Help me choosing PU for Downtuned Heavy Rock (Tool, Chevelle, Deftones)

[SynFactory]

Hi guys, Paolo from Italy here, glad to join your community.
As stated in the subject, I would like to have some advice choosing the right humbuckers.
I have an SG Standard from 2001 and an Axe Fx.
I play in Drop C, in a style similar to Tool, Chevelle, Deftones, etc.
Tim already told me to choose between the Ceramic Warpig or Nailbomb in the Bridge Position, but I have no idea of what to put in the neck position...
Hope you guys can help me, thanks in advance!
Paolo

[ericsabbath]

I'd usually recommend a holy diver if it was a les paul, but I just moved a cold sweat into my main les paul custom (which is kinda muffled) and I'm loving them for those stuff (over the nailbomb set and a motor city afwayu/2nd degree black belt set I had in the same guitar), specially in drop C

how does your sg sound stock?
SGs usually have less treble than maple top les pauls
I would probably try the miracle man
my bandmate has a miracle man set in a set neck mahogany Cort KX1, and his tone is always great for those styles

[SynFactory]

Hi, stock pickups are 498R and 498T. They sound good in standard tuning, but not so well downtuned.
The bass response is really muffled and Palm Muting is quite impossible on that.
The high end is not so smooth, it's really acid-sounding.
I really hate those pickups, I had a LP Supreme with the same pickups, and it was the same. Very thin and not so tight in the low end.
So your advice is a set of Miracle Man or Warpig in the bridge and Miracle Man in the neck position?
Thanks

[BigK]

Miracle man the whole way! I've got a set in my ec-1000 (which wood/construction wise is basically an SG that has been shaped like a Les Paul). and It kicks ass for everything chevelle/tool/deftones although I do recommend a holy diver neck as the miracle man neck can be rather dark and the holy diver neck is simply awesome!

[ericsabbath]

So your advice is a set of Miracle Man or Warpig in the bridge and Miracle Man in the neck position?

definitely miracle man for the bridge
I don't have much experience with neck models on SGs, but the cold sweat neck pretty worked well in the Faded SG I had

[Axe Palace]

Hi guys, Paolo from Italy here, glad to join your community.
As stated in the subject, I would like to have some advice choosing the right humbuckers.
I have an SG Standard from 2001 and an Axe Fx.
I play in Drop C, in a style similar to Tool, Chevelle, Deftones, etc.
Tim already told me to choose between the Ceramic Warpig or Nailbomb in the Bridge Position, but I have no idea of what to put in the neck position...
Hope you guys can help me, thanks in advance!
Paolo

The Holydiver is like a Seymour Duncan JB only exponentially better. Condering Adam Jones of Tool, Stephen Carpenter of the Deftones, etc have used those pickups extensively throughout their career, I'd say that would be a good bet. And yes I know Steph uses EMGs now but if you're a fan of that sound on 'Around the Fur' the JB would suit you well.

[ericsabbath]

the Holy Diver is one of my favorite BKP models, along with the CS and RR, but it sounds awful in SGs, in my experience (compared to the same HD in a proper guitar, of course)
lots of lead tone smoothness, but the rhythms got muffled and dead, unlike the two les pauls I had it installed (one of the les pauls was really bass heavy and dark and still was a great match)

I remember dheim had exactly the same experience as me

Tim himself recommended ceramics or lower output alnico models for my SG
I should have listened to him

[Axe Palace]

the Holy Diver is one of my favorite BKP models, along with the CS and RR, but it sounds awful in SGs, in my experience (compared to the same HD in a proper guitar, of course)
lots of lead tone smoothness, but the rhythms got muffled and dead, unlike the two les pauls I had it installed (one of the les pauls was really bass heavy and dark and still was a great match)

I remember dheim had exactly the same experience as me

Tim himself recommended ceramics or lower output alnico models for my SG
I should have listened to him

I agree with you, I wouldn't use a Holydiver in an SG myself. I would definitely use a ceramic or very tight alnico such as the Rebel Yell. However that dark tone is a big part of the sound guys like Adam Jones like, so I figured maybe he'd like that. Certainly if you're after a tight, crisp, brighter sound in an all mahogany guitar such an SG for hard rock/metal, I would go with the Cold Sweat, Miracle Man, Painkiller, Aftermath, etc. The ceramic Warpig sounds great in guitars like that too. It has that huge thick meaty sound but is still very tight and defined on the lower registers.

[SynFactory]

Thanks for the help guys, based on that, I think that I will go for a set of Bridge Ceramic Miracle Man and a Neck Ceramic Cold Sweat. I've read a lot of great reviews also on the Holy Diver and the Warpig...well I think that I have to take a Les Paul in the near future :D
Thanks again!

[D4niel]

The neck model of the CS is an alnico one, not ceramic!
But still a PERFECT choice for the tone you need, believe me :)

[SynFactory]

Hey guys, after some months I buyed a 2002 Prs Singlecut and I want to change the pickups.

In my SG I ended up with a Miracle Man in the bridge and a Cold Sweat in the neck.

I loved the CS in the neck, and I'm planning to buy it also for the SC.
What about the Bridge?

Holydiver or Aftermath?
Thanks in advance!
Paolo

[darkbluemurder]

Hey guys, after some months I buyed a 2002 Prs Singlecut and I want to change the pickups.

I loved the CS in the neck, and I'm planning to buy it also for the SC.

Good choice, Paolo. It will be a definite upgrade from that dull and lackluster (IMHO of course) PRS #7 Bass pickup.

What about the Bridge? Holydiver or Aftermath?

I love the Holydiver and it is a great match to the CS neck. But for your styles and tuning the Aftermath will most likely work better. Both will have far more output than the rather tame PRS #7 Treble pickup.

Cheers Stephan

[Nolly]

Hey guys, after some months I buyed a 2002 Prs Singlecut and I want to change the pickups.

In my SG I ended up with a Miracle Man in the bridge and a Cold Sweat in the neck.

I loved the CS in the neck, and I'm planning to buy it also for the SC.
What about the Bridge?

Holydiver or Aftermath?
Thanks in advance!
Paolo

I think your needs would be best served by a Nailbomb in the bridge, presuming your MO is the same as in the original post