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Pickup Advice, Guitar pickups, not how to get girls

Guitarman700 View Member Profile	Dec 18 2008, 03:09 PM
Dec 18 2008, 03:09 PM	GMC:er Posts: 1.462 Joined: 20-April 07 From: Traverse City, Michigan, USA	Let me get right into my question, I tune to Drop C and Drop B most of the time,and the Pickups ime working with, Seymour duncan JB in the bridge and Jazz in the neck, while nice, are VERY muddy, so i am looking for some clear, loud and high output humbuckers. i picked a few out at Musicians freind, so your opinion on these or any alternitaves would be great! SD Blackouts everything i want in a pickup, except their active. Dimarzio X2N Dimarzio D-Activator Both Bridge and Neck Dimarzio D-Activator X Bridge EMG H4 Passive Thanks Colin You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! This post has been edited by Guitarman700: Dec 18 2008, 03:14 PM -------------------- My Gear: Guitars: Fender Standard Stratocaster HSS Jackson Dinky Custom Washburn WG-587 7-String LTD EX-50 Kramer Focus 6000 Amps: Peavey Vypyr 30 Marshall MG10KK Kerry King 10 Watt

MickeM View Member Profile	Dec 18 2008, 03:37 PM
Dec 18 2008, 03:37 PM	Born of NWOBHM, Moderation Team Leader Posts: 8.562 Joined: 9-January 07 From: Stockholm, Sweden	Do you think JB and Jazz sound muddy? The Jackson I tested with that combination was clear and defined. Also found in many gibsons. By the looks of your picks you're into the heaviest of heavy metal, right? Don't recall which of the pickups I read about that was so high output they were close to impossible to use. But something like Blackouts or Dactivator, so be sure to try finding that out. How about a set of 81/85 EMG? I've tried that passive H4HZ combo and I comare the sound from those to scratching a blackboard with your nails. Dry and lifeless, I didn't like them at all. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- My bands homepage All time favourites: B. Streisand - Woman in Love, M. Hopkin - Those were the days, L. Richie - Hello

Guitarman700 View Member Profile	Dec 18 2008, 03:44 PM
Dec 18 2008, 03:44 PM	GMC:er Posts: 1.462 Joined: 20-April 07 From: Traverse City, Michigan, USA	QUOTE (MickeM @ Dec 18 2008, 09:37 AM) Do you think JB and Jazz sound muddy? The Jackson I tested with that combination was clear and defined. Also found in many gibsons. By the looks of your picks you're into the heaviest of heavy metal, right? Don't recall which of the pickups I read about that was so high output they were close to impossible to use. But something like Blackouts or Dactivator, so be sure to try finding that out. How about a set of 81/85 EMG? I've tried that passive H4HZ combo and I comare the sound from those to scratching a blackboard with your nails. Dry and lifeless, I didn't like them at all. the EMG's set, comes out a bit pricy, i believe there about $105 USD each where I am, and my budget is about $150 at the most, not including wiring them in, Passives I can wire in, actives, not so much. The JB and Jazz are fine in standard and drop d tuning, but any lower and the muddy up. maybe its my amp? a roland cube 15. If anyone can recommend a good amp with good distortion in the $100 price range, that might be good too! You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- My Gear: Guitars: Fender Standard Stratocaster HSS Jackson Dinky Custom Washburn WG-587 7-String LTD EX-50 Kramer Focus 6000 Amps: Peavey Vypyr 30 Marshall MG10KK Kerry King 10 Watt

ztevie View Member Profile	Dec 18 2008, 10:35 PM
Dec 18 2008, 10:35 PM	GMC:er Posts: 289 Joined: 12-March 08 From: Top of Europe	I have always been very keen on those very high output humbuckers, cause I play mainly metal... Lately I have discovered that humbuckers with lower output will do metal very nice, and still be articulate, clear, loud without the muddiness some high output buckers have. I've tried EMG 81+89, X2N, Bareknuckle Miracleman and a few more... All of them are nice in their own way, all of the above are pretty tight too, much depend on your guitar. Had the 81+89 in a mahogany Schecter, mahogany darkens the tone very much, so they hadn't the bite I'm looking for, in that guitar anyway... The other day I put in a Duncan Full Shred set into one of my guitars... Man! SO tight, so articulate, tons of definition and clarity. Bite!! It's the tightest bucker for bridge position I've ever tried, it does metal (palm-muting) EXTREMELY well. It measures 14 kOhm DC resistance, so it's not really low output, but lower than all of the above... Gives me a greater TONE, but still has the aggressive attitude of the higher output buckers. Don't be fooled by the name.. Hell, I know people who swear by the Duncan Jazz in the bridge as the ultimate metal-pickup. Output isn't everything, bite and tightness is... I did the coil swap mod on this guitar which gives me 9 different tones, from 2 buckers with 2 volumes(push-pull).. So I may do a review on that mod with some clips some day... Should be nice for downtuning, since the bass is so tight, and the treble side still don't get "ice-picky". Can recommend it!!! Read reviews online... I have a set of Bareknuckle MiracleMan for sale, but I guess you're in the US, so it may not be an alternative to ship 'em overseas.. They are also very tight, they sound as Zakk Wyldeish as their name... You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- My YouTube Channel Gear: * Vigier Shawn Lane Master, Bridge Bareknuckle Nailbomb, Middle DiMarzio FS-1, Neck Bareknuckle Cold Sweat * Padalka Custom Space-6, Bareknuckle Juggernaut set * Ztevie's Blue, Custom Handbuilt by Rek Guitars, Seymour Duncan Full Shred humbucker set * Yamaha LLX6 Acoustic * Fractal Audio Axe FX II XL+

ZakkWylde View Member Profile	Dec 18 2008, 11:10 PM
Dec 18 2008, 11:10 PM	Learning Tone Master Posts: 3.185 Joined: 22-June 07 From: Germany	It is most possibly your amp and you playing/picking style that makes drop c/b sound muddy... Look at Michael Ammot, he plays a sd sh-4 in C-standard and it's not muddy at all. Thicker strings will help with clarity but most of it comes from the amp and your technique; for example a Peavey 5150 won't sound as muddy as small solid state combo. But you're right some pickups are muddier when it comes to downtunings. Stay away from the dactivators, they are great in e standard but awful on drop b. The best tone will come from actives (81/blackouts/etc..) but if you have to stay passive and in your price range, your best choice would be a seymour duncan sh-8 Invader: It is heavy as hell with a massive low end and a high output, Nile use them because it is one of the few pickups that can handle a standard tuning!!!! Personally I wouldn't go for the sh-10 full shred in a bright sounding Jackson, the full shred works great in heavy guitars like Les Pauls or PRS singlecuts... You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- Gear: - Jackson USA Select KV2 King V with EMG 81/85 - Gibson Les Paul Custom Arctic White with EMG 81/85 - Ibanez Rg 8527 J Custom 7-String with DiMarzio Evolution and Air Norton - Peavey 6505+ head with Marshall 1960AV 4x12 cab - Peavey Vypyr 30 Practice Amp - Dunlop Crybaby From Hell, Maxon OD808, Boss TU-2, MXR CarbonCopy, ISP Decimator, MXR Custom Audio Electronics Booster

Marc_Maiden View Member Profile	Dec 18 2008, 11:29 PM
Dec 18 2008, 11:29 PM	GMC:er Posts: 1.164 Joined: 23-October 08 From: Fremont, CA	let me tell you something about the x2n its a great pick up, i enjoyed it in my RG however! you need to have an equally high output pick up in the neck for it to work!!!! my problem was when ever i switched to the neck pick up, the volume would be so low because of the output differences.....so if you are going to x2n in the bridge....a good match would be a tone zone in the neck like that of one of my favorite guitarists: michael romeo You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- - Marc Current Set up: Atomic Reactor 2x12 Cab/power amp with a Digitech rp1000 as a preamp Schecter c1 plus electric guitar

ztevie View Member Profile	Dec 18 2008, 11:37 PM
Dec 18 2008, 11:37 PM	GMC:er Posts: 289 Joined: 12-March 08 From: Top of Europe	Pickups can sound very different in different guitars. I know the Full Shred is bright but not "over the top" bright, it has bite and tone, tight bass. Well, in my guitar anyway... A friend had a Invader, he found it boomy o the bass side, too massive in the low end, no bite... Well, in his guitar that is. You hear different opinion on many pups. JB for example... Some say icepicky, above it's described as VERY muddy, so finding the right pup is often a question of trial and error for your specific guitar... After many years of swapping pups I know lean towards moderate output pickups. Because the right ones give tone, clarity, definition and tightness. All in the package... And they will still pressure your amp to insane amounts of gain.. If you want... I think it's dangerous to generalize too much, like saying the best tones come from actives.... Of course EMG 81 is probably the mostly used pickup among downtuned metal. But he needed passives, so I assume it's not an option? QUOTE (Marc_Maiden @ Dec 18 2008, 11:29 PM) let me tell you something about the x2n its a great pick up, i enjoyed it in my RG Agree, the X2N was tight and nice in my RG too.. OK, so now that we got the guitar talk out of the way... Where are the REAL pickup advices?? Pickup girls that is...? You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! This post has been edited by ztevie: Dec 18 2008, 11:39 PM -------------------- My YouTube Channel Gear: * Vigier Shawn Lane Master, Bridge Bareknuckle Nailbomb, Middle DiMarzio FS-1, Neck Bareknuckle Cold Sweat * Padalka Custom Space-6, Bareknuckle Juggernaut set * Ztevie's Blue, Custom Handbuilt by Rek Guitars, Seymour Duncan Full Shred humbucker set * Yamaha LLX6 Acoustic * Fractal Audio Axe FX II XL+

PanicProne View Member Profile	Dec 19 2008, 12:14 AM
Dec 19 2008, 12:14 AM	GMC:er Posts: 207 Joined: 30-January 08	I tune Drop C too and use a Custom Custom in the bridge and Jazz in the neck (bboth seymour duncans) and it really works great! I play really Cult of Luna type music but still don't use the heaviest distortion I can find. I usually use the jazz for clean parts and the custom custom for distorted. I really enjoy the combo. At first I didn't like custom custom but it's really grown into my sound. Since Drop C is pretty low tuned if feel it's important to have a pickup that lets you hear the notes well. The Custom Custom is great for distortion and also has a bright-ish sound to it, which makes everything a lot clearer but doesn't cut back on distortion. So I say try the Custom Custom. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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