Another "Which pickup?" thread

Mr. Killer · #1 10-02-2009, 06:42 PM

Hi everybody. I've finally decided to change the INF3 and 4 from my RG350ex. Could you please give me your opinion? I basically play thrash metal and progressive rock.

1)Bridge pickup: I'm looking for a very crunchy sound (something that sounds like "rrrrrrrr" :P) but at the same time distorted enough to play progressive metal, especially when palm muting. I can't decide between the Dimarzio Super Distortion or the D-Sonic. Which one would you choose?

2)Middle pickup: no problems here. I'll just leave the stock single coil right where it is. I never use it anyway.

3)Neck pickup: To be honest, I love the sound of the neck pickup that MAB used in his "No Boundaries" album. I think it was a PAF Pro, I'm not sure. Should I get this? I basically want that well-known neck pickup sound. Should I get the PAF Joe instead?

Any help will be very appreciated. Thanks!

jemmaniac · #2 10-02-2009, 09:40 PM

B=d-sonic
N=PAF pro for sure

Crazy_Guitar · #3 10-03-2009, 12:17 PM

Bridge: Evo 2 (really balanced) or PAF Pro (a bit less crunchy)
Middle: HS-2
Neck: PAF Pro (bright) or Air Norton (a bit more muddy)

Mr. Killer · #4 10-03-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy_Guitar

Bridge: Evo 2 (really balanced) or PAF Pro (a bit less crunchy)
Middle: HS-2
Neck: PAF Pro (bright) or Air Norton (a bit more muddy)

No Evos please, I don't like Steve Vai's tone, I don't know why. And I wonder, is the Evo 2 powerful enough to play thrash/death metal??

Thanks anyway!

nickcoumbe · #5 10-03-2009, 01:26 PM

The evo2 is probably loud enough, but it isn't really a traditional distortion pickup.

I would say Super Distortion and Paf Pro

I am using a Dimebucker in the bridge and a breed in the neck of my paduak rg. They are both tight and quite aggresive pickups, they also clean up well.

**jono** · #6 10-03-2009, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Killer

And I wonder, is the Evo 2 powerful enough to play thrash/death metal??

Totally depends on the rest of your rig. The need for super high output pickups came from the fact that amps didn't have the gain they do now "back in the day". You can play thrash metal with low output pickups if the rest of your setup has the gain.

I'd also ask what tuning you usually use as this can have a BIG influence on what pickups folks start recommending.

As a general rule though a PAF Pro in the neck is a solid bet and any of DiMarzio's high output pickups will allow you to thrash away. The d-sonic and new Crunchlab have he advantage of looking really cool too

_FR0D0 · #7 10-03-2009, 04:52 PM

paf pro (n) + super 3 (b)

Jblaze · #8 10-03-2009, 07:33 PM

Super 3 over Super Distortion.

Mr. Killer · #9 10-03-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jono

I'd also ask what tuning you usually use as this can have a BIG influence on what pickups folks start recommending.

Standard tuning. The guitar where the new pickups are gonna be installed is a RG350ex. Since it has a floyd bridge, changing tunings is a pain in the a$$. I'm just gonna use it for standard tuning.

My amp (Laney LV200) doesn't have enough gain to play thrash/death metal. It has a tube in the preamp (it's a hybrid I think), so I want a pickup that can give me more gain, if that is possible with this amp.

corpraider69 · #10 10-03-2009, 09:42 PM

neck Dimarzio Liquifire

Bridge Dimarzio Crunchlab

both F-spaced

Mr. Killer · #11 10-04-2009, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corpraider69

Bridge Dimarzio Crunchlab

It sucks that here in Peru the Crunchlab is not available

(as far as I know). But, is it similar to the D-sonic? How different is it?

jc5150dc · #12 10-13-2009, 09:50 PM

Neck - PAF Joe
Bridge - X2N, D-Activator, or D-Activator X

Check out youtube clip of guitarworld review of Josh Rand sig guitar...basswood body, PAF Joe Neck and X2N bridge. Pretty sick. You can also listen to Dimarzio's sound clips of X2N with Josh Rand. That's definitely thrash/death metal worthy.

JohnnyGuitarCA · #13 10-14-2009, 01:57 AM

I spoke with MAB 5 years ago, and back then he was using DiMarzio Evolution in neck and bridge.

Mr. Killer · #14 10-14-2009, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyGuitarCA

I spoke with MAB 5 years ago, and back then he was using DiMarzio Evolution in neck and bridge.

Oh really? Then why do I love MAB's tone and not Vai's???

They sound too different to me.

I think I'm gonna go for a PAF Pro in the neck. But I still can't decide between that 80's metal tone related to the Super Distortion, or the modern Petrucci-esque tone from the D-sonic. Ahhh, if only I coud have them both ... :P

Yousef · #15 10-14-2009, 04:08 AM

Metal? Go for the X2N in the bridge man! Been using that as my main bridge pickup for 3 years now and I love it! You mentioned prog metal? Michael Romeo of Symphony X has been using the X2N in the bridge since the V album. Very crunchy and has great clarity. Put it in parallel in 2nd position and it sounds really straty weirdly enough lol.
It pushes low gain amps into high gain territory! But if its too much for you, just lower the pickup down a bit.