SH6 Distortion first impressions/review

[pott]

Guitar: Charvel model 4 (88), Basswood bolt on strat shape, Floyd, maple/rosewood neck.

This pickup is BRIGHT, VIOLENT and above all... very, very, very, very thick...

For speakers, people tend to ay that Alnico sounds more musical than Ceramic. Well let me tell you, while the SH6 does metal like a can of whoop butt whoops butt, it also has a very thick and to my ears, VERY PLEASING lead tone.
Harmonics JUMP out, and if you don't mute well, this pickup will kill you. IT IS NOT FORGIVING!
The pickup is very bright, with a lot more bass than the FullShred with A8 mag I had in before. So I had to reEQ my POD patches basically. The bass is perfect to me. It's big but never boomy, poweful but never overpowering. I really dig it.
Midrange is... rich. I think that's the one word to say it. Again, this is one pickup I could leave on 5 for all 3 EQ frequencies and still be happy with it.

I'm going to have to work on my muting and lead techniques a lot now The FullShred made me work on it loads, but this pickup is just MORE everything.

[PallarAndersVisa]

its not as bright in my RR w/floyd and ebony board, but its definately a well rounded pickup. Like stronger, fatter JB.

[shadowcat]

My favourite pickup, I use it in my KVX10, Soloist Archtop Pro and COW DK6.
IMO it is perfect for guitars with mahogany body, complements them very well.
In the KVX10 it is really on the bright side...

And I agree that you need to have good muting technique.

Nice review!

[Sunbane]

I really don't think it is more unforgiving than any other pickup I've used, but I second all your other opinions. I love the the SH-6 in my 750XL, especially for its wonderful mid spike! Ace pickup for mahogany guitars!

[pott]

Well in this guitar, I went from J50BC, to FullShred (forced my muting up a notch), to Custom (a little hotter but not that much) to fullShred Ceramic (good sound) to FullShred 8 (very sweet tone) to now Distortion. So I increased the output a notch each time basically hehe...
I think it's great in this Basswood Charvel. I found the other pickups to lack something, but this one really makes up for it with THICK, very rich midrange.
Now just picture a cobalt blue model 4 with a shiny nickel covered duncan in the original oversized pickup ring and you'll laugh a bit

[PallarAndersVisa]

ive actually been planning on putting my J80C back in this guitar and selling the distortion

[1trussell]

Yep, the Distortion is simply the best metal riffing pickup ever.

[charvel750]

Yep, the Distortion is simply the best metal riffing pickup ever.

Besides the EMG-81, right?

[mm2002]

I have both, and the 81 kicks its ass hands down. But like i've said before, tone is subjective.

[PallarAndersVisa]

tone is subjective. I just put my J80C back in my RR and I like it alot better. not too great for cleans but its got the metal tone that i want.

[shadowcat]

I have both, and the 81 kicks its ass hands down. But like i've said before, tone is subjective.

Yes, very subjective...

I do admit I liked the EMG-81 in my COW DK6 for lead stuff, but as soon as it came to rhythm, especially palm-mutes, I hated it.
But since I got my SH-6 several months before I finally got my DK6, I just put that one in and am happy ever since.