what pickups for ya jackson sl2h alder wings..?

[hopkinsWFG]

seymour duncans ?
dimarzios ?
BKP?
motorcity ?
wolfetone ?
lundgren ?

which model too you think it sounded best on your sl2h ? clarity on high gain, huge fat tone with tighten low ends, sweet at highs ?

[Hellbat]

Duncan Custom on my RR1T with similar woods and construction.

[hopkinsWFG]

Duncan Custom on my RR1T with similar woods and construction.

cool.. how you like them... ?

[Hellbat]

I like it. It's reasonably hot output, tight in the low end without being shrill at high frequencies. It's more of a hard rock/hair metal kind of tone than an extreme metal type of pickup.

[hotrod128z]

Right now I have black / cream dimarzio air zone bridge and black / cream dimarzio 36th anniv. PAF neck. I like em in my 05 SL2H


hotrod

[JonSick]

For my SL2H (D-Standard), I like a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge and the DiMarzio Gravity Storm in the neck. It's a really great mix. I didn't like the Gravity Storm bridge pickup at all and swapped in the Super-D. The Gravity Storm bridge sounded OK but it just had too low an output to get that really singing sustain and I had to fight with it most of the time. The Gravity Storm neck though is one of the best neck pickups I have ever used.

My KV2 (D-Standard) has EMGs as I ordered it custom. I tune down to D on that and I really like the different flavor. Though I am considering putting in some passives.

My RR1 (E-Standard) has a Duncan Custom and a Pearly Gates in the neck. The Custom sounds excellent in any alder body and maple neck setup. It's lower output than the DiMarzio Super-D, but not enough to make me whine about it. The Pearly Gates neck is a great neck pickup. I only discovered it after messing around with the Duncan Jazz and Duncan 59 forever. In my opinion, the PGn is far better than both of these for clarity and the just right amount of output.

As for you, really you need to say more about your stuff. What amp? Low tunings or standard? Can you cite any particular guitar tones from artists or what have you?

[hopkinsWFG]

well... am trying to getta tight bottom end, meaty tones with sweet highs abit of depth and compression be ok.. am currently having an sl2h with mcp afawyu which i gotten a deal off from someone... have not plugged it in... but am trying to get learny on which pickup goes well for a basic decent tone for metal...

i have a VHT pittbull classic and 50CL..

[xenophobe]

What type of music you playing?

I'd agree I love the super distortion. One of my favorite pickups of all time... Has nice, tight bottom end, a bit of mid scoop and decent highs, you might want to eq a little top for sparkly. Downside, probably doesn't do glammy punch sound very well, but if you do any drop tunings, the super distortion really starts to shine... technical death stuff is well articulated and can even go as far as nailing stoner/sludge/doom... almost perfect Carcass tone.

EMG 85 is god of all bridge pickups IMO. I don't even need to explain why. People who love mahogany probably love the 85 bridge too, but yeah, doesn't need to be in mahogany.

SH-5. I hate the JB and the Custom Custom, but the SH-5 has it's own unique eq curve. I like it because it's really easy to EQ an awesome tone.

^ these three pickups all play well together... meaning that if you're an EQ snob, you'll need to do very little to make different guitars with these 3 different pickups sound amazing. And if you try to throw a guitar with a JB or standard Duncan Custom on there, you might have to re-adjust.


I have no experience with any of the newer boutique pickups. They look cool and I'm sure they sound amazing too, that's just a lot more expensive trial and error in case you don't already have something you just love. Oh, my Ibanez does have a Lundgren bridge, and that is pretty decent too.

[DRM]

Passive: Duncan Custom 5. Very underrated pickup.

Active: EMG 85X.

[xenophobe]

Passive: Duncan Custom 5. Very underrated pickup.

Active: EMG 85X.

Yeah, see, if you like the EMG 85, you'll probably really like the SH-5.

I agree, I never heard anyone ever talk about the Custom 5 until one came with my CS Charvel... and I was like WHOA, a Duncan that I actually like... I mean REALLY like.

[Electric]

I have had quite a few different pickups in my SL2H. I wasn't crazy about the stock JB, so I replaced it with a TB-5 Custom. I liked that better but it was a bit boomy in the lows. I tried the Black Winter, which I liked a lot. It is similar to a Distortion, but with a more even EQ and better cleans. I am currently using the Nazgul in the bridge and Sentient in the neck and I think that is what is going to stay in this guitar. The Nazgul fits all of your requirements. It's not harsh on the high end, very present in the midrange, and very tight on the low-end. Lots of clarity.

[DRM]

Yeah, see, if you like the EMG 85, you'll probably really like the SH-5.

I agree, I never heard anyone ever talk about the Custom 5 until one came with my CS Charvel... and I was like WHOA, a Duncan that I actually like... I mean REALLY like.

The only EMG pickup I like is the 85. Bridge and neck...get you some.

I was first exposed to a Custom after playing a friends Les Paul that had one in the bridge. Thick, hot, and well defined...a great high gain pickup. You really can't go wrong with a Custom, and they come with all different kinds of magnets to suit your tastes.

I like the Custom 5 because of the Alnico V magnet, the regular Custom is ceramic and I think it best suited to slightly darker guitars. But I recommend the Custom to everyone who asks and greatly prefer it to a JB.

[toejam]

Yeah, see, if you like the EMG 85, you'll probably really like the SH-5.

I agree, I never heard anyone ever talk about the Custom 5 until one came with my CS Charvel... and I was like WHOA, a Duncan that I actually like... I mean REALLY like.

I thought the Custom 5 (SH-14) in my 2005 alder Charvel Star kinda sucked. It's scooped in the mids and kinda hollow, just didn't do it for me. A DiMarzio Tone Zone worked much better.
The C5 actually did sound better in my old Hamer Special (mahogany body/mahogany set neck, thick flamed maple top).

The 85 is indeed awesome and has a lot more midrange. The 81 is scooped and doesn't work that well for me unless tuned down to D or lower.

[toejam]

I have had quite a few different pickups in my SL2H. I wasn't crazy about the stock JB, so I replaced it with a TB-5 Custom. I liked that better but it was a bit boomy in the lows. I tried the Black Winter, which I liked a lot. It is similar to a Distortion, but with a more even EQ and better cleans. I am currently using the Nazgul in the bridge and Sentient in the neck and I think that is what is going to stay in this guitar. The Nazgul fits all of your requirements. It's not harsh on the high end, very present in the midrange, and very tight on the low-end. Lots of clarity.

I ordered my Carvin DC800 last year with a passive route before they offered their own 8-string pickups. I had a tough time deciding between a Black Winter and a Nazgul. I decided on the Nazgul and am pretty damn glad I did! I'm sure I would have been happy with the BW, but I've got no desire to change out the Nazgul.

[straycat]

I'm a DiMarzio guy but whatever works is the way I look at it.
I don't see much difference in what wood is used for the wings.