Best Pickup Option For Me?

[justinrhoads80]

Hey guys I have a question about pickups that I need a little bit of help on. I have a USA Jackson Soloist with two humbuckers (JB/59) and I really do not like them at all, ESPECIALLY the JB. I want something that can play metal. I also want something that on occasion when I am playing cleans, I can switch to the neck pickup and do so. I have been looking at the EMG 57/66 set and the Het Set. I have also been looking at a duncan distortion in the bridge and a 59 or a distortion neck in the neck position. The guitar is an alder body, quartersawn maple neck, flame top, and ebony fretboard. I am open to seymour duncan and EMG's. Active or passive. I will consider Dimarzios as well. The only thing I will not consider is BKP. The reasons are that they are too expensive for me and I have never played a guitar with any of their sets in them, so I don't know if they would be for me. If money wasn't an issue I would buy a set. So what do you guys think I should get? Any advice is appreciated.


The bands I like are Venom, Iron Maiden, SLAYEERRRR, Ozzy Osbourne (Rhoads Era: Blizzard and Madman), GNR, Megadeth, some metallica, Pink Floyd, and Pantera.

 

[SonVolt]

Before you convert it over to Active I would simply drop a Duncan Distortion in the bridge and see how you like it. It's my favorite passive metal pickup. It has very similar tightness and sizzle to EMGs.

 

[justinrhoads80]

Ok I will check out the distortion. I rather buy one of those and swap it out with the jb. I don't have a solder kit and I don't know how to change it out, but I can learn.

 

[Ghostman]

I have a USA Jackson Soloist with two humbuckers (JB/59) and I really do not like them at all, ESPECIALLY the JB.

I have also been looking at .... and a 59 ..... in the neck position.

Is the JB in the Neck or Bridge for you right now? Because it seems you are looking for the 59 Neck which is already in your guitar.

I'd like to see the pickup that can do Pink Floyd and Pantera actually.

 

[justinrhoads80]

Is the JB in the Neck or Bridge for you right now? Because it seems you are looking for the 59 Neck which is already in your guitar.

I'd like to see the pickup that can do Pink Floyd and Pantera actually.

The JB is in the bridge and the 59 is in the neck. I would also like to see that aswell

 

[SonVolt]

Make sure you're using 500k pots too. I have no idea what's standard for a Jackson.

 

[Bruno60]

I did not like the JB, I replaced it with a SH5 (Like a PAF under steroids), and I get a very good sound IMO, on a "full mahogany" guitar.

 

[Crunchifyable]

The JB can be kinda harsh. On my super strat (alder ESP LTD), I tried EMG (81) and it was too harsh...switched back to stock really hot ESP LTD ceramics. Even bought more ESP LTD humbuckers on ebay because I think they sound good. I also like stock "hot alnico" epiphone pickups.

Which sounds crazy but I have guitars with EMGs and Seymour duncan 59s as well as bill Lawrence XL500 and I'm just not a fan of really bright screechy pickups. At least not in the bridge position of an Alder body super strat or even SG. Also depends on the amp...most Marshalls have so much high end fizz in the upper mids that you end up fighting the sound.

I'd look for a high output passive pickup, maybe ceramic. The duncan distortion is a good idea, so is maybe Dimarzio Super Distortion (it's what iron maiden used back in the day, and so did everyone else).

 

[gearninja]

Dimarzio Super Distortion (vintage, if you can find one) for the bridge, Dimarzio PAF neck (vintage).

Otherwise check out Arcane pickups man, they're bitchin!!!

Check this out;



Clearly the bridge pickup was swapped out for the Dimarzio

 

[Ufoscorpion]

Irongear metal machine , check them out on the irongear website they're monster .

 

[justinrhoads80]

I know that Randy had dimarzio super distortion in his Karl Sandoval V. I had played a Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar and that had the super distortion set and I really didn't like it. I couldn't get a clean tone out of it and I want the ability to have nice and clear distortion sounds while being able to get a good clean sound from the neck

 

[chiliphil1]

I was extremely happy with the dimarzio crunch lab/liquifire combo. I also really like the sonic ecstasy set I have now. Both are very articulate, clean up well, and will really push an amp. The crunch lab was much hotter though.

 

[BowerR64]

I dont know about you guys but i couldnt get a clean sound out of a high output pickup but something like a classic 57 its easy. The classic 57 is an 8k pickup,if you want more dirt get something with a higher output like 12-16kohms

The Duncan distortion what George Lynch used is a 10K so its inbetween but he used lots of gain on his amp

Randy used a high output pickup because the JCM800 needs it or an EMG to get the dirt out of it. Any more the amps have enough gain you dont need a high output pickup like an EMG or a high output passive pickup.

Get a lower output pickup so it will clean up and use more gain on the amp for heavy stuff like Maiden, Slayer and Ozzy

8K neck, 12K and up for the bridge is what ide sugest.

 

[gearninja]

I know that Randy had dimarzio super distortion in his Karl Sandoval V. I had played a Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar and that had the super distortion set and I really didn't like it. I couldn't get a clean tone out of it and I want the ability to have nice and clear distortion sounds while being able to get a good clean sound from the neck

That's why he had a 7.3k PAF in the neck!

It's also why he used Altec Lansing speakers!

 

[gearninja]

The Duncan distortion what George Lynch used is a 10K so its inbetween but he used lots of gain on his amp

Randy used a high output pickup because the JCM800 needs it or an EMG to get the dirt out of it. Any more the amps have enough gain you dont need a high output pickup like an EMG or a high output passive pickup.

I don't know about the SD George Lynch set but the Arcane George Lynch set sound great.

Randy also used a MXR Distortion+ to hit the amp. Don't bother with the reissues lol, get vintage or modded for sure.

 

[justinrhoads80]

Randy used a high output pickup because the JCM800 needs it

Hey didn't use a JCM800, he used a 79' JMP Plexi