i'm not sure what i don't like about them, if anything.... i think i'm just ready for a change. i have a boogie mark IV and probably won't be playing it out of anything else, any time soon. So with that said, i like classic metal, classic rock, i like alnico 5's in the 14-16k range generally. Nothing too out of balance tonally. I like to let the amp eq and the tonal aspects of the guitars wood to do the work (ev speakers, minimal effects, etc) I'd like to support motor city pickups because they're home town, but i'm, open to any brands.... even EMG. lemme hear some suggestions?
thinking about ditching the 496/500's in my explorer. Throw me suggestions
- Thread starter JimAnsell
- Start date
Fusionbear
Well-known member
Suhr SSV/SSV+ combo is awesome IMO
Dimebag11
Well-known member
I’d probably go with the SSH+ instead of the SSV+, unless the guitar is on the brighter side…then I’d suggest the Aldrich.
Kapo_Polenton
Well-known member
Thinking about the same in my explorer... I've got an aldrich i might throw in the bridge and an older Dimarzio air classic that I think will give me the definition in the neck. The stock bridge pup is good enough but the neck sucks. Tub city.
Speeddemon
Well-known member
My experience with EMG's was lacklustre for classic rock/hard rock. They lack a certain organic jangle, that you want for that type of music.
I would stick with alnico's over ceramic too, and preferably not too hot.
Duncan Pearly Gates or perhaps DiMarzio Norton (b)/DP103 Neck.
I would stick with alnico's over ceramic too, and preferably not too hot.
Duncan Pearly Gates or perhaps DiMarzio Norton (b)/DP103 Neck.
SpiderWars
Well-known member
Recently swapped the exact same to Jalen Hybrid bridge and Jalen PAF neck. After I swapped out the original 300k volume pots with 500k I actually kind of liked the original 500T but the neck pickup was mud. This guitar sounds killer now. And he made mine with gold screws/poles because mine has gold hardware and I thought the original pickups looked great. <$200 shipped for the set.
DanTravis62
Well-known member
Anything Gibson means Jim Wagner's.
guitarbilly74
Active member
Go to a 498T/ 490R set. It will match your requirements to a T. I think they're the best sounding "modern" humbuckers Gibson makes. They sound good on just about any Gibson guitar. You can probably find someone willing to do a straight trade on your set.
Kapo_Polenton
Well-known member
I totally forgot that these were 300k pots... That would explain the mud on the neck pickup.
guitarbilly74
Active member
It depends how old the Explorer is. Gibson stopped using 300Ks in 2010.
Kapo_Polenton
Well-known member
Ok, mine is a 2017 or 18 so must be what 500k or would they drop em to 250k with a tone pot? If 500 then the neck pup blows even worse. Not sure who voiced that thinking they did a great job
MetalHeadMike
Well-known member
JW Ironman would likely be a good fit for a bridge.
braintheory
Well-known member
If you really want the amp eq and tonal aspects of the guitar woods to do the talking then I personally wouldn't recommend something in the 14-16k (and EMG's would be the last thing I'd say for that), but rather something in the PAF ballpark, especially also since you said you want classic rock. If your explorer is a mahogany guitar with good growl and warmth then I would just put Tone Specific Bloombuckers in it if it were my guitar and not think twice. It nails the paf thing and I think equally good for classic metal (not the modern stuff), but the question is whether you want that or not. Some guys here are more used to the hotter pickups and don't like that style and those Motor City and Bare Knuckle lower output ones really don't sound or feel much at all like real paf's imo. I also like Wagner Darkbursts a lot for lower output (those and the Iron Man's are my 2 favorites of his stuff), but the Tone Specific's are a higher class of pickups in quality of tone, clarity, and nuance
Fiesta Red
Well-known member
Oh FFS! I just ordered a set of these for my LP Custom. I had to buy them brand new. Dammit!! I'd cancel the order but they've been shipped already. Lol
Fiesta Red
Well-known member
I bought an Explorer a month ago and was planning on changing out the pickups. However the Burstbucker 3 that is in there sounds really good! I can get hard rock tones really easily by letting the amp do the work. I was going to put in a Super Distortion type pickup but now I'm not so sure. The BBs didn't sound so good in the V I bought from the same year, but they sound phenomenal in the Explorer. Go figure.
I put the Suhr SSV set in my V. That sounds killer too. I didn't get the plus model for the bridge, but the bridge in a matched set is a bit hotter. Try the Duncan Candy models from the Custom Shop. Everything about them I hear is positive, and they're Alnico 3s. Check our clips by a guitarist names Erick Steckel as he gets some great high gain tones with them. He also uses the Saturday Night Specials. Motor City Blackbelt IIs are really nice. I've got those in a couple of Chubtones and they're superb. An Alnico 8 PX-8 in a mahogany Knaggs guitar also gets some really raunchy rock tones for me too.
I put the Suhr SSV set in my V. That sounds killer too. I didn't get the plus model for the bridge, but the bridge in a matched set is a bit hotter. Try the Duncan Candy models from the Custom Shop. Everything about them I hear is positive, and they're Alnico 3s. Check our clips by a guitarist names Erick Steckel as he gets some great high gain tones with them. He also uses the Saturday Night Specials. Motor City Blackbelt IIs are really nice. I've got those in a couple of Chubtones and they're superb. An Alnico 8 PX-8 in a mahogany Knaggs guitar also gets some really raunchy rock tones for me too.