THE best metal pup/pup config.

[necrotechno]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

Some combos that I like:

DiMarzio Humbucker from Hell (neck)/PAF-Pro (bridge) - not very high output, but I use a wireless a lot and I have to adjust it for high output pickups. Which kinda defeats the purpose of having high output pickups. But with this config the first thing I put in the signal chain after the wireless receiver (before the amp) is some pedal (compression, EQ, Tube Screamer, whatever) set for a volume boost.

DiMarzio Super2/X2N - Hot, bright and articulate.

EMG 85/81 - Or the other way around, depending on my mood. They've got the quick connects so it's easy to swap 'em around. I need to get a 60 to put in there sometimes.

Bill Lawrence L500-L/L500-XL - Bill recommends the L500-R for the neck, but I think the hotter L mixes better with the XL. I want to get a Megaswitch and play around with the coil tapping and phase switching.

Bill Lawrence L465 (both positions) - this is Bill's more articulate, more powerful version of a PAF. Discontinued, unfortunately.

I also like the Duncan JB, but I haven't found a anything that I like to mix with it in the neck. The popular choices for the neck are the Jazz or the 59. But I think the JB drowns them out, like there's a serious volume drop when switching to the neck. The KV-2 apparently has a JB in both positions, which I'm thinking about trying.

I want to try the APC pickups (Persuader, et al), some Rio Grande models (Punchbox/Crunchbox specifically), and some of the hotter models in Bill Lawrence's new L600 series. But my next project is probably going to involve four Kent Armstrong Burns Tri-Sonics, wired as two humbuckers.

[Tornet]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

I've tried most of the Duncan's and Gibson "Hot" P'ups. They've never given me the tone or clarity that the EMG's has given me.
81/85 Rules! Really quiet and always clear and brutal sounding.

You should try both 81 and 85 in bridge position. Had an 85 in bridge position on my old Jackson Strat and it sounded awesome. I use 81's in my RR guitars and they beat everything else I've tried. Use 'em through a JCM 2000 DSL and it rules!

I also finished a Suzuki Flying V a week ago with an SD Jazz in neck position. A really old P'up I got in another guitar I bought. Sounds really sweet and is excellent for neck position. The Iommi in bridge position was a huge disapointment. Thouhgt it sounded good in my Explorer but nothing beats the EMG's for hard and heavy distotion.

Got a couple of ZW kits on the way, they will do the job!

666
JT

[pagemalicious]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

Dimarzio X2N

Bareknuckle Nailbomb

[AfterForever]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

Dual EMG 81s has been the perfect metalcombination for me for years

[LexLuthier]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

If you want a distortion pickup and don't care about clean tones or volume knob 'turn-down' tone, try a Gibson 500T. They have 3 (!) ceramic magnets under the bobbins, they are like little nuclear reactors. 500T's are badass for Metal, but you sacrifice the cleans since they always add some grit to the tone.

[jgcable]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

I would say Dual EMG 81's running on 18 volts.

[shredmonster]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

Bill Lawrence XL-500

SD Custom 5

Aero Instrument Level 3 Humbucker

[Accept2]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

1. Evans humbuckers.
2. EMG 81/85.
3. Triple DiMarzio Super Distortions.............

[aldog1330]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

EMG 85 bridge, 81 or 60 neck for me!

[noodlesatf]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

Duncan Jazz/JB is the combo I use in most of my dual humbucker guitars, with the exception of one with a 59/Distortion set I have in one that I wanted a slightly different tone. For my H/S/S, I have been going with a Distortion/Alnico II (reverse wound)/Little JB set. Position 2 amd 4 are killer for cleans, and I'm always a flick of the switch away from death.

[shreddermon]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

I don't have one "preferred" pickup layout. Or one pickup brand or models, even. Sure I have preferences. Good and bad. But more so than any single thing, I like variety. It's all good, for different reasons.

[Bob From Accounting]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

[ QUOTE ]
I like variety. It's all good, for different reasons

[/ QUOTE ]

He said metal [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

In a Neck-thru, Alder body guitar The JB smokes everything else i've tried, but in a guitar of lesser quality i'd try something else.

My KE2 with my HD147 sounds great! but my jap Dinky (bolt-on, basswood body, JB) don't sound that good thru this amp, doesn't even come close

[shadowcat]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

Dual Duncan Distortions. [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

I think the JB doesn't work well in basswood Dinky's, I have one in the bridge of my DKMGT and am thinking about swapping it for a Distortion as well.

[86mod5]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

I didn't care very much for the 500T in my LP. It sounded too harsh for me and not warm at all. I have dual 81s in my RR-1 and it sounds awesome. I would like to try an 85 in the bridge though because lots of people here seem to like that in the bridge position.

[fenderman2001]

Re: THE best metal pup/pup config.

i have boxes of pickups,numerous guitars,have tried them all.i keep going back to the j-90.more agressive than the duncan jb,seems to be more expressive than the duncan distortion.for some reason the ones with flat pole pieces on both bobbins seem to have better treble response.another pickup i like a lot is the gibson tony iommi-recently put one in my flying v to experiment...heavy,dark,powerful,good high end.
another point,though...some guitars sound better with certain pickups than others.it seems you almost have to match the pickup with that particular guitar...almost like a trial and error kind of a thing...
...and a note on emg's...they sound good,but it seems that you loose some of the tonal qualities of the guitar...take three completely different guitars,put the same type emg pickups in them,they will all practically sound the same...at least that is what i have found...