Opinions on pickup replacement for 2 guitars

[jc986]

Hi all,

I've been lurking on this forum for quite some time.  Lots of great info here.  I've finally decided that I'm going to make the jump to BKP in 2 of my guitars, and wanted to get some input on which models might be the best fit. 

1st guitar: Jackson SL2H (Maple neck through, Alder wings, Ebony fretboard)

This guitar is usually tuned to C standard, and primarily used for metal ranging from old school Metallica to more modern metal in the vein of DevilDriver, Chimaira, Arch Enemy.

Currently it has the stock pickups (Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge, '59 in the neck).  I'm pretty happy with the '59 in the neck (although I think I want to replace it with a BKP anyway), but the JB leaves a lot to be desired.  It isn't as tight as I'd like and I would like more clarity and less "honk".  I was considering the Ceramic Warpig for the bridge.  I also emailed BKP and Ben agreed the C-Pig would be a good match, and also recommended the Painkiller set for a crisper, brighter option.

I primarily use the neck pickup for cleans, and sometimes for soloing, so I'm open to suggestions here.

2nd guitar: PRS Singlecut (Mahogany body and neck, Rosewood fretboard, Flame Maple top)

This guitar is normally played 1/2 step down or D standard.  I play mostly the same types of music on this guitar, but like to be able to play more classic rock stuff as well.  Currently it has the stock PRS #7 pickups.  They sound great, and I plan to leave the neck pickup alone as I have no complaints there.  I am looking for a bridge pickup that has a little higher output and sounds thicker and heavier.  I was thinking that the Black Dog would be a good fit here.  From the clips on the website it seems like quite a versatile pickup, which is exactly what I'm looking for in this guitar.  Also,  it doesn't seem to be such high output that it wouldn't mix well with the PRS #7 in the neck.  Open to any and all suggestions here as well.

Sorry for the wall of text, but thanks in advance for your input!

Jon

[ericsabbath]

miracle man for the jackson
maybe a holy diver

black dog or vhII for the PRS
the vhII being punchier, bassier and more focused
black dog has thicker mids and sounds smoother

[jc986]

Thanks for the input.

I wouldn't have thought to consider the VHII, mostly because metal isn't listed as one of the recommended applications and the majority of the clips I've heard of it were Van Halen covers.

Interesting that you mention the VHII is bassier than the Black Dog.  The EQ curve for the Black Dog lists the bass as being higher.  My PRS does sound pretty bright unplugged, so a pickup with strong bass wouldn't be a bad thing.

The Miracle Man sounds like it would be a pretty good match for my SL2H.  For the neck would you go with the matching Miracle Man neck pickup?

[jc986]

So any opinion on the Miracle Man in the neck position of my SL2H?  I'm also a little concerned about the Miracle Man being a little too bright for a Maple/Alder guitar.  Wasn't it designed around a Les Paul? 

[ericsabbath]

well, it seems to be one of the favorites for the neck thru jacksons
never played a MM in a jackson myself
the miracle man is treble heavy, but definitely not a bright voiced pickup

funny you mentioning your singlecut is bright
I bought my vhII's from a friend that had it in a singlecut
it had dimarzio 36th pafs when I tested it, and it was darkish and quite bass heavy
he said the vhII was too bassy in it as well, and he also had a black dog and cold sweats in it
my mccarties were brightish, but didn't lack any bass
the vhII doesn't really sound like van halen, in my opinion, although some people can nail it with the proper setup
it's actually one of the most metal sounding bkp models I've played
it has a VERY punchy, focused and articulate tone
something like a riff raff x cold sweat breed
it has the classic vibe and articulation, but some modern aggressive edge

[darkbluemurder]

I guess you have already seen this thread where I reviewed the Black Dogs:

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=29239.msg379989#msg379989

Completely different than the PRS #7 IMHO. Not much more output but a lot more open sounding.

Cheers Stephan