Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

[Mincer]

Voiced by Mark Holcomb, his signature Alpha & Omega set is now available once again due to popular demand!



The progressive metal virtuosos of Periphery are known for their technically complex rhythms and precise tones – tones which require pickups with just the right amount of output and articulation whether standing alone or working in a dense mix. The Alpha and Omega pickups were created to match that level of precision and versatility. Working with guitarist Mark Holcomb, the Omega bridge pickup was created to provide destructive percussion and growl in the mids and low end. It’s aggressive but it also has lots of clarity and brightness, which cuts through whether you’re playing sophisticated chords, complex single-note lines or intense solos.
The Alpha neck pickup is unlike most traditional neck models. It was voiced to combine the best qualities of a neck and a bridge pickup, with some of that fat glassy sound but also plenty of your pick attack and fretting-hand phrasing.

The Mark Holcomb Signature Alpha & Omega Pickups are made in Santa Barbara, California. 

Available as a set, or individual neck or bridge pickups in 6, 7 or 8-string options. An additional Trembucker option is available in 6-string.

*Please ask any questions about this set in this thread so we can be sure to answer them.

 

[dbaber]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Just ordered a PRS SE Mark Holcomb from Sweetwater, but it's in back order. We'll see how long I can hang with that.....


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[darthphineas]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

I evaluated the custom shop set of the Alpha Omega pickups previously, but I'm guessing the production floor models are pretty close to the same. it will be interesting to hear what is said about the production floor versions from the players that end up buying those. since Holcomb was pretty much using a D-Activator bridge and a Dominion neck when he was with DiMarzio, I'm curious is anyone else hears the similarities.





I remember the marketing when these first came out, as a LE set from the custom shop.


there was this, from when Keith Merrow talked about it on his social media:

and I suppose this photo was showing how Keith Merrow worked on the project with the artist:

 

[bloughlin16]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

I've got some on the way and have one of the original Custom Shop sets. I'll be sure to do a review/comparison.

 

[bloughlin16]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Pickups arrived and I got them installed right away (I got a 7-string set for my Schecter KM-7). First off, they are 100% correct in saying that they didn't just make a carbon copy of the 6-string set for the 7 and 8-string versions: it actually is tailored to the extended range and gives you all the amazing clarity, pick attack, and clean tones of the 6-string set. They do sound slightly different than my Custom Shop set (the Omega in my Custom Shop set seems a tad bit hotter than the production model, and the Custom Shop Alpha seems to have a little more pick attack than the production model), but none of those differences made the production model set any less favorable, just gave it a slightly different vibe. Honestly, most people probably wouldn't notice the difference at all.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Thanks for the review, and we are happy you like them!!

 

[dbaber]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

I love these pickups in my new PRS SE Mark Holcomb .


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[darthphineas]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

They do sound slightly different than my Custom Shop set (the Omega in my Custom Shop set seems a tad bit hotter than the production model, and the Custom Shop Alpha seems to have a little more pick attack than the production model), but none of those differences made the production model set any less favorable, just gave it a slightly different vibe.

Very good point.

I don't think I remember any customer that has said they've gotten a Duncan company product in both a production version and a custom shop version and they sound identical.

 

[bloughlin16]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Very good point.

I don't think I remember any customer that has said they've gotten a Duncan company product in both a production version and a custom shop version and they sound identical.

Yeah, having seen the specs of the production models ahead of time compared to my Custom Shop set, I definitely expected there to be a little variation. In some ways it was both less and more of a difference than I expected, but they were still very subtle differences overall. It's still my favorite pickup set that they make, hands down.

 

[OsvyRock]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

I want more information about these Alpha & Omega humbuckers!
How do they fare or to which pickups set they compare to!
I'm a big fan of the JB, the Custom SH-5, and 59' neck.
I also own Slash Alnico II Pros, STK-S7, STK-S6 pickups.


I'm looking for new pickups to replace the stocks 498t/490r set from my Gibson SG!

 

[bloughlin16]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

I want more information about these Alpha & Omega humbuckers!
How do they fare or to which pickups set they compare to!
I'm a big fan of the JB, the Custom SH-5, and 59' neck.
I also own Slash Alnico II Pros, STK-S7, STK-S6 pickups.


I'm looking for new pickups to replace the stocks 498t/490r set from my Gibson SG!

Honestly, it is actually very difficult to compare them to any other pickup set I've come across. In the Duncan line, they're probably most like the Nazgul/Sentient set, but still sound quite different from those. This review pretty much perfectly sums up how they sound, though, at least in my opinion http://www.wiredguitarist.com/2017/03/04/seymour-duncan-alphaomega-review/

 

[Dahla]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Honestly, it is actually very difficult to compare them to any other pickup set I've come across. In the Duncan line, they're probably most like the Nazgul/Sentient set, but still sound quite different from those. This review pretty much perfectly sums up how they sound, though, at least in my opinion http://www.wiredguitarist.com/2017/03/04/seymour-duncan-alphaomega-review/

Well, that was a balanced and un-biased review... :S

"Awesome 10-points-on-everything-pickups that excels at everything anytime! Even cleans! Except maybe on the cleans, but that is only because of science".

M'kay.


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[dbaber]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

They seem really bright and honky. I have to roll the tone back often for older scooped metalz.


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[bloughlin16]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Well, that was a balanced and un-biased review... :S

"Awesome 10-points-on-everything-pickups that excels at everything anytime! Even cleans! Except maybe on the cleans, but that is only because of science".

M'kay.


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If you've read other reviews from them, you'd see that they aren't afraid to be critical. And they're definitely not as bad as the Guitar Worlds of the gear review world. I also wouldn't say the Alpha/Omegas excel at everything (they're definitely not well-suited for vintage-style tones, for example, as the voicing is super modern and doesn't have that warmth that vintage-style pickups usually do), but they are quite versatile and the cleans are VERY impressive for pickups in their output bracket, and even outside of that. You have to keep in mind, too, that the reviewer was probably focusing on the pickups for what they were designed to be: a versatile set for Mark and players like him, i.e. primarily play metal but need a pickup set that can actually get good tones when they aren't on high gain.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Yeah, my guess is that no one really expects signature pickups to be really great at everything, especially if that artist isn't known for that style. These days, there are less big guitarists who are great at many styles, so the gear gets a lot more specialized.

 

[6stringerguy]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Have a alpha/omega in my prs mark holcomb and I love them, beautiful cleans when split and great chord clarity


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[bloughlin16]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Yeah, my guess is that no one really expects signature pickups to be really great at everything, especially if that artist isn't known for that style. These days, there are less big guitarists who are great at many styles, so the gear gets a lot more specialized.

Very good point. I think a lot of people hear the talk about the "versatility" of this set and think that those who are reviewing them are saying that they can do tons of styles and do them well, which is a tough and really subjective argument to make for any pickup. I'd say what's truly surprising about them is that it's a set that's first and foremost designed to sound really aggressive while maintaining great clarity in a high gain setting, but also pulls off clean and mid-gain tones far better than pretty much any high output/metal-geared pickup set I've come across, and in some cases, even better than some pretty good pickup sets below their output bracket.

 

[Normie]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Hello everyone.
I have been a big fan of Periphery and when there were announcement of Mark's signature pickups, I had no hesitation for having it.
It;s the best duncan of all time in my opinion. I have many Duncans and this is, hands down, the best pick up set ever.
It's gnarly, chunky, but also detailed with lots of attack. And the neck pick is soooooo different than any neck pick ups I ever own. It sounds like single coil but more chunky. I don't know how to explain it.

Anyway, here's my video covering Periphery's song with the Alpha/Omega pickups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzygbri08bs&t=51s

 

[Mincer]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

Wow, that is great! Thank you for posting this!

 

[BleedingFingertips]

Re: Return of the Alpha & Omega Humbucking Pickup Sets

They are really sensational. Good to see that SD brings more and more medium-output pickups geared to the (modern) metal player. I even thought about installing them in one of my guitars. But maybe after the price drops a bit.