What type of pickups would you recommend?

[Divinewingsoftragedy]

What type of neck/bridge pickup combo would you recommend for my Ibanez RG2570 (basswood body)? I play rock and metal mainly, through a Carvin MTS tube amp. For my pickups I was considering dimarzio pickups, specifically the Tone Zone (neck) and X2N (bridge) combo. I would like the hottest possible pickups that are extremely articulate and clear, and have great harmonics. Would the X2N/Tone Zone combo or the evo combo be best for clarity and harmonics? Or would it be another combo? Thanks!

[waylay00]

My X2N/Air Norton combo is great for metal/hard rock, but past that, it's a little lacking. I've heard great things about the Steve's Special's harmonic response and clarity. I have one that I'm about to install in my mahogany PRS. I'll let you know how it is.

[buddroyce]

The X2N/ToneZone combo is great. But like Waylay00 said it's not super versatile. You will seriously need to play with the volume & tone pots to get them to sound decent for other styles of music. But then again.. if you're playing more than one style of music, why not just get some more guitars?? Any reason to get more guitars is a good reason and there's no better reason to buy another guitar other than to achieve an awesome tone for another style of music.

Keep in mind, 9 times out of 10, a pickup combo that's super versatile isn't truly amazing in one particular area.

If you want something that's just pure output that's extremely articulate and clear just get a set of EMG's. Seeing that you're name is Divinewingsoftragedy and looking at the X2N/TZ combo, I'm assuming that you're aiming for the Michael Romeo tone. Why not get a set of EMG 81's? Mike had them in his old Purple ESP MII-Deluxe.

[Divinewingsoftragedy]

Yeah I guess you have a point there! Symphony X is one of my favorite bands. Would active EMG's work well in a basswood guitar? And what combo of EMGs do you recommend? Also, how would a combo of active EMGs compare to an Evolution Neck/Bridge combo? Thanks!

[winger]

Norton / Air Norton is a nice combo as well. As long as you can get plenty of gain out of your amp, you can do pretty much everything with them.

[sleepyone]

If you're playing leads go with the Evo pair. They scream...
In terms of harmonics I don't now if you can do better with another pickup...
I'd say that no matter what hot pickup you choose for the bridge, match it with the Evo neck, you can't go wrong, it sounds amazing and has enough power to match a Tone Zone or a XN2. It is way more articulate than the bridge Evo, and you can use a push/pull pot to connect it parallel, GREAT CLEAN SOUND! I truly love this pickup and fits perfect in my S470 (keep in mind it's a mahogany guitar, yours is basswood...and that, perhaps, I'm not being too objective...I freakin love my evos hehehehe)

[RG550BW]

I think it would be interesting question to ask people that post replies:"What pu do you use?" One thing that seems to me that most of people recommend pu THEY USE for everything..it's like..guy asks for country sound pu..and people respond:Tone Zone+Air Norton!!!..lol ;P
Anyway as far as your question goes..one thing to be aware of..you said:"I would like the hottest possible pickups that are extremely articulate and clear, and have great harmonics." Hot and great harmonics could go together,but "hottest possible"+"extremely articulate and clear" combo is like asking to have a drink that is at the same time warm and sweet like a warm cacao and refreshing and cold like icy clear water->?
You can have some pu that are pretty hot and acceptably articulate and clean..but "extremely articulate and clear"+"extremely hot"..NO. With stuff like X2N fogret about "extremely articulate and clear" sound Unfortunately if you don't have money for few guitars you must see what is most important for you and make some compromise that you can live with. I did that too in my guitar(basswood RG450),not perfect for everything but I am happy with it,and people say it sounds great...Air Zone bridge(versatile,clean,articulate, great hard rock sound,good metal and blues sound),Virtual Vintage 2.1 middle(nice strat sound) and Breed neck(smooth distorted Vai sound,not so good for ryhtm on neck though,bit bassy). For your interest in music(Symphony X?) and some versatility also try Tone Zone+Air Norton(DT Image and Words),Breed bridge and neck(Vai),Norton+AN(kinda Van Halen,bit more power though)..avoid Evolutions and X2N if you want articulate and clean..evolutions(especially in basswood)..are crazy pu that need very very good equipment(think Vai equipement) and very very good fingers(think Vai fingers) to keep it controlable and not just a lot of noise..if you hear a player that sounds crazy with some pu..think more how expensive equipement he has to tame all the noise from so hot pu.
More output,more hot->less articulate,less clean..goes worse and worse when going into extremes(X2N stuff)..better choose little less hot pu..and you'll still have very hot sound with lot less problems with uncontrolable noise..and much more articulate and clean..good luck

[peromucho7]

Put Schaller Hot Stuff humbucker on Your try list.
http://www.schaller-guitarparts.de/1324.htm
regards.
pero