Pickup suggestions

[Dannibal Corpse]

Hey all, as the title states, I'm looking for suggestions for a new bridge pickup. Currently, I play a king v elite that has a jb at the bridge position. I use a fairly low tuning (Bb standard) with 65-12 strings. Problem I'm having is that on more technical, muted riffs, some notes are kinda muddy and lack clarity. I've tried alterations in technique with minimal gains. Using an axe fx 2 for recording. I know it all depends on so many factors, but I'd like to at least choose pickups that will give me what I'm looking for. Suggestions??

[Electric]

Try a Dimarzio Dominion. I have the Dominion set in my SLS3 and it is they are the tightest, most defined sounding pickups I've ever used. Output is similar to the JB, but I would say they sound more aggressive and clear. The lowest tuning I've used with the pickups is Drop C, but there isn't the slightest hint of muddiness.

Muddiness could also be coming from your amp or amp settings. I've got the JB in the bridge of my SL2H and I don't find it to be muddy, but I don't go any lower than Drop C. What are you playing through?

[xenophobe]

I have to recommend the Super Distortion. I just love it. It's a hot pickup with tight low end. I also like the 85 for this as well. It has a nice, dark eq curve to it compared to the 81 and the low end is pretty tight.

JB is horrible pickup for death metal, IMO. I assume that's what you play cause of your SN :P You can get some nice light and happy thrashy metally 80's tone out of it, but for technical death metal, I hate it. It's nasally and wonky. In fact I don't like most of SD's pickups.

I have no idea about all the new super high gain stuff out there since I've found the tone I like in either of these pickups. I should be trying all these out as I'd probably like a number of them, but these two pickups just give me the sound I like.

Yeah, so I'm probably not the best guy to recommend pickups.

[horns666]

Adjust amp, and playing...the pup is fine.

[xenophobe]

Adjust amp, and playing...the pup is fine.

No, it's not. It's a JB.

[straycat]

Super D fan here too so I'm no help.

[Devotee]

I've been an EMG guy for years and i found the JB in my Elite KV sounding too muddy and flubby as well. I play in two bands, one is Death Metal in Eb standard and the other Black/Death Metal in C# standard so i don't tune as low as you but still, the JB just doesn't have the attack, clarity or punch that i need. I threw in a set of Invaders in the guitar yesterday even though i was worried that the low end would be a bit too much but it sounds monstrous! You could also try a set of Bareknuckle Aftermaths too.

[Nightbat]

Adjust amp, and playing...the pup is fine.

No, it's not. It's a JB.

I'd say you're both half right

The JB is a little loose in the bottom in standard tuning already, can't imagine how much worse it would become downtuning
You can tighten up a JB somewhat by dropping some gain and bass, problem is, that there won't be a very full tone left to play with

With lower tuning I'd suggest a somewhat lower gain or lower placed pickup, this because there's a lot more metal exciting the p'upmagnets

[Dannibal Corpse]

Well I'm recording at a friends studio that's set up with axe fx 2 and a bunch of hardware and software. His guitar sounds great. Mine, not as much. Thanks for all the good suggestions. Any votes for dimarzio d activators? Been researching those a bit and they also seem to be a contender.

[Dannibal Corpse]

Xenophobe: everything you said sums up my experience with it exactly.

[DonP]

Suggestions??

Get a Bass player?

Sorry, that slipped out.

[xenophobe]

Xenophobe: everything you said sums up my experience with it exactly.

I will say that I liked the Super Distortion down tuned. I had a standard scale ESP Strat set to C# so I could learn a few Carcass tunes. The strings were a little too flubby to play fast stuff, but I nailed the tone, so I got really baked and just started playing slow chugga with harmonies, like doom/sludge/stoner-ish type stuff and I really appreciated the tone I was getting and found new respect for that style of music. I was playing through my Orange Dark Terror and the sounds I was getting from that pickup were incredible. For downtuning I'd say it was better than the EMG 85, but at normal E flat tuning, I like the 85 better.

And report back with whatever pickup you found that you like... not so many people play fast finger single note rhythm stuff, so I'm interested in hearing what you'd say about those other pickups mentioned...

[Kisonen]

Duncan Custom or Dimarzio D-activator are both worth checking out.

[Dannibal Corpse]

Well, embarrassingly, I got the pickups a bit closer to the strings, and voila...much more articulation. Like a different pickup. Technical passaged were much more clear, and trem picked notes sang. I'd still not mind a different pickup though. I'll definitely let ya know what I find. Amazing what a couple mm can do for tone.

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

LOL, any pup suggestions I'd have would be straight out of the 80s. Dimarzio SD or SD distortion would work well I think. I loved the SD FS and if I didn't love my JBs so much I'd be using those. I hear EMGs work well with Axe FXs.