Need Pickup Advice!
Moderators: VelvetGeorge, BUG
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:06 pm
Need Pickup Advice!
Hey guys, I am looking at putting a new pickup in my Mahogany Strat. I am not going for Van Halen on this guitar! The style of music that I am going to be playing is a cross between Warren Demartini, Michael Schenker, Early Def Leppard, Judas Priest Screamin for Vengance ... etc.
The specs on the guitar are:
Mahogany Body, Quarter Saw Maple Neck/Fretboard, Stainless Steel Frets, and Floyd Rose
What I am looking for is a pickup that is medium output.... something that is around 10k! From the specs that you see of the guitar, it can be kind of a bright sounding guitar to begin with. So, what I am looking for is balance! I don't want this thing to sound like an ice pick! I want to retain an OPEN sound. Meaning... I don't want it to sound compressed and squished. I like the notes to have punch to them, so I like tight bass. Not muddy bass! I still want it to sound aggressive... but in a vintage kind of way. I want that attack.. but not over the top. My issue with find the right pickup for this guitar has always been about finding a balance. I am leaning towards something with an A5 magnet but I am open to suggestions!
What pickup suggestions can you guys give me? This guitar has always been a hard one to get the right pickup for!
The specs on the guitar are:
Mahogany Body, Quarter Saw Maple Neck/Fretboard, Stainless Steel Frets, and Floyd Rose
What I am looking for is a pickup that is medium output.... something that is around 10k! From the specs that you see of the guitar, it can be kind of a bright sounding guitar to begin with. So, what I am looking for is balance! I don't want this thing to sound like an ice pick! I want to retain an OPEN sound. Meaning... I don't want it to sound compressed and squished. I like the notes to have punch to them, so I like tight bass. Not muddy bass! I still want it to sound aggressive... but in a vintage kind of way. I want that attack.. but not over the top. My issue with find the right pickup for this guitar has always been about finding a balance. I am leaning towards something with an A5 magnet but I am open to suggestions!
What pickup suggestions can you guys give me? This guitar has always been a hard one to get the right pickup for!
- darkbluemurder
- Senior Member
- Posts: 484
- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:07 pm
- Just the numbers in order: 7
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
Maybe Wolfetone Marshallhead or Caretaker or something out of Bareknuckle's Vintage Hot line.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:06 pm
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
That definitely an option! Thanks!
I was also looking at a SD Custom Custom or Custom 5. Some also told me about the Dimarzio Fred. Anyone anything about those pickups? Sound good?
I was also looking at a SD Custom Custom or Custom 5. Some also told me about the Dimarzio Fred. Anyone anything about those pickups? Sound good?
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1673
- Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 8:28 pm
- Location: chicago, IL
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
Sounds to me like you are describing a Sceamin Demon as Duncan describes it!
It's around 10K I think?
I think I played one a few years back but I wasn't too impressed.
My go to SD pickup for years was his 12K seymourizer with a ceramic magnet, I still use it. That was his hot pickup before winding it to 14K and calling it the Custom. I feel the 14K get too compressed in the mids. The 12K is about right for being more open and having alot of drive IMO. His seymourizer became the SH6N neck pickup to match with the Distortion model which is around 16K. The SH6N is still around 12K to this day. It's a great pickup IMO.
It's around 10K I think?
I think I played one a few years back but I wasn't too impressed.
My go to SD pickup for years was his 12K seymourizer with a ceramic magnet, I still use it. That was his hot pickup before winding it to 14K and calling it the Custom. I feel the 14K get too compressed in the mids. The 12K is about right for being more open and having alot of drive IMO. His seymourizer became the SH6N neck pickup to match with the Distortion model which is around 16K. The SH6N is still around 12K to this day. It's a great pickup IMO.

-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:06 pm
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
Interesting! I have heard good and bad about the Sceamin Demon. My problem has been getting the Mahogany Body/Maple Neck to sound right plugged it. Sounds great unplugged... but there are very few pickups that don't sound icepicky!harddriver wrote:Sounds to me like you are describing a Sceamin Demon as Duncan describes it!
It's around 10K I think?
I think I played one a few years back but I wasn't too impressed.
My go to SD pickup for years was his 12K seymourizer with a ceramic magnet, I still use it. That was his hot pickup before winding it to 14K and calling it the Custom. I feel the 14K get too compressed in the mids. The 12K is about right for being more open and having alot of drive IMO. His seymourizer became the SH6N neck pickup to match with the Distortion model which is around 16K. The SH6N is still around 12K to this day. It's a great pickup IMO.
What does everyone thing of the SD JB? I notice Warren Demartini has been using those pickup! Someone told me that if I got one, I would need to put in a 250k pot to tame the highs. What do you guys think of that pickup?
- azazael
- Senior Member
- Posts: 774
- Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:54 am
- Just the numbers in order: 7
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
Check out Bareknuckle Rebel Yell?
- fillmore nyc
- Senior Member
- Posts: 3193
- Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 8:59 am
- Just the numbers in order: 7
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
Another nice choice would be a Gibson 498T. IMO, by what you're describing, it would fit the bill perfectly, and its not "boutique-expensive" either. Its not an ice pick at all, and retains openness and lots of punch and balls.
Its definitely a favorite pickup of mine for going a step above a PAF in terms of output and punch, while not venturing into Duncan Distortion territory at all.
Like a PAF boosted up about 25%... hairy-ass vintage would be a good description.
/

Its definitely a favorite pickup of mine for going a step above a PAF in terms of output and punch, while not venturing into Duncan Distortion territory at all.
Like a PAF boosted up about 25%... hairy-ass vintage would be a good description.




The JB is a nice pickup, but IMO has less definition from top to bottom than the 498T... it sounds a bit "duller" in comparison to my ear.motrock wrote:What does everyone thing of the SD JB?
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 649
- Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:06 am
- Just the numbers in order: 7
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
I use the JB in most everything I build for myself. Super harmonics and sustain. Nice tight sound. Great Bottom (not muddy) great midrange and clear singing highs. If your into 80s rock stuff, this pickup is the most diverse in my book. You can roll back the volume a little or a lot and get great mid to clean tones too. I have built 3 strats recently (Koa, Black Limba, Zebrawood) and all sound awesome with it. The 250K pot would be ok to use. It will tame out any treble, glassy sounds that some guys tend to dislike. I use 500K pots and don't seem to have any real issues. I like to roll the volume back just a little and I get the same effect as the 250K pushed all the way up. If I want to really scream, I have that option with the 500K wide open. I rarely ever use a tone pot. Just my 2 cents. Also, wood make a big differnce in tone. My Koa Strat screams with the JB but the Black Limba strat doesn't have the same sustain and is warmer in tone. Both have JBs. They sound totally different. Should sound great in a Mahogany body.
- fillmore nyc
- Senior Member
- Posts: 3193
- Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 8:59 am
- Just the numbers in order: 7
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
fillmore nyc wrote:Another nice choice would be a Gibson 498T.
Apples and oranges...wrea398 wrote:I use the JB in most everything I build for myself.


- Attachments
-
- ApplesAndOranges.jpg
- (207.77 KiB) Downloaded 1259 times
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:06 pm
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
Someone else told me about the Gibson 498T. I have not tried it yet. Not that expensive huh?fillmore nyc wrote:Another nice choice would be a Gibson 498T. IMO, by what you're describing, it would fit the bill perfectly, and its not "boutique-expensive" either. Its not an ice pick at all, and retains openness and lots of punch and balls.
Its definitely a favorite pickup of mine for going a step above a PAF in terms of output and punch, while not venturing into Duncan Distortion territory at all.
Like a PAF boosted up about 25%... hairy-ass vintage would be a good description.
![]()
/
![]()
The JB is a nice pickup, but IMO has less definition from top to bottom than the 498T... it sounds a bit "duller" in comparison to my ear.motrock wrote:What does everyone thing of the SD JB?
- Tone Slinger
- Senior Member
- Posts: 6520
- Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:31 am
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
That pu (Gibson 498T) has that bad assed 'cranked' Thin Lizzy' type vibe. A VERY cool choice, one that I may revisit
. Man I love old Thin Lizzy !

Rip Ben Wise (StuntDouble) & Mark Abrahamian (Rockstah)
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:06 pm
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
How much output?Tone Slinger wrote:That pu (Gibson 498T) has that bad assed 'cranked' Thin Lizzy' type vibe. A VERY cool choice, one that I may revisit. Man I love old Thin Lizzy !
- fillmore nyc
- Senior Member
- Posts: 3193
- Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 8:59 am
- Just the numbers in order: 7
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
Just checked mine... 13.10k for the 498T, and just FYI the matching neck (490R) measures 7.56K).motrock wrote:How much output?Tone Slinger wrote:That pu (Gibson 498T) has that bad assed 'cranked' Thin Lizzy' type vibe. A VERY cool choice, one that I may revisit. Man I love old Thin Lizzy !
IMO, a great sounding, "not too expensive" humbucker combination would be a 498T in the bridge and a Burstbucker Pro in the neck (Gibson Burstbucker P.N. IM59A). I would use the BB Pro in the neck simply because its wax potted, and so is the 498T, so you wont run into the potential for a neck pickup that squeals and a bridge pickup that doesnt, especially if you're using a lot of volume or gain.
The 490R is a great pickup too, but not quite as "PAF" sounding as the BB Pro. The BB 1, 2 and 3 are not wax potted, and though they sound slightly closer to an actual PAF than the Pro (emphasis on slightly... its not a night and day difference by any means), they do have the potential to squeal cause they aren't wax potted.
Here's a new 498T on Ebay for $92.49 shipped.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-498T-Hot-Aln ... 518ec15070" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And used one for $70 / make an offer with shipping.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-498T-pickup_ ... 4a9dc828d5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Im not a huge fan of "things Gibson" these days, but they really nailed it with these pickups.


-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 10:46 am
- Just the numbers in order: 7
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
On some mahogany bodies you can get muddy real easy, SD JB is the standard here, It is clear bottom without loosing alot of output!
Akme Guitars
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:06 pm
Re: Need Pickup Advice!
That seems to be the top choice right now! I have been told to get a SD 59 for the neck also.Maverick wrote:On some mahogany bodies you can get muddy real easy, SD JB is the standard here, It is clear bottom without loosing alot of output!