Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

[LLCooLM495]

Hey everyone. First time on here in awhile, but that's not the point. Today, one of my friends gave me this Epiphone Explorer Pro, because he wanted to throw it out (I'm questioning his sanity too, don't worry). Really unfortunate, but he decided it'd be cool to sand off all the paint from the front and back of the body, plus the back of the neck (to be fair the neck feels really nice without paint). I only know what guitar it is because it has the little Explorer Pro badge, and the silver paint on the sides plus the binding is still there. Anyway, enough showing off My question is that I don't know what pickups to use in this once I put it back together and get it refinished. I wanted to go with EMGs (I play mainly thrash metal), but there's no space to put the batteries. What kind of passive pickups could I get that will get me close to EMGs? It fits 2 Humbuckers btw. Thanks!

 

[Demanic]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

Lace Deathbuckers.

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[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

Dimarzio D-Activators.

Side note- the battery can fit in the control cavity (I've got one hidden underneath the control plate of a Fender Jazz Bass; a little tight but it works) and/or pickup selector place.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

Since it WILL be getting refinished....make space.

And reconfigure the knobs if you want. Have at it.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

Also - did he scallop the neck from 12 up???

 

[LLCooLM495]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

Yeah. Apparently the fretboard had a crack in it there so he scalloped it to get it out.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

Lace Deathbuckers.

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I put a set in an Epi Korina Explorer several years ago and never looked back.

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[LLCooLM495]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

Read about them, they seem like they're really good. Ive seen a few other people but them in explorers. Only problem with them is the price. Im 16, and i dont have much money, so the difference in like a $75 pickup like a Super Distortion (not considering super ds at the moment, thats just what i ended up with in my strat) and $100 is pretty big for me. I am very interested in them, however. I also noticed the Lace Finger Burners, and I am actually quite a big fan of the hardened metal (case hardened?) look, but I couldn't find much about the tone, which is really the most important bit. Have you ever tried them?

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

A good passive pickup for thrash is the Distortion, with a 59 for the neck. You can probably find those used for pretty cheap (I'm in the exact same boat as you)

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[Demanic]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

Or just a Distortion set.

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[punchlinechar]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

Or just a Distortion set.

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Or just a distortion bridge and no neck pickup

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[EDX]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

dimebag set, that thing is a big slab of mahogany, most duncan pickups were designed for strats/super strats, teles and lps, but the dimebucker is the only one deisgned for such a big slab of mahogany that is the ml (remeber ml is derivate from the flying v and explorer)

or better yet, get a used pearly gates bridge for the neck slot and the dimebucker on the bridge (the dimebucker is so hot that it needs a bridge paf on the neck slot, only really hot neck pickups, like the distortion or black winter neck can handle the dimebucker) to get the full texas spice on your thrash tone

for that guitar i would paint it flat black and then silver over, so i could age, crack and scrap the silver to get a crackle aged silver flat black finish

something like this but with the colors switched

 

[daenius]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

JB or Custom in the bridge
Full Shred in the neck

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickups for a 2013 Epiphone Explorer Pro?

As far as actives, I dig Blackouts, and I am not aware of any passives that feel or sound just like actives. I do recommend you checking out passive pickups, though, as there are lots of tones and approaches to giving you a really excellent sound.