Pickup Suggestions for Music Man and ESP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Candiria
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Candiria

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I'm not getting along with my EBMM JP6, and I'm hoping that it's just the Crunch Lab in the bridge. It sounded pretty decent through my Mark IV I used to have, but through my Roadster it just isn't very pleasant. I'm looking for something with a lot of clarity and tightness because I tune the JP to C standard and occasionally Drop B. I like to play a heavy prog type of metal with a lot of cleans. Kind of like Opeth, Cynic, Mastodon (CTS), BTBAM, Dillinger etc. Not just straight up all metal all the time.

I'm also trying to move the Roadster and pick up a KSR (Rhodes) Gemini, so my tone should be able to get a good bit tighter and clearer with that change.

I'm thinking about replacing the CL with one of the Anderson pickups or a Dimarzio Dominion. Any suggestions?

Also, I have an ESP MII with a single coil neck, what would be a good humbucker for that? There's a Duncan Performer in there now which is a hotter, hot rails, and I wanted to switch it up. I was thinking the Dimarzio BC-1, Billy Corgan's Air Norton pickup.
 
The Dominion is great. I found the CL to be kinda mushy, but the Dominion has great clarity and tightness. The Tom Anderson H3 is also a good choice. It's smoother and with a more balanced/even sound compared to the Dominion, which has a little more of mid hump. In any case, those are two of my favorite bridge pickups.
 
Thanks man. The Anderson pickups I was looking into were the H3, HN3, and HC3. Judging from the descriptions the HN3 is probably most similar to the Dominion. Between the H3 and Dominion was one definitely more clear and articulate than the other, or were they kind of similar in that aspect? I need something that will be able to stay clear in lower turnings under high gain.
 
I just dropped a Bare Knuckle Rebel Yell in the bridge of a JP6 last weekend. At first I wasn't thrilled but it's really starting to grow on me. Much more defined than the CL. Not a bass heavy pick up, if that's what you like, but it's tight and articulate.
 
Just to be clear, pickups don't really have more or less bass response, but they do have different fundamental harmonic strength per note -- HB's and wide coil/aperture SC types generally having more fundamental emphasis than thin aperture SC's. Regarding frequency range level, it's generally the upper-mid resonance that can be altered with the capacitance and resistance load. Active twin coil pickups like EMG's have individual coil eqing, so a midrange dip can be created between the eq peaks. I think that's what they do with EMG's. If you don't want to go active, I know either a Wilde L500 or L90 will do what you describe very well, with the L500 having less fundamental strength and a more pronounced resonant peak under the same resistance load. The L90 is really the fuller/warmer/sweeter sounding and more versatile & uncolored of the two. The fundamentals, hence note punch is technically stronger and more dynamic. It may sound less tight for that matter, but the overall clarity and sensitivity makes it good for pretty much anything depending on height adjustment. L500's are the "go to" Metal pickup, but equally great for funk, country, blues, etc. with nice bright clean tones as well.
 
I used to own an EBMM JP6 with the all basswood body. Sounded and played great. I now play Anderson guitars. I have never tried the Dominion but I have some good experience with Tom's pickups. I have played extensively with the H3+, H3 and H2+. The H3 is my favorite by a hair. It is very balanced, tight in the low end and sounds great. The H3+ sounded a bit hotter with a little more focus in the mids. The H2+ is great too with less heat and not quite as tight (but certainly not loose). I have one H3 in the bridge of my Pro Am (basswood body) and another in my Bulldog (mahogany body and maple top). The H2+ is in my Drop Top with a mahogany body and maple top.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks guys!

I might grab both a Dominion and an H3 and see which I like better.
 
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