Best Pickups for Down Tuning

[Rich#6]

First please no EMG comments, I am pulling them out of my guitars.
I am looking for the characteristics of pickups good for down tuning and I would like some suggestions for pickups from those who down tune.
Should the pickup be higher in output?
Should the pickup have more treble in its EQ?

[Grim]

Honestly, If you REALLY want to downtune, you REALLY should use EMGs.

I'm a strictly passive guy, buy my ESP (Which is in either C, B or Dropped B) has an 85 in bridge and 60 in the neck. I love this combo and have raved about it on here before - It sounds less "active".

Reader's Digest Version:You generally want a higher-output pickup for downtuning as the lower-output pickups go to mud

[DonP]

Full Shred?

[Drake S.]

I replaced my EMG 85 with a Gibson Iommi sig. pick up & it's not to shabby. For the Most part though the EMG 85 in the bridge seems to work out the most. Like Grim said 85 bridge 60, or 81 in the neck.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

check out the Duncan Blackouts AHB-3 Mick Thomson EMTY.

[Rich#6]

I should say I don't want to use actives.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Duncan Custom TB-5 or SH-5.
check out Lamb of God for samples.

[potatohead]

I would probably try a SD Custom as well.

[Grim]

Go the bareknuckle route. Seriously.

[Rich#6]

Go the bareknuckle route. Seriously.

Isn't that just that brand? that's like saying buy a dimarzio. For $150 a pop I'll pass though.

[potatohead]

The thing I hate about BKP is they have a horrible website. They don't have tone charts or samples or anything. They have a huge forum where people post sound clips but those are always full of half truths... I can remember a video of a Vypyr 15 watt on YouTube that just sounds huge... Come to find out later the kid is running an EQ and through a 212... Same deal on the sound clips of the pickups, everyone thinks they're the man for getting a good tone out of no equipment when in reality we just want to know what the damn thing sounds like.

*rant off*

[Grim]

Rich, you have no idea. For whatever reason, any Bareknuckle seems to sound absolutely fucking fantastic.

I have had experience with SD and Dimarzio both, and I'm telling you - Two bareknuckle bridge pickups later and I can't go back. I'm buying more for my other guitars soon.

My bridge on my custom shop is a Ceramic Nailbomb, and the neck is a Cold Sweat. The nailbomb is crushingly heavy but really clear (It can handle dropped tunings really well, but id you're gunna tune to shit id go for a warpig) and the cold sweat is just amazing

my 1979 strat had a Dimarzio Super Distortion, and I swapped it for a Bare Knuckle Holy Diver and two irish Tours for the single coil spots and the sound is just amazing.

Bottom line, these pickups are fantastic and totally worth the $150 you spend on them. you're spending like 75$ a pickup from SD or DiMarzio anyways.

The difference really is night and day.

[Grim]

@ potato, the descriptions are actually solid, and if you talk to Tim he will give you very detailed descriptions and reccomendations.

[toejam]

Duncan Custom TB-5 or SH-5.
check out Lamb of God for samples.

Which Lamb of God song? They've used JBs, Invaders, Customs, '59s, Live Wires, EMGs, DiMarzios, whothefucknows?

[j2379]

X2n