HSS Music Man Silhouette pickups for Melodic Arena Rock

[AnnunakiMassacr]

I'm really on the fence about this. We started by playing hard rock, but have slowly developed to have a more Melodic Arena Rock kind of sound. Being a single guitar band, it's really important the solos sit on top of the sound, rather than get lost in the mix. As well as having a lot of punch. I wouldn't call our band cluttered. It's basically: Drums, Bass Guitar, Guitar, Keyboard, and Singer. So we all have our own jobs to do, and nobody is trying to drown out anyone else. A good example of our sound is like the band H.E.A.T

Single coil wise ,i really don't know what I'm after. Preferable something that can keep up with the bridge, but also carries it's own weight with clean styles for the ballads.

I have a few contenders, but wanted to see some outside opinions first

[Slartibartfarst42]

Holydiver and Trilogy Suites should be an awesome set in there.

[Telerocker]

Or a tad more vintage: Crawler-bridge paired with two Slowhands.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

I think the Crawler wouldn't cut it for me. It seems to be too focussed towards the lows.

I was considering the Holy Diver. But I had a feeling it might be too smooth for Arena Rock. I don't want mega aggressive, but I neither want too polite. Really want something harmonically rich that has punch. When playing live, it's so easy to get drowned out in the mix with the bass player and the drums.  Looking for something when it comes to guitar solos, I can be heard. If you get what I mean?

[darkbluemurder]

Consider the Rebel Yell as bridge humbucker. Not as much punch in the low end (that's what bass players are for anyway :)) but a very vocal midrange and nice cut on the top end.

Cheers Stephan

[richard]

When the Rebel Yell was being road tested by Steve Stevens he was looking for a pickup that could be heard in a keyboard heavy mix. It depends how bright your guitar is. The RY is best in darker sounding guitars.

[Slartibartfarst42]

The Holydiver will cut through for solos with all those mids but if you want something with a bit 'more' then I'm sure there are a few possibilities.

I would have expected the Rebel Yell to be awfully bright in this guitar but the darker version (A-Bomb) can be very aggressive indeed, especially in brighter guitars like yours. Four alternatives leap to mind as alternatives to the Holydiver:

1) Miracle Man - This is nothing like as scooped as the EQ chart suggests. It's smooth like the Holydiver but the ceramic magnet gives it more cut and the stronger highs mean  the solos really sing. It's surprisingly warm and organic for a ceramic pickup. Would work well with Trilogy Suites.

2) Cold Sweat - Again, not as bright as you might think and it has loads of punch to it without being overpowering. Should work with either Trilogy Suites or Slowhands.

3) Abraxas - Smooth like the Holydiver and extremely versatile. Should be bright enough to cut through well without being too bright for your guitar. There's been a lot of love for the Abraxas on here recently and I think it might surprise you. Would work well with Slowhands.

4) Black Dog - Sometimes described as a brighter, punchier version of the Holydiver so this could be ideal for you. Again, Slowhands should be fine.

[fdesalvo]

Hey, brother.

Don't let the "dark" reviews of the Crawler set you off.  That pickup, while fat, will have no issues cutting through.  It's a plump version of the Abraxas, which would serve you equally well, but with a bit more flexibility.  Think of the Crawler as an idealized version of DiMarzio's Tone Zone, for lack of a better example.  It represents the entire frequency spectrum, but seems to turn everything up to 11 without the TZ's sterile nature and lack of dynamics. 

Just my .02uf.

[Telerocker]

I had a Tonezone and the Crawler is miles ahead of a Dimarzio.

[fdesalvo]

I had a Tonezone and the Crawler is miles ahead of a Dimarzio.

I 'had" one, too, lol.  Didn't last long.    The Crawler would be a great choice for arena rock.  Probably the funnest lead pickup I've ever played.  Crank your amp to 10, hit the delay and reverb pedals, and go!

[Slartibartfarst42]

I think the Crawler wouldn't cut it for me. It seems to be too focussed towards the lows.

I was considering the Holy Diver. But I had a feeling it might be too smooth for Arena Rock. I don't want mega aggressive, but I neither want too polite. Really want something harmonically rich that has punch. When playing live, it's so easy to get drowned out in the mix with the bass player and the drums.  Looking for something when it comes to guitar solos, I can be heard. If you get what I mean?

I certainly wouldn't discount the Crawler. The Holydiver is great and will do what you want but the Crawler is the most versatile and addictive Bare Knuckle bridge pickup I've ever used. The Holydiver is certainly smooth and while there is an element of that with the Crawler, it has a distinct growl to it. It's not a massively aggressive pickup but it certainly isn't polite either. I found it to have more 'attitude' than the Holydiver. As for 'harmonically rich', I can't think of any other BKP that better fits that description. I seriously doubt you'd be disappointed in the Crawler.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Cheers for that :) Gonna order a couple sets on Monday. :)

[Kiichi]

I think the Crawler wouldn't cut it for me. It seems to be too focussed towards the lows.

I was considering the Holy Diver. But I had a feeling it might be too smooth for Arena Rock. I don't want mega aggressive, but I neither want too polite. Really want something harmonically rich that has punch. When playing live, it's so easy to get drowned out in the mix with the bass player and the drums.  Looking for something when it comes to guitar solos, I can be heard. If you get what I mean?

I certainly wouldn't discount the Crawler. The Holydiver is great and will do what you want but the Crawler is the most versatile and addictive Bare Knuckle bridge pickup I've ever used. The Holydiver is certainly smooth and while there is an element of that with the Crawler, it has a distinct growl to it. It's not a massively aggressive pickup but it certainly isn't polite either. I found it to have more 'attitude' than the Holydiver. As for 'harmonically rich', I can't think of any other BKP that better fits that description. I seriously doubt you'd be disappointed in the Crawler.

On harmonically rich I gotta give it a second place to the RY still, but after that you get me, with the third place being close for the MQ. HD is amazing too, but to me perhaps more narrow than the three before. Which is not bad. And it is still versatile as heck, ranging from 80s to 2000s interpretations of a similar idea.