ESP Eclipse - Best Pickup Choice?

[kingneptune117]

Hey all,

So I got myself a brand new ESP E-II Eclipse. This guitar has a mahogany body, maple cap, mahogany neck, and ebony fretboard. It also happens to come with the EMG 57/66 set. While this is not a bad set of pickups, I don't think it is for me.

I play music ranging from pop punk, through post hardcore, to metalcore. Some examples of bands that I really like: Anberlin, Armor For Sleep, Stand Atlantic, The Story So Far, Underoath, Alesana, Acceptance, Hawthorne Heights, Asking Alexandria, Broadway, Paramore, and Silverstein. Just to name a few.

I know that based on those bands I listed many would think the EMG 57/66 would be a good fit for me, I am having trouble with these pickups. To me, they sound too sterile, too precise, too perfect. I like a raunchy, fuzzy I guess you could say, huge, crunchy, dirty tone. These EMG's are too hi-fi, if that makes sense. I guess in a lot of the albums of the bands I listed, they are probably using just standard PAF pickups which gives the tone that kind of raunchy sound.

Anyways, what I am really looking for in a pickup is for it to be as vintage-output as possible while still playing the types of music I listed above. I do not want harsh or shrill highs, but I also don't want the highs to be drowned out by flubby low end. I don't want super precise, surgical tight low end, but I do want a decent amount of low end that is somewhat tight so I get that raunchy, chunky sound when palm muting. I'm not really sure where I am on what level of mids that I like.

Hopefully that is a good enough description. If there is any other info I can provide please do ask.

I do have some pickups in mind...but in the hopes of getting as unbiased answers as possible I will keep those to myself.

Can you guys give me some suggestions for Bare Knuckle pickups that you think would suit my ESP Eclipse and the music I like to play?

Thank you all for your time!

[darkandrew]

I've got 3 Eclipses - 2 of them with Alnico Nailbombs (1 tuned to E standard, the other D standard) and 1 with Mules. At various times I've also had Holy Divers, Rebel Yells and Crawlers in these guitars too. The good news is that the Eclipse is a very neutral sounding guitar - not overly bright but quite tight and not to resonant and flubby either. The Mules and A-Bombs are the ones I've stuck with because they are both quite even and flat in terms of frequency response with the exception of a little emphasis at the highest frequencies (often referred to as "hair") which sits both pickups really well in a mix but with excellent definition. The differences between the two are mainly 2 fold - the A Bombs have a really nice/nasty rasp in the mids (which I love) and that the A-Bombs are a little more compressed / saturated than the Mules. I think the website describes the A Bombs as being the perfect synergy of old-school and new-school and the Mules generally considered as being a really versatil work-horse of a pickup; both these descriptions are entirely accurate. If I could have just one, I'd probably go for the Mules due to their versatility, but having said that, I do like my Nailbombs …

As for the other pickups, the Crawlers were too smooth and not aggressive enough for me, the Holy Divers were too aggressive and too compressed, and I can't remember exactly why the Rebel Yells didn't stay in. I know it's not exactly the same sort of music that you've listed but Aaron Aedy of Paradise Lost also uses Eclipses and apparently he's put Black Hawks in his (although these are about as far away from "vintage output" as you can get!):

https://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/news/article/aaron-aedy-paradise-lost-black-hawks

https://www.espguitars.com/articles/1997800-esp-artist-interview-aaron-aedy

[Dave Sloven]

I can see how Black Hawks would suit Paradise Lost.  I don't think they are 'raunchy' though, even though they are powerful pickups

The Rebel Yell is probably the pickup in the range that has the most 'raunch' to it.

[kingneptune117]

I've got 3 Eclipses - 2 of them with Alnico Nailbombs (1 tuned to E standard, the other D standard) and 1 with Mules. At various times I've also had Holy Divers, Rebel Yells and Crawlers in these guitars too. The good news is that the Eclipse is a very neutral sounding guitar - not overly bright but quite tight and not to resonant and flubby either. The Mules and A-Bombs are the ones I've stuck with because they are both quite even and flat in terms of frequency response with the exception of a little emphasis at the highest frequencies (often referred to as "hair") which sits both pickups really well in a mix but with excellent definition. The differences between the two are mainly 2 fold - the A Bombs have a really nice/nasty rasp in the mids (which I love) and that the A-Bombs are a little more compressed / saturated than the Mules. I think the website describes the A Bombs as being the perfect synergy of old-school and new-school and the Mules generally considered as being a really versatil work-horse of a pickup; both these descriptions are entirely accurate. If I could have just one, I'd probably go for the Mules due to their versatility, but having said that, I do like my Nailbombs …

As for the other pickups, the Crawlers were too smooth and not aggressive enough for me, the Holy Divers were too aggressive and too compressed, and I can't remember exactly why the Rebel Yells didn't stay in. I know it's not exactly the same sort of music that you've listed but Aaron Aedy of Paradise Lost also uses Eclipses and apparently he's put Black Hawks in his (although these are about as far away from "vintage output" as you can get!):

https://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/news/article/aaron-aedy-paradise-lost-black-hawks

https://www.espguitars.com/articles/1997800-esp-artist-interview-aaron-aedy

Thanks for the reply. After much deliberation I am between two pickups - The Mules and Rebel Yells.

I am leaning towards The Mules because they seem so versatile.

[Telerocker]

Mules are versatile and take loads of gain very well. Dynamic pickups with fantastic cleans. Kravitz likes them in his V. The RY's are way more in yer face though.

[ericsabbath]

Thanks for the reply. After much deliberation I am between two pickups - The Mules and Rebel Yells.

I am leaning towards The Mules because they seem so versatile.

Sounds like you should consider the Riff Raff or Emerald, since they both have similar qualities to both Mule and Rebel Yell