Looking for a good bridge pickup for prog/fusion music

[shredfreak]

So this is one of those recommend me pickups threads.

Well at the time I'm using Dimarzio Steve's Special and Duncan Dimebucker as my bridge pickup. I just replaced SS with Dimebucker just for fun. Normally I've been using Dimebucker in my Tokai Strat and SS in my Seattle(Jackson Dinky copy).

They both are great pickups but not excatly what I'm looking for. Dimebucker is little bit too trebly and agressive. Steve's Special sometimes sound too cold and kinda hard. So I'am looking for a pickup between these two. Maybe less output, less agressive, warmer but not too fat, clear and good for prog, fusion, shredding, hard rock and maybe even for metal styles. Basicly all brands are fine, but it's best if it's Duncan, Dimarzio or EMG because those pickup brands are very popular and easy to get here.

I like very much John Petrucci's sound from Dream Theater's Images & Words album but don't know what pickups he used at that time. I also love Steve Lukathers sound from late 80's and early 90's, he used EMG 85 as bridge pickup. The third one I like is Andy Timmons sound, especially from Ear X-tacy album.

So thank you very very much in advance!

[rgr]

I'm pretty sure I&W was a Tone Zone. For what you are asking, I would suggest the Norton for the bridge (not the Air Norton), warmer with more mids than the SS and Dimebucker, but tighter low end than the TZ. A Breed bridge might also work well for you, but a Norton would be my first choice.

[Shredcows]

There's also the discontiued Double Whammy.

I'm using it... and I've used Tonezones and Breed bridge models, whcih the DW is the forerunner of.

The DW is similiar to the Norton too, from reading the specs that it, but it has less output (330mA).

Its not so overly thick (~15 DC Resist) compared to the TZ and Breed bridge (both ~ 17k!) and the bass is not as prominant, its quite a bit less bass than the other 2 bridges but enough for chug. I thought it sounded towards the modern side (ala TZ, nice for prog/modern metal/rock) but with less of the flabby low end (its tight), less of the awwww (its still there in a more subtle way), less of the over-the-top-ness-screaming but with good harmonics.

On the thing abt lower output pups, I like my pups to be medium output... less compression = more dynamics at the start point of your tone chain: your guitar... let the pedals and amp take care of bone crushing distortion.

In anycase, if you want to play safe... since the TZ is a love/hate affair, even in guitars with similiar setups, the Breed bridge is very safe. Its modelled after PAF style pups, more vintagey sounding, but its got tremendous low end (tighter than TZ) with a very nice midrange unlike the screaming TZ.

[lyconxero]

From what you're describing I would probably suggest the Air Zone. You should be able to do all of those things that you want to do with it.

[ChopTart]

Something along the lines of a Tone Zone sounds like it would fit.

[jim777]

I have a Steve Morse model humbucker in thge bridge of my 550, and it's great. A bit like a Super D, which is always good by me.

[Angelo Guitars]

I'd recommend The Breed.

[shredfreak]

Thanks for the input! Sounds like Norton, Air Zone or Breed would be good. I guess Double Whammy is quite hard to get. But I'll think about it, they all sound like they would suit for me very well.

[Chud]

Breed or D-sonic i think.

[TheToneZone]

My first thought would be the Norton, then Air Zone. I'm not quite hearing my version of "fusion" coupled with a Breed, which I currently use. But that's just me. It CAN rock, and it sounds good. I don't think it's edgy enough though.

The Andy Timmons Axe is setup with a Breed Clone (which is a DW variant). Older Frank Gambale Axes had the Double Whammy. I&W era Petrucci was The Tone Zone. No idea about anything Steve Lukather except that I dig him.

I agree with the neutral pickup idea stated above. Let your chain do the work. In my opinion the Air Zone or the Norton would put you "safe".

Mike