Rhythm Pickups

[Oblivion777]

Hi!

I am just waiting to install my new set of BKP on one of my guitars (Aftermath Neck / Painkiller Bridge) and though I have not played on BKP yet I do have another question. My music orientation is melodic/power metal and I am looking for a great heavy rhythm ONLY pickups (with lots of palm muting obviously  :) ). What pickups would you recommend for such application?

Thanks.

[Roobubba]

More details needed. What sort of guitar, what amp, more details of the music, and what aspects of your current pickups you like/don't like?

(The miracle man does EPIC palm muting in my limited experience) :)

[Oblivion777]

Hi!

Yes sorry - should have written this initially. So guitar to be used PRS Custom 24 (currently with gold HW so ideally BKP's wich have the "gold" cover option too). Amps used: Bogner Uberschall, Peavey 6505+, Engl Invader and/or Savage. Sometimes I also use AxeFX Ultra.

Again the guitar will be used mostly (if not exclusive) for heavy rhythm only. The sound I am after is kind of hard to define; after all even if I start listing the bands here that have the sound I like (or I'm after) that would be CD sound (compressed, EQed, etc.). But say something in this direction: modern E or Eb tuned (not Nu-metal) 6 string with fast palm muting and deep, bass rich power chords.

That's it. I hope this makes some more sense. :)

Cheers!

[Oblivion777]

Oh and I already have ESP Eclipse II (with EMG 81 (B) / 60 (N) Active p.u.) and ESP Viper (with EMG 81 (B) / 85 (N) Active p.u.) plus I have put EMG-X 81 and EMG-X 85 on my Gibson SG and it rocks! Personally I prefer EMG-X because they are "closer" to passive p.u.'s. I have not yet tried active Seymour Duncans, though I intend to in the near future.

I'll pick up my Gibson Flying V today with the newly installed Painkiller humbucker (Position Bridge) and Aftermath humbucker (Position Neck) and I'll record to songs with this guitar tomorrow in the studio (I play rhythm on 1 song and solo on the 2nd song) ... should be a great test.  8)

Thanks.

[Roobubba]

I'm not 100% sure still, but my gut feeling is: miracle man. Hopefully some others will chime in here soon too.  In any event, you should definitely ask Tim (find his e-mail address on the BKP site). All the staff at BKP are very helpful and more knowledgable about their pickups than any of us punters! Tim designs and makes them, after all!

Hope this helps,

Roo

[MDV]

I'd try either the miracle man or the aftermath.

They arent very similar pickups, but I'm basing the suggestions on the rhythm only proviso, the styles youre after and the largely mahogany guitar tuned to E/Eb. Those pickups will mesh with the guitars low end in a fashion that brings out plenty of thickness and thunk in palm mutes, lots of definition in the top end and sound thick (in mahogany) in standard tuning, or close to it. They'll also keep a 'cap' on the low end if the guitars lows are overbearing (the AM more so than the MM in that respect)

I agree that so long as the guitars pretty well balanced sonically, your best shot at melodic/power metals thick low end and cutting high mids is the miracle man. If youre worried about the guitars low end being to forward go for the aftermath instead; it will control it better.

Were the guitar brighter I would go for c-bomb or c-pig, which tend to force more low end onto a bright guitars sound, in my experience (whereas the AM and MM will let a bright/more mid-heavy guitar guitar be very bright/mid heavy amped up).