Pickups for Charvel So-Cal?

[mantrasky]

Alfi it's fun to try different pups but I know what you mean about your best sounding guitar and taking apart. I've read that many feel the RY is Bright sounding in an Alder body, but you never know and if your amp is a little on the bright side, might be a great fit! I did the same as you with my Fender Strat kind of like Claptons "Blackie" but I installed a humbucker, my preference.

[Alfi27]

It certainly is fun! The guitar is surprisingly dark for an alder body and one piece maple neck guitar actually, without doubt the darkest Strat type guitar I have ever owned. None of them had a Floyd though, so I am pretty sure that is the reason. Mine is MIJ, but these days they are made in Mexico at the same factory as the Mexican Fenders so they probably use the same wood. The guitar is also the lightest Strat type guitar I have owned, at 3.4 kg! A Floyd is heavier than a standard Strat tremolo as well, so it is not bad at all.

[Alfi27]

I figured that I should ask BKP themselves what they would recommend when the Holydiver is too dark. Ben said that the Holydiver is the number one choice for Charvels, but if I need more attack and cut he recommended to go down the ceramic route with a Cold Sweat or C-Bomb. That is an answer I did not expect, I was very certain he would recommend the VHII. Well, what do you guys think?

[Slartibartfarst42]

The Cold Sweat is certainly brighter but like the C-Bomb, it's a very different beast to the Holydiver. I always think of a number of pickups being closely connected in style and in approximate order of vintage to modern I'd say Black Dog, Abraxas, Crawler, Holydiver and Miracle Man. All are smooth and have quite a rich tone so share some core DNA and of that lot, I'd expect the Black Dog to be the brightest.

[Alfi27]

A small update: The original pickup that was in the Charvel, the Tone Zone, has an Alnico V magnet. So guess what I did? That's right! The Abraxas now sports an Alnico V magnet, and it sounds awesome! I will post a clip later today. They should seriously offer the Abraxas with an Alnico V option. I also put the Alnico IV magnet in a Gibson 498T just for fun, so I expect that one to sound better as well!

[Slartibartfarst42]

Which only goes to prove what I was saying - a pickup wound with 43AWG to about 13-14K with an AV magnet will give you a far more authentic 80s Metal sound than the Holydiver. What you now have is the pickup I believe the Holydiver should be. Congratulations 

[mantrasky]

The Holy Diver is great pickup and works very well in my Charvel, I also own A Custom Shop Strat and I have a Black Dog in that and Both sound "amazing through my gear" because I wanted one to be a SuperStrat and the other Vintage is the reason I went that route. In the recording studios that I work in everyday, clients ask for a "Time authentic" tone and it's there in the studio where I can hear every detail I chose those pups. I've tried All of the BKP products and unless I use the exact gear that I used in the '80s (Duncan Distortion/Marshall MKII/Ibanez TS or Boss SOD) I know it be won't be absolutely accurate. I go with my experience knowing great tone and I wouldn't try to Impose my Opinion on anyone, "I spend my time making music". Go with your ears, style, equipment to decide which to choose.

[Alfi27]

The guitar had to go unfortunately... Even with the Alnico V Abraxas the tone was very dark, and even a bit muddy. I think the guitar would work very well with a bright pickup like the Rebel Yell, but the guitar had to go anyway because I just had to buy that SG 61 RI... I think that the Charvel was my last kind of "horsing around" before I figured out that I am a Gibson man by heart and soul. I have owned so many cool guitars, from Suhr to PRS and lots of other stuff, but even though one of the Suhrs and all the PRS' had mahogany bodys they just didn't sound quite right either. I would love to give PRS a new shot though, magnificent guitars not too far away from the Gibson vibe. Thanks a lot to all of you, for your contributions and suggestions nevertheless!

[mantrasky]

Alfi27 "Good Luck" in your search, I've always had the good fortune to find great guitars (now 500+)  I started out on a Gibson SG "Special" with P90 pups and I would love to get that one back for the memories? I do find guys like Gary Moore, John Sykes, John Norum, Zakk Wylde to have "Killer Tones" from their LP's and Gibson still has this great history.

[khoirus]

Hi, may i ask you which pickup when you mention abraxas with lighter wind? that is indeed sound like perfection :) thx