Recommend me pickups for an SL3

[MartinBarre]

My SL3 is my favourite guitar. Everything about it screams class. It plays better than any other guitar I have, and when I got it I realised how good Duncan pickups are, so upgraded all my other guitars with them.

However...I'm really getting fed up with the lack of tonal variety in my SL3. The JB is good for metal, but I'm starting to prefer a lower output pickup for even heavier styles. The Alnico 2 Pro in my Epi Les Paul sounds much better, much fatter, than the JB or even my Blackouts.
The Hot Rails middle sounds "okay", but barely gets used. It's a waste of a pickup really.
And the Hot Rails neck - well, I find it kinda bland. It might be hot, but it's kinda boring - I much prefer the '59 neck again in my Epi Les Paul.

So, I'm looking for suggestions on lower output pickups really. The middle position I want a TRUE single coil. I'll probably actually go for a Fender single coil, something from a strat as I like those a lot, but the other positions (bridge and neck) I want a humbucker and a stacked humbucker. For the neck, I'm looking for a lead tone like Slash has. Something thick, creamy yet biting and loud! A '59 does this, so is a "lil 59" the ideal?

I like Seymour Duncans, so please stick to them if you can!

[Confuse-a-Cat]

My SL3 is my favourite guitar. Everything about it screams class. It plays better than any other guitar I have, and when I got it I realised how good Duncan pickups are, so upgraded all my other guitars with them.

However...I'm really getting fed up with the lack of tonal variety in my SL3. The JB is good for metal, but I'm starting to prefer a lower output pickup for even heavier styles. The Alnico 2 Pro in my Epi Les Paul sounds much better, much fatter, than the JB or even my Blackouts.
The Hot Rails middle sounds "okay", but barely gets used. It's a waste of a pickup really.
And the Hot Rails neck - well, I find it kinda bland. It might be hot, but it's kinda boring - I much prefer the '59 neck again in my Epi Les Paul.

So, I'm looking for suggestions on lower output pickups really. The middle position I want a TRUE single coil. I'll probably actually go for a Fender single coil, something from a strat as I like those a lot, but the other positions (bridge and neck) I want a humbucker and a stacked humbucker. For the neck, I'm looking for a lead tone like Slash has. Something thick, creamy yet biting and loud! A '59 does this, so is a "lil 59" the ideal?

I like Seymour Duncans, so please stick to them if you can!

You seem to have enough Duncans in your guitars already to know them better than most people do, so I probably can't help too much there. I'm not sure how alike the lil' 59 sounds to its full size brother, but I imagine there will be at least some tonal difference there.

Before I read the part about you wanting a true single for the middle, I was planning on suggesting something like that anyway. Who needs all three pickups geared towards heavy music? I would consider the DiMarzio Area 58 and Area 61 for the middle. I've not heard them in real life, but they have a reputation for having a great single coil tone whilst being hum cancelling, which is a bonus.

Although you said you want Duncans, since you're in the UK have you looked at Bareknuckles at all? They make some really nice pickups with all sorts of different levels of output. I'm sure there will be one in the range which suits perfectly.

[MartinBarre]

You seem to have enough Duncans in your guitars already to know them better than most people do, so I probably can't help too much there. I'm not sure how alike the lil' 59 sounds to its full size brother, but I imagine there will be at least some tonal difference there.

Before I read the part about you wanting a true single for the middle, I was planning on suggesting something like that anyway. Who needs all three pickups geared towards heavy music? I would consider the DiMarzio Area 58 and Area 61 for the middle. I've not heard them in real life, but they have a reputation for having a great single coil tone whilst being hum cancelling, which is a bonus.

Although you said you want Duncans, since you're in the UK have you looked at Bareknuckles at all? They make some really nice pickups with all sorts of different levels of output. I'm sure there will be one in the range which suits perfectly.

Yeah I want a true single for the middle, cos, like you say, whats the point in three pickups all doing the same thing?
Here's my idea of an ideal three pickup set, think "Sweet Child O Mine":

Neck - solos
Middle - clean strummed parts
Bridge - heavy parts, including dirty solos

Now a JB/Hot Rails/Hot Rails set just cant do that, or even come close.

The JB is great when I think about it actually amplified as opposed to through the computer as I was doing when I posted this. It's the neck and middle that are the real problems here.

[MartinBarre]

OH BTW, I've thought about Bare Knuckles but they're at least as expensive as Duncans over here, if not even more so.

[laihojrxo]

lol, i have the same problem as well, my fusion ex has screaming demon + original singles which i dont use at all, my rhoads pro has...the bill 500 xl which you recommend, but eversince i fixed the problem that my soloist pro had (idk why, it had a muddy sound even with the infamous emg 81/sa/sa, i fixed some of the soldering, and it become awesome...too awesome), i cant really get my hands on playing my other guitars =P
too bad emgs are expensive like hell. as for the pickups, i'm not really exped with such thing,but i think that slash has his own siggy pick ups... so either get the siggy pick ups, or get his siggy guitar, strip the pickups, then sell the guitar w/ something else on it lol

[JACKSONFREAK]

I've always liked the combo in the SL1's JB/vintage staggered stack/VSS. True single coil sound no hum and sounds great with the JB. Or try the Vintage staggered single. I think its called the classic single now. For the neck. Id do a Lil 59, or a lil screamin demon. The demon is a bit more articulate and has a nice smooth midrange in the neck.
The lil 59 is similar to the full sized counter part. but a bit brighter and a bit hotter due to its design.
Gil

[MartinBarre]

lol, i have the same problem as well, my fusion ex has screaming demon + original singles which i dont use at all, my rhoads pro has...the bill 500 xl which you recommend, but eversince i fixed the problem that my soloist pro had (idk why, it had a muddy sound even with the infamous emg 81/sa/sa, i fixed some of the soldering, and it become awesome...too awesome), i cant really get my hands on playing my other guitars =P
too bad emgs are expensive like hell. as for the pickups, i'm not really exped with such thing,but i think that slash has his own siggy pick ups... so either get the siggy pick ups, or get his siggy guitar, strip the pickups, then sell the guitar w/ something else on it lol

Naw Slash uses Alnico II Pros. Which I have in my Epi Black Beauty bridge, and they sound just amazing. That's whats making me think of one for my SL3!

I'm starting to think "heavy" doesn't need to mean "high gain". If you listen to The Darkness debut album, you might see what I mean. The tones are crushing! Alnico 2s seem to get that heavy, yet clear tone whereas the JB or Blackouts are much more saturated.


How do you like the 500XL anyway?

[laihojrxo]

well...let me put it this way. comparing all 3 bridge pick ups (which what i usually use); screaming demon on my fusion ex is a chihuahua, 500 xl on rhoads pro is a bull dog, while the emg 81 on my soloist pro is a wolf. oh, if you're planning on getting rid of the blackouts, gimmi a call. i would love to give it a shot to xform the fusion ex.

[toejam]

How about an Alnico II Pro single coil and a Cool Rails?

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/

[DonP]

If you want to sound like Slash, use the pickups he uses. Alnico II Pros as has already been mentioned.

But why set up each and every guitar you own to sound the same?

[Mazrim]

Ask Bare Knuckle to calibrate a HSS set of 1 Painkiller and 2 Trilogy suite single coils. You'll piss yourself with how good your guitar will sound. Cost you about £200 all in but it would be worth it. I like Seymours but these shit on them.

[Tim_B]

I know I'm in a minority with this, but I really like some of the Rockfield p/ups, and they're hardly top dollar.
I've got an SWC in the bridge and SWV in the neck, and get beautiful bell tones clean or dirty, and compared to just about all my other p/ups, they're low/med output ... might be worth a look if you'll try something without a big brand name

[Mudder1310]

I have three recommendations.

1. Duncan Custom 5
2. BG-pickups Hellabucker
3. Motor City Pickups Torque

[Mazrim]

What do those Motor City pups sound like? Ive only heard the name once.

[MartinBarre]

I have three recommendations.

1. Duncan Custom 5
2. BG-pickups Hellabucker
3. Motor City Pickups Torque

I already have a Custom 5 in my Epi SG, it's a great pickup!

I'm thinking of leaving the JB for now and putting in an SSL-1 Vintage in the middle, probably along with a Little 59 neck.