Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: sdrizis89 on November 24, 2013, 08:25:27 PM
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Hey guys. I currently have a Juggernaut set in my custom jackson soloist (maple neck thru with mahogany wings) and i love the tone. Juggs replaced a JB and 59 set. I want to put a Jugg bridge in my Jackson Kelly with these specs:
Mahogany neck thru and mahogany body
Ebony board
24.75 scale
24 frets
Hardtail bridge
This guitar is quite heavy and a big chunk of mahogany. Sounds slightly scooped and does old school thrash great but isn't my go to for modern metal. I play through an ENGL Savage 120 so getting a good tone for metal out of this guitar is quite easy but i notice a difference between this and my other metal axes. What do you guys think of the juggernaut in this axe? Any other suggestions? I am not swapping my other juggernaut out of the other guitar to test it. its a pain for me as i do not have the tools available or the time. Thanks.
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What do you mean by 'modern metal'? Any examples?
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Sorry, should have given a better description on the tone i like. I love the tone of killswitch engage, Parkway Drive, shadows fall and revocation. I also love Kreators tone (their newer stuff). I want something sort of balanced, Big but tight enough low end, fair amount of miss, and smooth, not harsh, highs. I like being able to hear chords ring out evenly across all strings. I hate when the bass overtakes the higher notes so i like the highs to be present but not harsh. Hope that wasn't confusing
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'Big' and 'smooth' but without too much low end makes me think of the Holydiver. Tighter and still big sounding makes me think of the Nailbomb, though it has less smoothness and is lots more aggressive. As you like the Juggernaut with its ceramic/alnico hybrid magnet I'd guess you'd appreciate the A-Bomb which has some of that alnico sweetness but is still tighter than most ceramic pickups. The C-Bomb would also work I'd imagine. I suppose you could also consider the Aftermath given how much you like the Juggernaut but I can't say I associate any of them with 'smooth' except the Holydiver.
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If it sounds scooped you should be pretty safe with an A-Bomb or a Painkiller, which would give you the mids you seem to be lacking, and I think could do a fairly decent approximation of Kreator. I don't really know the others well enough (I'm around the same age as Mille)
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Thanks for the suggestions. My initial thought was a painkiller because of all of the mahogany. It makes me a little nervous though because I'm scared i won't have that big low end, it will definitely be tight though. The C-bomb is currently in my les paul axcess. Very nice pickup, full sounding with good amount of mids, big low end, and high that are very good but can get a little too "high" for me if not managed right. Very good pickup and it is an option for this axe. Will the juggernaut maybe not have enough highs…the current guitar i have it in is a maple neck thru so i don't know how it will react to all mahogany. This tone quest never ends...
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The Painkiller was another one I considered mentioning but as you mentioned 'smooth' and a number of people refer to it as 'ice-picky' in the highs i discounted it. I believe GuitarIV has one and seems to like it a lot but I can't remember what guitar it's in. I honestly don't know what else to suggest. As you already have a Juggernaut and C-Bomb my instinct would be to try something else but the A-Bomb and Aftermath are the best I can come up with.
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I have a painkiller in a LP style guitar ( 7 strings ) and its tight as hell. Its really well balanced so in a guitar like the one you have i think there will be no problems with the low end ( you have a big chunk of maple too ;) )
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Thanks for the quick and helpful replies guys. im going to decide between the nailbomb, juggernaut, and painkiller. Hopefully, if i choose to get it, the juggernaut isn't too bassy and the highs are clear for full chords to ring out nicely.
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I do own the Painkiller and although it's said to be "ice-picky", from my experience that has nothing to do with the highs which I find to be present but balanced. The focus lies in the high mids and the pickup has a very grinding nature, perfect to cut in a mix and hit you in the face.
I had it in a Jackson Fusion Pro first, that guitar is rather dark in sound due to the shorter 24.75 inch scale (I read from your description your Kelly uses the shorter scale as well?) and its Mahogany Body in combination with a Rosewood fretboard. The Painkiller had a huge but tight low end in it, although the mids drowned the highs a bit and that was the reason for me to move it into my Jackson DK2M Dinky with an Alder Body, Maple Neck and Fretboard and the longer 25.5 inch scale. Now it's quite middy yet balanced, tight lows, no overbearing highs, very clear on chords and a rich and fat saturation overall.
Now I have to clarify some things: I have the Painkiller with Black Battleworn covers and hex screws, so this might contribute to the enhanced low end I found in it, don't know how much regular nickel screws would behave when compared. However you always have to consider your amp, your cab and the voicing nature of your guitar, my Jackson Fusion is dark and has somewhat similar specs to your Kelly which doesn't necessarily mean they'll sound the same.
As far as the bands you mentioned go I'm a very big fan of Revocation and the Painkiller should get you close to their sound. As said it isn't the smoothest pickup but will certainly get you where you want to go. And aside from that, why get another Juggernaut when you already own one? ;)
Cheers
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Now I have to clarify some things: I have the Painkiller with Black Battleworn covers and hex screws, so this might contribute to the enhanced low end I found in it, don't know how much regular nickel screws would behave when compared.
So hex screws in comparison to ordinary screws make a difference in sound like enhancing low end? I thought it`s only cosmetic aspect, isn't it?
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So hex screws in comparison to ordinary screws make a difference in sound like enhancing low end? I thought it`s only cosmetic aspect, isn't it?
Difference shall be very subtle but yes, here's a thread about it:
https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18365.0