Pickup Suggestion in an alder body

kramer1309

kramer1309

Member
Apr 30, 2008
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Hey
I wanted to try a new bridge pickup in my maple neck, alder bodied guitar, presently, it's a bit on the muddy side... I know there's been a lot of discussion on this already ( i used the search bar) but i'd still like to initiate some discussion..
i'm going for a modern metal sound but something with definition (Opethy to chuggy to djenty ) and i use a podx3 as i don't own any amps...
Now, i really have no idea what to look at and would probably cap at 100$.

The most "traditional" choices would be a JB or an EMG 81/85 but i have noticed that these pickups often get rave reviews from users of guitars built of mahogany. I know, many of you believe that alder as a wood for guitar is not too good, but that is not one aspect i can change at the moment. So, it is possible that the traditional choices (as above) turn out abit too bright and maybe harsh for my case.

i mean i am willing to look at completely cheap motherbuckers to SD blackouts (do not know whether to go for active/passive, have only had stock pups till now)

What are your opinions?

Thanks
 
Dave Mustaine Livewires?

I hear a lot of good about these pickups. I just got a guitar equipped with them that should arrive in a week or so, I'll review then.

-Greg
 
EMG 89. Not as thin as the 81, but tighter than the 85. I've got one in my ESP M-1 NTB now (maple NT w/alder wings, replaced an 81) and I absolutely love it.

The JB is loose with a convoluted high-midrange to me, and the Blackouts just don't compete with EMG's, period. I've had 3 sets in 4 different guitars, and have been dissatisfied every time.
 
Get an EMG 81 and EMG 60 combo, 60 being in the neck.
After that, install the 18volts mod. It's damn simple.
EMG supports till 27volts, but the recommended volt is 18.

You don't get more gain, but you do get more headroom.
 
JBroll said:
Seymour Duncan Custom.

If you're going to go active, go EMG.

Jeff
Click to expand...

custom in an alder body? isn't the custom similar to a jb which is perfect for mahogany but may sound too trebly/harsh in alder?

im not averse to actives, but if emg then which one. i heard a lot of people say the 85 in the bridge sounds awesome, but most had a mohagany guitar, someone on this site also mentioned that for alder, 81 in the bridge would be a better option, so i am confused?

also, emg's are meant to drive a tube amp in to saturation, hence the high ouput rite? i just have a podx3live so are actives for me?

that is a question i haven't answered yet, do i want actives?
i do like the compressed metal tone, but i do like lower gain stuff and a lot of other stuff (jazz, blues, moder rock,etc) ...


TheDude said:
Lundgren M6.
Click to expand...

Dude, they may be awesome, but $180 is way out of my price range, looking for something around $100.

Sorry man but way too expensive...

Maamar Huq said:
Get an EMG 81 and EMG 60 combo, 60 being in the neck.
After that, install the 18volts mod. It's damn simple.
EMG supports till 27volts, but the recommended volt is 18.

You don't get more gain, but you do get more headroom.
Click to expand...

same concerns as above post to Jeff, and i'm looking for only a bridge pup first

lolzgreg said:
Dave Mustaine Livewires?

I hear a lot of good about these pickups. I just got a guitar equipped with them that should arrive in a week or so, I'll review then.

-Greg
Click to expand...
Sorry, never hearfd em n don't know whether they'll work for me?..

DSS3 said:
EMG 89. Not as thin as the 81, but tighter than the 85. I've got one in my ESP M-1 NTB now (maple NT w/alder wings, replaced an 81) and I absolutely love it.

The JB is loose with a convoluted high-midrange to me, and the Blackouts just don't compete with EMG's, period. I've had 3 sets in 4 different guitars, and have been dissatisfied every time.
Click to expand...

That's interesting, i thought that the 89 was a 85 + a single coil in a single housing..
So, the JB was loose? Thats the first time i've heard anyone say that before...
might i know the reason for dissatisfaction with the blackouts in the 4 guitars ( also, could you mention the guitars' wood as well alongside)

sorry for asking so many questions but i want my decision to be as close to correct as possible as i probably won't have the opportunity to try out or replace them.
Thanks


edit - any mention on dimarzios? a dsonic or evo2 's description sounds interesting - anyone here tried it?
 
I like the JB in my alder jackson. I had intended to swap it when I bought the guitar but I haven't found any need. If you want "opethy" actives are a mistake IMHO.
 
That's what i thought about actives, might restrict my tonal range....

If possible, could you post some DI's and mixed clips with the JB in the bridge doing some opeth like stuff as well as some chugging and riffing?
Thanks..
 
kramer1309 said:
That's interesting, i thought that the 89 was a 85 + a single coil in a single housing..
So, the JB was loose? Thats the first time i've heard anyone say that before...
might i know the reason for dissatisfaction with the blackouts in the 4 guitars ( also, could you mention the guitars' wood as well alongside)
Click to expand...

Naw, the 89 in humbucker mode is quite different than the 85 - less low end and not quite as 'ballsy,' but also has more clarity and isn't as muddy/loose in the low mids.

JB is for too loose for my tastes - just kinda flubs around down in the low end, which it doesn't have much of in the first place. I've been on the Seymour Duncan forums for 7 years now, and the general consensus over there is the same.

Blackouts are just hotter, muddier EMGs. I don't know why anyone would want a pickup hotter than an 85, but the bridge model of the Blackouts negates the need for a tubescreamer.

I had them in a Schecter C-1 Stealth (mahog body/maple+rosewood setneck), MH400NT (mahog body/maple+rosewood set-thru), Ibanez RG1077XL (basswood/maple+rosewood bolton), and an ESP M-II Maple (alder body/maple+maple bolton). It was the same story everytime. Take an EMG, make it hotter, make it looser, and give it more bass and highs.

Tis true, though - Opeth's is definitely not an active tone. I'd go with a Duncan Custom or C5, or DiMarzio Steve's Special.
 
DSS3 said:
Naw, the 89 in humbucker mode is quite different than the 85 - less low end and not quite as 'ballsy,' but also has more clarity and isn't as muddy/loose in the low mids.

JB is for too loose for my tastes - just kinda flubs around down in the low end, which it doesn't have much of in the first place. I've been on the Seymour Duncan forums for 7 years now, and the general consensus over there is the same.

Blackouts are just hotter, muddier EMGs. I don't know why anyone would want a pickup hotter than an 85, but the bridge model of the Blackouts negates the need for a tubescreamer.

I had them in a Schecter C-1 Stealth (mahog body/maple+rosewood setneck), MH400NT (mahog body/maple+rosewood set-thru), Ibanez RG1077XL (basswood/maple+rosewood bolton), and an ESP M-II Maple (alder body/maple+maple bolton). It was the same story everytime. Take an EMG, make it hotter, make it looser, and give it more bass and highs.

Tis true, though - Opeth's is definitely not an active tone. I'd go with a Duncan Custom or C5, or DiMarzio Steve's Special.
Click to expand...

ok, so i'll consider just passives...
could you describe the mentioned pup's tone?
i mean, i basically want a metal oriented but versatile pickup (doom-metal, kse, aild, van-halen, some jazz, ... basically, best of all worlds..)

so i mark the jb in the be careful category..

how does the steve's special compare to the evo2? ive been reading up and the evo2 seems to be quite popular but haven't heard much about the steve' special..

by duncan custom, i assume you mean a sh-5

also, i have no idea what you're referring to when you say "C5"
 
C5 = custom 5, SH-14. It's a Custom (SH-5) with an A5 magnet instead of a ceramic.

Never played an Evo2, sorry. The SS is incredibly tight and super, super clean/clear - great definition on chords intricate picking parts. Can be a bit scooped in some axes, but alder should remedy that. Also has a smooth top end, which should compliment the alder quite nicely, as well.

The Custom is very tight and aggressive - perhaps it'll be shrill in alder. I've only had it in Mahogany, and it had a top-end comparable to an 81. The C5 has more of an organic midrange and a bigger low end, as well as a rolled-off top end, compared to the Custom.
 
ok, which "one" of those would you suggest....

edit - and thanks man...
ps - shameless request for clips if possible.... :p
 
Haha hmm... Depending on your amp, I'd be inclined to go SS.

I know Necrophagist's Epitaph was all Custom (for the rhythms), and James Boyd has a clip of the SS on his myspace.

Clips aren't great for telling differences in pickups, though, as the rest of the chain makes way more of a difference. I'll even go as far to say that the individual player makes a bigger difference than the pickup used.
 
I had the JB in alder and basswood-body superstrats... sounds good. But I'd recommend either the Duncan Custom Custom or the Alternative 8 for alder body guitars. If you go down the DiMarzio route, the classic Super Distortion is the perfect fit for alder body guitars.
 
Definitely check out the Duncan Alternative VIII, Lasse on here says it replaced the Duncan Custom as his favorite passive
 
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