Ok,
AC/DC, Ozzy (Zakk, Randy or Tone?), Slash.
The sound of a guitar doesn't rely too much on it's wood content (although a lot of people think different) it's probably about 65% pups, 35% wood or maybe even less on the wood side, up to the point of 85% pups, 15% wood by some recent tests.
What the wood will do is "contour" the sound as opposed to drastically change it. But that contour is also what can adjust the sound.
You can get many pups that will override everything and just shape the sound as they see fit. But these do tend to lack the character of the slight control the wood has over it and this is the point where you start to rely on EQ's.
You can hear these differences in woods that have tops.
i.e. a Tone Zone in a solid Mahogany bodied guitar has a little more boom that in a Mahogany guitar with a maple top, but unless you tweak the amp setting's it's not all that noticeable.
I too have a 7D and even though the wood (basswood) doesn't have any real noticeable characteristics over the sound (being a sort of middling wood) it does rely on pickups for the crutch of it's sound.
The TZ's work well with Basswood, even though you find them mainly in
Mahogany guitars.
In basswood they crunch a little more (
bridge position) and a great neck option for your sound is a FRED in the
neck. These guys really work more with the wood instead of the opposite, it's a difficult thing to explain, but having traded many emails with Dimarzio (for info on the pups) and an established U.K. luthier (for info on wood characteristics) I came to my conclusions.
Good luck in your search, and stick with Dimarzio.
They have the exchange policy (I don't know if Seymour have the same, someone please correct me if I'm wrong, as Seymour also offer some great pups)
Cheers
Steve
P.S. Don't limit yourself to the pups I have mentioned as these are only ones I've had most experience with.
Also check the Breeds. They are often overlooked as an after-purchase addition but do offer a sort of higher output FRED quality.
