Pickups for low G baritone

[Morgan138]

I recently picked up an Agile AL-2800 baritone (27", Les Paul-style) and restrung it in fifths, so it goes low G, D, A, E, B, F#. Unplugged it sounds pretty good, but the stock pickups are awful. Muddy, dead, and microphonic to the point where you can hear amp noise if you tap the KNOBS.

So obviously I'm looking for better pickups. My normal guitar has the standard EMG81/85 setup and works fine, but I don't know if that combination would sound decent going this low, or whether there's something better.

I'm not dead set on actives, and I'm not dead set on making this guitar sound super tight and crisp. Basically, I need pickups that will get the lows across without turning the highs to mush. A little gnarliness would be okay though.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[006]

EMG81 or 89 in the bridge. IMO. Plus most all models come with the solderless kit nowadays which makes installation a breeze. By the way, how are you liking the guitar? I'm looking at getting a baritone eventually as well but it's between the AL-2800 or the PRS Mushok. I like that the AL has 27" compared to the Mushok's 28", I think that may be too much from my experience with the Agile Intrepid 8-string I had, which was like 28"+ scale.

 

[Morgan138]

So far I like the guitar, aside from the junk pickups. A couple of tiny glitches in the sunburst, but the neck and hardware feel well put-together. The top 5 strings sound great and really clear, and the G is a lot less flubby than when I used to tune a regular scale guitar to B, although it still sounds kind of bass-like.

 

[Bekanor]

You could try those Q Tuner pickups, they'd probably be pretty good for balancing things across strings.

 

[006]

YMMV but every clip I have ever heard of Q-Tuners sounds pretty bad.

 

[sprack]

+1 on the EMG's. -1 on an Alumitone Deathbucker.

I just put a set of Bareknuckles VHII's in for a friend. Essentially the best sounding PAF's I've ever heard.

 

[Robert W]

A BK Warpig might be a good choice.

 

[Rex Rocker]

Another vote for the EMG 81 in the bridge.

Something else for the neck, IMO. 60 or another 81.

 

[Morgan138]

And EMG isn't going to thin out the low end too much? I love them, but have never used them on a guitar tuned below D standard.

Is the 60 the one that's supposed to be less modern-sounding?

 

[CAlexanderParra]

Definitely stick with EMGs and just adjust your amps tone to your liking if you don't want it super tight and crisp. ex. not using a tubescreamer or something.

 

[dani]

just recorded some Low F# with an EMG81 in the bridge, sounded good!

thanks,

 

[Rex Rocker]

Which guitar do you have the 81 in right now?

IMO, the lower the guitar is tuned, the better the 81 sounds in it. I don't know, but personally, the super tight low-end on the 81 sounds particularly good with LP-style guitars and low-tunings, IMO.

 

[Morgan138]

The main guitar I have an 81 in is a Jackson RX10D (alder body, maple neck I think).

Are there any other passives I should look into besides the Q-tuner and the Warpig? Some combination of EMG81/89/60/85s sounds promising, but I'm not totally sure yet.

 

[006]

If you are still worried about the 81, the Agile is a mahogany body, going to sound much thicker than the alder. My Strat is alder with an 89 and my Explorer is mahogany with an 81, the Exp sounds meatier even though the 89 is generally a thicker sounding pickup.

 

[Morgan138]

Has anyone tried the switchable EMG81? I can't see myself using the single coil mode a lot, but it might be handy once in awhile as long as the regular mode sound isn't compromised.

I'd probably go with a 60 in the neck slot, running at 18v of course.

 

[006]

I haven't personally, the 89 has the single-coil in it as well, I use it for cleans but that's it, and even that is a rare occasion.

 

[Morgan138]

Decided to go with a switchable 81TW in the bridge, and a 60 in the neck.