Mid heavy bridge humbucker needed

[Zado]

Hello guys, I need some advice for a pickup swap, and while I'm absolutely terrible at describing sounds, I'll try my best.
I'm currently playing as rhytm guitar in a power-heavy metal band, using a Schecter Hellraiser thru a Ceriatone Yeti into a V30 loaded Laney 2x12 (very deep cab btw)

I dig the guitar, has a comfy full yet fast neck, low action and sustains for days. Tone wise, it's very fat sounding (loads of *ooomph* tho, not that super articulate low end you often find on higher end guitars), but has a nice zing on the upper treble.
It's currently loaded with a 59/Screamin Demon combo, but I'm kinda struggling with the Demon: when playing at home it's a fantastic pickup, articulate, sparkling, blooming and airy... nothing special in the low end (not sure it actually HAS one), but the guitar natural sound compensates quite well; with the band tho, it's just another story... it gets very hollow in the middle, and all you can year (when the cymbals are not in the way, meaning 1% of the time) are the spiky higher frequencies... For some reason the 59 neck gets much more space and body in the mix (although being, according to the Duncan Tone Chart, even more scooped) even without sounding very pleasant.

So: what should I look for? I'd rather something on the cheap side (Duncans are ok, BKPs not so much, unless used) and avaiable in Europe. I've heard good things about the Duncan Custom, but I've never played one. I'm not a fan of the JB, and I'm not sure a Duncan D. would fit nicely in that guitar.

Oh I don't overlook cheaper options like Tesla, IronGear and import stuff in general.


Ideas? Thanks!

 

[Rex Rocker]

Thinking the Custom might be a good idea. It's EQ'd sorta like the '59 just fatter in the lows and louder, while still having some grind and cut up top.

If not, a DiMarzio Super Distortion might be a good idea as well.

If you want a slightly fatter/louder Demon, you could also look at the Full Shred.

 

[PBGas]

If you want a pickup with lots of mids, the Dimarzio Super 3 will do that in spades.

 

[EyesOfTheSouth!]

Duncan Skolnick signature is ALL mids. Like a narrowed, much tighter JB.

 

[311splawndude]

Thinking the Custom might be a good idea. It's EQ'd sorta like the '59 just fatter in the lows and louder, while still having some grind and cut up top.

If not, a DiMarzio Super Distortion might be a good idea as well.

If you want a slightly fatter/louder Demon, you could also look at the Full Shred.

This

I have a Custom Custom in my Schecter.

 

[Mr.Fun]

Hello guys, I need some advice for a pickup swap, and while I'm absolutely terrible at describing sounds, I'll try my best.
I'm currently playing as rhytm guitar in a power-heavy metal band, using a Schecter Hellraiser thru a Ceriatone Yeti into a V30 loaded Laney 2x12 (very deep cab btw)

I dig the guitar, has a comfy full yet fast neck, low action and sustains for days. Tone wise, it's very fat sounding (loads of *ooomph* tho, not that super articulate low end you often find on higher end guitars), but has a nice zing on the upper treble.
It's currently loaded with a 59/Screamin Demon combo, but I'm kinda struggling with the Demon: when playing at home it's a fantastic pickup, articulate, sparkling, blooming and airy... nothing special in the low end (not sure it actually HAS one), but the guitar natural sound compensates quite well; with the band tho, it's just another story... it gets very hollow in the middle, and all you can year (when the cymbals are not in the way, meaning 1% of the time) are the spiky higher frequencies... For some reason the 59 neck gets much more space and body in the mix (although being, according to the Duncan Tone Chart, even more scooped) even without sounding very pleasant.

So: what should I look for? I'd rather something on the cheap side (Duncans are ok, BKPs not so much, unless used) and avaiable in Europe. I've heard good things about the Duncan Custom, but I've never played one. I'm not a fan of the JB, and I'm not sure a Duncan D. would fit nicely in that guitar.

Oh I don't overlook cheaper options like Tesla, IronGear and import stuff in general.


Ideas? Thanks!

Dimarzio Super Distortion.
If you want to stick with Duncan, The Black winter

 

[Dan Gleesak]

I’d recommend Dimarzio PAF pro. That’s what I used when I was in a metal band and they really cut wonderfully

 

[harddriver]

Seymour Duncan Custom 14K Nice mids punch but not too much
Seymour Duncan Distortion 16-17K More mids and slightly tighter than the Duncan Custom
Seymour Duncan SH-6N 12.5-13K (This is the neck pickup used with the Duncan Distortion but is a killer Bridge pickup by itself) This pickup is more balanced like a PAF but still has some mids punch due to the overwinding.
Seymour Duncan Thrash Factor.......Dave Mustaine JB which by all accounts a tighter JB

Over winding past 8-9K PAF amounts tends to produce more mids emphasis but not always with some winders so YMMV but tends to apply to Duncan just fine.

 

[Kelly]

Try the pickup picker at dimarzio's site.

 

[firejack]

Seymour Duncan Custom 14K Nice mids punch but not too much
Seymour Duncan Distortion 16-17K More mids and slightly tighter than the Duncan Custom
Seymour Duncan SH-6N 12.5-13K (This is the neck pickup used with the Duncan Distortion but is a killer Bridge pickup by itself) This pickup is more balanced like a PAF but still has some mids punch due to the overwinding.
Seymour Duncan Thrash Factor.......Dave Mustaine JB which by all accounts a tighter JB

Over winding past 8-9K PAF amounts tends to produce more mids emphasis but not always with some winders so YMMV but tends to apply to Duncan just fine.

A friend of mine was raving about the Duncan Distortion neck as a bridge pickup. I thought he'd gone cuckoo. I must get around to trying it.

Maybe consider a Jim Wagner Iron Man as well. It's fat, grindy and mean. Yet the low end stays composed. Fixed several of my thin and wimpy guitars in the past. Also made a loose and bloated Fender sound chunky and tight.

Here's the one of the thin and wimpy guitars:


Here's the bloated Fender:

 

[eclecticsynergy]

The neck Distortion model does indeed make a great medium output bridge pickup, but it's quite bright.
Perhaps better suited to dark-voiced guitars, IMO.

For a bridge with fat mids I'd probably be looking at DiMarzio rather than Duncan.
I don't have a lot of DiMarzios, but they offer a wide selection of mid-heavy bridge pickups.

One other thought : the Demon makes a great neck pickup when paired with a beefy bridge.
If you go with a high output bridge pickup, it's worth considering your Demon for neck position.

 

[midnightlaundry]

A Nagzul also seems to be ALL Mids.. LOL

https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/nazgul

 

[harddriver]

A friend of mine was raving about the Duncan Distortion neck as a bridge pickup. I thought he'd gone cuckoo. I must get around to trying it.

It wasn't always a neck pickup. It used to be named the Seymourizer and then the Seymourizer II pickup which was Seymour's hot pickup in the late 70's early 80's before the Duncan Custom(14K) came along. The early ones have the same rough cast ceramic magnets as the Custom just less winds/dc resistance. Seymour kept it around into the 90's as it's own pickup but started pairing it with the Distortion as the neck pickup hence the SH-6N designation.

I came across it completely by accident, I bought a box of pickups from a guy in Chicago and I just started swapping them out until I found one that I really liked...it was the Seymourizer II. Mine measure from 12.5K to 12.7K. The new ones are more in the 13K range.

I've been using them since the mid 80's....all of mine are very early 80's Seymourizer II's and I actually prefer them because they are a little more raw and less compressed without the mids emphasis of the Duncan Custom.

To my ears it is more of the PAF on steriods than what the Custom is described as. I tend to think of it as fuller/warmer sounding Bill Lawrence L500XL/Dimarzio Super Distortion. through the correct amp and rigs it will do a great EVH, Dime or Nuno without the drawbacks of the L500XL IMHO.

 

[skoora]

Don't discount getting a PAF style hum bucker in the 9-10K range. The Yeti has plenty of gain and a medium output pickup will give you more clarity and a better midrange and still chug for days. If the guitar is already low end prominent you might dig the Dimarzio 36th Anniversary Bridge. Don't be fooled thinking you'll be stuck playing Bad Company when you want to be playing Blind Guardian. It's saucy.
Search for pickup winders/makers in Europe. You may have some talent in your continental neighborhood who's not expensive but will work with you.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

I don't know what's available in Europe, but on DiMarzio's website, there's a pickup picker. It's pretty helpful. https://www.dimarzio.com/pickup-picker

Their website also features a chart with an EQ graph for every pickup they make.

From what you described, I think the DiMarzio Dark Matter 2 (DP268) is an excellent choice. https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/medium-power/dark-matter-2-bridge

High gain demo:

Here's Steve Vai demoing the pickup:

You won't get lost in the mix with this pickup!

Happy tone hunting!

 

[Zado]

First of all thanks for your replies guys! Now:

Thinking the Custom might be a good idea. It's EQ'd sorta like the '59 just fatter in the lows and louder, while still having some grind and cut up top.

If not, a DiMarzio Super Distortion might be a good idea as well.

If you want a slightly fatter/louder Demon, you could also look at the Full Shred.

This

I have a Custom Custom in my Schecter.

Seymour Duncan Custom 14K Nice mids punch but not too much
Seymour Duncan Distortion 16-17K More mids and slightly tighter than the Duncan Custom
Seymour Duncan SH-6N 12.5-13K (This is the neck pickup used with the Duncan Distortion but is a killer Bridge pickup by itself) This pickup is more balanced like a PAF but still has some mids punch due to the overwinding.
Seymour Duncan Thrash Factor.......Dave Mustaine JB which by all accounts a tighter JB

Over winding past 8-9K PAF amounts tends to produce more mids emphasis but not always with some winders so YMMV but tends to apply to Duncan just fine.

A friend of mine was raving about the Duncan Distortion neck as a bridge pickup. I thought he'd gone cuckoo. I must get around to trying it.

Maybe consider a Jim Wagner Iron Man as well. It's fat, grindy and mean. Yet the low end stays composed. Fixed several of my thin and wimpy guitars in the past. Also made a loose and bloated Fender sound chunky and tight.

Here's the one of the thin and wimpy guitars:


Here's the bloated Fender:

The Custom SH-5 is something that has always been tempting me, it's also quite popular so not hard to find. I've never played one tho, just listened to some clips and read some reviews, where for some reason it's both described as mid prominend and scooped. It honestly didn't sound scooped in the demos, maybe it just sounds like it in some guitars or compared to very middy humbs? No idea honestly. But it's definitely a pickup I'd like to try. I also had a chance to try the Custom Custom in a buddy superstrat (partscaster, plenty of note attack) and loved the mids, but got the idea that would be far too soft in a set neck guitar, both on the upper register and in the low end.

The Duncan D. is plenty aggro, I had one in the (long gone) past in a bolt on guitar, and was fantastic with the band. It was a brite guitar tho, and I'm not sure how that bastard behaves in fat ass set neck guitars with plenty of low end... does it get somehow congested?

A friend of mine was raving about the Duncan Distortion neck as a bridge pickup. I thought he'd gone cuckoo. I must get around to trying it.

Maybe consider a Jim Wagner Iron Man as well. It's fat, grindy and mean. Yet the low end stays composed. Fixed several of my thin and wimpy guitars in the past. Also made a loose and bloated Fender sound chunky and tight.

Here's the one of the thin and wimpy guitars:

The Duncan Dustortion bridge was another option I've seen suggested in some forums (this one as well IIRC). It's definitely interesting spec wise, as it should be more versatile than a regular Distortion (which might be overkill) but still very cutting, but I've never seen one around here. Sadly, same thing goes with Wagner pickups, which is something I always wanted to try along with Motorcity stuff

Duncan Skolnick signature is ALL mids. Like a narrowed, much tighter JB.

This is another humbucker that kept me curious. But it's pricey AF here
https://piazzostrumenti.it/humbucke...alex-skolnick-signature-set-800315041831.html

If you want to stick with Duncan, The Black winter

A Nagzul also seems to be ALL Mids.. LOL

https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/nazgul

View attachment 258345

....and then there's these two guys. I've never played them, but they got plenty of consensous everywhere, and are most often compared. I'm not sure which one would fit the bill better, they both sound like a fair choice. Maybe the Nazgul, being less spiky and more mid prominent, would be a wiser choice, but I guess both are fine.

If not, a DiMarzio Super Distortion might be a good idea as well.

I’d recommend Dimarzio PAF pro. That’s what I used when I was in a metal band and they really cut wonderfully

Try the pickup picker at dimarzio's site.

For a bridge with fat mids I'd probably be looking at DiMarzio rather than Duncan.
I don't have a lot of DiMarzios, but they offer a wide selection of mid-heavy bridge pickups.

I don't know what's available in Europe, but on DiMarzio's website, there's a pickup picker. It's pretty helpful. https://www.dimarzio.com/pickup-picker

Their website also features a chart with an EQ graph for every pickup they make.

From what you described, I think the DiMarzio Dark Matter 2 (DP268) is an excellent choice. https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/medium-power/dark-matter-2-bridge

High gain demo:

Here's Steve Vai demoing the pickup:

You won't get lost in the mix with this pickup!

Happy tone hunting!

Don't discount getting a PAF style hum bucker in the 9-10K range. The Yeti has plenty of gain and a medium output pickup will give you more clarity and a better midrange and still chug for days. If the guitar is already low end prominent you might dig the Dimarzio 36th Anniversary Bridge. Don't be fooled thinking you'll be stuck playing Bad Company when you want to be playing Blind Guardian. It's saucy.
Search for pickup winders/makers in Europe. You may have some talent in your continental neighborhood who's not expensive but will work with you.

Aaaand here's the other thing: I've never put a DiMarzio in any of my guitars. Played some Ibanez with random DiMarzios back in the day and foolishly decided they whole brand wasn't for me. Sorta got the idea the signature character was smooth treble and low end. The fact very few artists I dig use DiMarzios doesn't help either. The SuperD's sort of a classic, but I guess I gotta take a look at the whole collection. They are cheaper than Duncans too, so that's definitely a plus. Also, there are many winders here indeed, but I'd rather go with something that I can sell in case I dont gel with it, niche winders (which are often very expensive here) are a pain for that.

Thanks again for you replies guys, got loads of infos!

 

[anomaly]

EMG-81 dude, that pickup sounds so balanced in a band mix and it cuts just as good as anything out there. If you want passive, go Duncan Distortion maybe? It's got the upper mids of a JB but a tighter low end and a snappier high end... might be too sizzly for you but worth a try.

 

[skoora]

Wasn’t a Duncan Distortion Sykes pickup of choice for years? That was in his Les Paul, a set neck guitar.

 

[skoora]

Could be the pickup you need is an EQ pedal.

 

[kmanick]

Surh Aldrich
tons of mids stays tight and eats up gain