Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

[treyhaislip]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

1) S-Deco: my favourite all round pickup. All the dudes into moderate output humbuckers....this is the best. Think of a screamin demon with a little more juice, broader mids and rounder highs. Neck version also kills!

I had never heard of the S-Deco...looked it up and like what I read about it. Am I correct in assuming you have an Alnico V since it sounds like a Screamin Demon with more juice?

 

[Artie]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

Epic thread. Perhaps this should be "stickied".

These are not in any particular order. To much thought to do that.

1. C5b/59n. My first set of after-market pups. Recommended by this forum. I still love that pair.
2. Tie for a pair of PG's or the JB/Jazz set. Kinda like "The Patty Duke Show". Completely different, but identical goodness.
3. PATB-1n/3b. Clean and character. If you haven't tried 'em, you need to.
4. Cool Rails. All three in a Strat. I know this is a family-friendly forum, but can you say spank, spank, spank, spank . . . ?
I use the word "spank" because when you say it, it sounds like the Cool Rails attack. It's truly unique.
5. Zhangliqun rewound SSL-5: I never thought I'd love the sound of playing the middle pup, (by itself), in a Strat. I do.
6. Invader: In an HSS Strat. With a switch for series/parallel. A pup hidden within a pup.
7. Peavey Super Ferrites. Strange name, killer tone. Makes P-90's hide in shame in the shadows. (These are the humbucker-sized, single-coil, rails.)
8. STK-S4. Sweet, mellow, quiet, but rocks. Kinda like that shy cheerleader you knew in high school.
9. Stag Mag. Love/hate relationship. (Not real hate, mind you.) Bought it, sold it . . . repeat 3 times.
10. Broadcaster. Ok . . . I've never owned one. It's on my "most wanted next" list.

Artie

 

[VHTJay]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

I had never heard of the S-Deco...looked it up and like what I read about it. Am I correct in assuming you have an Alnico V since it sounds like a Screamin Demon with more juice?

Ya, alot of guys don't know about it. This is bold, but I bet that if I handed out S-Decos to all the guys on here who are always clamouring for an articulate, dynamic, moderate output pickup, their search would abruptly end. It is that good.

I have the A5 version, which is as described. I also have an A2 version, an A5 neck version and an A8 version with two rows of hex screws like a full shred. That one is seriously awesome as well. In all cases, the Deco has a clear, 'hi-fi' tonality which is really versatile and musical.

 

[SFW]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

Over the years, the landmarks to me were:

DiMarzio ToneZone
Duncan JB
Duncan Distortion
Duncan 59 set
DiMarzio AT-1
Duncan Screamin Demon
Fender 57/62 set
Duncan Custom
DiMarzio Super Distortion
DiMarzio Transitions

I've played o ton of pickup over my almost 30 years of playing. Those where the ones that I thought kicked my tonal game up a notch.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

An A8 version with TWO rows of hex screws? That pickup must be tight and fluid as all get out!

 

[Demanic]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

I must add, I put a single thick ceramic in a DD-7 bridge (that formerly had an A5) and that pickup now crushes. Think "Amon Amarth".

 

[VHTJay]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

An A8 version with TWO rows of hex screws? That pickup must be tight and fluid as all get out!

It is for sure! More percussive than fluid, I would say. It isn't quite Bareknuckle tight....but it is definitely as tight as a full shred. A ceramic magnet might up it even more, but I do like it as is.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

1. Timbuckers: Tim White's PAF clones - LP
2. Rolphe's 59 Pretenders: Rolphe's 59 PAF clones - LP
3. Antiquity set with an a5 or a4 bridge (depending on the guitar) and a3 neck - LP
4. A set of Seths - 335
5. Brobucker bridge PGb in the neck - PRS McCarty
6. PATB-3 - Duncan 59 with an a4 mag - hardtail superstrat
7. Fralin %5 underwound Vintage Hots - Strat
8. Van Zandt Vintage + set - Strat
9. Hamel STD-A (Blackguard) tele lead & Duncan antiquity neck - Tele
10. Hamel STD-B (Broadcaster) tele lead & Fralin %5 underwound Vintage Hots - Strat

B

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

An A8 version with TWO rows of hex screws? That pickup must be tight and fluid as all get out!

It is for sure! More percussive than fluid, I would say. It isn't quite Bareknuckle tight....but it is definitely as tight as a full shred. A ceramic magnet might up it even more, but I do like it as is.

I love hex screws in my pickups. In my all Mahogany Strat with Gibson Ceramic pickups, I replaced the flathead screws with hex screws and love how it tightened up–especially the bottom end with gain. I've only seen a couple of posts from VHTJay but I already like the way you think :headbang:

 

[Diego]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

Duncan JB for leads and split sounds. Monstrous with an A8 magnet.
Screamin' Demon for distorted chords and great cleans within a humbucker. It sounds weird until you try it with a bamd.
A2 Pro neck for warming up a bright guitar and make it sound "mature".
DMZ Breed for a big fat sound in a plinky shredstick. Great midrange response.
DMZ Evolution just for downtuned metal. Didn't like it.
I'd take a HB103 over it. Love that pickup.
Invader... Not for me.

 

[Raoul Duke]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

1. SH-6, absolutely love it in my Les Paul, tight on rhythm and screams on leads
2. EMG 81, Say what you will about them but for live and high gain situations they're great.
3. SH-4, probably my favourite for leads, bit loose for rhythms
4. Blackouts AHB-1, just picked up recently and I am thoroughly impressed
5. SH-12 screaming demon, worked great as both a bridge and neck pickup
6. Duncan 59
7. EMG 85 - not a fan in the neck, but worked great as a bridge pickup
8. Burstbuckers - not sure which model, stock ones in a 04 LP Standard I had, great LP tone
9. Gibson Dirty Fingers
10. Dimarzio Tone Zone

 

[Progbusters]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

Custom5; Jazz; Pearly Gates, Distortion Screaming Demon
Dimarzio Injector, Titan, D Activator X
broadcaster in my Baja Tele
TV Jones Powetron

 

[formula73]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

I haven't come across anything I couldn't get workable tone from. That said, in no particular order:

1. JB-back in the day, it was all I knew. I haven't had one in so long I couldn't tell you anything about it.
2. L500XL-power and clarity with a cool, wild sort of hairy, spongy feel in the highs and mids. Big bass.
3. L350s-hotter than the specs would have you believe with more of a middy flavor than L500s.
4. L600s-unpotted and excellent cleans. The twang out of these things was unbelieveable...sort of a cross between a Tele bridge pup and a P90.
5. X2N Power Plus-hot, hot, hot, and CLEAR. Since the only real difference I can see between these and the plain X2N is the nickel silver baseplate, I always attributed the greater clarity (the new ones with brass sound muffled, to me) to it, but I'm no guru, so I don't know for sure.
6. Ibanez Super 70s-A8 PAF clones. Apparently, everything is bigger in Japan. Maybe it's Maybelline. I dunno, but they're loud and punchy without the 'too much everything' feel I got from my only A8 experiment, the C8, which I hated. I've had a set for years and years that I potted and stick in guitars I don't get along with. They have more of their own personality than most PAFish clones.
7. Duncan Designed/Performer Detonator-Loud and fat but not as wooly and mushy as the Invader. And CHEAP. Dig.
8. Gibson 498T-yeah, I like it. It's bright and loud and tight and it's got that cool gritty quality with dirt that a lot of Gibson pups have.
9. Duncan JazzN-bright and clear and perfect for the neck if you want to spend a lot of time up there but don't necessarily want a massive, 'oooooooooooooooooo' tone.
10. Dimarzio Super D-big and thick and nasally in the bridge, fat and warm in the neck. If what you want is power and sustain, at times almost like an ebow, this is your neck pickup. I love the X2N/Super D combo.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

A couple of my close-but-not-quite top 10's were:

The Detonator, The JB8, The Hot Rails, and the ToneZone, and the PAF Pro.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

In no particular order:

1. Duncan Distortion - My overall go-to metal HB. Intense and hard-hitting; bright yet fat. Prefer it over the JB unless I'm going for pure vintage DiMartini sounds.

2. EMG 85 - My favorite EMG. Very tasty for metal rhythm and leads in the bridge and excellent lead pickup for the neck. Inspires me like no other for high gain soloing. The subtle but noticeable chorusing effect of the EMG preamp gives a slightly supernatural as opposed to organic sound, which is exactly what I want sometimes.

3. '59 Neck - Classic full-sounding neck pickup for more traditional leads and cleans

4. Air Norton - More modern neck leads, super accurate tracking

5. EMG 81 - Like a T1000 Cyborg, it is relentlessly disciplined and consistent for when I want massive gain under tight mechanized control. A Panzer tank pickup. Don't rate it as highly for leads as it shrieks more than sings, but it absolutely reigns for thrash rhythm.

6. Evo2 - Slightly dialed back from the Evo and can change its personality with the volume knob. Awesome lead pickup, better than the Evo in my book.

7. BKP Cermaic Nail Bomb - A Hi-Fi distortion class pickup. Especially nice for rhythm; addictive crunch! It's like Kill 'Em All 2015.

8. EMG 60 - Big improvement in the neck position compared to other EMGs for having the ability to produce more traditional leads and cleans, yet still has the EMG edge.

9. Twang King Set - For times when I want to either have a Syd Barrett or MC5 style freakout, Jeff Buckley transcendence or ape RATM with me Tele.

10. PATB2 - Sounds especially good on a moderately overdriven but LOUD amp such as the Rhythm channel of my MkIV as it pushes it hard. Doesn't even need the lead channel to scream.

Only 10 choices allowed? I was just getting warmed up......

 

[Mr Natural]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

This is in no particular order:

1) SD '59 set - Sounds good in everything I put them in and haven't found anything they won't play. Especially love the neck.
2) Carvin H22n - Another favorite for the neck position. This pickup sings and has tons of texture.
3) Gibson 490 set - Works great uncovered with 500k pots in my Les Paul.
4) Carvin S22j - Uncovered this pickup is smooth, articulate and always sounds purdy!!!! Covered it sounded like there was a blanket over the amp.
5) Carvin S22b - Uncovered this pickup reminds me of a refined 498t. Again, covered it sounds muffled - maybe not as bad as the S22j does.
6) Gotoh P90 - Only 6K DC resistance so not as punchy as Gibson's, these still dirty up nice for the blues but venture much further into cleaner tones.
7) Gibson '57 Classic - Another Gibson pickup that doesn't seem to get much love - these pickups work great in my SG with stock Gibson pots.
8) SD Jazz neck - Has worked great in everything I've ever played one in. Articulate and defined.
9) SD JB - Had this pickup with a '59 in the neck in several guitars over the years - a combo that always delivers.
10) SD A2P neck - Another great neck humbucker - when a 490r is too dirty, this is where I go sometimes.

 

[Gibson 1964]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

1) 1950's p90 in my 1964 melody maker.
2) A Wilde pickup I bought on ebay. I do not know the model number but it is discontinued and replaced by the L610.
3) SD Black Winter
4) SD Slug
5) Thorn Staple
6) Wolfetone Meaner
7) Wolfetone Marshallhead
8) Black Winter sound alike SD Custom shop rail pickup that I picked up on ebay. It looks like a hotrails, but it sure doesn't sound like one.
9) Bareknuckle Nailbomb
10) Wilde L500XL

 

[Maggot]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

In no particular order:

1) SD Custom: I like it better than the Custom Custom, Custom 5, and all the other Customs. Sounds like a bridge Humbucker should. It's hotter than most pickups that I like, but in many guitars, it's such a versatile bridge sound.

2) Lindy Fralin High Output Strat set: This is a bit of a misnomer, because the output isn't that high. Slightly compressed, smooth and sustainy bridge with stratty goodness on the middle and neck.

3) Harmonic Design Vintage + Tele: Smooth, clear and loud.

4) Rio Grande Bluesbar: Clear, blasting P-90 sound.

5) DiMarzio 35th Anniversary: The kind of clear, cool Humbucker that I like. I bet I'd like the PAF Master even more, because it departs even further from the boxy DiMarzio paradigm.

6) Stock pickups from a Classic Vibe 60s Strat: I heard that these were made by Tonerider. At any rate they sound more like old Strat pickups than any new pickups I've played, regardless of price.

7) Little '59 Tele: The slight case of constipation that it got in my basswood guitar was worth it for the squalk.

8) Lindy Fralin p-90 (stock wind): This one is hard to beat.

9) DiMarzio Area 61 Strat: I usually put a noiseless pickup in the bridge of my Strat and wire it to a tone control, so I can have more versatility with distortion. This one works great for that.

10) Fender Fat 50s Strat: Very pleasing and underrated.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Top 10 Favorite Pickups throughout the years.

Fender Fat 50s Strat: Very pleasing and underrated.

I agree! I love these pickups–replaced the Alnico II's in my Semi-Hollow Strat and was blown away!