What Pickups for a Flying V

[ChurchHill]

Getting a Flying V that comes stock with 498T/490R pickups. I have that set in another guitar. So, I'm thinking about something else for this one.

I'll mostly play 80s rock/metal on this one. So, something a little over the top without going too far.

The guitar is all mahogany with an ebony fingerboard.

One caveat, the guitar currently has covered pickups, I like that look, and I want to keep it. So, whatever I choose will have covers.

I've never had a problem balancing pickups with different output (I only listed resistance in K below when known), either by raising/lowering or with 2 volumes.

 

[VonBonfire]

Leave it stock, those are great pickups.

 

[CoreyW]

Getting a Flying V that comes stock with 498T/490R pickups. I have that set in another guitar. So, I'm thinking about something else for this one.

I'll mostly play 80s rock/metal on this one. So, something a little over the top without going too far.

The guitar is all mahogany with an ebony fingerboard.

One caveat, the guitar currently has covered pickups, I like that look, and I want to keep it. So, whatever I choose will have covers.

I've never had a problem balancing pickups with different output (I only listed resistance in K below when known), either by raising/lowering or with 2 volumes.

Depending on what other guitar you have those pick ups in, there may be a pretty decent tonal difference with the V, mine is a bit more aggressive than other gibsons with the 490 and 498

 

[ChurchHill]

Leave it stock, those are great pickups.

I might, they are good pickups. I've got them currently in a Les Paul.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

DiMarzios! Bluesbucker in the neck, FRED or MoJoe in the bridge. Or if you want a hotter set, go with FRED in the neck and EVO2 in the bridge.
All these pickups are available with covers.

 

[nightlight]

I'd suggest Fishman Fluence's or an EMG 81/85 for an even more 80s metal tone.

 

[Beyond Black]

I’d suggest first getting the guitar and familiarizing yourself with it’s inherent tone before even considering what pickups to install.

 

[skoora]

I would be curious how the Duncan Distortion neck sounds in the bridge. My favorite ceramic pickup so far is an older (early 80’s I think) Super Distortion in my 2006 V, that reads high 12’s. Doesn’t have over the top push but more than my hot PaF style in my other V. Doesn’t have the mid quack that newer Super Distortions seem to have, which I don’t care for.

 

[NinjaRaf]

I had a gothic V that came with a 500T and that pickup sounded absolutely monstrous!

 

[GreenRust]

I'd go wolfetone marshallheads...a5...9k bridge, for a hotter paf vibe amd get my hot for teacher on...and M Schenker tones as well.

 

[harddriver]

If you want something more PAFish but with some grunt, The SD Whole Lotta Humbucker(rough cast A-5) is nice at 8.78K ohms, I really like mine. If you want some more grunt I hear the SD Saturday night( Alnico IV) special is more output at 9.75K ohms but still PAFish balance.

The SH-6N(rough cast ceramic) that you mentioned is that goldilox zone of high output at 13K ohms but has less emphasis on the mids when compared to the SH-5 Custom. Maybe a 59N or 59B for the neck ala Dime.

The older 80's Seymourizer II's might sound better than the newer SH-6N's but the wind should be the same. That pickup can do metal or classic hard rock as you stated you want.

 

[Fiesta Red]

Do the Throbaks sound that good with metal-type distortion?

 

[Fiesta Red]

I would be curious how the Duncan Distortion neck sounds in the bridge. My favorite ceramic pickup so far is an older (early 80’s I think) Super Distortion in my 2006 V, that reads high 12’s. Doesn’t have over the top push but more than my hot PaF style in my other V. Doesn’t have the mid quack that newer Super Distortions seem to have, which I don’t care for.

I just did this on a Charvel. Sounds like a Duncan Distortion, just not as hot.. Maybe a little too much bass?

 

[ChurchHill]

DiMarzios! Bluesbucker in the neck, FRED or MoJoe in the bridge. Or if you want a hotter set, go with FRED in the neck and EVO2 in the bridge.
All these pickups are available with covers.

How would you describe the EVO2, maybe in comparison to other DiMarzios? I've got a couple of Super Distortions in other guitars and a Tone Zone. Those are really the only 2 DiMarzios I've ever really liked after trying a bunch about 20 years ago, maybe I need to revisit them.

 

[ChurchHill]

I'd suggest Fishman Fluence's or an EMG 81/85 for an even more 80s metal tone.

I've used 81s and 85s in a couple of guitars. Still have an 85 in an old Charvel, but kinda got away from actives. Was thinking more a vintage vibe for this one.

 

[ChurchHill]

I’d suggest first getting the guitar and familiarizing yourself with it’s inherent tone before even considering what pickups to install.

Absolutely! And exactly what I intend to do. I've found that, if a guitar doesn't sound good acoustically, nothing you can do will make it sound great. If it does sound good unplugged, it will tell you what it wants to sound like. Pickup choices then fine tune that.

Basically, if it doesn't sound good or feel right, it's going back. I'll make any final decisions about pickups then. But in the meantime, it's fun to dream a bit.

 

[ChurchHill]

I would be curious how the Duncan Distortion neck sounds in the bridge. My favorite ceramic pickup so far is an older (early 80’s I think) Super Distortion in my 2006 V, that reads high 12’s. Doesn’t have over the top push but more than my hot PaF style in my other V. Doesn’t have the mid quack that newer Super Distortions seem to have, which I don’t care for.

Me, too, which is why I'd consider that. I've got some newer Super Distortions, but none of them sound as good as my friend's from the early '80s.

 

[ChurchHill]

If you want something more PAFish but with some grunt, The SD Whole Lotta Humbucker(rough cast A-5) is nice at 8.78K ohms, I really like mine. If you want some more grunt I hear the SD Saturday night( Alnico IV) special is more output at 9.75K ohms but still PAFish balance.

The SH-6N(rough cast ceramic) that you mentioned is that goldilox zone of high output at 13K ohms but has less emphasis on the mids when compared to the SH-5 Custom. Maybe a 59N or 59B for the neck ala Dime.

The older 80's Seymourizer II's might sound better than the newer SH-6N's but the wind should be the same. That pickup can do metal or classic hard rock as you stated you want.

Good info! That's kinda what I was thinking... that hotter sound. Most of my favorite pickups are right in that 13k-14k range. I might look for an old Seymourizer II. Might get a set and try the neck, try the bridge if it's not hot enough. I have a feeling, though, that it will be. My other Vs are a little bright and a little aggressive as is and I suspect this one will be similar.

 

[ChurchHill]

Do the Throbaks sound that good with metal-type distortion?

IDK, maybe... I've got a set of 2003 Burstbuckers that don't sound like any other pickups I've ever tried. The bridge is only 7.8k but it will do thrash as well as a Duncan Distortion. It's just incredibly full bodied and has the perfect edge to it. I've played a lot of Burstbuckers and I have no idea what they did to that set, but damn. If Throbak could get close to that, it'd be worth the money. I've heard a set of KZ-115s that sounded really nice, maybe the closest to my BBs, but who knows. Was wondering if anyone had any experience with them or similar, although I am leaning wanting something a little hotter for this one.

 

[harddriver]

Good info! That's kinda what I was thinking... that hotter sound. Most of my favorite pickups are right in that 13k-14k range. I might look for an old Seymourizer II. Might get a set and try the neck, try the bridge if it's not hot enough. I have a feeling, though, that it will be. My other Vs are a little bright and a little aggressive as is and I suspect this one will be similar.

The 80's Seymourizer II's usually run 12K to 12.7K ohms resistance with large rough cast ceramic magnets, mine are like 12.5 and 12.65Kohms. The SD SH-6N's usually are right at 13K ish. They have been a favorite pickup of mine for a long long time and cover alot of territory IMHO.

The older SD SEYII's Also don't have tons of low end like the newer production pickups do. From my experience anything from 12-13K seems to be a goldilox zone for higher output with the pickup still retaining some of the PAF balance to it. Any time pickup are wound over that you get more mids emphasis and that you either love or you don't. All the old great sounding BL L500XL's are in the 12K to slightly less than 13K range as well.