Pickup Advice

[ape2000]

This is for a PRS SE.

Trying to upgrade a backup guitar and give it more of a different flavor. My main axe is a korina jazzmaster with a p90 in the neck, firebird in the middle, and Wilde L90 in the bridge. Definitely it's own thing, Gibson flavor with a Fender scale and shape. With those pickups, it covers a good deal of general rock tones, but isn't super hot.

I'd like to replace the neck and bridge HB's in the other guitar, turning it into more of a rock machine while retaining clarity and versatility.

Neck: Ideal pickup has nice cleans (deep, 'bell' tones), splits well, and has a fluid lead tone when driven. Probably in the PAF camp.

potential contenders: Suhr SSV or Thornbucker, Dunable Grizzly, Air Northon, 36th Anni., some Wolfetone or WCR options, Anderson H1

Bridge: Decent clean up. Less concerned about split tones here. Punchy, percussive, chunky on palm muted rhythms, nice searing lead when called for. I guess more in the JB range while retaining some nice PAF characteristics.

potential contenders: Suhr DSH(reg or +), Suhr SSH(reg or +), Suhr Aldrich, Dunable Slugwolf, BKP Rebel Yell, Nailbomb, Cold Sweat, DiMarzio Fortitude, WCR Icebucker, Perpetual Burn, Anderson H3

I'm sure there are even more options to consider than what I've listed and I'm not necessarily leaning one way or another yet. Just trying to get a feel for what might suit me. When I play heavier stuff, it's mostly anywhere from AIC to Tool to APC to Killswitch Engage to other 00's-era post hardcore/metalcore, or things like Russian Circles and Cult of Luna.

Thanks

 

[Emg77]

I would also consider Wolfetone pickups. They are outstanding. He is currently having a C19 sale 25% off and usually has your pickups to your door within a week. Check out the Timbrewolf bridge with a Marshallhead neck. Great combo.

 

[ape2000]

I would also consider Wolfetone pickups. They are outstanding. He is currently having a C19 sale 25% off and usually has your pickups to your door within a week. Check out the Timbrewolf bridge with a Marshallhead neck. Great combo.

Good winder and good dude. I've talked with him before when I was considering a more vintage/vintage hot set. Super nice guy.

 

[Detroit1973]

Also Check out Balaguer Pickups. The Truenobucker & The GorillaBucker or The Feral.

 

[braintheory]

I’d recommend WCR Iron Man bridge with Darkburst neck or Darkburst bridge if you want more versatility than the Iron Man. I didn’t like the Ice Buckers nearly as much. The Suhr and Bare Knuckle pickups are quite sterile imo

For the price WCR (Wagner) and Wolfetone are hard to beat. The best pickups I’ve tried made today are Tone Specific’s, but they’re expensive, maybe almost as much as the guitar itself that you’d put them in. They’re the only modern made pickups I use

I’ve had several Dunable’s too (Big foot, slug wolf neck and tried dire wolf set). Not bad, but like the WCR’s and Wolfetone’s better. DiMarzio and Duncan’s you can forget about imo if you’re able to get WCR’s or Wolfetone’s or other higher quality pickups

 

[ape2000]

I’d recommend WCR Iron Man bridge with Darkburst neck or Darkburst bridge if you want more versatility than the Iron Man. I didn’t like the Ice Buckers nearly as much. The Suhr and Bare Knuckle pickups are quite sterile imo

For the price WCR (Wagner) and Wolfetone are hard to beat. The best pickups I’ve tried made today are Tone Specific’s, but they’re expensive, maybe almost as much as the guitar itself that you’d put them in. They’re the only modern made pickups I use

I’ve had several Dunable’s too (Big foot, slug wolf neck and tried dire wolf set). Not bad, but like the WCR’s and Wolfetone’s better. DiMarzio and Duncan’s you can forget about imo if you’re able to get WCR’s or Wolfetone’s or other higher quality pickups

Damn, this is helpful. Thanks!

 

[braintheory]

I’d recommend WCR Iron Man bridge with Darkburst neck or Darkburst bridge if you want more versatility than the Iron Man. I didn’t like the Ice Buckers nearly as much. The Suhr and Bare Knuckle pickups are quite sterile imo

For the price WCR (Wagner) and Wolfetone are hard to beat. The best pickups I’ve tried made today are Tone Specific’s, but they’re expensive, maybe almost as much as the guitar itself that you’d put them in. They’re the only modern made pickups I use

I’ve had several Dunable’s too (Big foot, slug wolf neck and tried dire wolf set). Not bad, but like the WCR’s and Wolfetone’s better. DiMarzio and Duncan’s you can forget about imo if you’re able to get WCR’s or Wolfetone’s or other higher quality pickups

Damn, this is helpful. Thanks!

No problem! I’ve been through more pickups than anything else (like guitars, amps, speakers etc) and have done lots of comparisons and compared the same pickups in different guitars many times. It’s taken a lot of buying and trying over many years to figure this stuff out, so hopefully I can save others from all the long journey and money. The real vintage pickups I have are still the best imo, but even more pricy

Actually, I’ve been through about as many overdrive pedals as well as pickups

 

[PDC]

The Bareknuckle VH-II is just SO balanced in lows, mids, highs, and output that it’s hard to imagine it not sounding just incredible in just about any guitar. The Jalen Pinnacle wind is another ‘cant miss’ and you can pick A2, A5, Ceramic mag... name it. Jalen just sent me a Pinnacle with a Rough Cast A5 and it is absolutely killer.

 

[itsme]

Love my Anderson H3. And they're cheaper than all the others you listed.

 

[JackBootedThug]

bridge-custom 5.

 

[Beyond Black]

I’d recommend WCR Iron Man bridge with Darkburst neck or Darkburst bridge if you want more versatility than the Iron Man. I didn’t like the Ice Buckers nearly as much. The Suhr and Bare Knuckle pickups are quite sterile imo

For the price WCR (Wagner) and Wolfetone are hard to beat. The best pickups I’ve tried made today are Tone Specific’s, but they’re expensive, maybe almost as much as the guitar itself that you’d put them in. They’re the only modern made pickups I use

I’ve had several Dunable’s too (Big foot, slug wolf neck and tried dire wolf set). Not bad, but like the WCR’s and Wolfetone’s better. DiMarzio and Duncan’s you can forget about imo if you’re able to get WCR’s or Wolfetone’s or other higher quality pickups

Damn, this is helpful. Thanks!

No problem! I’ve been through more pickups than anything else (like guitars, amps, speakers etc) and have done lots of comparisons and compared the same pickups in different guitars many times. It’s taken a lot of buying and trying over many years to figure this stuff out, so hopefully I can save others from all the long journey and money. The real vintage pickups I have are still the best imo, but even more pricy

Actually, I’ve been through about as many overdrive pedals as well as pickups

I agree, WCR’s are amazing pickups. I’ve got an LP with Ironman/Darkburst combo and it sounds incredible. The Ironman is a killer bridge pickup. It’s hot, aggressive and tight, but extremely balanced and versatile. The Darkburst is the best neck pickup that I’ve had. It’s clear, articulate, and sings like a violin. The Godwood is also awesome. I believe it’s extremely similar to the Darkburst, just slightly hotter. You cannot go wrong with WCR.

 

[JackBootedThug]

let me go a little more in depth on the custom 5. sorry for the short post earlier. I put it in a jap dk2 with alder body and maple neck. It had cheap duncan designed pup's in it. It was like taking a blanket off of my amp. Great clarity and very "percussive". loved it. turned a mediocre guitar into a chug machine. However pup's are so freakin subjective dude. The difference was shocking.

 

[ape2000]

Lots of solid feedback here. Thanks, y'all! Pickups are definitely subjective, so this is always a challenge. Nice to get some informed experiences and kinda see where that leads.

 

[ape2000]

I would also consider Wolfetone pickups. They are outstanding. He is currently having a C19 sale 25% off and usually has your pickups to your door within a week. Check out the Timbrewolf bridge with a Marshallhead neck. Great combo.

Well, reached out to WCR, Wolfetone, and Anderson recently.

Leaning towards Wolfetone just cause of how personal he is and the 25% off deal.
Anderson: H1/H3 was recommended.
WCR: Darkburst/Godwood set
Wolfetone: Either Dr. V/Marshallhead or Marshallhead II/Timbrewolf

I know the Mhead/Twolf combo lines up with what you recommended, Emg77.

Anyone else have experience with the different Wolfetone pickups compared?
Manlius are always other option - Mick's been a really great dude.

 

[PSGuitar]

Wolfetone Timbrewolf is great and chunky!

Also, the PRS Tremonti is amazing.

 

[anomaly]

bridge-custom 5.

Was gonna say the same thing. Or the Duncan Custom 8 which is a Custom pickup with a alnico 8 magnet...

The Tom Anderson H3 is a great bridge pickup as well.

 

[anomaly]

I’d recommend WCR Iron Man bridge with Darkburst neck or Darkburst bridge if you want more versatility than the Iron Man. I didn’t like the Ice Buckers nearly as much. The Suhr and Bare Knuckle pickups are quite sterile imo

For the price WCR (Wagner) and Wolfetone are hard to beat. The best pickups I’ve tried made today are Tone Specific’s, but they’re expensive, maybe almost as much as the guitar itself that you’d put them in. They’re the only modern made pickups I use

I’ve had several Dunable’s too (Big foot, slug wolf neck and tried dire wolf set). Not bad, but like the WCR’s and Wolfetone’s better. DiMarzio and Duncan’s you can forget about imo if you’re able to get WCR’s or Wolfetone’s or other higher quality pickups

Seymour Duncan's and Dimarzio's (especially SD's) are industry standards, i wouldn't rule them out at all. I bet most of your favorite tones were done with Seymour Duncans. You don't need to go the boutique route to get great tone out of your guitar... SD has something for everyone.

 

[ape2000]

Well, this guitar wound up being traded, but the Timber Wolves really did catch my attention. I have nothing against SD or Dimarzio. Dimarzio in particular has made some cool stuff recently. I love the clips of the Duplantier sig.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

DiMarzio Evo 2

https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/high-power/evo-2-bridge

 

[braintheory]

Seymour Duncan's and Dimarzio's (especially SD's) are industry standards, i wouldn't rule them out at all. I bet most of your favorite tones were done with Seymour Duncans. You don't need to go the boutique route to get great tone out of your guitar... SD has something for everyone.

My opinions on what pickups I like best are solely based on what my ears told me in extensive comparisons of lots of different ones in many different guitars, not whether it’s an industry standard or if other famous guys used them (I could care less about that), just what my ears tell me in person (not recordings), and I’m confident if others did the same with the pickups I’ve had they would no longer use any Dimarzio or Duncan’s. There are some decent sounding pickups they have (I’ve tried them all), but especially with Tone Specific, the only current made pickups I use, their high output set wiped the floor with all the pickups I compared them to in the same guitars (in multiple different guitars). The difference in clarity and tonal complexity/nuance is huge. I agree that if you have a great sounding guitar, you can definitely have them still sound great with Duncan’s or Dimarzio’s, but since we’re big tone hounds here that want the best, there are simply options that sound noticeably better. For what it’s worth I’ve had almost all the pickups in the Bareknuckle, motor city, Wagner, Arcane, Wolfetone, Duncan and Dimarzio lineup, Lundgren M6, Klein’s, Virgil Arlo, Dry Z, Ian Anderson, WB, Suhr, Fralin, Lollar, Throbak, Budz and others I’m probably forgetting. The point is I’ve done my homework and based on it I recommend Jim Wagner Iron Man for price and short wait time, but if one’s budget is higher and willing to wait, this upcoming Tone Specific Highoutput set will be a step up. Just my 2 cents