. If you want an SH-5 but on steroids, try a Duncan Distortion, but those are just a little too hot to be versatile in my opinion.

I personally have mine paired with a 59' but if you want a really sweet tone in the neck I'd try an Alnico Pro II. it can still shred but it has amazing cleans and bluesy distorted tones.