Help Deciding on Passive Pickups for ESP Eclipse

  • Thread starter Thread starter Akira
  • Start date Start date
A

Akira

Member
Hi! I was wondering if I could get some pickup recommendations for my ESP Eclipse. It's an old standard series before they switched to the E-II branding. The body is mahogany, but it's quite light at just over 7lbs and plays great. I don't mind the EMGs, but after playing the guitar for the better part of a year and going on tour with it I think I prefer passive pickups. I actually don't have a lot of experience with aftermarket pickups. My other guitars are an Ibanez AZ Prestige with stock Duncan Hyperions and a Fender MIM HSS Strat that I put a Tone Zone in. I play mostly a mix of 80s and modern metal. The guitar is tuned to D Standard and I typically go thru either a Gower modded JCM800, Mesa Mark IV, or an FM3 (5153 model).

I was thinking of just going for a Duncan Custom in the bridge and a 59 in the neck, but was also considering some of the other Duncan pickups like the Custom 5, Custom Custom, Alternative 8, Distortion, and Black Winter.

I made sure to read thru a number of pickup threads here. It seems the Custom is one of the most often recommended pickups for LP style guitars, but I also have heard that ESP Eclipses are a bit different sounding vs a Gibson Les Paul.

Here's a pic of the guitar (using the original reverb listing as it's the best pic I have)

ESP Eclipse 2.jpg


Lastly, a shoutout to Pushead for his informative ESP Eclipse videos and for his help picking a used one.
 
Not hating but I found the Custom to be bland and boring.
It did everything pretty ok…
It did nothing great.
Of the Duncan’s you listed I would pick the Black Winter.
The Custom Hybrid is a great choice too, sticking to Duncan’s.
 
JackBootedThug said:
24v mod…leave the emg’s in there….or get a killer set off of Scottosan….he is the owner and master winder of tone nerd pickups…
Click to expand...
One of my favorite setups ever was a set of 85s with the 24 volt mod.
The 85 is a great bridge pickup.
If one prefers to stick to 12 volt, the Duncan Blackouts have a lot of the 24volt mojo with just 12 volts.
They’re a bit more organic and warmer too.
 
ToneNerd roxy, or sunset, or psykes

Wagner Ironman, godwood, or icebuckers
 
I have had emg’s for years and was always 50/50 on them. Installed a set in my Greco and later ordered the 24v mod and was completely shocked by the change in that guitar.
 
JackBootedThug said:
I have had emg’s for years and was always 50/50 on them. Installed a set in my Greco and later ordered the 24v mod and was completely shocked by the change in that guitar.
Click to expand...
It really works wonders.
Same with the emg SA and 24 volts.
Totally enhances the best parts of their tones.
 
I liked the 18v mod with the 85 at the bridge, but not for the 81. Never tried the 24v.
81 stock 9v is exactly what I like about that model. Raising to 18v just removed that juicy compressed thing and turned it into a very dry and sterile shrill beast, albeit it was very tight and mean like that, aggressive for sure, just not what I'm going for with an active.
 
Never liked regular 81's, completely changed my mind with 18v mod, y'all think 24v even better?
 
Have you tried the emg 57/66 pups? I have a ESP eclipse and replaced the 81/60 set with them and like it much better. If you want passive pups, maybe try what ESP uses with the jb/jazz set.
 
I don't have experience with the Duncan Custom in a Les Paul, but I do have experience with the
-Custom/59 Hybrid: Great pickup. Very open, 'alive' sounding. Perhaps a tad more suited to raunchy classic rock and southern/hard rock than modern metal though.
-Custom Custom: very, very meh IMO. Lacked output, lacked focus, since the A2's juicy qualities removed some punch.
-JB. Not bad, but the low-end is kinda loosey-goosey.
-SH-14 Custom 5: Almost like a JB, but reigned in. Slightly more balanced mids, but a big and tight low-end.

DiMarzio's in a Les Paul:
-Super D; it's a classic for a reason. Not too sold on its split-tone; loses too much volume.
-Air Norton as bridge pickup: Quite cool, but medium output. Has a lot of character.
-Norton: great! Medium/high output, awesome crunch/kerrang and harmonics. Very tight sounding; tighter than a ToneZone or a JB for sure.
-AT-1: Almost like the Norton, but a bit more polished and thicker in the low-mids.

For neck pickups in a Les Paul, IMO:
-stay away from the Duncan Jazz. too sterile. Clean, clear, defined, yes. But where's mah character?
-A2Pro: A little too thick/big sounding.
-Pearly Gates n=awesome. I have that one in my #1 (Burny Randy Rhoads LPC) together with the Custom/59 Hybrid bridge. Did a lot of pickup swapping to get here. If I'd not found the C/59 for a decent price, the Custom 5 would still be in that guitar. But now that one resides in my ESP Horizon NTII, in favor of the stock JB.
-DiMarzio 36th Anniv PAF DP103: Great allround, classic sounding pickup.
-DiMarzio Air Norton: also great and big/shred sound and awesome coil-split tone. I like this one more than the cocked wah tone of the PAF Pro.
 
I have three of Scott's pups installed....two in a charvel import single cut and one in my squire root tele....really like them. Can't remember which one's in the tele but it's my favorite. Japetus sent it to me to try out.
 
Duncan Custom SH-5. Duncan has a 21 day exchange policy. It's legendary for good reason. Evidence points to the Custom as being EVH's pickup. Duncan ran an ad stating that Van Halen used the Custom and Eddie made them stop.

Seymour-Duncan-EVH-Custom-1979-1.jpg



DiMarzio Norton DP160. DiMarzio has a 30 day exchange policy.

DiMarzio's website says "The sound of a Norton® is right between FRED and The Tone Zone."
https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/medium-power/norton

Under the Tech Talk link on the Norton page it says: "Norton® was originally designed to extend the tonal range and power of standard output humbuckers without going over the top. It's more modern than a PAF® sound: the benchmark Gibson® Les Paul®/Marshall combination yields more midrange crunch and high frequency pick harmonics than vintage-style pickups were capable of putting out. Norton® is really good for opening up the sound of mahogany set-neck guitars.

A member on the DiMarzio forum described it like this: "The Norton won't tame anything. A fantastic pickup, it will make your LP sound like a wild mongoose who is piloting a F-22 raptor and smoking crystal meth."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top