Re: What SD pup is similar to Epi Hot Alnico 5?
Thanks everyone that has tried to help, and for those that were just having a good laugh, I don't mind that either - I know it's odd to hear someone say they "dig" the tone of Epiphone stock pups - haha.
I should provide more info. on what I like about this pup and what tones I am trying to capture with them, as some have asked. I didn't do this previously because it's sort of complicated and I wanted to keep it simple. but here goes....
I picked up a used Epiphone LP Classic Quilted recently and what I particularly like about the Epi Hot Alnico 5 bridge pup that's in it, is when I throw a good amount of distortion at it - it gets the closest to Metallica's "Kill 'Em All" tone that I have been chasing for the last couple years. Prior to getting this Epi LP, I had been trying different pups in Ibanezs and Jacksons, and even a HSS Strat with mixed results. And like I mentioned previously, I have been experimenting just w ceramic pups in the last couple years, so getting a feel for what the current Alnico 5's pup "major players" are and how they match up is foreign territory for me.
The signal chain is: guitar into an MXR Fullbore Metal stompbox into the clean channel of a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue amp that is sending out to a Marshall 1960AV cab. I use this amp and set-up vs. a high gain amp, because I value my clean tones as well as my dirty tones, and I haven't found a high gain amp under a $1000 (I am on a budget) that also had a clean channel that I liked.
Regarding claims that the Epi Hot Alnico is muddy, etc. - I do concur actually in some regards... to me, I think both the bridge and the neck Epi pups sound bland and muddy when used on their own or in combo, for CLEAN tones... but for heavy distortion, and particularly when the amp and stompbox's EQ's are tweaked towards that rough-under-the-edges, saturated Metallica KEA tone, it's definitely not muddy - if anything, maybe too bright, IMO. but not mud. I figure I'll replace the neck pup with something else to get quality clean tones later, right now I am just focusing on the bridge pup and dirt tones.
So why am I inquiring about a SD pup to replace this Epi pup that I say I like? The LP I got doesn't have a whammy trem, and as I am a player where trem use figures into a good amount of my playing, I've already started looking at other Epi LP's that have a trem installed. I just picked up a used Epi Nightfall LP that has a OFR, and trying to find a pup for its bridge position to approximate what I like in the first non-FR Les Paul. The Nightfall has EMG HZ's and don't even sound close.
I am keeping mind the fact that the OFR LP does not have a maple cap like the first LP, which may be a big part of the sound I am digging in the first LP and therefore maybe can't be overcome in the non-maple OFR LP no matter what pup I end up putting in it.
Thanks for all your input, and the laughs :18:
