Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

[Aliascent]

Hello everyone, first post on the forum after lurking for many years.

After all I've learned through this forum (hybrids, magnet swaps) and usually finding threads here as first results for anything pickups-related on google I thought I'd finally register

Today I'd need your collective expertise to solve my issue. 2 years ago I bought an Ibanez rgib6 (28" scale, basswood body, maple neck and rosewood fretboard) which still has its stock pickups (EMG 81/60). It's tuned to B.

It quickly became one if my main guitars, but I never fell in love with the EMGs.
To me, they have clarity but everything else about them is just... lackluster.

I use this guitar for 3 things: death/thrash hybrid metal, ambient music and cleans, so I need:

Bridge: thickness, crunch, good clarity and note separation, as well as a good fast tracking low-end. I use it for rythm work, very rarely cleans.

Neck: all my lead work happens here, so I need some clarity and some decent treble. Cleans also happen here, and I want some if that growly, slightly dirty baritone twang. I can't coax it out of the 60 at all, no matter how hard I try.

At this point I was thinking sh6 or sh6n for the bridge, and I'm completely lost for the neck. So all suggestions are welcome, be it actives or passives.

I had a set of ahb-1s in another guitar in the same tuning, didn't really like them either. Not sure if I want to try those again.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

"Baritone twang"? What amp are you running through? Do you wanna stay active or go passive?

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

I’m guessing by “baritone twang” he’s referring to that almost “snappy” type percussive sound those lower tunings can have.

I can’t help you with pickup selection though. There are many more here hat know way more than me.
I have the Pegasus/Sentinent set in my 7 String. I’m not really a “metal” guy, more of a rock/hard rocker. They sound good though and I’m not in a hurry to get rid of them. They are working for me at the moment.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

I've used a Custom 5 and Jazz in a Baritone tuned A to A before, for many clean, twangy parts and distorted chuggy parts. It gets that articulation thing, and never sounds muddy.

 

[Progbusters]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

i have Dimarzio Titans in my Schecter Baritone. I don't recommend them unless you have a higher pitched amp.

 

[Ben1962]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

Going more by what I read than what I heard, the distortion may get flabby being tuned so low and turn into a muddy mess. I have the Nazgul and Pegasus 6 string and I originally had em in standard tuning. The Nazgul at times seemed piercing, like it just had too much of something going on. Then I dropped her down just a half step, and I could hear a huge difference. Its hard to believe just how much it seems to love lower tunings. I bet you would love it and the Sentient is a killer lead pup as well. I got em wired to split, and I am very happy with all the sounds I can get

 

[Aliascent]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

Thanks everybody for the replies so far, it gave me new things to consider.

"Baritone twang"? What amp are you running through? Do you wanna stay active or go passive?

About the "twang" I think Gtrjunior explained it better than I did, it's hard to describe a sound.
Anyway, current amps are a H&K Tubemeister and a Jet City JCA22H, and soon a Mesa Single Rectifier.
I don't mind going passive, it's only a 20 minutes job max to install the new pots and wire everything. I don't mind actives either, but so far I haven't found an active I like, so I guess I'm really leaning towards passive.

I’m guessing by “baritone twang” he’s referring to that almost “snappy” type percussive sound those lower tunings can have.

I can’t help you with pickup selection though. There are many more here hat know way more than me.
I have the Pegasus/Sentinent set in my 7 String. I’m not really a “metal” guy, more of a rock/hard rocker. They sound good though and I’m not in a hurry to get rid of them. They are working for me at the moment.

You somewhat got what I meant by "twang". For some reason the Pegasus totally flew under my radar so thanks for reminding me of its existence. After checking some demos, it may do what I expect my bridge pickup to do. I'll investigate more.

I've used a Custom 5 and Jazz in a Baritone tuned A to A before, for many clean, twangy parts and distorted chuggy parts. It gets that articulation thing, and never sounds muddy.

I'm not surprised about the Jazz, I have it in another guitar and it seems to literally "eat" gain. I never tried it lower in anything than D though, so I'll have to investigate that too. My only experience with the SH14 was with the pickup installed in a PRS I got in a trade , and I found it a bit muddy and noisy back then. However, thinking back about it, I remember it was poorly soldered and the electronics were pure nightmare fuel, so this may explain that.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

Lace Alumitone Deathbuckers.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

Thanks everybody for the replies so far, it gave me new things to consider.



About the "twang" I think Gtrjunior explained it better than I did, it's hard to describe a sound.
Anyway, current amps are a H&K Tubemeister and a Jet City JCA22H, and soon a Mesa Single Rectifier.
I don't mind going passive, it's only a 20 minutes job max to install the new pots and wire everything. I don't mind actives either, but so far I haven't found an active I like, so I guess I'm really leaning towards passive.



You somewhat got what I meant by "twang". For some reason the Pegasus totally flew under my radar so thanks for reminding me of its existence. After checking some demos, it may do what I expect my bridge pickup to do. I'll investigate more.



I'm not surprised about the Jazz, I have it in another guitar and it seems to literally "eat" gain. I never tried it lower in anything than D though, so I'll have to investigate that too. My only experience with the SH14 was with the pickup installed in a PRS I got in a trade , and I found it a bit muddy and noisy back then. However, thinking back about it, I remember it was poorly soldered and the electronics were pure nightmare fuel, so this may explain that.

That's the thing...the Custom 5 is seriously scooped, so it has the bass and the articulation you need on a baritone, like the low notes on a piano.

 

[Ben1962]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

I rotate my guitars and the different sets all the time. EVERY time I play the Pegasus, I just cant believe how great it sounds. I usually think about the nice tight chunk I get, but the sounds up higher are just as killer to me. I am a bedroom guy, so I aint fighting for space with the band, so take that into account. That set for me is PERFECT. Sometimes I think I should just put em all my guitars, sounds that good to me. In a cheap Epiphone no less LOL. Thru my EVH 50 watt head, I guess I happened on a great combo there

 

[Aliascent]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

Hello again, and thanks for additional replies.
Since then I've managed to track a guitar with a custom 5 installed (and that guitar had very similar specs to mine), and I really liked it. Thick, clear and surprisingly aggressive.
By pure luck, a set of used SDs popped up in my local classifieds (with covers too). However I have troubles identifying the bridge pickup. Could you guys help me identify that pickup ? A used set would save me quite a lot of money, which could then be used for more Duncans :headbang:

Thanks in advance.

Edit: I know the label says SH14. But the seller says it's a SH1, and I'm only familiar with the SH - # format. So I'm a bit confused.
Edit 2: I had a look at the tools available at the FAQ, but sadly that didn't help.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

Well, an SH-14 is a Custom 5, and an SH-1 is a 59. If it were a 59, it would specify n or b (neck or bridge). Also DCR meter would clear this right up. A 59's DCR is around 7.5k, while a Custom 5's is around 15k.

 

[Aliascent]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

A quick DCR reading will indeed clear it, and that's what I'll do when I can meet the seller.
And I should have thought about the markings on a '59, I have a couple of them and they all say b or n. Since there's no neck SH14, then this pup ought to be a SH14.
Thanks again for your help and reply and sorry about the confused, silly question.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

No worries, but let us know how this turns out!

 

[gregory]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

People often claim the Custom 5 is scooped. I hear it as bright but no airy. It has a high Q factor relative to the Custom 2, making it more spiked. I do not hear any more bass than mids other than what the amp is doing to the signal.

I know people hear what they (want?) to hear or what is suggested that they hear; I definitely don't hear it.

To contrast it with the Custom 2, the Custom 2 sounds more middy due to the reduced resonant frequency and Q factor.

The SH-5 custom has an even higher resonant frequency and what sounds like a higher Q than the Custom 5 which explains the more ice-pick thing that people often complain about. Like with the Custom 5, I do not hear any less mids than bass, again, other than what the amp is doing.

Just about every guitar amp scoops the mids unless the bass is set to 0, the mids are on 10 and the treble is on 0. How much scoop and where the scoop occurs will vary from model to model, but they all scoop. The pickup? Not a chance unless it has some serious dual resonance going on, which no Duncan has.

Spectrum analyzers are common place among DAWs and even the basic sound editors. Playing the strumming various chords consistently on the same guitar with the same guitar and amp settings on the clean channel should suss this out. I guarantee the Custom 5 will not show any prominent scoop above what the amp is doing.

Member freefrog has devised a way to measure a pickup's frequency resopnse and I would be quite surprised if he could show any dip in mids relative to bass with the Custom 5.

That I don't hear it doesn't mean that it isn't there, though I've never seen anything rooted in science that shows it, let alone explains it. My missing such information does not negate the existence of phenomenon, of course.

 

[gregory]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

A quick DCR reading will indeed clear it, and that's what I'll do when I can meet the seller.
And I should have thought about the markings on a '59, I have a couple of them and they all say b or n. Since there's no neck SH14, then this pup ought to be a SH14.
Thanks again for your help and reply and sorry about the confused, silly question.

Rest assured, if you want a Custom 5 then you are safe buying this pickup regardless of what the seller says unless he changed out the sticker or coils from that baseplate.

With that in mind, taking a reading does no harm unless you decide to tell the guy he's wrong without putting it gently.

 

[Aliascent]

Re: Pickup suggestions for a baritone guitar.

A mini review, 5 months later (well after the honeymoon period):

Compared to the EMG 81, the custom 5 gave me a deeper, more organic tone. The cleans were good and enjoyable, and had some added growl and snap, just what I was looking for.

Under gain, it had enough punch. Not as tight as the 81, but so clear, with a nice attack. Chords rang like crazy, and the custom 5 handled everything I threw at it, galloping fast rythm included. Awesomely chunky too.
However there was a metallic quality to the notes, but it wasn't overbearing or grating.

The jazz did the usual jazz thing: sparkly cleans with depth, no mud, and reacted well to light overdrive and high gain. However it was not as fluid as the EMG 60 it replaced for soloing, but not stiff either.

Overall, it was like the guitar finally became alive, and versatile. If you have a baritone but do not play the most modern of metal or djent, I'd highly recommend.

I had to sell the guitar recently, but even with the relatively short time I spent with it after the upgrade, it was well worth it.

So thank you all for the help.