Pickup for AC/DC?

[Cob85]

Hi guys!

My Jackson Dinky with:

-Alder body
-Rosewoord fingerboard
-Floyd rose trem
-H-S-S configuration

Is going to play only Ac/Dc for a while. It now mounts a SH-6 Duncan Distortion as bridge pickup and I think it's too much for Ac/Dc sound.
Could a Custom 5 SH-14 do the work? It is available on my second guitar and I might easily swap the pickups.

Any other suggestion?

Thanks!

 

[Adieu]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

Get an SG... an alder body will be hard-pressed to sound that thin

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

WLH

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

Without suggesting that you buy a new guitar, there are several pickups that will work. My personal opinion is that the C5 might be a bit too hot and scooped in the mids. Angus used/uses fairly low output pickups and gets the drive from his amp. So, a vintage voiced A5 pickup should be perfect. 59' bridge, WLH bridge, which is similar to the 59', but with a bit more output and more of everything that makes the 59' great. Perhaps even a SNS bridge, for that big 70's arena rock tone.

Also, a bit more expensive, but MJ wound some pickups for Angus and now they're offered as the high voltage set. You could just buy the bridge pickup Malone for $160.

Another option that sounds fantastic but is slightly non-traditional is the PATB-3. It was designed to add some beef back to the sound of Floyd Rose bridged guitars and really sounds terrific. The PATB-3 is the more vintage voiced model, but it will rock very hard. In the end, this would probably be my #1 recommendation.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[Cob85]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

Get an SG... an alder body will be hard-pressed to sound that thin

Well I know but a new guitar is not an option at the moment..

 

[Cob85]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

Without suggesting that you buy a new guitar, there are several pickups that will work. My personal opinion is that the C5 might be a bit too hot and scooped in the mids. Angus used/uses fairly low output pickups and gets the drive from his amp. So, a vintage voiced A5 pickup should be perfect. 59' bridge, WLH bridge, which is similar to the 59', but with a bit more output and more of everything that makes the 59' great. Perhaps even a SNS bridge, for that big 70's arena rock tone.

Also, a bit more expensive, but MJ wound some pickups for Angus and now they're offered as the high voltage set. You could just buy the bridge pickup Malone for $160.

Another option that sounds fantastic but is slightly non-traditional is the PATB-3. It was designed to add some beef back to the sound of Floyd Rose bridged guitars and really sounds terrific. The PATB-3 is the more vintage voiced model, but it will rock very hard. In the end, this would probably be my #1 recommendation.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

I had the PATB-3 a few years ago, then it broke up and here in Italy is really difficult to find, while the PATB-2 can be found online at a very expensive price.
May I ask you which pickup is the WLH?
The SNS should be the Saturday night special, right?

 

[formula73]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

I think the amp has more to say about that tone than a different humbucker.

 

[Cob85]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

I think the amp has more to say about that tone than a different humbucker.

That's for sure, but the actual pu (Duncan Distortion) seems too powerful for a good Angus sound.

 

[formula73]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

That's for sure, but the actual pu (Duncan Distortion) seems too powerful for a good Angus sound.

Perhaps, but plugged into an old Marshall voiced amp, it’d be closer than you think.

 

[Nagisa]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

That's for sure, but the actual pu (Duncan Distortion) seems too powerful for a good Angus sound.

Yea, I think so. Also honestly Angus definitely does not sound like he’s playing ceramic pups. I like my SH-5 but that’s not an ideal ac/dc pickup. As others said , wlh or most pafs should work. Also alder is my favorite wood but sometimes screwing the bobbins down is needed to tighten it a bit.

 

[Toejam]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

Lower the pickup a little, turn the gain down on the amp?

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

Best AC/DC sound I got out of an alder body was a C8/59 hybrid

 

[Blille]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

May I ask you which pickup is the WLH?
The SNS should be the Saturday night special, right?

WLH: Whole lotta humbucker https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/whole-lotta-humbucker-set
Yes to Sat Night Special.

 

[Cob85]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

Lower the pickup a little, turn the gain down on the amp?

Yea, I think so. Also honestly Angus definitely does not sound like he’s playing ceramic pups. I like my SH-5 but that’s not an ideal ac/dc pickup. As others said , wlh or most pafs should work. Also alder is my favorite wood but sometimes screwing the bobbins down is needed to tighten it a bit.

Ok I'll try this out, thanks.

 

[Cob85]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

WLH: Whole lotta humbucker https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/whole-lotta-humbucker-set
Yes to Sat Night Special.

Thanks.
I'll look for the pups, check the price.

 

[Cob85]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

Best AC/DC sound I got out of an alder body was a C8/59 hybrid

C8 stands for Custom 8?
Shouldn't it be more powerful than a standard Custom 5?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

A Whole Lotta Humbucker will do it, or even a 59. For a more expensive option, check out the High Voltage.

 

[Cob85]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

A Whole Lotta Humbucker will do it, or even a 59. For a more expensive option, check out the High Voltage.

Thanks Mincer.
The High voltage is really expensive for me now, probably the '59 will do the job as it can be found used online.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

First of all, I'm a little concerned at how you say "Seems" too much for AC/DC. As in - you haven't even tried it!!!!

I'm thinking that's the case, because I would say you could get a pretty decent AC/DC sound with that no problem. Dial Amp correctly, turn the volume down a touch and you should be good to go.

So before we get all swap-happy, how about trying to adjust amp, pickup height, and volume and I think you'll be pretty pleased. But - if AFTER you do all that it still doesn't work, then just get a 59 and move on with it.

But if you are REALLY trying to cop AC/DC tones spot-on, the Dinky is a bigger FAIL than the pickup. Jackson Shredstick ≠ SG oand it really isn't anywhere in the Gretsch ballpark either!

 

[Cob85]

Re: Pickup for AC/DC?

First of all, I'm a little concerned at how you say "Seems" too much for AC/DC. As in - you haven't even tried it!!!!

I'm thinking that's the case, because I would say you could get a pretty decent AC/DC sound with that no problem. Dial Amp correctly, turn the volume down a touch and you should be good to go.

So before we get all swap-happy, how about trying to adjust amp, pickup height, and volume and I think you'll be pretty pleased. But - if AFTER you do all that it still doesn't work, then just get a 59 and move on with it.

But if you are REALLY trying to cop AC/DC tones spot-on, the Dinky is a bigger FAIL than the pickup. Jackson Shredstick ≠ SG oand it really isn't anywhere in the Gretsch ballpark either!

Hi Aceman,

I know the guitar is not Ac/Dc friendly, but I've always played metal and now a new experience has come in.
The guitar has been tried at home with my Crate amp and it doesn't sound that good for Ac/Dc. Too aggressive. Maybe it's the amp, could be.
The studio room were the band will play has a lot of different amps so I could get a decent sound but they change the amps very frequently..

That's why I was wondering about a pickup swap.