Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

[SepultuRick]

hello, i would like your suggestion on a new bridge humbucker for my new washburn wi65pro.

It currently has a set of seymour duncans in it, custom custom bridge and 59 neck. i am keeping the 59 in the neck but would like to change the custom custom as it is a little too sweet for my tastes and not tight and punchy enough in the bass department.

my guitar is mahogany neck and body and set neck. it is slightly thicker than a SG shape.

I play metal mostly and need something with high output that can do leads and rhythm. sweet tone and tight punchy bass are what i am after.

what would you suggest? thanks

P.S i play through a roland cube 60

 

[jimlp]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

hello, i would like your suggestion on a new bridge humbucker for my new washburn wi65pro.

It currently has a set of seymour duncans in it, custom custom bridge and 59 neck. i am keeping the 59 in the neck but would like to change the custom custom as it is a little too sweet for my tastes and not tight and punchy enough in the bass department.

my guitar is mahogany neck and body and set neck. it is slightly thicker than a SG shape.

I play metal mostly and need something with high output that can do leads and rhythm. sweet tone and tight punchy bass are what i am after.

what would you suggest? thanks

What type of amp do you play through? The Dimarzio Air Zone might fit the bill but it is on the darker side, it has lows and mids with rolled back highs. The Duncan Distortion has great tight lows but IME the high end can get out of control with a bright amp. Do you want a vintage based tone or a more modern voiced tone? Dimarzio's high output stuff sounds more modern to me while Duncans sound more old school/vintage even with higher output pickups. Look into the Michael Schenker pickups made by Dimarzio as well, I have a set in my Carlino Identity, it is a mahogany body and neck with a maple top. Through my Marshall JVM it was very bright with the stock Duncan Distortion but is very balanced with the Schenkers.

 

[shaggyrun]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

I have the entry level Idol from washburn (WI14) I just recently replaced the stock Washburn Pickups with a SH4 JB for the bridge and the Jazz for the neck. I think it sounds awesome, but keep in mind mine has a basswood body so don't know what effect that has on the tone. I do know that the JB has more bass tone then most people give it credit for. It is the same pick up Dave Mutaine used until he switched to live wires. As far as the mid and high end that is what this pick up is really noted for excelling at. Keep in mind that if you do a lot of drop d tunning then this pick up may not be the best one. Also the 59 neck pairs up great with it. This is the same combo Schecter use in the black jack, also alot of the mid range Jacksonuse the JB adn 59. If you want to see how they will sound i suggest going to a local guitar shop and trying to find a Jackson, or the Schecter black jack to see what they will sound like. If I am not mistaking the Black Jack also has a mahogony Body. Well good luck.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

Buy a magnet for less than $10, loosen the 4 brass bolts on the bottom, break the magnet's wax seal, slide it out, and put in a ceramic magnet. It sounds like you just want to go in the direction of the Custom. Or, an A5 for a Custom 5.

The Custom is full on heavy rock tone, while the C5 sounds more like an overwound 59 with a more deep and clear tone. The CC is more loose and bulky sounding.

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

I'd suggest these from the SD passive collecton for a set-neck, all-mahogany guitar for killing:


SH6 Duncan Distortion: It has balls and can really scream through for solos. It can be pretty bright in some carved maple top guitars - but it's not a solid statement for every guitar. I you like Sepu - an all mahogany guitar with an SH6 brings you pretty close to that tone.


SH13 Dimebucker: It has a pretty aggressive character with more edge and bite than the SH6. In my experience, despite its kiling nature with a warm, classic tube amp it is pretty capable of producing some sweeet and singing rock solo tones, especially when you roll back the volume pot a bit.


SH8 Invader - It produces the richest juice in the bunch, maybe a bit too much for some mahogany guitars. Considering lows, it has a pretty big punch, enough to tear your pants off. It works best with alder (check my band link for tone samples, I use that - listen to the solo part of the song "Somebody's Nobody" or "Rancor") but in a mahogany body it can become muddy. Again, it's not a solid fact, I've heard wonderful sounding and terrible sounding Gibson LPs with Invaders. Despite its muddy fame, with clever distortion and amp EQ settings you can make it pretty articulate for juicy solos - just don't max the amp gain and keep an eye on the lows, this p-up requires a slightly different setting for the best result. Let the Invader do its part of the dirty job for you

Good luck!

 

[Reload in 5]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

custom. period. had one in my wi-64, and you will love it. or just get a ceramic mag and convert what you have.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

yeah man just swap the magnet...try the ceramic mag first to do a normal Custom cuz that sounds most like what you want..

 

[Ascension]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

Buy a magnet for less than $10, loosen the 4 brass bolts on the bottom, break the magnet's wax seal, slide it out, and put in a ceramic magnet. It sounds like you just want to go in the direction of the Custom. Or, an A5 for a Custom 5.

The Custom is full on heavy rock tone, while the C5 sounds more like an overwound 59 with a more deep and clear tone. The CC is more loose and bulky sounding.

+1 my only addition is use the A-8 in the Custom wind. IMO it is the ultimate power metal pickup in a mahogany boddied guitar. I have that set up in a pair of my USA Custom Washburns and it ROCKS!!!

 

[baritone]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

duncan distortion

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

I'd say the ceramic SH-5 Custom is the way to go. Very punchy, tight, articulate. Retains clarity and although they're the same wind, it seems hotter and more aggressive than the CC because of the ceramic magnet. It's my favorite bridge hummer in mahogany guitars.

 

[SepultuRick]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

Thanks for the replies so far guys, i am looking for a more modern tone than vintage and i play through a Roland Cube 60 right now and in standard tuning.

 

[Dru Edwards]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

What type of amp do you play through? The Dimarzio Air Zone might fit the bill but it is on the darker side, it has lows and mids with rolled back highs. The Duncan Distortion has great tight lows but IME the high end can get out of control with a bright amp. Do you want a vintage based tone or a more modern voiced tone? Dimarzio's high output stuff sounds more modern to me while Duncans sound more old school/vintage even with higher output pickups. Look into the Michael Schenker pickups made by Dimarzio as well, I have a set in my Carlino Identity, it is a mahogany body and neck with a maple top. Through my Marshall JVM it was very bright with the stock Duncan Distortion but is very balanced with the Schenkers.

Great looking guitar! Is that the same Carlino that has the store just outside Boston? I've been there a few times when I lived in the area.

 

[SepultuRick]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

Buy a magnet for less than $10, loosen the 4 brass bolts on the bottom, break the magnet's wax seal, slide it out, and put in a ceramic magnet. It sounds like you just want to go in the direction of the Custom. Or, an A5 for a Custom 5.

The Custom is full on heavy rock tone, while the C5 sounds more like an overwound 59 with a more deep and clear tone. The CC is more loose and bulky sounding.

Hi, i just rang my local guitar store to ask if they have any pickup magnets in and he started telling me changing the pickup magnets is too complicated as it will require rewiring among other things, so whats going on? is it hard or what?

 

[Dirtyking]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

Hi, i just rang my local guitar store to ask if they have any pickup magnets in and he started telling me changing the pickup magnets is too complicated as it will require rewiring among other things, so whats going on? is it hard or what?

Yes and No. The first time is hard, after that you'll wonder why you wasted so much money on tech repairs. If a magnet swap is too much for ya just buy a Custom and sell the CC.

BTW, sounds like the custom is what your looking for IMO.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

Hi, i just rang my local guitar store to ask if they have any pickup magnets in and he started telling me changing the pickup magnets is too complicated as it will require rewiring among other things, so whats going on? is it hard or what?

It doesn't require rewiring... Take the strings off, unscrew the pickup from the body to take it out, flip it over and unscrew the 4 screws on the bottom, remove baseplate, remove magnet, replace magnet, attach baseplate, screw pickup back in the guitar. I just explained the entire process in one sentence without mentioning rewiring, except for after the words "doesn't require".

Don't let your tech rip you off. If you can change your own strings you'll be fine with this.

 

[Dru Edwards]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

It doesn't require rewiring... Take the strings off, unscrew the pickup from the body to take it out, flip it over and unscrew the 4 screws on the bottom, remove baseplate, remove magnet, replace magnet, attach baseplate, screw pickup back in the guitar. I just explained the entire process in one sentence without mentioning rewiring, except for after the words "doesn't require".

Don't let your tech rip you off. If you can change your own strings you'll be fine with this.

Actually, this helps me a lot since I've never done this but will sometime in the next couple of months.

One more thing to add ... I've read to make sure the new magnet is put in the correct orientation so that the polarity matches the original pickup ... i.e. don't put the magnet in backwards. Also, when you take out the original magnet, use a marker to mark the orientation of the magnet (just a little line) so if you put it in again you'll put it in the proper way.

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

Magnet swaps are easy and can be fun to experiment with. Some Duncan pickup models came about this very way. The Custom 5 was one of these. People (myself included) were taking A5 magnets like from a JB and swapping it into our custom customs and calling it the CCC or Custom Custom Custom.

 

[Dru Edwards]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

^ Where do you buy the magnets?

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

Another vote for the Duncan Custom

I like that alot. It's like cross between a mockingbird, an explorer, and an iceman. that's sharp!!

 

[SepultuRick]

Re: Which Pickup? (High Gain Bridge Humbucker)

Well sounds like the local guitar tech talking **** again. I am not joking, i don't know of a single decent guitar tech in my area. When I say decent i am referring to them as techs and as people.