Pickup Recommendation - Metal - Basswood Body, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fretboard

[MetalFinatic14]

Hey guys, I really need a recommendation. I play a low end sgr c-7 string through a blackstar ht-5 with 4x12 cabinet. The guitar itself has high treble with mids and bass about the same, lower than the treble. It does surprisingly well on clean. looking for passive pickups that give me a heavy but articulate chug for riffing similar to Sylosis, As I lay dying, and all that remains. If possible, I want it to be versatile enough to play djent or classic metal/rock. The amp head I have can dish out plenty of gain so I'm not worried about a crazy amount of distortion. I would love to find a good balance between heavy gain and articulation. The guitar itself is pretty dark sounding so maybe a warmer pickup would help bring out the sound rather than a black winter type of pickup. to be honest I'm at a loss on where to start. Ive jumped between the black winter, sh-6/distortion 7, and even the Pegasus. Help would be appreciated :boggled:

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pickup Recommendation - Metal - Basswood Body, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fretboard

The Distortion or JB would work for what you want. My personal preference would be the Custom 8 (since your amp can supply plenty of distortion)...nice crisp highs without being piercing and brittle sounding, plenty of mids, solid chunky bass. A very articulate pup that is easy to push into overdriven/distorted sounds. The Distortion (with the ceramic magnet) is more aggressive than the Custom 8, but has brittle, unstable, piercing, hissing high end. But it is generally a great pup. I prefer mine with an A8 or UOA5 magnet, sometimes even an A2.

 

[MetalFinatic14]

Re: Pickup Recommendation - Metal - Basswood Body, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fretboard

Is the JB pretty much a hotter more distorted version of the sh-5? If that's the case I would probably opt for the JB. Specifically I want the tone from the songs teras, paradox, servitude, what dwells within. Might give you a better idea.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Pickup Recommendation - Metal - Basswood Body, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fretboard

Is the JB pretty much a hotter more distorted version of the sh-5? If that's the case I would probably opt for the JB.

Nope. Pretty different pickups.

Specifically I want the tone from the songs teras, paradox, servitude, what dwells within. Might give you a better idea.

I know Josh from Sylosis used his Les Paul with a Holy Diver in the bridge to record Monolith and Dormant Heart. He was using the EMG 81 back in the Conclusion of an Age days, and a JB for Edge of the Earth. He uses the EMG 57 on most of his live guitars, though.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup Recommendation - Metal - Basswood Body, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fretboard

The JB has a more pronounced 'honky' mid thing going on than a Custom, which is like a twice-as-loud PAF. The Custom, to me, is tighter, too. If you want versatile, the Custom would be my choice over the Distortion (too trebly for versatility) or JB (does one really good thing, but not much else).

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pickup Recommendation - Metal - Basswood Body, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fretboard

I agree with the Custom. Many people like it just the way it is (with the ceramic mag) and I don't mind that mag so much in the Custom (I hate it in just about every pup I've tried). But even so, the Custom sounds SOOO much better with an A8 mag in it.

I'm one of those who believes Seymour should add the C8 as another pup to the Custom line (Custom, Custom 5, Custom Custom with A2, and C8). Of all four of these I think that the C8 is the most versatile and has the greatest tone clean or pushed.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup Recommendation - Metal - Basswood Body, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fretboard

I haven't tried the C8. Can you describe it?