Heavy Metal Pups

[Conghaille]

I'm building a Gold Top LP to play on my DSL. I want to to fill a more rhythm Heavy Metal role with this instrument...a spectrum between KK Downing and James Hetfield.

What pickups would you recommend?

 

[Ghostman]

EMG actives.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

KK Downing and James Hetfield? In that case...

EMG actives.

Brother Ghostman is correct. 81/60 set.

 

[chiliphil1]

EMG 81/60 or hetset.. Either way.

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

Suhr - Doug Aldrich set !!
Flat out amazing ...

 

[Matt_Krush]

Passive:
I have and like, Dimarzio Super Distortion 3 paired with a PAF Pro in the neck. They're in a Les Paul Studio Pro & the Halcyon, Great for what you want & no batteries.

 

[Bloodrock]

I get an amazing old school metallica tone thru my modded 900 using a Gibson 498t. Emg's are horribly overrated. I also love the Aldrich and dimarzio X2N. Depends on how much gain you dial in.

 

[jjudas]

I have EMG passives in my Schecter T-1.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Emg's are horribly overrated. .

Nah, nothing sounds anything like the 81, 85, or 60. People like the sound sound so much, they try to get those sounds while avoiding the pickups themselves because people badmouth them so much.

 

[Conghaille]

Is this a range that one can span? So it sounds like the EMGs (among others) might get me close to Hetfield, but if I dial them back, can I get a British Steel/Screaming for Vengeance kind of tone? Surely Downing didn't have active pups in 1982, and I generally understand his sound to be based on mostly vintage style PAFs until the mid '80s, and still passive after that. Honestly I've never played active pups. I hear Hetfield Play clean and very distorted--is there a tonal span in the distortion or are they just built for '11'.

 

[chiliphil1]

I get an amazing old school metallica tone thru my modded 900 using a Gibson 498t. Emg's are horribly overrated. I also love the Aldrich and dimarzio X2N. Depends on how much gain you dial in.

Good call. I love my 498, it handles 80's through Metallica easily. EMG's however have a very specific tone which is not matched by anything else. They are not overrated at all. When used properly they really cannot be beat for what they do.

Is this a range that one can span? So it sounds like the EMGs (among others) might get me close to Hetfield, but if I dial them back, can I get a British Steel/Screaming for Vengeance kind of tone? Surely Downing didn't have active pups in 1982, and I generally understand his sound to be based on mostly vintage style PAFs until the mid '80s, and still passive after that. Honestly I've never played active pups. I hear Hetfield Play clean and very distorted--is there a tonal span in the distortion or are they just built for '11'.

Yes, absolutely. Keep in mind, that Glenn Tipton has his own signature set of EMG's http://www.emgpickups.com/guitar/signature-sets/active/gtv-set.html They have a sort of "sterile" sound which I LOVE for cleans, it gives such a nice bell like ring. For distortion they are amazing because they retain a clarity and detail which passives just can't do all while smacking the front of the amp like a hammer. They really are the kings of pickups. They will also work VERY well for classic rock.

 

[jensvonbustenskjol]

Tesla pickups:
Check out Ola Englund test video of 3 Tesla pups.

http://www.teslapickups.com/?page_id=173

I use VR Nitro myself.

 

[Bear R.]

Installing SD Black Winters in my ESP soon..I'll let you guys know how it sounds when I get it done..


EMG's are in it now..

 

[Petri358]

Tom Anderson HN3+ works for me and you can tone it down easily (if wanted).

 

[HotRats73]

For the havier stuff I play a gibson explorer loded with a seymour duncan distortion set (named mayhem set)
I really like them with that guitar.

ceramic magnet with a lot of output but not over the top, clean up really well, fat but not muddy or dark and the set is very well balanced.
bridge is an aggressive pickup powerfull but not too compressed.
neck pick up is particularly good and surprised me a lot. is very expressive and clean with volume rolled down.

I guess they are more a classic metal pick up. If it's your thing check them out.

 

[Cthulhu]

EMG 81/85 or Gary Holt pickups.

 

[Bloodrock]

Nah, nothing sounds anything like the 81, 85, or 60. People like the sound sound so much, they try to get those sounds while avoiding the pickups themselves because people badmouth them so much.

If you like very high output with a very flat eq like the emg 81, you would like the X2N. It has a similar flat eq but still has more of the dynamics of a passive pickup. I'd choose it all day long over any emg, plus no stupid battery wiring required.

 

[zack603]

you couldn't go wrong with a set of lace nitro hemis!

 

[Matt_Krush]

If you like very high output with a very flat eq like the emg 81, you would like the X2N. It has a similar flat eq but still has more of the dynamics of a passive pickup. I'd choose it all day long over any emg, plus no stupid battery wiring required.

Have the X2N paired with a Dimarzio Super Distortion 2 in the neck in 4 Jacksons...been running them since the mid/late 90's.
It was a great combo for my other amps, but too much for my JVM in those guitars.
I've backed down a touch to a Super 3 (Bridge) and PAF Pro neck in my Les Pauls...
The Humbucker From Hell and Air Norton are also great neck Pickups.

I have a set of EMG's that came in one Jackson and they sound fine in it...but my other guitars still sound better.
The Epiphone Custom Classic Pro cam with Gibson 498T/490r set...and those sound good in that guitar. I actually bought a set of craigslist.. for another epi I plan on acquiring

 

[GKR1]

Try passive with your DSL. a JB or DD should get you there.

EMG sound best with rackmount preamps and not as good sounding when pushed through a front of the marshall. IMHO.