Djent pickups?

[Ryanl]

So yeah I've been looking at the painkiller and aftermath to put in my custom agile and I like both of them I'm just not sure which would be better. I like playing more technically oriented/ djent stuff so from the description the painkiller would be the best one to get but yeah not sure.
I'm playing through an ENGL Fireball 60W and an Orange 4x12 Hp cab just so you get an idea of my set up.
Any Idea on which would be better to get or if there are any models better suited for my genre? thanks!

[dani]

welcome.

i humbly suggest matching the pickups to your guitar's tonal response. if your agile is slightly bright, go with the aftermath. the painkiller will suit a warmer guitar (more low mids) since it has a high mid spike to cut through.

fwiw, i have a really bright (loads of highs and presence and lacked lows and low mids) 7-string that came stock with an aftermath bridge and the pickup sounded like a boosted tele bridge pickup. swapped it with my other guitarist's painkiller and it attenuated the highs/presence slightly but the high mid spike made it sounded nasally without adding much lows and low mids.

bought a holydiver and ceramic warpig for trial to add body while reducing the brightness. the warpig stayed.

ironically, all four pickups allowed me to djent with all the technical stop/start syncopated riffage. all this made me realised that most, if not all contemporary bkps can djent but which pickup is better suited is dependant on your guitar and rig. of course, provided if you have the chops.

from now on, i will not be swayed by a blurb that states that x pickup is the ultimate djent pickup or such and such famous djent master endorses y pickups therefore getting x and y pickups will allow me to djent like the pros.

of course, ymmv and i welcome dissenters to disagree. do note that this is just my experience and not a be all and end all argument regarding djent is all in the technique.



 

[explorer76]

First thing you need is the playing skill. After that it's a matter of taste and a matter of the guitar. Until now I've had an A-Pig, Painkiller and Holydiver in my Caparison and all of them worked for our more djenty songs.

[Ryanl]

welcome.

i humbly suggest matching the pickups to your guitar's tonal response. if your agile is slightly bright, go with the aftermath. the painkiller will suit a warmer guitar (more low mids) since it has a high mid spike to cut through.

fwiw, i have a really bright (loads of highs and presence and lacked lows and low mids) 7-string that came stock with an aftermath bridge and the pickup sounded like a boosted tele bridge pickup. swapped it with my other guitarist's painkiller and it attenuated the highs/presence slightly but the high mid spike made it sounded nasally without adding much lows and low mids.

bought a holydiver and ceramic warpig for trial to add body while reducing the brightness. the warpig stayed.

ironically, all four pickups allowed me to djent with all the technical stop/start syncopated riffage. all this made me realised that most, if not all contemporary bkps can djent but which pickup is better suited is dependant on your guitar and rig. of course, provided if you have the chops.

from now on, i will not be swayed by a blurb that states that x pickup is the ultimate djent pickup or such and such famous djent master endorses y pickups therefore getting x and y pickups will allow me to djent like the pros.

of course, ymmv and i welcome dissenters to disagree. do note that this is just my experience and not a be all and end all argument regarding djent is all in the technique.



 

Yeah, I can understand that I mean like I said I'm playing through and ENGL Fireball 60W and an orange 4x12HP cab and the agile has a mahogany body, walnut neck, and maple fretboard. So I'd say it's more warmer and bright and to go with the aftermath? and as for chops I mean I'm not going to go off on how good I think I am because that's not for me to decide hahahaha, there are plenty of people that think they have chops but really just blow.
and yes Djent is a technique but I'd like to think I got it down.... at least somewhat... hahaha

[dani]

i don't know what's your stock pickup and won't know what's its eq therefore, if swapping the stock with an aftermath and found it wanting for whatever reasons, you can always trade or sell the am and get something else that fits your guitar and rig.

a good way to check if your guitar falls on the warm or bright side is to put your ear on the body and strum it unplugged. for comparison sake, does it sound like a les paul or strat/tele? that will steer you towards the ideal pickup for your guitar since all guitars boost or cut certain frequencies.

fwiw, my guitar was custom made with a spanish cedar body and neck with a maple board. on paper, it should be a warm guitar since spanish cedar was touted as having similar tone to old growth mahogany. hence, i went with an aftermath as stock. who knows after receiving the guitar, it sounded like a tele unplugged.

what i am trying to say is that the choice of pickup should complement your guitar in achieving as much of a balance tone as possible. any boosting and cutting of frequencies can be done via the amp or eq. of course, if a les paul sounds like a  strat (if ever) through your rig, you probably need a pickup with a fuller eq to make it sound like a les paul and vice versa.

so, do determine what is lacking in your present tone and get a pickup to compensate for that.