Looking for new PUPs... help please :S

[Deaus]

hi, um i recently got a ibanez s520ex (love it) but ive heard that it can be MAJORLY improved to a top quality guitar with some simple pickup changes. So, i dunno even where to start. I like to play alot of trivium, bullet for my valentine, linkinpark, dragonforce (not very well) and kinda metal BEEFY chunky tone. I really like bullets tone and that would be the tone im after acheiving. I had no idea what to even start on other than maybe dimarzios? Emg? duncan seymours? but then i was recomended to here.  I just would really like to know that if going by those bands and sounds im after, if bare knuckles are really for me.  i would like to know IF HONNESTLEY that it would be a good choise to put in bare nuckles and if so, which models would be nice.  The s520 is mahog solid body witha  locking trem.

(btw would be though a marshall dsl 401)

thanks for any help

[Doadman]

THIS is one I know a bit about, having just changed the pups in my Ibanez, mahogany bodied guitar with Inf 1 & 2 as stock pups.

1) Bare Knuckle pups WILL improve the guitar dramatically and I rate those stock pups as pretty decent items.

2) A cutting pup for Metal would be the Miracle Man and that seems to be the favoured choice with many people here. It's not my taste but I'm clearly in the minority.

3) I find the MM to be a little too clinical and artificial sounding for my tastes so I went with Cold Sweats. It still handles masses of distortion, is still very articulate but has a much warmer tone to it - classic Gibson.

4) Based on what Tim told me, don't try to overpower a mahogany guitar so the Warpigs may be too much and avoid something that is too bassy like the Painkiller.

5) Whatever you shove in the bridge, use a Cold Sweat for the neck.

[dave_mc]

welcome- i think i told you to come here from UG!

:drink:

[Deaus]

welcome- i think i told you to come here from UG!

Yeah :D thanks, ne idea of a set up i should get  :P

[ericsabbath]

for trivium tones i'd go with miracle man, holy diver or nailbomb
linkin park uses PRS HFS, so the painkiller would be the closest

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pUIQIzMwHPc

this guy is using a warpig set
i thought it was a miracle man  :?

[Deaus]

well i twas thinking maybe mm's or nailbombs? (more leanng towards mm) but also warpigs :S ne idea which might be better? ALSO bearning in mind im after BIG BEEFY BASS which goes "BOOM!!!!!!"  :shock:  8)

[dave_mc]

welcome- i think i told you to come here from UG!

Yeah :D thanks, ne idea of a set up i should get  :P

nah, i haven't tried enough, to be honest. i just knew you'd get kickass advice over here.

:drink:

[Doadman]

Check with Tim first as his advice is spot on and he certainly warned me away from using a Warpig in my Ibanez. When he suggested that I use a Cold Sweat in the bridge as well as the neck I was VERY wary as it wasn't a pup I'd considered for the bridge and didn't think it would be hot enough yet it turns out to be perfect.

[Sailor Charon]

4) Based on what Tim told me, don't try to overpower a mahogany guitar so the Warpigs may be too much and avoid something that is too bassy like the Painkiller.

Eh? Painkillers are bassy? I thought that they were more noted for their top end, that's why I was considering a combination of Painkiller and Warpig, because I wasn't sure if the Painkiller had enough bass... Just read the description again, while it says 'tight bass' it talks more about mids and highs...

But yes, I was warned off putting Warpigs in my SG...[/b]

[Doadman]

I'm working from memory only as I've now deleted the e-mails that Tim had sent me but I'm sure he said the PK would be a bit bassy in a mahogany guitar, the WP would overpower it, the HD may not be quite as tight as I'd like in mahogany and I just didn't like the MM. That left the CS by a process of deduction in a way but I'd have to say that so far I'm very happy with it. It plays high gain very well but the tone is so rich and warm that it also encourages you to wind down the gain a bit.

If I'm mistaken about the PK I offer my apologies but I'm pretty certain that's what he said.

[Sailor Charon]

I'm working from memory only as I've now deleted the e-mails that Tim had sent me but I'm sure he said the PK would be a bit bassy in a mahogany guitar, the WP would overpower it, the HD may not be quite as tight as I'd like in mahogany and I just didn't like the MM. That left the CS by a process of deduction in a way but I'd have to say that so far I'm very happy with it. It plays high gain very well but the tone is so rich and warm that it also encourages you to wind down the gain a bit.

If I'm mistaken about the PK I offer my apologies but I'm pretty certain that's what he said.

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just asking really. I'm currently looking for some more extreme pickups for a Les Paul Standard - yes, I was meaning to get an SG3, but I tried the LP and liked it - nice 60s neck. Anyway I was thinking of either a pair of Painkillers or a Painkiller and a Warpig (though not sure which way round...) If Painkillers can do bass, then I'm more inclined to not having a Warpig...

Edit: Hmmm. Having had a quick look, Cold Sweats sound like a very interesting option...

[CJ]

I'm working from memory only as I've now deleted the e-mails that Tim had sent me but I'm sure he said the PK would be a bit bassy in a mahogany guitar, the WP would overpower it, the HD may not be quite as tight as I'd like in mahogany and I just didn't like the MM. That left the CS by a process of deduction in a way but I'd have to say that so far I'm very happy with it. It plays high gain very well but the tone is so rich and warm that it also encourages you to wind down the gain a bit.

If I'm mistaken about the PK I offer my apologies but I'm pretty certain that's what he said.

based on what i told tim, he said a miracle man would be first choice but the painkiller would also suit me well, and this was from my mahogany V.

[Doadman]

As far as the MM is concerned I'd like to make clear that Tim was quite happy to suggest it for me as an excellent pup in my guitar; the problem was totally the fact that I personally just wasn't struck on that pup based on the clip that Tim posted. I thought it had many great features but it simply wasn't what I wanted for the reasons I've already stated. Nevertheless, it is certainly a pup that Tim recommends for a mahogany guitar. As for the PK, I think that his suggestions for V's are slightly different to more conventionally bodied guitars and, of course, your requirements may well have been different to mine - to each his own.

[ericsabbath]

not sure about cold sweat bridge, but i think it's similar to duncan custom
my holy diver sound as tight as my old duncan custom, just less spikey on highs and fuller on center and low mids, and a lot clearer, of course
but it's tighter and a lot thicker than a duncan JB

painkiller has similar voicing and specs of a PRS HFS, duncan distortion or gibson 500t
these are bright pickups, but they all have tight and full bass and tons of upper mids
they sound VERY "ceramic"

[Deaus]

thanks for the help  :)  still have no idea what to do tho  :P   :oops: