Rig Talk Pickup Selector

  • Thread starter Thread starter VonBonfire
  • Start date Start date
VonBonfire said:
498t: Very underrated. Has a killer bite to it through a 4 hole Marshall.
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I didn't like 'em when I was selling Gibsons back in the 90's, but those had covers and were hooked up to 300K volume pots.

The fact that you dig 'em makes me want to try one again. This time with a 500K pot and no cover.

I've also heard that this is a good trick: with the 490R/498T set, the 490R has an A2 magnet. 498T has an A5 magnet. Simply swap them: A2 magnet goes in the 498T, A5 magnet goes in the 490R. Less fizz, more mid crunch and punch in the bridge, better clarity in the neck. That would be fun to try.
 
vultures said:
I'm a Tone Zone convert. A lot of online reviews say the Tone Zone is dark, but I actually find it a bit brighter and punchier than a JB. JB sounds like a muddy mess to me. I bought a RG652AHM with a Tone Zone and hated it. I went through 3 sets of pickups before I realized the guitar was just a bright mess. Tried the TZ in a few normal guitars and it was incredible. Combination of a tight pickup in a tight/bright guitar was just a recipe for disaster.
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Funny, I had an Ibanez RG652MPB. Was an absolute monster of a guitar. I just could not resonate with it for whatever reason which is werid, because until this day, that is probably my favorite Ibanez neck carve that I have felt. Really killer beauty that just didn't connect.
 
JohnnyGtar said:
I didn't like 'em when I was selling Gibsons back in the 90's, but those had covers and were hooked up to 300K volume pots.

The fact that you dig 'em makes me want to try one again. This time with a 500K pot and no cover.

I've also heard that this is a good trick: with the 490R/498T set, the 490R has an A2 magnet. 498T has an A5 magnet. Simply swap them: A2 magnet goes in the 498T, A5 magnet goes in the 490R. Less fizz, more mid crunch and punch in the bridge, better clarity in the neck. That would be fun to try.
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Raaaunchy upper-mid oriented rock vibes for sure. 500k pots, the proper caps, and no cover is the way to go, though they are fun on a tele build with lower value pots (still no cover, and adjusted polepieces).

I also heard people love an AlNiCo 8 in the 498T!
 
Music&Chaos said:
Raaaunchy upper-mid oriented rock vibes for sure. 500k pots, the proper caps, and no cover is the way to go, though they are fun on a tele build with lower value pots (still no cover, and adjusted polepieces).
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TBH I had it in a ES333 with 300k pots and the previous owner had just tossed a neck position cover on it. It still ripped through a 100 watt four hole Marshall RI.
 
I keep a running list of pickups installed, tuning and date of last string change on my iPad in Notes. Just pasting here instead of typing out what I like:

Badlands Run 3 GX1 Custom - Badlands stock M88, M81
D - 10-46 Elixir - 12/31/2024

Caparison Dellinger (natural mahogany) - SD Black Winter set
D - 9.5-44 EB - 3/31/2025

Caparison FXAM (no fret markers) - TA H2+, Air Norton S
Eb - 9-42 EB - 12/28/2024

Caparison FXAM (white) - EMG81, EMG-SA
D - D’Addario 10-46 - 4/4/2025

** Caparison FXAM (black w/clocks) - Utopia, Air Norton S

Caparison M3 (orange) - BKP Painkiller, Caparison SH-27F
Eb = EB 9-42 2/22/2025

Caparison Custom Line Sunburst - Stock Bridge, Air Norton S
D - Strings - 9.5-44 - 1/3/2024

Caparison Custom Line Moonburst - DiMarzio SD, Caprison neck
D - Ernie Ball - 10-46 - 7/25/2025

Caparison TAT FM Special - Stock Caparison
Eb - 9-42 EB 1/25/25

Charvel 1A - Dimarzio SD, Dimarzio Chopper, Air Norton S

** Charvel Sasafras - TA SF3, SD-SSL6, BKP
Eb - Dunlop 9-42 - 1/7/2024

** Charvel MJ DK24 - TA H3, H1
D - Cobalt 10-46 - 1/3/2024

** EBMM Sabre - Stock MusicMan
Eb - EB 9-42 - 12/26/2024

Fender Professional II - Yngwie set
Eb - Cobalt 9-43 - 2/4/2024

Fender Yngwie model - Seymour Duncan YJM set
Eb - Dunlop 9-42 - 2/16/2024

** Ibanez 2550EZ - TA HF3+, stock middle, TA HF1

Ibanez PGM300 - Dimarzio Utopia set
D - EB 10-46 - 1/26/2024

Ibanez Pia - Dimarzio Utopia set
Eb - EB 9-42 12/15/2025

Ibanez RG440P 1987 - TA H3+, stock (not connected), TA SA2
D - Dunlop 10-46 1/6/2025

PRS Custom 22 - PRS \m/ set
D - Ernie Ball 9-46 - 2/16/2024

PRS Custom 24 - BKP Silo set
D -Ernie Ball 10-46 2025-07-22

PRS CE24 - Dimarzio Evolution set
D - EB 10-46 - 4/11/2025

PRS McCarty (Seafoam green) - PRS \m/ set
D - Cobalt 9.5-44 - 2/13/2024

PRS McCarty 594 (white) - EMG81, EMG60
D - DAddario 10-46 4/4/2025

Suhr MS7 - Stock Suhr’s
Bb - EB 9-52 - 1/18/2025

Skervesen 4AP 7 - Warpig, Trilogy, Trilogy
E - EB 9-52 - 1/5/2024

Skervesen 4AP - TA HF3+, HF1
D - 10-46 EB - 4/27/2025
 
Since we can’t get new Tone Nerds anymore, I’ll recommend a Shaw era anything. I have 2 Dirty Fingers and they are special. Very vintage-y with good output. The feel is crazy good. His PAF style are also killer.
Spendy but if you’re patient you can find one for 150-200. Just keep looking; someone seems to always list one incorrectly
 
Racerxrated said:
I’ll recommend a Shaw era anything. I have 2 Dirty Fingers and they are special. Very vintage-y with good output. The feel is crazy good. His PAF style are also killer.
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I've heard dudes complain about the dirty fingers but I gotta player friend from Austin who had them in a V and it sounded as good as anything I've heard. Are there good and bad years for these?
 
VonBonfire said:
I've heard dudes complain about the dirty fingers but I gotta player friend from Austin who had them in a V and it sounded as good as anything I've heard. Are there good and bad years for these?
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I'd only look for the Shaw era DFs as they are on a level above anything else I've tried. The way to ID a DF is the dual screws VS screws/slugs. They are either Tone Nerd Psyches or DFs. The Shaw era DFs have a stamp on the bottom, with the year (last 2 digits) in the sequence.
 
I stumbled into Bare Knuckle Nailbombs some years ago, and they're now in 3 of my guitars. I recently snagged a FGN singlecut with a set of Rebel Yells, and wowza, I became that much more of a BK fan. Not cheap, but reliable.

I also have a PRS SE Holcomb, and the Alpha/Omega sets totally work for me. So much so that I bought another set for my Cu22, and I was rewarded with regular Booyahs while playing.

I regret not having the option to get a set of Tone Nerds, which is a bummer.
 
My opinion of the OG Gibson Dirty Fingers is...
we-are-not-worthy-498-x-272-gif-0tobs60dspcy4zz4.gif
 
Love: JB, Custom Custom, 59, Pearly Gates, Seth Lover, Suhr SSV, Suhr SSH+, Suhr DSV, DiMarzio Super Distortion, DiMarzio PAF PRO, almost every strat single coil (my Navigator has the stock ESP SS1000s and I'm not replacing them), DiMarzio Axis, EMG 81, EMG 85, EMG SA, 57 Classics, Custombuckers

Meh: DiMarzio Tone Zone, DiMarzio AT1, DiMarzio Breed, DiMarzio cruiser, DiMarzio Air Classic, BKP Mule, BKP Holy Diver, Suhr Thornbucker, Suhr Aldrich

Hate: Duncan Distortion. Fuck that thing
 
BlueParfait said:
Love: JB, Custom Custom, 59, Pearly Gates, Seth Lover, Suhr SSV, Suhr SSH+, Suhr DSV, DiMarzio Super Distortion, DiMarzio PAF PRO, almost every strat single coil (my Navigator has the stock ESP SS1000s and I'm not replacing them), DiMarzio Axis, EMG 81, EMG 85, EMG SA, 57 Classics, Custombuckers

Meh: DiMarzio Tone Zone, DiMarzio AT1, DiMarzio Breed, DiMarzio cruiser, DiMarzio Air Classic, BKP Mule, BKP Holy Diver, Suhr Thornbucker, Suhr Aldrich

Hate: Duncan Distortion. Fuck that thing
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I like your list of pickup loves.
 
BlueParfait said:
Love: JB, Custom Custom, 59, Pearly Gates, Seth Lover, Suhr SSV, Suhr SSH+, Suhr DSV, DiMarzio Super Distortion, DiMarzio PAF PRO, almost every strat single coil (my Navigator has the stock ESP SS1000s and I'm not replacing them), DiMarzio Axis, EMG 81, EMG 85, EMG SA, 57 Classics, Custombuckers

Meh: DiMarzio Tone Zone, DiMarzio AT1, DiMarzio Breed, DiMarzio cruiser, DiMarzio Air Classic, BKP Mule, BKP Holy Diver, Suhr Thornbucker, Suhr Aldrich

Hate: Duncan Distortion. Fuck that thing
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What is it you hate about the Distortion? I love that pickup, it's one of the most aggressive sounding pickups I can think of.
 
People say they either love or hate the Duncan JB, but I'm undecided on that pickup man. I love the cut of it, I kinda dig the low pass filter kinda sound of it but I dislike how it's a bit loose in the lows. So i'm undecided on that pickup. On the other hand I love the Distortion, it's pretty tight, it's got good upper mid cut, it just works for me. Duncan custom is pretty cool too. Oh, and I love the emg-81.
 
The Breed Neck pickup is cool and the Evo 2 bridge.

They try to have an open headroom kinda sound for DiMarzios.

Cannot touch the open nature of my Planet Tone pound cake or blues Heritage set.

I need to poke around in the Jem's electronics though and see if there is something I can do to open it up a bit to get closer to the guitars with the PT sets.

All that being said, a really really fun DiMarzio set that immediately makes me go into Vai riffs.

Definitely smooths out some of the flub frequencies, which is nice.
 
anomaly said:
People say they either love or hate the Duncan JB, but I'm undecided on that pickup man. I love the cut of it, I kinda dig the low pass filter kinda sound of it but I dislike how it's a bit loose in the lows. So i'm undecided on that pickup. On the other hand I love the Distortion, it's pretty tight, it's got good upper mid cut, it just works for me. Duncan custom is pretty cool too. Oh, and I love the emg-81.
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Change the A5 mag to an A2 on the JB. Love them like this myself.
 
Man all you need is a JB for metal rock or blues . For 6 strings I’m all JB
 
anomaly said:
What is it you hate about the Distortion? I love that pickup, it's one of the most aggressive sounding pickups I can think of.
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It's really "grainy"

idk how else to describe it
 
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