What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

[DutchGuitars]

Heey Guys,
i'm configuring a custom build Les Paul with a luthier, and i can't seem to find the right pickups anywhere.
So i thought i'd ask for your help and opinions.

I need a pickup combination that's really fat and thick sounding, But doesn't have too much output.
In the bridge position, i need a pickup that's powerful, has a decent attack on the low end, smooth mids, and not too much treble.
In the neck position, i need a pickup that's warm, clean, and articulate. Since i only use my neck pickup for cleans.

As you guessed by the title, i mainly play hardrock and heavy/speed Metal, think of bands such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Angel Witch, Diamond Head, Thin Lizzy etc.
And particulary the albums from the late 70s and early 80s.
So i want my pickups to be capable of producing such tones.

Yet, since the guitar is supposed to be a replica of the '68 Les Paul Custom (but with a few modern tweaks to it), the pickups also need to compliment the guitar, and therefore shouldn't sound too modern, and more P.A.F like.

I'm also open to pickup suggestions from other brands such as BareKnuckle, Gibson, or DiMarzio.

Please help me out! Thanks!

 

[SJ318]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

I have a '68 Les Paul Custom. It came with T-Tops, strong ones for some reason. Stronger than the other T-Tops I have saved in my long life. They sounded great.
HTH,
Steve Buffington

 

[Pythonman]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, Gibson Custombuckers maybe. For louder and meaner you could try Dimarzio Super Distortion Humbuckers. All have sounds that feature heavily in British rock and metal.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

I really think you need a Super Distortion in the bridge. Your guess is better than mine in the neck.

 

[Demanic]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

My first thought was a 59 set. I heard a buddy of mine play Maiden and Priest with his Epi LP that had a 59b in the bridge. He liked to work his tone knob, and he would nail them.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[gregory]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

I need a pickup combination that's really fat and thick sounding, But doesn't have too much output.
In the bridge position, i need a pickup that's powerful, has a decent attack on the low end, smooth mids, and not too much treble.

I'm not an expert, but this sounds like something with a rough A4.

In the neck position, i need a pickup that's warm, clean, and articulate. Since i only use my neck pickup for cleans.

Again, not an expert, but this sounds like something with an A3.

P.A.F like

Before I go out into the weeds and start recommending you buy pickups and put A4 and A3 magnets in them, maybe have a look at these...
http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/saturday-night-special-bridge

and

http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/saturday-night-special-neck
...or for more articulation, maybe:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/sentient-neck-2

 

[gregory]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

This was just put up...
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?322001-The-New-Dimarzio-Paf-59-Set

 

[LonePhantom]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

Duncan Custom and Pearly Gates neck. great combo

 

[Mincer]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

I need a pickup combination that's really fat and thick sounding, But doesn't have too much output.
In the bridge position, i need a pickup that's powerful, has a decent attack on the low end, smooth mids, and not too much treble.
In the neck position, i need a pickup that's warm, clean, and articulate. Since i only use my neck pickup for cleans.

Well, for the bridge pickup with the EQ you describe, I'd look at the Custom series. Either the Custom, 59/Custom Hybrid, or the Custom Custom.

For the neck, either the Pearly Gates (articulate), or Alnico II Pro (warm).

 

[DutchGuitars]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

Thanks for the comments so far guys! very useful information

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

I think you want an A5 pickup in the bridge, so I'd go with either a C5 or the 59/custom hybrid. The neck should be something PAF flavored, which could be a lot of different things. The 59 is a solid choice.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[gregory]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

I tried to go by the expressed qualities, rather than the genre (to me they are somewhat conflicting). Let's face it, if you can pull off the lines and have the appropriate means to distort and amplify (a TS and a 2203 will get the job done), the "wrong" pickups aren't going to break you.

By just going by the bands, any version of PAFs or Super Distortion and PAF-style (or Jazz) in the neck will get the job done.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

Why are you working with a guitar builder to find the right pickups? You should be talking to a guitar tech about that. A luthier will tell you what pickup fits the guitar i.e. amplifies its natural (acoustic) tonal qualities.

As for your target tones and bands: you're already using the wrong guitar. For Priest, Maiden, and Motorhead, you're looking at a Strat with humbuckers, an SG, a Firebird with mini-hums, and a Flying V. Depending on which era of Thin Lizzy, the LP might work. Can't speak to Angel Witch or Diamondhead's guitars.

Overall, you're going to want a PAF-voiced pickup. Whether or not you want it to be authentic (Seth), almost-authentic (59), a modern interpretation of it (PG), or beefed up/hot rodded (Custom) is entirely up to you, based on what you'll be playing through. A distortion-class pickup into a high-gain amp will be overkill for that target, especially if you throw in a high-gain booster pedal. You'll be playing Rhoads before you know it.

While I hate to pimp another brand on one brand's forum, if the tones you're after are Les Pauls with Gibson pickups, you're going to need a Les Paul with Gibson pickups.

On the other hand, Dave Murray used a DiMarzio SuperDistortion in his black and white Strat for decades before getting his signature Strat with Duncans. I'm pretty sure Adrian Smith used DiMarzios in his Ibanez Destroyer and Lado guitars, and original Gibsons in his SG. Dennis Stratton used Firebirds with Gibson mini-humbuckers.

As far as I know, Glenn Tipton and KK Downing always used stock pickups in whatever they were playing - Strats, Gibson Vs, SGs, Hamer Phantom GT (designed with EMGs), at least up until Screaming For Vengeance.

Motorhead I can almost guarantee you has been whatever pickup came in the guitar.

For the rest of their tonal cloning, you're going to need a genuine Marshall and Celestions. You will want that midrange, and you want a functioning Tone knob on the guitar, and you'll want a TubeScreamer, a DS-1, and an OD-2, and use them interchangeably.

And an acoustic 12-string.

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

Your post screams dimarzio super distortion, but it can be a tricky animal if your not looking for the output. Its a funny beast, It's both brash and smooth at the same time.

 

[gregory]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

Glenn Tipton didn't play a Strat with aftermarket humbuckers?

 

[Despair]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

I disagree with DrNewcenstein on needing Gibson pickups, a lot of Les Paul and SG players prefer Seymour Duncans to modern Gibson pickups for replicating classic Les Paul tones, so I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Seymour Duncan.

Judas Priest's guitarists used stock guitars some, but IIRC also DiMarzio Super Distortion, and Seymour Duncan JBs and Distortions at various times, and I think even Gibson Dirty Fingers.

For Thin Lizzy and more Firebirdy tones, the A4 Saturday Night Special set makes a lot of sense.

Phil Campbell of Motörhead used a Seymour Duncan Full Shred for a long time, actually.

Iron Maiden, Super Distortion or JB, depending on era. Though much of their tone is more in the boost and amp, than the pickup.

For a lot of the rest, something more PAF or Custom-series makes more sense. Vintagy with more, I'd probably look at something like a '59/Custom Hybrid bridge and a '59 neck. Most of the rock and metal bands in question are probably not using A2 PAFs. A4 or A5 are more likely.

If you want a ceramic that can still not be totally unconvincing for low gain, an SH-5 Custom is probably the way to go. If you don't get on with ceramic bite, you could look into swapping in an A8 magnet. Search for 'Custom 8' for more info on that magnet swapped forum favorite.

Fairly disparate range of tones, may be tough to narrow down which part of the spectrum to focus on. Good luck!

BKP likely has more than a few relevant pickups, but I don't know their lineup to do more than guess based on name, as anyone could do from looking at their website.

 

[gregory]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

An RUA5 would be my choice in a Custom over an A8 for that genre. I find the Custom 8 modern sounding, losing any PAF vibe it ever had. To me the RUA5 makes a Custom sound and feel much more like a PAF than the original ceramic version.

 

[Despair]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

I find the Custom 8 more vintage than the ceramic Custom, but it is an odd sort of modern/vintage roar. Sort of like a Super 70 crossed with a ceramic Custom. For even more vintage, and without the aggressive punch of a ceramic [or A8], roughcast A5, unoriented 5 or RUA5 are the way to go for magnet swaps in that order from hottest to smoothest of more vintagy takes on a 43AWG "hot PAF".

But the ceramic Custom was only suggested as a compromise leaning towards the ceramic side, not as a best for vintage tones. Which honestly aren't the majority of tones being mentioned, though it does depend on the era for a lot of the bands with multi-decade careers.

If it's an all-mahogany body LP Custom, with no maple cap, the '59/Custom Hybrid may be a good choice, for vintage with a bit more, and nicer cleans than most of the hotter pickups, too.

 

[gregory]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

The original ceramic-loaded Custom has been around for almost 40 years and, IIRC, has always been thought of as a PAF on steroids with PAF being an important part of the description. That was what was in my head when comparing the ceramic to a rough unoriented A5. I've always thought of PAFs as having a bit of a scoop in the midrange, which is also present in the ceramic version but not with the A8. However(!), my impression of what a PAF sounds like doesn't exactly comport with the actual history where A2s and A4s clearly played a role, so I concede your point.

The ceramic-loaded Super-D has been around even longer and also played a prominent part in that era/genre. I considered calling the Super-D a vintage pickup but thought better of it since PAFs are older, significantly different, and still very much relevant.

 

[Despair]

Re: What Pickup Combination for Traditional (British) Heavy Metal ?

I also tend to forget about A4 being a classic PAF magnet, given it's only fairly recently come to light that Gibson was ordering a lot of A4 during periods when a lot of PAFs were being made. But I think it's not so much the magnet that makes the PAF as the wire and wind.

Given what DutchGuitars said about wanting vintage-leaning pickups, gregory's suggestion of the Saturday Night Special may be the best all-around prepackaged set. Then magnet swap if they are too middy or you need smoother or more bite. Brobucker from the Custom Shop might also be a good option, for an overwound PAF sound. Then the '59/C Hybrid and '59 pairing attack that from a slightly more late 70s/early 80s angle.

My other suggestions were mostly towards the heavier, but still vintage-leaning end of things.