Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

[PhilDuggs]

Hi i recently got myself an LTD EC-1000 vintage black. It originally came with a JB and 59 combo but I want to switch these out as my other ec1000 has these pickups and preferably I need pickups that are more suited to metal and hard rock (ala Black Stone Cherry , Slipknot etc) as I know the JB and 59 are more rock and roll / classic rock orientated. What I am looking for is good note definition with a nice fat sound , but still have nice highs that can cut well. I do understand that pickups only encompass a certain percentage of your actual tone. Also for the time being I'll be running it through a fender mustang V head while using a pair of headphones I have due to the fact that I live in the suburbs and i live witha small child.


Any help would be great, and remember if you think another brand would suit me more then say it please.

All help is appreciated and I would like to thank those who post.



p.s please don't turn this into a flame war about how one pickup brand is superior to the other.

p.p.s please justify your suggestion for me , I don't want simple replies such as "get a pearly gates" or "get a dimarzio super distortion". I would ask you to state why the pickup is worth my while y'know.

 

[Ptolemaeus]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

SH6 Distortion in the bridge. That's my all time favorite pickup simply because it does so well across a lot of tunings. Drop B won't be a problem for it.

SH15 Alt 8. Handles low tunings whil remaining tight due to the mid focused voicing. I personally don't like the way it's voiced, but a lot of other people around her have a hard on for it.

Black Winter. Like an improved SH6. Very flat eq. The BW set is actually probably what I'd go with here, simply because it is waaaay more versatile that its marketed for. You can do blues to the heaviest death metal with these things. When I put a set in a buddy's Explorer I could even pass a convincing jazz fusion tone.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

Another vote for the Duncan Distortion here. I find it's kinda similar to the JB but with a bigger bottom-end, more grindy high-end, and slightly less stuffy low mids.

The EMG 81 is a safe bet, IMO. It's the most familiar-sounding pickup for contemporary metal. I've only tried the standard Duncan Blackout, but I much prefer EMG actives, personally.

What is it that you don't like about the JB? I actually got rid of my EMG Hetfields a couple of months ago to install Duncan JB in the bridge of my No. 1 guitar. I don't play in Drop B, but I do play in Drop C kinda melodeath-y stuff and IMO, the JB just has an all-around nice 90's metal character. Yes, it's not modern, uber tight, Killswitch Engage-y kinda tone, but it GRINDS, and kinda sorta fits within that hot and high-mid-focused style of bridge pickups that I like.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

*my bad, double posted*

 

[ItsaBass]

Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

Actives are extremely versatile and handle low tunings very well.

FWIW, one of the bands I'm in plays everything in C# standard drop B. Both the guitarists use EMGs because not much else will hold it together. And the bass I use with them (an Epi Thunderbird) has EMGs too (though I tune it BEAD, not C#-standard-drop-B, due to my personal preference for having consistent intervals string to string on a bass). The EMGs make everything so much easier to dial in and tweak. My P Bass is normally a great sounding guitar, but it just didn't cut it in those low tunings, with its passive pickup.

 

[Ptolemaeus]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

I'll throw the Bareknuckle Juggernauts out there just cause. If you can afford Bareknuckles, try those. I really like them, but they aren't very forgiving of bad technique. Just put some in my Chapman and they pulled the bass in and made it their *****. Really controlled the low frequencies.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

Seeing as how you mentioned Slipknot and "What I am looking for is good note definition with a nice fat sound , but still have nice highs that can cut well." I am going to recommend the active EMTY AHB-3 Blackouts. They are exactly what you described. I have a set, but personally prefer the regular AHB-1 Blackouts.

Seymour Duncan Blackouts represent the pinnacle in active guitar pickup technology. In his relentless quest for the ultimate tone, Mick Thomson of the metal band Slipknot asked Seymour Duncan for even tighter bottom and more searing top end cut, so Seymour Duncan delivered with the EMTY, a pulverizing addition to their Blackouts line. The 9-volt Seymour Duncan AHB-3 active humbucker is designed for aggressive playing styles. It's recommended for all metal and heavy rock styles, including extreme low tunings.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

Also, if you want to remain passive, don't sell the Duncan Jazz Model set short. those pickups are great for low tunings. They stay tight, have enough bottom, are all about clarity, and sound good for any style of music really. I've used them for about 16-17 years in Les Pauls, and I play pretty heavy rock.

 

[dominus]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

Full Shred set.

 

[PhilDuggs]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

EMG is out of the question due to my dislike of them due to it being very sterile sounding to me and of course being only capable of one thing Metal. Like I said this guitar would be used for hard rock aswell and I would need more dynamics and the ability to clean up my tone for small cleans here and there.

 

[PhilDuggs]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

How are chapman guitars actually? Been considering getting the new Ghost Fret whenever it releases and wanted to know how the fit and finish/ playability of those guitars are. I mean they seem to be a pretty good deal but I am worried I'll buy one and recieve a crappy excuse for a guitar.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

Chapman guitars are made in the same factory as LTD Deluxes, actually, so you should be pretty familiar with their quality standards.

Since you don't want EMG's and apparently don't like the JB, maybe you'll be happier with something more DiMarzio-ish? The Crunch Lab wasn't quite my thing, but it did sound cool, fat but tight, clear, and not as offensive in the high mids as the JB or 81, and a lot more useable in drop tunings than the Super Distortion or Tone Zone I've also had.

 

[dominus]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

EMG is out of the question due to my dislike of them due to it being very sterile sounding to me and of course being only capable of one thing Metal. Like I said this guitar would be used for hard rock aswell and I would need more dynamics and the ability to clean up my tone for small cleans here and there.

I think the first three minutes here shows that they're capable of just a little more than metal. (Granted the last 6+ minutes show that they're capable of lots of metal. )

 

[ItsaBass]

Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

EMG is out of the question due to my dislike of them due to it being very sterile sounding to me and of course being only capable of one thing Metal. Like I said this guitar would be used for hard rock aswell and I would need more dynamics and the ability to clean up my tone for small cleans here and there.

Those beliefs are totally incorrect, and that attitude is self defeating. There is no better tool for the job you want a pickup to do (i.e. able to handle extreme tunings, yet also be able to have other uses in a more standard range). And this is coming from a big-time passive pickup fan. I have no particular love of EMGs or actives in general...but they are occasionally just the ticket for something. And this is one of those occasions.

Actives in general are a "blank slate" type of pickup. If they sound "sterile," it's because you're telling them to sound sterile. Them being a blank slate is exactly why they are so perfect for what you want. That which makes a pickup able to handle drop tunings well is the exact thing that you say you don't like. They give you a bland, and therefore almost infinitely tweakable, signal. It's up to you and your understanding of e.q., gain, and effects, to get them sounding how you want.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

Not to mention, there is more to EMGs than the 81 or 85. Other models such as the 57/66 or the Hetfield set are prime examples. Just like how all of the passive Seymour Duncan humbucker models sound different, all active EMG pickup models sound different from each other. You haven't written off SD because of the JB have you (I'm inferring this because you're asking this forum)? So why write off all EMGs because of one or two models popular for metal?

And I'm not an EMG fanboy either. My favorite types of pickups are low to moderate output pickups with a very pronounced mid-to-upper midrange and aggressive high end. See if you can find used sets to try out with a smaller investment. If you don't end up liking them you can sell them for what you paid.

 

[PhilDuggs]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

ive seen that clip before , i do like emg tv videos its just the picks annoy me as there are only two sets which sound usable to me 57 66 and the het set . Im not a fan of actives mainly due to them really sound quite the same most of the time. Its the same sound just with a slightly different eq . Plus having to put a battery in just so my guitar can actually make a sound isnt sonething i want to have to do.

I just prefer passives to actives

 

[PhilDuggs]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

No i havent written off SD i am merely asking for advice on pickups more geared towards heavy rock and metal.
while there are some usable emg and i am aware of other models like the 60 the89 the57/66 and the het set i boufht the passive loaded version of this guitar due to my preference for passives. for example i was listening to clips of different pick ups being compared like the nazgul to the 81 (or 85 cant remember) i did this blind and prefferd the more open sound of the nazgul every time.

I dont mind having to get a different brand of pickups If SD cant cover my needs but if they can then all the better.

Also i dont want to have to rip out my guitars jack pots and pickups just to install emgs....i bought the passive variation to avoid that

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

I think the first three minutes here shows that they're capable of just a little more than metal. (Granted the last 6+ minutes show that they're capable of lots of metal. )

That's one badass semi hollow body guitar!!! Black Winters would be my suggestion, they have a nice flat EQ & that's kinda what you are looking for when you're using a drop tuning? Or what most people are looking for anyways? I'm not going to try & sell you on them, there's plenty of demo videos of them on YouTube. I think it's a good choice for your guitar though?

 

[jonsick]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

I have yet to experience a better pickup for drop-tuned guitars than the humble EMG 81/85 combo. They are still King for me in that arena.

Though I have completely gone off EMG for standard or D-D tuning in favor of passives, for my B and C# guitars, I still use EMG. I have tried a fair few passives in these tunings and keep coming back to EMG simply as they are clearer, more articulate and have enough gain to enable me to get away with using lighter string gauges (I don't like train tracks) and still sound fat enough to make an impact.

Edit: One exception to that rule was the full shred bridge. I quite liked that with B-B standard tuning in the Ibanez I had. It only had a bridge position pickup but it sounded right! I'd have no idea what neck pickup to pair it with though. The EMG was still better having said that!

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Pickups for a drop tuned guitar , in Drop B?

The two bands you mentioned don't sound anything like each other. Have you actually given the JB/59 a workout? They're an extremely versatile pair that, with some pedals, shouldn't have any problem doing what you're after.