Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

O

OscarDelta

New member
First Post here, so let's start with a friendly hello everybody ! :)

I recently bought a 1988 PRS Standard 24, that had EMG 81 and 85 on it. Love the EMGs for Metal, especially the fat, chunky and tight crunch, but I prefer the character of passive pickups.

I tried a JB I had lying around. I don't like the way it quacks, just get's annoying after a while. Also it sounds a little to old school, and too thin.
Also have a Dimebucker, that I wanna try, altough I don't have huge expections.

So I am looking for a nice Bridge Humbucker, that fits this all mahagony/rosewood fingerboard guitar.
I don't want a vintage sound and I'm not going for extremely detuned metal sounds or djent or anything like that either. Dont get me wrong, i love both styles, but don't want to end up in either extreme. So it should be somewhere in between, though have some versitality, so I can play Metal in Drop D or C, but also roll back the Volume and play some Classic rock or a soulfull and bluesy solo with little gain.
It should sound fat, but present and defined. I need to have some (medium) tightness too. Rolling back and dynamics are important, so are harmonics.
In short I want the responsiveness and soul of vintage pickups and the tightness and excitement of modern pickups.

And I think I like Ceramic pickups, but my experience with pickups isn't huge, so I'm open for anything.

I did some research and there are a few pickups that might make me happy.
Bare Knuckle Nailbomb
Dimarzio Crunch Lab
PRS HFS (could get a used one for cheap right now)

What I don't care about: Cleans on the bridge position, djentability, A standard tunings, vintage correctness

I hope you guys have some recommendations. I am playing through an Egnater Renegade with custom oversized 1x12 G12H100 cab btw.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Heya, welcome to the forum.

You've got a pretty tall order there, mate. You don't want anything for detuned metal but you're also not interested in anything that's fit for standard tunings?

I've had the Invader in a Les Paul (same wood configuration as your PRS except the neck). It was a great, GREAT pickup but I also play downtuned thrash metal. You can, however, parallell wire it where it essentially becomes a noiseless single coil, but still capable of handling t3h br00talz metal. What I would've liked to try is to do the treble bleed mod on the tone, might've made that control more usable in full humbucking mode. I had the Invader in the bridge with a Pearly Gates in the neck, and my go-to tone for recording solos was both pickups on, tone rolled all the way back in the neck (IE "woman tone") and volume ever so slightly rolled back in the bridge.

But yeah, it's a VERY bass heavy pickup, and not for everyone, but it is:

* Ceramic
* Handles drop tuning extremely well.
* In parallell mode quite good for cleans AND quite very nice indeed for playing classic rock with a little more oomph.
* Quite possibly the best damn thing in the history of ever for pinch harmonics (thought that might also have been due to the guitar it was in).
* Absolutely not in any way vintage correct whatsoever.


Overall, it has more versatility than what you'd might think. The high output also means you can get some really heavy sounds without turning the gain knob all the way up on your amp. But if you're not into a heavy low end, it might not be for you.


I tried the Dimebucker for about 1 hour something like 10 years ago, and it was the most useless pile of crap I've ever played. But, again, that was ten years ago and though a laughably bad amp, so it might not be entirely fair.
 
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Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Hey Coma, thanks for your kind help !

I think I worded my request badly. The range is going to be E-Standard to Drop C.
I just want a more modern sound than the JB, or at least fuller and clearer, but not too modern and lifeless.

I tried the Invader in a Schecter Synyster Gates Special, though it was okay. Might have to try it again.

Maybe I need a medium output pickup with a booster.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to all the advice you have for me.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

well, i've read lots of descriptions about the Pegasus saying that it's like an updated JB.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

OscarDelta said:
So I am looking for a nice Bridge Humbucker, that fits this all mahagony/rosewood fingerboard guitar.
I don't want a vintage sound and I'm not going for extremely detuned metal sounds or djent or anything like that either. Dont get me wrong, i love both styles, but don't want to end up in either extreme. So it should be somewhere in between, though have some versitality, so I can play Metal in Drop D or C, but also roll back the Volume and play some Classic rock or a soulfull and bluesy solo with little gain.
It should sound fat, but present and defined. I need to have some (medium) tightness too. Rolling back and dynamics are important, so are harmonics.
In short I want the responsiveness and soul of vintage pickups and the tightness and excitement of modern pickups.

And I think I like Ceramic pickups, but my experience with pickups isn't huge, so I'm open for anything.

I hope you guys have some recommendations. I am playing through an Egnater Renegade with custom oversized 1x12 G12H100 cab btw.
Click to expand...


Actually, your request is not a difficult one at all.

You have perfectly described the Duncan Custom.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Yeah, my thought is the Custom, or the Pegasus. I don't hear the Pegasus related to the JB at all. The JB does one thing, and does it well. The Pegasus has a much more even EQ.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Yeah, Custom. Or maybe a Dimarzio Air Zone. I just recently had a similar guitar and set of goals and the Air Zone worked out nicely. FWIW, that pickup splits beautifully also.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

I have a regular JB a JB8 and an Invader set. The JB8 and the Invader are pretty close for metal balls, they are both super hot but sound a little different.
The Invader set is evil, I have it in an ESP H1001 and the JB8 in a Les Paul Studio, the ESP is way more metal but not as versatile as the JB8.
I play everything with that pickup, I almost took it out because of how tight it was, think Dimarzio Evo tight but I got used to it and kept it and now I love it..
I personally like JBs but I am an old hair metal guy and grew up on that tone so it works for me..
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Thank you guys for all the input ! Definitely gonna try to get my hands on a Custom.

Meanwhile i tried the Dimebucker. Didn't like it, annoying sharp high mids, fuzziness and quite muddy.
So far I actually liked the EMG 81 the most, ironically.
I'll try to borrow some Pups and keep you guys updated.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Black Winter or PATB 1. I'd actually lean more towards the PATB-1 based on your description. However, the black winter is one of the most versatile and awesome pickups I have ever encountered. (I have owned most of the SD line, BKP line, and a bunch of others, including some quite expensive pickups) The Black Winter has really good low and mid gains as well as a near perfect high gain tone.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Duncan Custom should fill the ticket perfectly.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Yeah, you described the Custom to a 'T'.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

The original PRS "T&B" pickups can still be had sometimes if you watch for them. The bridge is just slightly hot, and big sounding yet tight & very well defined. Presence is excellent and both pickups clean up beautifully with an almost singlecoil-like character, thanks in part to Alnico rods in their slug coils. These work exceptionally well with the PRS 5-way wiring. Nothing quite like 'em, and a perfect match for that guitar. I'll never change the pickups in my '87 which like yours is all mahogany.

Barring that, it does sound as if the Duncan Custom or maybe a Custom 5 would be a good recommendation for you. I think you might need to flip the magnet to make your 5-way noise cancelling in all positions.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Spot on. Got on on my PRS SE, it definitely suits your needs.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Thanks again for your replys ! You guys are very friendly :)

A friend borrowed me a bunch of pickups, that I tried. '59 Bridge, Pearly Gates, D Sonic, Air Norton and the BKP Rebell Yell Set.
Liked the Bareknuckles the best so far, though after I blocked the Tremolo for downbends only by having it rest against the body, the sound changed. It sounds fatter and lost the high sizzling character, that made bright pickups sound bad. Now I have to try some of the pickups again. Damn ! ^^

I would love to post my experience. Would it be appropriate to write about it in this thread ? Maybe I should make a new one, since this guitar had quite some modifications done to it in the past and I kinda "restore" it and adjust it to my way of using it. It had some routing done to accomodate a MIDI-System (:omg:). It's gonna be my main axe and apart from my still-to-find favourite Bridge Pickup gonna have a Sustainiac and a Minihumbucker in the Neck. That's the plan, at least.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Gibson 1964 said:
Black Winter or PATB 1. I'd actually lean more towards the PATB-1 based on your description. However, the black winter is one of the most versatile and awesome pickups I have ever encountered. (I have owned most of the SD line, BKP line, and a bunch of others, including some quite expensive pickups) The Black Winter has really good low and mid gains as well as a near perfect high gain tone.
Click to expand...

How do these differ and compare to each other and the Custom ?

eclecticsynergy said:
The original PRS "T&B" pickups can still be had sometimes if you watch for them. The bridge is just slightly hot, and big sounding yet tight & very well defined. Presence is excellent and both pickups clean up beautifully with an almost singlecoil-like character, thanks in part to Alnico rods in their slug coils. These work exceptionally well with the PRS 5-way wiring. Nothing quite like 'em, and a perfect match for that guitar. I'll never change the pickups in my '87 which like yours is all mahogany.

Barring that, it does sound as if the Duncan Custom or maybe a Custom 5 would be a good recommendation for you. I think you might need to flip the magnet to make your 5-way noise cancelling in all positions.
Click to expand...

My PRS only has a 3-Way, though I could obviously use a Push-Push-Tone Pot for the Coil Splits. Thanks for The Recommendation, how similar is the Treble to a Custom ?
Maybe I can try the Treble and Bass as I recently got offered a Set.

leevc5 said:
Take a look at the Fishman Fluence Modern ceramic. With it's V1 and V2 switch it gives you the versitility you are looking for..
Check it out: http://www.fishman.com/products/series/fluence/fluencemodernhumbuckerceramic.php
Click to expand...

I'm gonna look for threads about the Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic, though I feel like I'm after one Tone that combines the modern and vintage qualities, instead of having each of those tones "seperate".
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Well, where you want to post it is of course at your discretion, there are however VERY strict forum rules regarding posting about guitar restorations and/or modifications and not supplying pictures. Yes, very strict punishment for that indeed, I'm afraid.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

GuitarDoc said:
Actually, your request is not a difficult one at all.

You have perfectly described the Duncan Custom.
Click to expand...

+1

Custom was my immediate thought, too, for all the reasons others have given. A great pickup all with way across the volume spectrum, an immediate "ceramic" attack married to classic roots, and it loves mahogany.
 
Re: Recommendations ? Looking for a Versatile Bridge Pickup for Rock/Metal in a PRS

Compared to the original T&B Treble, the Custom is fatter and quite a bit hotter. The Treble is tighter and more detailed. Strongly recommend returning your PRS wiring to the original 5-way arrangement; it's supremely versatile. If you have a chance to get a T&B set, I'd say go for it- I love those, and the neck pickup from that set is stellar, no mud at all. But make sure they're the actual 1980s pickups, not a more common later set with the "Vintage" bass & "HFS" treble. Completely different animals. The T&B bridge is A5/11K, the HFS is ceramic/16K with a conventional slug coil.
 
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