Pickup Recommendation Please!

[Qweklain]

The guitar is a mahogany bodies, maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. Currently it has a JB and 59' and I FUCKING HATE THEM. HATE HATE HATE HATE THEM. The JB is absolute pure mud and mush. I have the bass set at 1 or 0 just to try to get a little bit of tightness, but even then it is still pure mushy garbage. The 59' is the same way except has a little more single coil quality and snap, other wise all the same traits as the JB. Also I have never heard a guitar that sounded good with Seymour Duncans, and I greatly dislike Seymour Duncans regardless.

I was looking at getting BKP Painkillers, but to drop $300 on a set of pickups. I was looking at maybe getting a Dimarzio Crunch Lab, but I have no idea what would be a good neck pickuo to mate with it.

The other option I was looking at was the D-Activator bridge and neck.

I want to go high power so the pups will cut through the thick mahogany. I just want super tight and nice mids for the bridge that is not bass heavy. For the neck I like that smooth "Petrucci" like tone, but just a smooth blanaced pup that is also super tight.

 

[Motorpud]

I think you can get the crunch lab set that is paired with the liqui-fire neck pup. I just picked up a dimarzio X2N and air norton to replace the SD TB4/JB and I'm pretty happy with them I don't care for duncans either...

 

[bsp01]

I've got a Dimarzio PAF Pro neck and Bill Lawrence L500XL Bridge in a similar guitar, and it sounds incredible. When I bought it it had the JB/Jazz combo, similar to what you have, and it was just like you described.

 

[Qweklain]

Bump for more opinions.

 

[mboogman]

For Petrucci type tones, it's hard to beat a Steve's Special and an Air Norton. I love that combo in anything I've tried it in. I actually changed the D-sonic in my JP6 to a steve's special. It's got great midrange, and has really tight low end.

 

[jjblacksheep]

Crunch Lab

 

[Qweklain]

I think I am going to get the D-Activator set. I watched some videos on them and they sound fantastic and even roll back nicely being as hot as they are.

 

[Ricky Rockhardo]

I would seriously consider something from Motor City pickups. It seems that for your high output needs and defined character that you want, one of Wade's models would be a good fit. I have heard before the Afwayu described as a JB done right, mostly likely w/o the mush that you find or the shrillness that others complain about. $250 is a little pricey for a complete set, but your Cerebrus will thank you.

 

[Parap14]

Not to muddy the waters, but just some food for thought.

I actually like Duncans, but old (80's)ones only. The new ones are exactly as you describe. The old ones are much better. I don't know if they changed wire quality, magnets, etc. Maybe it is due to some mellowing over time. Hard to put my finger on it. The old JB's don't have the shrillness on the high end. They are also much tighter on the low end. Heavily distorted chords sound great too. You can make out all the notes.

Just thought I would throw this out there.

 

[blackba]

Not to muddy the waters, but just some food for thought.

I actually like Duncans, but old (80's)ones only. The new ones are exactly as you describe. The old ones are much better. I don't know if they changed wire quality, magnets, etc. Maybe it is due to some mellowing over time. Hard to put my finger on it. The old JB's don't have the shrillness on the high end. They are also much tighter on the low end. Heavily distorted chords sound great too. You can make out all the notes.

Just thought I would throw this out there.

+1 There are a number of us on the forums who have found the exact same thing. Also, there seems to be a difference in the sound of a trem spaced versus regular spaced JB's in my experience....

 

[Qweklain]

I would seriously consider something from Motor City pickups. It seems that for your high output needs and defined character that you want, one of Wade's models would be a good fit. I have heard before the Afwayu described as a JB done right, mostly likely w/o the mush that you find or the shrillness that others complain about. $250 is a little pricey for a complete set, but your Cerebrus will thank you.

I contacted MCP so we will see what Wade says. The only thing I am slightly worried about is that it will take too long to get the pups should I get his recommendation if I go with it. I have not even been able to get a real impression of my Cerberus yet due to the pickups being so goddamn bad and my other guitar needing a serious overhaul. The pickups are so bad I literally have no inspiration to play. I plug in and play for about 5 minutes and am just disgusted and just set the guitar down and walk away and IT SUCKS.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

I would seriously consider something from Motor City pickups. It seems that for your high output needs and defined character that you want, one of Wade's models would be a good fit. I have heard before the Afwayu described as a JB done right, mostly likely w/o the mush that you find or the shrillness that others complain about. $250 is a little pricey for a complete set, but your Cerebrus will thank you.

I contacted MCP so we will see what Wade says. The only thing I am slightly worried about is that it will take too long to get the pups should I get his recommendation if I go with it. I have not even been able to get a real impression of my Cerberus yet due to the pickups being so goddamn bad and my other guitar needing a serious overhaul. The pickups are so bad I literally have no inspiration to play. I plug in and play for about 5 minutes and am just disgusted and just set the guitar down and walk away and IT SUCKS.

Smart move calling Wade!

I haven't waited more than 2 1/2 weeks for any of mine.

my last was even three weeks before xmas and he got them to me in time.

Tell him exactly what you want in your pickup and you'll get it. you'll be inspired again soon enough.

 

[Qweklain]

Well I have made my buy. I went with MCP and am getting a customized WarCry set.

 

[Bankrupted A Casino]

Have you tried to adjust the pickup height? Sometimes a little tweak is all that is needed. If you really want to change them, I can recommend the Suhr SSH+ bridge and SSV neck. The Aldrich pups are very similar, but about 5% hotter.

 

[jhale667]

Well I have made my buy. I went with MCP and am getting a customized WarCry set.

Please post some audio clips after the install...curious to hear them.

As for those who mentioned the difference in newer vs. older JBs - supposedly the OLD, OLD, JBs have A2s in them (Seymour's alleged fave) and at some point in production they switched to A5? Anyone else heard that legend?

 

[Deleted member 8761]

Have you tried to adjust the pickup height? Sometimes a little tweak is all that is needed. If you really want to change them, I can recommend the Suhr SSH+ bridge and SSV neck. The Aldrich pups are very similar, but about 5% hotter.

Yeah, pickup height is worth checking out. I share your frustation as I got a new guitar (alder body) with a SH6 in it. The mud went away for me by lowering the bass on my Triaxis to zero or 1 (but is boosted post preamp via the EQ). It is tight now, but I m gonna mess with the pickup height to see if I can improve. Perhaps Ill end up just like you, so please share you experience with the warcry here.

 

[sswanson]

Well I have made my buy. I went with MCP and am getting a customized WarCry set.

You'll be happy you did!

 

[ericsabbath]

I was looking at getting BKP Painkillers, but to drop $300 on a set of pickups.

a new painkiller set is about $240 shipped from UK

 

[Qweklain]

Have you tried to adjust the pickup height? Sometimes a little tweak is all that is needed. If you really want to change them, I can recommend the Suhr SSH+ bridge and SSV neck. The Aldrich pups are very similar, but about 5% hotter.

I have tried it and messed with it for about 35 minutes, just tiny itty bitty tweaks. Still horrible. Like I said, I have never liked SDs anyways, and probably never will.

 

[JakeAC5253]

I use the D-Activator pickups and the bridge pickup is absolutely amazing. It's very tight and has 'that' sound that I was looking for. Very punchy, not at all muddy or 'buzzsaw' like the JB was, I hated that pickup with a passion, it just never sounded like I wanted it to. The D-Activator Bridge is actually not as high output as you would imagine, the JB has about 1.5 more output than it comparatively, but it still kicks a lot more ass. It takes to an overdrive or boost pedal very nicely though. The D-Activator neck pickup isn't really anything to write home about though. Look into the DiMarzio PAF PRO or Humbucker From Hell for a nice smooth neck to compliment.