New pickups for a gibson Les Paul studio - EMGs too sterile?

[deathbysushi]

I'm planning on putting new pickups into my les paul. It's a gibson studio, mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard...nice guitar. But the stock pickups, bridge especially, are weak. The higher notes particularly don't sustain enough and REALLY lack power.

I play blackened death metal - big fan of nile/behemoth tone, naglfar, stormlord, and maybe even dimmu borgir have a pretty nice guitar sound to my ears. Also i need to have cleans, and honestly my neck pickup right now is great for that, but bridge is just weak.

I'm seriously considering emg 81/85's, but my sound engineer friend who recorded my band says they're too sterile. And i trust his judgment but he's not that knowledgable in the realm of extreme metal. What's your take? Any other recommendations?

Another option is to trade the les paul for another guitar that already has EMGs or another high output pickup, since the stock pickups aren't bad at all for rock/blues/clean stuff. But i hear plenty of good things about les pauls with high output pickups in metal.

ps i play through an engl powerball if that helps.

 

[Episteme]

If you're adamant on using EMGs, I recommend just getting a quick 18V mod with them. They really sound much better than without the mod.

Otherwise, I'd go for SD blackouts or if you wanna stay on the passive side check out Bill Lawrence 500XLs, Bareknuckle Nailbombs or Dimarzio PAF Pros.

 

[fps]

god i hate EMGS. you've got a Les Paul? let the sound of all that wood come through! you might as well put EMGs on a pencil with elastic it'll sound the same.

 

[Episteme]

^

I thought the same, until I actually tried out the 18V mod. My mind was changed, there's so much more headroom and power and it cuts through alot better. IMO though, if you've got a Les Paul I'd go with DiMarzios. You want that heavy mahogany body to shine through your tone. I'd reserve active pickups for lighter wood guitars.

 

[fps]

^

I thought the same, until I actually tried out the 18V mod. My mind was changed, there's so much more headroom and power and it cuts through alot better. IMO though, if you've got a Les Paul I'd go with DiMarzios. You want that heavy mahogany body to shine through your tone. I'd reserve active pickups for lighter wood guitars.

i don't know the mod of which you speak, but i'd probably go seymour duncan in LPs, that's what a mate of mine does sounds fat. then again i associate dimarzios with a slightly more hi-tec sound for whatever reason.