What are your favorite neck pickups ... and why ?

Diary of a Axeman

Diary of a Axeman

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I like the Fender Custom Shop "69" and Texas Special for Blues.
For Metal ...
Stacked Humbucker ;
the Bill Lawrence L-250, it doesn't take, add or alter your sound, it only projects what the guitars character. Ohms and Henries vary due to each pickup .

The Seymour Duncan Cool Rail, just enough sizzle , but can clean up easily and compliments high powered humbuckers.

The Dimarzio Chopper, kind of like a SD Cool Rail but with cleaner highs.

The Dragonfire Duo Rail, kind of like a Bill Lawrence L-250 and Dimarzio Chopper, but with more upper mid enhancement .

Full size humbuckers .

The Seymour Duncan Screamin Demon, this pickup is great if you have a powerful humbucker in the bridge . Cleans up very good and has a good clean P90 sound when you roll the volume knob down to 7and a half .

The Dimarzio Humbucker From Hell, sound 95% like a single coil and has a hint of a P90 pickup. Sounds great with a SD Triple Shot and sounds great with an Acoustic simulator.

The Bill Lawrence XL-500, this makes a great neck pickup for Metal, especially when you have a bridge pickup wound at 14k ohms or higher . It's cleans up great when you roll the pickup down to 7 on the volume knob, with or without a treble bleed circuit. The one I dropped in a 1980's RR / Jackson is wound to 11.28k ohms .

The Dragon Fire Modbucker .... sound like a slightly hotter version of a SD Screamin Demon .

I use a Seymour Duncan Triple Shot pickup rings on the full size humbuckers for an Acoustic simulator or Sitar simulator.
 
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In no particular order.
Jazz II.
Super D wired in parreral
TS
BB pro.
Super 58s
Flying fingers

Plus a few more like the Lace Golds and
Duncan 59 wired in parreral
 
Wagner Crossroads is the best humbucker, but the ice bucker is a great neck pickup as well

Lace silver and blue both work great as singles

Emg retroactive maverick is probably the best as far as a combo of clarity without icepick

Duncan phat cats work very well for the neck as well
 
I'm really digging the Duncan Lil'59 Neck. It has enough oomph that it doesn't feel like you are fighting the guitar on leads - but it still has kind of a single coil 'clarity' to it that sometimes gets lost with full size humbuckers in the neck position.
 
I need to try the Humbucker from Hell some time.

Best neck pickup does depend on the guitar and the intent obviously, but from what I’ve tried and liked…

Single Coil Strat: Tex-Mex

Single Coil Tele: Custom Shop Twisted Tele

Humbucker in a Strat-type guitar: PAF Joe or Marshallhead w/A2

Humbucker in a Strat-type for using coil split or series/parallel wiring: Air Norton

Humbucker in a Les Paul: Dr. Vintage or Marshallhead A2, A5 can be good too

The Fishman Fluence Classic neck pickup is also pretty good, but mostly just for the brighter voicing. The PAF voicing is a little too fat and dark. The brighter voicing is not really like anything else I’ve found. It’s bright and clean sounding, but not at all ice picky. It still has the depth of a humbucker. It sounds great clean but also handles high gain leads really well because it doesn’t get too dark and mushy. It gets liquidy but still cuts.
 
PDC said:
I'm really digging the Duncan Lil'59 Neck. It has enough oomph that it doesn't feel like you are fighting the guitar on leads - but it still has kind of a single coil 'clarity' to it that sometimes gets lost with full size humbuckers in the neck position.
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I second this.
 
I'm really sold on the SD 59 OR lil' 59. As said above, they just have great clarity and definition. They also work well with many other pickups. I also like the SD Alnico II's. They're a bit warmer, but got that great bluesy tone. They also clean up really well as does the 59's. Texas Specials are fantastic true single coils.
 
Wagner Murkat neck. Midrange is emphasized at specific frequencies that gives it a very convincing (for a humbucker) Strat like vocal quack. Not nasal, just articulate and fluid. Notes pop out more than is typical for most neck humbuckers.
 
I loved the Screamin demon in the neck of a Les Paul.
I also really liked a zhangbucker woodbucker

Not a lot of experience with single coils but my set of Joel dyer greasy hots always go in whatever Strat I’m playing

I also dig Manlius’ tele sized p-90
 
My favorite neck humbucker is the stock 7k7 Pat No that’s in my ‘80 LPC. I’m about to put the 7k7 bridge pickup from that guitar in my ‘13 Std once I lengthen the lead.

Favorite neck single coil is probably the Lollar ‘52 Tele. Everybody it seems want to swap out the Tele lipstick neck pickup but I love it.
 
Nigel said:
They like lighter gauge strings and magnet swaps. Got A4’s in mine, slays Clapton woman tone and piano like cleans.
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Definitely agree on both counts. I've tried a few magnet swaps with them, and they're just a fantastic all around neck pickup that you can tweak to taste.

They're especially great if you have a guitar where the neck position gets too boomy
 
DanTravis62 said:
Wagner Crossroads is the best humbucker, but the ice bucker is a great neck pickup as well

Lace silver and blue both work great as singles

Emg retroactive maverick is probably the best as far as a combo of clarity without icepick

Duncan phat cats work very well for the neck as well
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A guy I know uses one, if my memory serves me right, the Miracle Man ?
It is one vicious sounding pickup.
Are all Wagner pickups that good ?
Because I only heard one up close and personal.
 
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