Pickup suggestions (humbuckers only please)

Necrovore · Post by **Necrovore** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:32 pm

I am in the market for soem new pickups. I sold off my Mega Drive to a buddy in Tennessee.
I would like to get some suggestions from you guys on what a good pickup would be to use with my SL as well as being clear if I wanted to run it through a hotter amp.
I would mainly like to hear from you who suggest a pickup from personal experience on using the one/s that you suggest. Be as descriptive as possible on pros/cons all that stuff.
I was looking at a Dimarzio PAF Pro and the Duncan Custom Custom as well as the Duncan JB. But would like other suggestions, especially if you use boutique pups.

Thanks,

Bjorn

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 11:38 pm

If you want a "slightly hotter than PAF" humbucker the Rio Grande Genuine Texas is a really good model that won't break the bank. I've got one in my Les Paul. It retains many PAF qualities (brighter top end with pretty even lows and mids) with enough snarl to drive a Super Lead really nicely.
But, since it seems even a medium-output humbucker doesn't quite clean up as nicely when you roll back the volume, the Texas will be getting replaced (along with the Rio Grande BBQ Bucker in my SG) with my old standby, plain ol' DiMarzio PAF's. I'm not sure I'm ready to part with the Texas Humbucker yet or I'd offer it to you. I'll probably sell the BBQ, it's just too hot for my tastes.

Necrovore · Post by **Necrovore** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 12:26 am

Im not all to overtly concerned about getting too clean when I roll back the volume. Yeah its really nice but if I can get a clean like the intro to Hells Bells thats cool with me.

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 7:47 am

Necrovore wrote:Im not all to overtly concerned about getting too clean when I roll back the volume. Yeah its really nice but if I can get a clean like the intro to Hells Bells thats cool with me.

The Genuine Texas 'bucker may be right up your alley then. Maybe you can find one on eBay cheap, although usually all I see is the BBQ up for auction. They're about $90 new, which sounds expensive for trying out pickups, but it sure ain't as much as trying a set of WCR's or VooDoo's or something.
I find the BBQ to be a bit too hot for AC/DC but it's good and meaty for real classic metal choresif you back it off from the strings a bit (about 1/4" on my SG.)

Necrovore · Post by **Necrovore** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:30 pm

I didn't mean AC/DC with the pickup wide open. I was talking about a clean like how the intro to Hells Bells is sort of dirty, then opens up to full Marshall chunk when all the guitars come in. Can the BBQ clean up to that level? HOpe I'm explaining this right...

Country Boy Shane · Post by **Country Boy Shane** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:52 pm

That Duncan JB is pretty dark sounding... watch out.

tonejones · Post by **tonejones** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 2:08 am

Necrovore,
I've got a High Order pickup ordered. Jeff seems like a great guy and I hear nothing but raves about his pickups over at the plexi palace. Besides, they're only $55 including shipping (and alot of guys at the palace are comparing them to WCR/Holmes/Voodoo). I'm replacing the stock Gibson pickup in my '76 LP Custom. I'm getting his 9.7 Maximus model. Hotter than my stock, but not as hot as say a JB. Jeff said it will give Judas Priest/Sammy Hagar overdrive on a Marshall without even diming the amp. Go visit www.highorderpickups.com, or search the plexi palace BBs for high order pickups.

Played a JB in another guit for awhile, but it seemed a little boomy/muddy. If you're still in the market when I get it installed (this week sometime I'm hoping) I can give you a report.

5150loveeddie · Post by **5150loveeddie** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 2:16 am

Curt Mitchell uses a JB with his hight gain modded 69 plexi!!!!!!!!!!

Country Boy Shane · Post by **Country Boy Shane** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 7:52 am

I've hard clips from Flemingras with Curt in them. Pretty wicked plexi sound!

dirtydeeds22 · Post by **dirtydeeds22** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 7:36 pm

hey nec,
I'm loving the WCR Darkbursts that I just put in recently. If you're wanting somthing that can wail, but also clean up well these will definitely do the trick. Here is a link to the thread I started about these.

http://www.metroamp.com/forum/viewtopic ... highlight=

For Angus tone I'm keepin actually at lower settings than previously mentioned on the SL. jumpered bright 6 normal at 3. Gets real close.

I admit I was hesitant to pay as much as I did, but they sound so good. I'm glad I paid the money.
Check out www.crcoils.com and email jim. He was real cool answering all my questions about all the different models he has.

Later
Jeff

Country Boy Shane · Post by **Country Boy Shane** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 8:24 pm

Ya know, it's pretty hard to run into a bad sounding PAF repro these days. Amazing.

rjgtr · Post by **rjgtr** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 10:08 pm

I second the WCR Coils. I have the Fillmore set and it is a great pickup. Rolling down the volume pot leaves you with a really good clean sound, too.

tonejones · Post by **tonejones** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 11:27 pm

Got home tonight, checked the mailbox, still no new pickup

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 3:57 pm

tonejones wrote:Necrovore,
I've got a High Order pickup ordered. Jeff seems like a great guy and I hear nothing but raves about his pickups over at the plexi palace. Besides, they're only $55 including shipping (and alot of guys at the palace are comparing them to WCR/Holmes/Voodoo). I'm replacing the stock Gibson pickup in my '76 LP Custom. I'm getting his 9.7 Maximus model. Hotter than my stock, but not as hot as say a JB. Jeff said it will give Judas Priest/Sammy Hagar overdrive on a Marshall without even diming the amp. Go visit www.highorderpickups.com, or search the plexi palace BBs for high order pickups.

Played a JB in another guit for awhile, but it seemed a little boomy/muddy. If you're still in the market when I get it installed (this week sometime I'm hoping) I can give you a report.

I had some other pickups on order, but they've been backordered for a month now with at least another two weeks to wait, so I ordered a couple of Jeff's HighOrder humbuckers too (the 8.3K AlNiCo 2's) for the bridge slots of both my Gibsons. I can't wait to play these things, Jeff's always been a nice guy to yak with over at PP and I'm always happy to support a fellow board member's product!!

Necrovore · Post by **Necrovore** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 8:08 pm

Wow that clip of Terry..... WOW....

These might be in order. I really wanted to try the boutique type pickup route but didn't really know that much about any outside of Lace and Rio Grande, neither of which I have been able to hear clips of. Which is why I started asking about the more well known brands.

Guys in regards to the AC/DC tone. I really wasn't asking about how to get it. I was talking about that Rio Grande pup that Shane spoke of where he said that it cant really clean up that well. I was just saying that I can deal with a pickup that will clean up at least as far as how clean the guitar is on the intro to Hells Bells. Sorry for the cornfusion if there was any.