Help me choose some PU's for a custom guitar

[Catalin]

Hi guys!

The guitar wil be:
-6strings
-maple/bubinga stripes neck trough
-ebony fretboard
-mahogany body
-schaller hannes bridge
-B standard tuning
-26.5 scale

The only dillema we have is about pickups. Damn there are so many pu's on the market We are thinking at 2 pu's especially: EMG 81/85 or BKP Aftermath. We have personal experience only with EMG's and i can say i like them.
My feeling says the emg's will be the "safer bet" but i am also interested about the BKP AM.
My band plays death metal so we want a tight, clear sound, suitable for high gain / low tunings, i don't want mud on the lows when fast picking - i think everyone who plays in a metal band wants that
The main purpose of this guitar will be to record di's that will be later used for reamp (of course it will be also used for live) That's why i ask you guys because you have much more experience in this area than i do.
If you have any other suggestions please let me know
Thank you very much !

 

[guitarguru777]

If you want tight and clear stay away from BKP's they are not tight although they are clear.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Yes, stay away from BKP for a tight tone. They're definitely good pickups, no question about that, but if you're expecting emg punch and tightness you'll be disappointed.
Get the emgs

 

[006]

I vote EMG. As a suggestion, think about maybe getting the 89 for the bridge (EMG). I have one and love it in both my alder Strat and my all mahogany Explorer. Basically like a blend of 81 and 85, best of both.

 

[Zozobra]

My main 4 guitars are 2 81s and 2 aftermaths.

When I'm going for fast, aggressive and technical and need the tightness and carity for that, I go for the EMG guitars. Before I switched some guitars back to EMG and was just on BKP, this is what some deathy material of mine sounded like, and there are some mix issues leading to muddiness, its not 100% the guitars 'fault' (its not 100% bad or muddy either, but its not as tight as I'd like), but the low mids the AM kicks out are part of the issue, and I will be redoing it with EMGs

http://soundcloud.com/mdv/apotheosis-by-mdv

Skip to the end (last two riffs) for the slower parts to hear the AM do the sort of thing it can do a bit better, but most of it is a bit fast for it.

 

[Robert W]

I always thought the SD actives sounded better than the EMGs myself.

My experience with EMGs (707s) is that they don't handle slow down-tuned sludgy stuff as well as passives do.

 

[006]

My experience with EMGs (707s) is that they don't handle slow down-tuned sludgy stuff as well as passives do.

:zombie: Try an 81-7, done.

 

[Fbarre]

If you like the emgs you should have a look the the active blackouts. The blackouts have a less compressed sound, are less scooped and sound a bit fuller with more lows and mids and more organic. Also they have around 14 db less noise due to the balanced input.

Edit: Bareknuckle Pickup DIs http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...eady-dis-11-popular-bare-knuckle-pickups.html

 

[Robert W]

:zombie: Try an 81-7, done.

Not done. Don't like them for slow stuff at all. Sound compressed and way too "plasticy" for my taste.

SD actives just tend to sound better than EMGs, imo.

 

[Catalin]

Thank you for the replies guys !
I will stick to EMG then. I listened a few SD BO and i can say i prefer EMG.
I want to ask the guy who builds the guitar to make the 18V mod but with a switch so i can have 9V/18V. I don't know much about electronics but i think is not a big deal to put a switch for that purpose.
Also what other pu's besides 85 can you recommend me for neck position? I mention i want the neck pu to sound good for leads and some solo notes not for cleans. That's why i'm thinking to put the neck pu a little closer to the bridge than normal. I know the 85 works well for neck but i want to know other opinions.
About the 89: it's basically the 85 sound when used in humbucker mode right ?
Thanks again for your help !

 

[006]

Not done. Don't like them for slow stuff at all. Sound compressed and way too "plasticy" for my taste.

SD actives just tend to sound better than EMGs, imo.

Sorry... you mentioned only the 707.

Thank you for the replies guys !
I will stick to EMG then. I listened a few SD BO and i can say i prefer EMG.
I want to ask the guy who builds the guitar to make the 18V mod but with a switch so i can have 9V/18V. I don't know much about electronics but i think is not a big deal to put a switch for that purpose.
Also what other pu's besides 85 can you recommend me for neck position? I mention i want the neck pu to sound good for leads and some solo notes not for cleans. That's why i'm thinking to put the neck pu a little closer to the bridge than normal. I know the 85 works well for neck but i want to know other opinions.
About the 89: it's basically the 85 sound when used in humbucker mode right ?
Thanks again for your help !

Correct, it is very simple and easy to arrange such a switch (9v>18v).

If you were to put the 89 on a scale between the 85 and 81 it would look something like this:

85----89-------81

The thickness/meat of the 85 but with the attack and clarity closer to the 81. I have used all three in my Explorer and Strat, the 89 is just perfect. 85 was always too muddy/dull, 81 too piercing (neither of which in a crazy out of control way, don't get me wrong). The 89 just seems to have everything I like about the two pickups in one, minus pretty much all the negative aspects. Plus it's got a coil-tap that actually has a decent single-coil tone.

Not sure if you want to wait around but once I grab a Countryman DI I was going to do a comparison of all three in my Explorer for the forum to check out. No idea on when that will happen though, soon?maybe?dunno?

 

[Catalin]

Thanks for the information Mike. I thought the 89 in humbucker mode will be exactly like the 85. So i think we have a winner for the neck position....

 

[Robert W]

Not sure if you want to wait around but once I grab a Countryman DI I was going to do a comparison of all three in my Explorer for the forum to check out. No idea on when that will happen though, soon?maybe?dunno?

I'd definitely like to hear all three of those tested side by side.