Pickup advice needed.

[headlessdeadguy]

I'm looking for a bridge pickup for my Carvin Ultra V, maple neck with maple wings. Very bright guitar. Right now I have a Dimarzio AT-1 (Andy Timmons sig) in it. I have tried messing with the pickup height and just cannot get any warmth from it, it just sounds very sterile. I need a little more bottom end and bit more aggression from it.

My thoughts are:

Dimarzio Super Distortion
Duncan Distortion
BKP Holy Diver
MCP Afwayu

Any thoughts?

Help a brother out.

 

[rupe]

The Duncan Distortion would probably fit your needs, as would the Custom Custom (perhaps even better). I've never been a big fan of the Dimarzio Super Distortion (too big and "wooly" in the low end) but it and the Super 3 would both help to alleviate your warmth issue.

I've never tried anything MCP or BK, but I've never heard anything out of them that sounded unique to me...just different flavors of things already being done by Duncan and Dimarzio. I'll reserve final judgement on them though until I've had a chance to play a few.

 

[Anonymous]

I love me the Duncan Distortion, buy only with dropped tunings for the br00t4lz, it's a very bright pickup

The Dimarzio Breed will surely give your guitar warmth, but it's very smooth, so it might lack the agression you're looking for
The Super Distortion and Tone Zone have the EQ curves you're looking for
The Super D will sound more agressive and articulate, the Tone Zone will be warmer

 

[Taylord]

I have a Holy Diver in my Rg770 and I think it's awesome! I think it fits the description of what your wanting pretty well.

 

[Steinmetzify]

If you're used to riding your volume/tone knobs, the Holydiver might be good.....good low end and can get aggressive, but you're not gonna want to forget and bust out a solo when you've got the vol/tone all the way up.....can get screechy depending on what you're playing....the highs might be too much for that guitar. For me, having one in an LP and playing what I do, there's no way I'd put it in an all maple guitar but this stuff is really subjective....what might be way too screechy for me might be perfect for you.

Ben/Tim are really good at answering questions about their pups....email em and tell em what it's going into, what you play and what you play through. They haven't steered me wrong yet.

 

[headlessdeadguy]

The Duncan Distortion is hands down my favorite pickup in a mahogany guitar but I'm afraid it may be too bright in this one..
I like the AT-1 until I play another one of my guitars and realize that it's missing something. What's the difference between the Super D and the Super D3?

 

[Anonymous]

The Duncan Distortion is hands down my favorite pickup in a mahogany guitar but I'm afraid it may be too bright in this one..
I like the AT-1 until I play another one of my guitars and realize that it's missing something. What's the difference between the Super D and the Super D3?

The Super 3 has less bass, more mids
Its 25k resistance is also ridiculous, it will sound really compressed
I'd really pick the Tone Zone if I were you, and I'm not just saying that because I might have one for sale

 

[headlessdeadguy]

Thoughts on the Rio Grande BBQ for metal?

 

[metalmaniac93]

TZ, Afwayu, or Holy Diver.

 

[shadowvault]

\m/ BKP Holy Diver \m/ .I dont know i just like them (ive heard them on a friend's similar guitar)

 

[ke2]

Thoughts on the Rio Grande BBQ for metal?

I did it for years, but the Tone Zone might be even more up yer alley, considering the brightness of your guitar

 

[jsp]

If an At-1 lacks warmth for you, you are going to hate the Distortion.

 

[chunktone]

Thoughts on the Rio Grande BBQ for metal?

I did it for years, but the Tone Zone might be even more up yer alley, considering the brightness of your guitar

The Afwayu or BBQ bucker will warm up your guitar. I have both and like them a lot. Of the 2 I prefer the Afwayu, but imo you can't go wrong with either. fwiw the Afwayu neck pickup is one of the best I've heard and they split very well.

 

[headlessdeadguy]

If an At-1 lacks warmth for you, you are going to hate the Distortion.

Really? My best sounding guitars have SD Distortions in them.

 

[rupe]

If an At-1 lacks warmth for you, you are going to hate the Distortion.

Really? My best sounding guitars have SD Distortions in them.

It's guitar dependent...blanket statements like that are worthless. All you can do is try out what you think may work and go from there...I have a solid maple guitar with a SD Distortion and it's very big and warm sounding (against all stereotypes).

I see others have mentioned the Tone Zone. It's a great option as well...I would have included it in my prior recommendations had I thought of it.

 

[Motorpud]

I'd go with the TZ or even the X2N. X2N is a little more balanced, I had one in an alder King V that slayed.

 

[killertone]

INVADER!!

 

[maddnotez]

TONE ZONE Buddy, look at the charts. Obviously not the only solution but it is definitely a solution.

I put one in my S540 maple neck because it sounded too bright and I honestly think the only pup that would have made me happier would have been boutique.

 

[Laura]

INVADER!!

That was my initial thought but figured i would get flamed...

 

[XSSIVE]

More bottom and more aggressive you say. Then I echo the others...Tone Zone. I've used it many times with good results and just finished up another build with one and it sounds HUGE, reluctant to sell this one now haha.