oh please advise me :D

[northlane.josh]

hey guys im in a pickle.

I loved the blackouts in my RGT320Q before i took her for a serious bash in the studio. To say I was displeased is an understatement, they sounded mushy. Fuzzy and sloppy in the low end and lacked clarity. Live they sound great, although the cleans leave alot to be desired.

If you aren't familiar with the guitar it is a maple neck through with mahogany wings, rosewood board and quilt maple top, it has an edge pro bridge. It seems to be an exceptionally dark sounding guitar, the mahogany must have been right from the bottom of the tree.

I have painkiller 7/cold sweat 7 set in my Ibanez RG7420 and these were my first BKP's. I really enjoy them in my 7 but i'll need something different for my RGT. I love the way they are so well defined and balanced across all frequencies, and the crisp lows of the painkiller are awesome, but i want something with more output in both positions, and a much more aggressive neck pickup for the RGT.

In the bridge i want something with huge output, massive punchy lows, prominent low mids with a woody texture and a crisp, cutting attack. I play in drop C so it must be well-articulated in low tunings in a dark sounding guitar. Something tonally similar to a blackout without the mush. It can't be too dark in this guitar.

My favorite neck pickup is the dimazio evolution, and I'd like something similar but not as harsh. Bright, tight, well defined lows, smooth without too much attack but still aggressive and hot enough to match the bridge.

I use a MKI 5150 with a mixed quartet of KT88/6L6 in the power section, boosted with a TS808 and through a vintage 30 Marshall cab.

My band will have a new recording out in a week or so, we blended my 5150 & a Framus dragon with guitars equipped with EMG 85's in the bridge. I hate EMG's but the suited the tone we were after best. Pretty much it's killswitch engage "end of heartache" tone with crunchier mids. I'll post a link once i get the mastered copy.

Im guessing i will be after a ceramic warpig bridge and an overwound miracle man neck.

please let me know what you guys think,
Josh

[ericsabbath]

c-pig + pk neck?

[Will]

If you want a MM neck, you wouldn't need it overwound, its powerful, and if a CS neck can keep up with a WP, it will have no problem.

What specifically didn't you like about the EMGs? The Miracle man is to some extent a drop in replacement, but with a passive feel.

[northlane.josh]

hey guys,
thanks so much for the help.

pretty much i don't like the metallic/plastic sounding attack that emg's have, their compression, headroom and sterile feel. I've never really got along with them.

[Antag]

I have painkiller 7/cold sweat 7 set in my Ibanez RG7420 ... but i want something with more output in both positions, and a much more aggressive neck pickup for the RGT.

Im guessing i will be after a ceramic warpig bridge and an overwound miracle man neck.

Yep, if you want more power than the PK bridge, then your choice is pretty much limited to a WP :)

However, I think the Painkiller neck would be a much better bet than the MM.  It's the only Ceramic neck pickup BKP make, it is very aggressive & powerful (almost too powerful for the PK bridge) & I imagine it would match very well with a C-Pig (though I've only had the A-pig so can't comment from first hand experience...)

If you want a MM neck, you wouldn't need it overwound, its powerful

+1

MM neck is pretty darn pokey.  Absolutely no need to overwind.  However, as I said above, I think the PK neck would be a better bet.  The MM neck is very smooth & full sounding which isn't what you asked for...

pretty much i don't like the metallic/plastic sounding attack that emg's have, their compression, headroom and sterile feel. I've never really got along with them.

You won't have that problem with either PK or MM... :)

[Jonny]

Ceramic Warpig for the bridge, no questions asked really.

[ailean]

A PK neck and a C-Pig bridge sound like an awsome combination. I hope your amp is up to it  PDT_003

[CrzHrs]

Once i've asked tim which were the closest pickups to vai's sound (dimarzio evolution) and i was answered Miracle Man.So if you want to replace an evolution.. that is it :)

[northlane.josh]

hey guys I've been out of town so here's my late reply,
im going for a C-pig bridge and neck is between the PK & MM but is probably going to be a MM,

thanks so much for the advice & help, its really appreciated and you fellas are really helpful

[northlane.josh]

ended up grabbing a C-pig calibrated set fellas,
once again thanks, pics & clips when it comes!!