What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

[Chuck_Norris]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Are you locked in to the idea of using a humbucking pickup?

Yes I am. Single coils can sound evil for grunge and similar stuff but not for metal imo. At least not for what my definition of metal is

There are still two questions left:

- What will the Alt 8 sound like on rhythm / leads (a comparison to the Custom 8, Invader and PATB 2 would be nice)
- What is the best place to buy quality pickup magnets? (I need them shipped to Europe)

 

[Chuck_Norris]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

The Bare Knuckles sound awesome too! I liked the Warpig and the Painkiller the most from the clips I've heard so far. But they are simply too expensive for me at the moment.

 

[Chuck_Norris]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Btw, Seymour Duncan should make better soundclips on their website! Bare Knuckle's clips are really good and very helpful while Seymour's clips are simply worthless... If I'm intersted in buying a metal pickup I want to hear that thing playing METAL and not some cheesy pentatonic lick!

 

[gvis]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

How would you describe the Alt 8? I keep hearing good things about it. How's it doing on rhythms? What would you compare it to? Does it have the heaviness I'm looking for? What does it sound like on leads?

I use the alt 8, which I belive only comes in a bridge version, in the neck, and I never bothered to try it the bridge because the invader is already there.

It is not as compressed as the invader, so it's more open. It's also a bit warmer due to alinco magnet. It does exactly what I need in the neck, which is provide full and warm cleans and high gain lead wooliness (treble backed all the way down), with output to match the bridge invader. While it runs thru a series/parallel/single toggle, I usually run it parallel, given its position in the neck.

If I were to try it in the bridge, I'm guessing (only guessing) that it's output would keep it up with other high output pups, but it would be less aggressive than some of the other pups being mentioned in this thread.

 

[gvis]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

I like how people write these epic answers and they dont get acknowledged.

What does that mean? Who are referring to? The OP or those of us just trying help out?

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

There are plenty of pickups have big lows that are still tight, most of those recommended actually, Alt8, JB8, Deto8, Warpig ceramic, Ironman ceramic, Tone Zone-if setup properly, Invader, El Diablo, PATB-2... these all have more low end than your average pickup (some more than others) and all are easily tight enough to do thrash metal with a good amp, if peopla are getting mud they need to re-EQ.

Proof that the Invader is plenty tight:

*note that something is not right with his Alt8 though, not a good representation of that pickup.


gvis, you run an Alt8 in the neck and roll the tone back? I wouldn't even have tried that, that's f-ing crazy, and I thought I liked dark/thick neck tones.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Hey King, man I love those shootouts!

Here's a another very well done one too:

 

[gvis]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

lol...yeah, I know. One day I'm going to create a you tube vid of my setup and get some feedback. I'm probably thinking I'm the sh*t when everyone else will go wtf. I don't care. Makes me happy.

Remember that I'm running the alt 8 parallel. And I only roll the tone back on high gain leads, to get a thick, warm, wooly tone that's slightly fuzzed out. And usually played middle to higher up the neck. And with some delay. For cleans, I only roll back the tone a bit; wonderful cleans.

Because I never adjust tone in between for that pup, and because I never use it's separate hi/low tone pot (the treble side doesn't work well for me), I'll replace that separate pot with a new toggle that goes between no tone adjustment and a cap bleed that in effect gets me the full treble roll off of a tone knob. That way I can toggle between the wooly lead with all trebl removed (using the pup selector only) and the bridge rthymn with no tone adjustment, without having to adjust the master tone (and without having to use an eq pedal). Oh, and I use a .047 cap...lol.

I don't play all leads that way. I use the invader bridge leads with high gain, the tone wide open and the bass unadjusted, and anywhere on the neck, and 70% of the time.

Nice epic reply....lol.

 

[mwalluk]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

If you really are Chuck Norris, you wouldn't need pickups. You could just look at the guitar and it'll sound how you want it to.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Chuck Norris + Custom 8 = the earth will be destroyed

 

[Soulcrusher_X]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

If it hasn't been mentioned, you may also want to check out the DMZ Super 3. MAYBE check the Iommi also. You mentioned you liked ceramic AND A2 mags.....and the Iommi has both in it. Just sayin'

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

This, except the PG+ part, done it, meh.

The El Diablo will sound like you want for leads, as will the PATB-2, but neither have the mass of the Invader on rhythms.

As a side note, I have an Invader coming in the mail today that I'm putting an A8 in without the spacer mags. Basically a legit Duncan version of my Detonator A8, which was exactly what you are describing. I will update later.

What are you going to do with that triple thick ceramic mag? I might want to swap something for it!!!!

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Super3 is all mids and tight lows, might work for him, but that's not what he's asking for. That said, it's probably the best death metal pickup ever.


I don't know about the mags, I've already got a few oversized mags and a 500T mag set, so I might part with them. I've still gotta try out the Invader8, this weekend, I hope.

 

[Chuck_Norris]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Chuck Norris + Custom 8 = the earth will be destroyed

Best post so far

Thank you all for your help. I really appreciate that. My initial idea was to make my thin Ibby sound fatter, thicker and more "evil" on a D standard tuning. The Full Shreds just didn't give me that heaviness I'm looking for and they sound to "polite" on rhythms. On the other hand, the leads are pretty trebly and somewhat thin (although I have plenty of mids dialed in!) which I really didn't like that much.

Many of you suggested to go the Alnico 8 route. Custom 8 and JB 8 seem to be pretty popular. Looks like the Invader could make me happy too. Same for the PATB-2. Some also suggested DiMarzios and BKs.

Once again, I have no experience with mag swapping so the PU I'll get needs to sound good as it is. From that perspective, the Invader seems to be the way to go while the Alt 8 is a close second. So which one of them should I get?

 

[Sodom616]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Fatter,thicker, and more "evil" definitely sounds like and invader.

 

[Sodom616]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Just listen to Nile...they sound freaking brutal thanks to the invaders:headbang:

 

[Soulcrusher_X]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Super3 is all mids and tight lows, might work for him, but that's not what he's asking for. That said, it's probably the best death metal pickup ever.

With the amount of midrange that the Super 3 has really lets you abuse the bass knob on the amp, though. It's not surgical stiff, but not loose either. Since it has all those mids, the highs are nice and fat too. The only thing I would worry about is if his guiitar is TOO thin, that it might not have enough low end. Then again, I dont think the DD has a whole lot of bottom end either and with all the extra treble, I thought the DD came off as a little stiff.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Super3 is all mids and tight lows, might work for him, but that's not what he's asking for. That said, it's probably the best death metal pickup ever.


I don't know about the mags, I've already got a few oversized mags and a 500T mag set, so I might part with them. I've still gotta try out the Invader8, this weekend, I hope.

What guitar is the Invader going in King???

 

[Chuck_Norris]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

Just listen to Nile...they sound freaking brutal thanks to the invaders

I'm not a big fan of their tone. It's all mud to me.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: What I'm looking for in a perfect Metal pickup. Recommendations?

What guitar is the Invader going in King???

SG, I keep changing bridge pickups in it, haven't found "it" yet. I think the big low end and low mids from this pickup might be.