Recommend me a pick-up for my DK2

[AgentX]

Hi,

I have a Jackson DK2 its an alder body and I currently have a EMG-81 on it. I love how the guitar plays but I'm pretty disappointed with the tone I get, its all fuzzy high end. I played my mates Schecter Hellraiser C-1 FR which is a mahogany body with an EMG-81TW and it sounded incredible by comparison (I know its a much more expensive guitar). Anyway, after doing some reading people have said that alder body + EMG-81 can be a recipe for disaster so can anyone recommend my a good passive / active pick-up that would complement my natural guitars tone. I have been looking at the bare knuckle pick-ups but I really don't much about them. I want a pick-up that is well defined so it can be used for lead parts but also a good chug-a-chuga.

In my other guitar which is another DK2 I have a passive Seymour Duncan SH-8 Invader but I find it to be muddy as hell so I don't tend to use it that often.

Thanks!

 

[Dylan S]

Try an EMG 85 man. It will have a much darker tone and could be what you're after, and be a relatively easy swap too.

Also, Schecters are quite cheap, but I would match their sound up to many more expensive guitars pretty much ANY day. They punch well above their weight.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Did you bother to try redialing in the amp to suit the DK2?
Doesn't sound like you did

 

[AgentX]

Did you bother to try redialing in the amp to suit the DK2?
Doesn't sound like you did

Yer I play both guitars on a regular basis and understand how they sound, it wasn't a situation where I had just played on it and was OMG WIN. My problem is the Jackson is almost unusable by comparison, I've never managed to get a good tone out of it using VST's or my real amp, its always heaps of high end, very thin and no balls.

I will look into the 85, I have read a couple of things on this forum regarding them as a replacement to the 81.

Would anyone recommend any bare knuckles, I'm curious, there made in the UK!?

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

Just put an 89 in mine, sounds fantastic

 

[Dylan S]

Bareknuckles can be good but you have to make sure to match them to the wood of your guitar propery. Having pickups in there that don't really compliment the body wood and all that jazz, can really sound bad.

 

[AgentX]

Bareknuckles can be good but you have to make sure to match them to the wood of your guitar propery. Having pickups in there that don't really compliment the body wood and all that jazz, can really sound bad.

Dylan can you give me any advice how i should choose a pickup taking into account the material of the guitar. What should i look out for in particular?

 

[BrettT]

Dylan can you give me any advice how i should choose a pickup taking into account the material of the guitar. What should i look out for in particular?

If you're leaning towards Bare Knuckle, email Tim and give him the specs of your guitar and tell him the sound you are looking for. He'll definitely steer you in the right direction. They have great customer support.

 

[RaDiKaL]

I got a DK2T.

I recently changed the JB for an SH-15 Alternative8. Sounds tight and heavy as shit, excellent for fast rhythm work.

 

[JeffTD]

EMG 89.

 

[AgentX]

cheers guys, i will check these recommendations out, thanks for your help!!