BC Rich NJ Series Ironbird recommendation

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Greetings everyone

I have recently acquired a mid 80s BC Rich NJ Series Ironbird, it has some pickups installed which I want to replace (the bridge p/u is a schaller rail humbucker, and the neck is some sort of dimarzio).  After raising the bridge pickup a bit, it does have a nice bite, but not enough definition.  Tonewoods are mahogany body/neck, rosewood fingerboard with a kahler tremelo.  Amp set up is a Kemper Profiling Amp / QSC PLD 4.2 power amp going through a pair of emperor oversized 4x12s with weber speakers.  Amp is boosted with a protone misha mansoor od pedal.  Playing through the current pickups, this isn't the darkest sounding mahogany ive heard.

Application:  I will be using this guitar for my band sub-zero, which is a metal/hardcore hybrid that tunes to straight D and drop C.  Tonal references: A modernized crossover / thrash sound, similar to Carnivore, Leeway, SOD, Testament, Exodus, early Poison Idea, Negative Approach and Black Flag.  Some cleaner passages, along with a few solos here and there.  I'd like a nice, round and burly low end that doesn't get too muddy sounding.  Clarity and definition is a must.

Based on the data, I'm leaning towards:

a) Holy Diver bridge / Cold Sweat neck (will the holy diver have the right amount of saturation?)
b) Ceramic Nailbomb bridge / Cold Sweat neck (will this have too much high end bite?)

I have the following pickups that I should consider (of course i'd like to try something new - haha)
a) Painkiller bridge (im thinking that this pickup will not have enough low end)
b) Ceramic Warpig bridge (this may be overkill for the application, also, this is not the most dynamic sounding pickup)

Are there other options I should be considering?  The juggernaut sounds promising, the concept of having 2 types of magnets is intriguing, but im not a djent fan or player.  Many thanks in advance!!!!!

[Kiichi]

Firstly, how dark is it acoustically? What it does sound like through the current pickups in regards to darkness does not say too much.

I honestly got to say that I am not too familiar with most of your reference bands. I know Black Flag, Testament, and Exodus....that is kinda it I think.

Going from that, the options you cite can work. However, I must throw an oddball into the ring. When I hear modernized crossover / trash, with a Kemper, and mahogany, clarity, definition, and down tuned....well  I can not help but mention the Rebel Yell. It is kind of the other side of the Holy Diver coin. If you are on the medium or dark side of mahogany and tuned down that can sure get you something that is, in essence, a modernized sound. Classic tone faithfully brought into the modern area. Tight and clear, the voicing dealing very well with the tuning, and a whide range of rocking sounds.

I might go so far as to say that it is among the savest choices here. For the Exodus and such you might want a bit ceramic, but for Black Flag and such alnico rules far as I recall. The RY should do it all with the setup you have.

So at least consider that imho. =)

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many thanks!! i have a rebel yell 7 waiting to be installed in an ibanez rg7621, which will be tuned to straight A#, so your recommendation isn't coming out of left field. hahaha. the mahogany in the ironbird is very light, and isn't on the dark side.  the current schaller (rail pickup) has nice bite, but sounds a little thin and raspy, i think she needs a little low end push to give the tone some more beef.  i think i'll finally bite the bullet today, so i may have to flip a coin.

its a battle between the holy diver bridge, or the rebel yell.  im heavily leaning towards the cold sweat in the neck.   

[Dave Sloven]

For those sounds I would recommend an alnico Nailbomb, especially for Poison Idea, Negative Approach, and Black Flag.

As a compromise for the more scooped thrash sounds maybe the ceramic Nailbomb.  Rebel Yell could also be a good bridge pickup choice if the guitar has a lot of bottom end already

For the neck I would either go for a Nailbomb or a Rebel Yell.

The Cold Sweat neck doesn't have a lot of top end bite.  If you are looking at the sound charts remember that they are all for the BRIDGE pickups.  There are only sound clips for the neck

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just realized that the nailbomb was named after that supergroup from the 90s. that may prompt me to get it instantly, hahahaha. many thanks for the feedback, i know i do have to compromise a bit (from the alnico vs ceramic magnet perspective), which is why i threw the juggernaut in the mix since it could possibly do both, but from judging from the clips online, its not for me.

i'll post again once I've made my final decision.

[ericsabbath]

 Ceramic Nailbomb bridge / Cold Sweat neck sounds like a win

you could consider the miracle man as well

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many thanks fellas!! i went for the nailbomb set (with the ceramic bridge option) with black battleworn covers.  now the waiting begins, haha.