Pickup recommendations?

[The Rossness]

I have a project guitar I'm working on. I'm looking for a pickup for a single humbucker guitar for hard rock/ 80's metal. The guitar has a baswood body.

I want something that has a seymour duncan-like attack for rhythm while maintaining a thicker sound for solo's and sweeping. I also think I want to do either a low or medium output PU.

So far I've thought of a SD CC or a DiMarzio Norton. Any other suggestions.

I also not looking for the following pups- SD JB, SD Distortion, DiMarzio TZ, Dimarzio Super 3, Burstbucker . I have them in my other guitars

[wilkinsi]

I've read elsewhere the SD TB-5 Custom is very popular. Not tried one myself yet. :dunno:

[MartinBarre]

The Custom Custom is a good choice. I've got on in a strat and it sounds great. The good thing is, you can turn it into either a Custom or Custom 5 simply by changing the magnet, so if you don't like the CC, just make it into something else!
I've had all three of the Customs and the CC is my favourite. That said, none of the ones I had were in basswood.

[Grim]

Try a SD George Lynch Screamin' Demon

or if you were willing, the Bareknuckle VHII or Holy Diver will do the job flawlessly.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Basswood pickup choices for me would be:
Dimarzio Steve's Special.
2nd would be a Duncan Custom.
3rd would be Duncan Distortion.

[6string40]

I unfortunately can't help you with how pickups sound in basswood as I haven't owned any basswood guitars since an Ibby over 10 years ago, but if you're looking for moderate output and 80s rock/metal, I'd try either a Dimarzio AT-1 or Air Zone.

[Axewielder]

The Custom Custom is a good choice. I've got on in a strat and it sounds great. The good thing is, you can turn it into either a Custom or Custom 5 simply by changing the magnet, so if you don't like the CC, just make it into something else!
I've had all three of the Customs and the CC is my favourite. That said, none of the ones I had were in basswood.

Can you really just go and replace the magnet on these? :think:

[Chad]

Can you really just go and replace the magnet on these? :think:

Yes, I converted my Custom Custom (A2) to a Custom 8 (A8). It's getting crazy on the Duncan forum. Now not just switching magnet variants, but variants within the variants. Like polished, rough cast, unoriented, etc.

[Axewielder]

Yes, I converted my Custom Custom (A2) to a Custom 8 (A8). It's getting crazy on the Duncan forum. Now not just switching magnet variants, but variants within the variants. Like polished, rough cast, unoriented, etc.

That is getting crazy, wow!

[Grim]

Yes, I converted my Custom Custom (A2) to a Custom 8 (A8). It's getting crazy on the Duncan forum. Now not just switching magnet variants, but variants within the variants. Like polished, rough cast, unoriented, etc.

LOL. All I can say.

[The Rossness]

Try a SD George Lynch Screamin' Demon

or if you were willing, the Bareknuckle VHII or Holy Diver will do the job flawlessly.

I had the Demon and always found it to have WAY too much top end.

Basswood pickup choices for me would be:
Dimarzio Steve's Special.
2nd would be a Duncan Custom.
3rd would be Duncan Distortion.

Hmmm. The steve's special might work, I'll have to look into it a bit more.

I've been thinking of an Anderson h3 as well

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I love the Duncan Custom.

However, I did not like it in my basswood guitar at all, it was too muddy for me. I tend to like a bright tone. The JB worked in basswood for me.

[The Rossness]

Hey, I just bought a CC.

[unknown]

Metallica used an Invader on the Master of Puppets album.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I love the Duncan Custom.

However, I did not like it in my basswood guitar at all, it was too muddy for me. I tend to like a bright tone. The JB worked in basswood for me.

This guy is an idiot. I put a Custom in a Basswood guitar yesterday and it sound great.

I've done a few "mutt" pickups now, the results are always interesting and sometime sound good. As long as you keep the magnet orientation correct and are careful when taking the cloth tape off you can swap things around and try them out.

I put a ceramic magnet in a JB, which tightened up the flubby bottom. I put the A5 magnet in a Custom, and since it's not wound near as hot, it still has tight bottom, and sounds like a custom without that high-end grind/grit, which is nice for some stuff.

Anyway, there's lots to making pickups sound a particular way, I don't understand it all but it's not too difficult to do it.