15 pickups later…..

[EyesOfTheSouth!]

Put this hot strat together about a year ago and have been rolling through pickups ever since trying to find “the one”. Well, I found it in the Pariah Destruction 70. Such a killer pup for the 500k volume/no tone setup.

Here are the pups I went through in order:

Duncan JB with roughcast A5
Duncan JB with roughcast A2
Dimarzio Super Distortion
Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid
Duncan Perpetual Burn (3rd favorite)
Dimarzio Gravity Storm
Wolfetone Fenris
Duncan Custom Custom
Tonenerd Sunset Strip (2nd favorite)
Tonenerd Wicked 8
BKP Holy Diver
Dimarzio Norton
Dean Lights Out
Tonenerd Roxy

 

[Fiesta Red]

Love the Pariah Destruction 70. What a Dimarzio Super Distortion should sound like.

 

[guitarnate2000]

I checked out the video on their website. that is a pretty righteous sound. May have to grab one to throw in one of my geetars!

 

[JackBootedThug]

never heard of that...cool...

 

[scottosan]

Put this hot strat together about a year ago and have been rolling through pickups ever since trying to find “the one”. Well, I found it in the Pariah Destruction 70. Such a killer pup for the 500k volume/no tone setup.

Here are the pups I went through in order:

Duncan JB with roughcast A5
Duncan JB with roughcast A2
Dimarzio Super Distortion
Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid
Duncan Perpetual Burn (3rd favorite)
Dimarzio Gravity Storm
Wolfetone Fenris
Duncan Custom Custom
Tonenerd Sunset Strip (2nd favorite)
Tonenerd Wicked 8
BKP Holy Diver
Dimarzio Norton
Dean Lights Out
Tonenerd Roxy

View attachment 204916

At least my pickups sit is a pickup drawer in good company . Contradictory to Glenn Fricker's literal ass load of wisdom, everything makes a difference. That's why there's so many options and so many opinions. Glad you found something that worked!

 

[japetus]

At least my pickups sit is a pickup drawer in good company . Contradictory to Glenn Fricker's literal ass load of wisdom, everything makes a difference. That's why there's so many options and so many opinions. Glad you found something that worked!

Kinda shocked you have not given Mr. Fricker his own sig pickup. It could be called "Agape"...the same as his mouth on every thumbnail, and how he blows it out of his ass from every shit opinion. But I digress...

 

[Panhead5]

What is so special about your final choice?

 

[ccn]

I made the mistake of buying a bunch of pickups to replace my Les Paul's bridge pickup and after all was said and done I ended up with the Les Paul's stock pickup back in the guitar .

 

[EyesOfTheSouth!]

What is so special about your final choice?

Don’t know what’s special…….it just sounds the best to my ears for what I’m going for. That is 80’s era hard rock and NWOBHM stuff. Super articulate but a little sag and easy to play. Not as bloated as the current day Super Distortion…..maybe because the D70 uses a normal thickness magnet. The Sunset Strip is damn close to what I want, but it’s a little more open and airy…..sounds better for 80’s hair metal stuff.

 

[scottosan]

Don’t know what’s special…….it just sounds the best to my ears for what I’m going for. That is 80’s era hard rock and NWOBHM stuff. Super articulate but a little sag and easy to play. Not as bloated as the current day Super Distortion…..maybe because the D70 uses a normal thickness magnet. The Sunset Strip is damn close to what I want, but it’s a little more open and airy…..sounds better for 80’s hair metal stuff.

Ceramic definitely has that sag. I'm going into prototyping mode in 2 weeks and going to work on finishing my WD Forte and something similar spec to the D70/SD and something like a a more bouncy and dynamic alternative to the Sunset. Most of my first gen models are more open and tight whereas my focus on these 2 gen like the whiskey are going for the touch sensitive juicy tones. Hoping to finalize 3 models.

 

[311boogieman]

Can you compare it to the Custom Custom?

 

[ccn]

I was very disappointed in the custom custom myself , I would go with a Pariah Pasadena white if I were to change out again . That one kills

 

[EyesOfTheSouth!]

Can you compare it to the Custom Custom?

I had a tone pot connected when I had the CC…..so not a fair comparison based on memory. I did like the CC, but it was really brown and focused in mids. Not what I was going for. Not enough crunch on the highs.

 

[ccn]

I didn't get any brown from the CC because if I did I would have kept it.

 

[LP Freak]

I made the mistake of buying a bunch of pickups to replace my Les Paul's bridge pickup and after all was said and done I ended up with the Les Paul's stock pickup back in the guitar .

Yep, sometimes they get it right from the start

 

[anomaly]

15! It only took me 2 pickups to find the right one for my project guitar, and I dug the first pickup quite a bit too, a JB. I went with a Duncan Distortion. I guess I'm not as picky or I just find that most decent pickups have redeeming qualities to them... like the JB, i like how clear the top end is on that pickup. Only pickup I wouldn't try again is probably the Dimebucker... it seems a little too bright and harsh. I guess the Duncan Invader is a little too far in the other direction as well.

 

[Dino 939]

At least my pickups sit is a pickup drawer in good company . Contradictory to Glenn Fricker's literal ass load of wisdom, everything makes a difference. That's why there's so many options and so many opinions. Glad you found something that worked!

Scott you bring up a great point(s).
Once we know what sounds good, we want more.

Think of the guitar, it’s not attached to the human
body.
You have to physically go over to where it’s at and put it on.
The mood of that day/moment coupled with the room temperature has begun to settle..
(You could use new strings and a tweak to the guitar neck for a host of reasons!).
You’ve been hitting some high frets when going after that molten note
(Slight grooves).I KNOW those spots!!ARGH!

Just those start ups adds so many variables to how the player will feel & hear the vibe of what comes through the speakers,
-before they even play a note.
There could be cat hair up in the effects loop
jack not being used!
Last time you pulled the guitar cable out,
the tip hit the floor rather hard…etc
How’s your strings tied?
You sure you like nickel strings?
Btw,we haven’t gotten to the pick-ups yet.

And then like LP Freak sorta’ said:

“He thinks he heard what the other guy thinks he heard”

Welcome to the fold gentlemen,
-the birth of Tone Factoids.

My suggestion?

Just keep playing the shit out of your gear,
-the answers always come.

 

[skoora]

Been a fan of older Super Distortions for a while (70’s/80’s models). Curious to hear the Pariah vs. what I have.

 

[Fiesta Red]

Contradictory to Glenn Fricker's literal ass load of wisdom, everything makes a difference.

The only thing that doesn't make any difference is Mr. Fricker

 

[ccn]

Yep, sometimes they get it right from the start

I think I was expecting noticeable changes from one pickup to the next and I never heard it myself , each change the sounds I was getting were way too close to each other . Someone with a lot more experience than me said if you want to notice a very obvious change you got to go with something radically different . I wasn't experienced enough to know that, I assumed every pickup would sound very different and they didn't .