Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Brown Note

Brown Note

New member
I have JB for bridge as the lead pickup and I'd like something for the neck position to be used for über chunky metal rhythm tones. Think Master of puppets for the rhythm sound.

What I've read from duncan, tight bass basically means jazz, full shred or DD for the neck. Which one of these has the tightest low end?
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

have you considered a screamin demon in the neck position?
no-one saw that coming...
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

I've tried that, but it's screaming demon is a bit bland in the neck position.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

I'm trying to think of where on master of puppets was a neck pickup rhythm sound...
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

I was thinking the same. It's always gonna be too tubby and round in that spot.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Edgecrusher said:
I'm trying to think of where on master of puppets was a neck pickup rhythm sound...
Click to expand...

they're isn't, to my knowledge
i consider that the 'ADA pre-amp' album; no-one can tell for sure if it's the custom double-screw JB wound for james by MJ, or if they'd switched to EMGs by then

those pre-amps go for like 200 bucks in pawn shops here; for that very reason i suspect
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Neck pickup for metal rythm tones? I don't think so. Re-think that. You want Master of puppets rythm tone, put an Invader in the bridge.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Yeah. For metal, you really wanna use the bridge pickup for rhythm, and the neck pickup for leads.
The neck pickup will always be too muddy for your sort of thing. Nobody does that, man.

If you really want that ballsy, crushing tone, the JB probably won't deliver it.

Put a Invader on it's place and you'll see. That thing has tons bass and crunch.

What amp are you playing through? What guitar will it go into?
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

The JB could do it, in certain guitars and setups. But if not, the Invader is where to look, and put the JB in the neck.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Invader = METAL! so yeah I think most people here think the Invader is the way to go I only have one guitar and the Invader is my one and only choice
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

You guys need to use the search function in here a lot more.
Diego has the right idea about a nice high output pup in the bridge but it all depends on the guitar it's going into. An invader is usually muddy in a balanced or warm wooded guitar.
Neck pups and bridge pups have different windings due to higher or lower string vibration amplitudes and can't just be swapped without consequences.

Many stoner rock and metal acts use the neck pup for rhythm.
Just not hard edged metal bands.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Redmist said:
You guys need to use the search function in here a lot more.
Diego has the right idea about a nice high output pup in the bridge but it all depends on the guitar it's going into. An invader is usually muddy in a balanced or warm wooded guitar.
Neck pups and bridge pups have different windings due to higher or lower string vibration amplitudes and can't just be swapped without consequences.

Many stoner rock and metal acts use the neck pup for rhythm.
Just not hard edged metal bands.
Click to expand...

Whats your point exactly? That we shouldn't recomment the Invader just in case someone has a "balanced or warm wooded guitar" whatever that is? What is that anyway, can you define it?

And please name us one metal band that uses the neck pickup for rythm. He specifically asked for MOP tones.
 
Last edited:
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Plenty of stoner metal and doom acts have used neck for rhythm. But they are about massive slow bass-heavy sounds. Totally different needs than speed metal/thrash.

Live, Metallica used to use the neck pickup for clean intros. I suppose some of that might count as rhythm playing... But those parts were acoustic on the album, IIRC.

I'd look at a different pickup for the bridge, JB is great for leads but there are a lot of stronger pickups for thrash. Parallel Axis Distortion, Invader or Distortion are all better bets. Custom or Custom 8 if you want something a bit more open that still has a great punch for thrash rhythm.

If you are dead set on trying neck for rhythm, you might try the Distortion Neck, probably with hexed lows (swap the standard 0.75" fillister polepiece screws for 0.5" hex heads under the low strings) to tighten it up. Still likely to be too fat and wrong harmonic balance for thrash rhythms, though.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Does anyone use the neck pickup for rhythm (metal, country, whatever)? It always sounds too flubby for me. I've always used it for lead and thought the "rhythm" name was a strange misnomer.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Despair said:
Plenty of stoner metal and doom acts have used neck for rhythm. But they are about massive slow bass-heavy sounds. Totally different needs than speed metal/thrash.Live, Metallica used to use the neck pickup for clean intros. I suppose some of that might count as rhythm playing... But those parts were acoustic on the album, IIRC.

I'd look at a different pickup for the bridge, JB is great for leads but there are a lot of stronger pickups for thrash. Parallel Axis Distortion, Invader or Distortion are all better bets. Custom or Custom 8 if you want something a bit more open that still has a great punch for thrash rhythm.
.
Click to expand...

Wait.















So.... Am I reading this right?









After telling people to use the search function and shut up, you now just said what everyone else had already posted?



























Okay....you really know your stuff, what an expert! :) Go Invader, this guy says so (after saying not to).
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

Escuse me, I never said to use the search function. I don't know how you confused Redmist with Despair. Try again, this time paying attention to who posted what.

You're the one talking about metal as if it's one thing, though. Use depends on sub-genre. I didn't post the exact same thing, either. All in all, fail.
 
Re: Tight neck pickup for metal rhythms

I'd look at a different pickup for the bridge, JB is great for leads but there are a lot of stronger pickups for thrash. Parallel Axis Distortion, Invader or Distortion are all better bets. Custom or Custom 8 if you want something a bit more open that still has a great punch for thrash rhythm.

If you are dead set on trying neck for rhythm, you might try the Distortion Neck, probably with hexed lows (swap the standard 0.75" fillister polepiece screws for 0.5" hex heads under the low strings) to tighten it up. Still likely to be too fat and wrong harmonic balance for thrash rhythms, though.
Click to expand...

Spot on dude.

Varg man, stop being so agro and paranoid.
I didn't tell anyone to shut up or that my opinion was better than anyone else's.

The seach function thing was in reference to the thread topic and use of the Invader.

FYI, a warm guitar or balanced wood would include mahogany, basswood or even a maple capped Paul in some guitars. Caution with an invader is needed with these guitars. It of course works well in a thin, cheap, or bright guitar.

Maybe I should have said stoner rock or stoner metal band in my post, but I took that as a given.

If you check my sig, you will see that I gig with an invader(semi) and distortion pup in a balanced guitar, and found I needed to swap out the poles to make it less flubby.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top