Rebel Yell or Holy Diver? Help needed

[Simon D]

I'm finally in a financial position to order some more BKPs - this time for my PRS SE Singlecut.

I want to use this guitar for hard rock/light metal - bands like (current) Whitesnake, Alter Bridge, Nickelback, a bit of Opeth - in short a modern(ish) hard rock pickup is what's needed. I have a an LP with Mules for the vintage sound and a Soloist-type guitar with Warpigs for the heavy-as-hell stuff - need to fill the middle ground with this one.

I thought I was after the RY, until I read that it's quite bright in the treble and upper mids - is this the case? I need a decent amount of bass in the sound. Also, would it be too similar tone-wise to the Mule, too PAF like, or does it have a more modern voicing?

I've read in a few threads that the HD has more bass than the RY, but would it's voicing take me too far towards a full-on metal sound to get the tone I'm after?

Sorry for obsessing over this, but I can only afford to do this once, and I has to be right.
Cheers for your help guys.
Si

[ericsabbath]

for alter bridge and opeth i'd recommend a ceramic painkiller, but holy diver will be fine
it's great for tool and alice in chains style stuff and will do rawer metal and lighter stuff too
it's not an ultra hot pickup, just medium high output

probably the rebel yell is capable of it too, but it sounds thinner and more vintage
they don't sound that different to me, and i think the rebel yell was supposed to be the holy diver

[PhilKing]

The Rebel Yell is not bright!  It has more high mid range than the Holy Diver but that translates to great harmonic feedback and a nice presence in the mix.  Listen to Steve Stevens clip and you should hear the sound.  

The holy diver is an 80's poodle rock sound.  More bass than the RY, yes, but not a huge amount.  Think more Richie Sambora, Neil Geraldo, and the early LA metal bands.

I have both pickups, the RY's in a PRS Standard and the Holy Diver in the bridge on a superstrat.  I think overall the RY is more versatile, it cleans up really well and in the PRS splits can get close to Fender sounding.

[Simon D]

Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated.

I've ended up going for the Holy Divers - had a listen to as many clips of each as I could find, and preferred the tone on the majority of HD clips.

Cheers,
Si

[TwilightOdyssey]

The holy diver is an 80's poodle rock sound.  

I don't know what that's supposed to mean. And if you are implying what I think you are, I would tend to disagree.

[hunter]

PhilKing is surely right with the cleaning up of the RY. But I have an SE SC myself and it can use some lowend punch, as it's a bit lacking in those frequency ranges. So I guess you went for a good choice with the HD (was Tim's recommendation to me, but I went for VHIIs instead) as it will compensate the weaknesses of the SE and enhance its strengths of nice resonance and rich mid/treb ranges.

[Simon D]

But I have an SE SC myself and it can use some lowend punch, as it's a bit lacking in those frequency ranges. So I guess you went for a good choice with the HD (was Tim's recommendation to me, but I went for VHIIs instead) as it will compensate the weaknesses of the SE and enhance its strengths of nice resonance and rich mid/treb ranges.

That's exactly what I've found with my SC too - lacking natural lowend, especially with the stock bridge pickup. Stock neck has a little more bass to it, but tends (to my ears) to get a little mushy down the low end of the fretboard.

I read a post of yours in another thread which said Tim had recommended the HDs for the SC, which is what got me considering them more strongly.