BK for seven string (metal)

[KlogW]

Hi all,

I want to change the bridge pickup on my Ibanez S7320 (7-string, mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard) but I don't know which BK will suite me better. I want a fat metal sound, with tight bass response, chunky palm mutes and articulation for fast death metal riffs, with a modern vibe but still organic. I'm also a big fan of weird chords with tons of distortion, so string clarity will be appreciated. If all the above can be matched with a good clean-jazzy tone it will be simply amazing, but my main concern is the brutal metal sound.

Warpigs seem to me like the best choice, but I fear they can get muddy in 7string, especially being the S7 a quite dark guitar. Are they clear enough? Maybe a Nailbomb or a Miracle Man? I'm really lost, any suggestions?


Thanks.

[Jonny]

Warpig? Muddy? That does not follow the way of the Tim.

(OK, in other words. I don't think the Warpig is muddy, and for a tight bass response, the Warpig would be top dog for it)

[ericsabbath]

my friend has a 7-string Ibanez with a brazilian mahogany custom made body
he plays industrial thrash (think a cross between Korzus (Brazil), Fear Factory, The Haunted and Meshuggah) and uses a Rocktron Piranha + Mesa 50/50
he tried an alnico warpig set but it didn't sound as he expected (not muddy, but it lacked tightness compared to his gibson 500t in another similar guitar)
then he swapped the bridge warpig for a painkiller
now it sounds tight as hell
soudns very close to the gibson 500t/duncan distortion, but it's a lot clearer then both (which are a bit muddy)
i'm sure you won't be disappointed

a ceramic nailbomb would be cool too
the miracle man is more focused and less middy
i'd recommned it if you had a bigger guitar, like a gibson les paul or explorer

[AdamB]

Ceramic warpig?

[MDV]

Your candidates are:

Pig: The least tight of this selection but a very tight pickup in the grand scheme of things (like, tighter than most aftermarket and pretty much all stock ceramics. Lots of low end, but not overbearing, huge sounding, with grinding mids, smooth high end. Fairly compressed, but not as much as its gain level would normally have. Backs off very well and has a good clean (NOT a good clean "for a metal pickup", but an actual good clean)

C-Pig. Same overall ballance but tighter and sharper. It screams and it hammers and its clear as a bell all the time and its my absolute favourite pickup. Cleans and backing off suffer a little, but are still suprisingly good.

Note on the pigs: they come with double screw pole, so you neednt worry about mud: you can eq the pickup very easily to be ultra-bassy or ultra-trebly. You can get that option on all BKs, too (as I do: all my bridge pickups are double screw pole for this reason, I dont know how I coped without it).

Painkiller: I think this is the tighest BK, and its got A LOT of mid grind and penetration. Very cool for odd chords (which I too abuse regularly, but mostly on the c-pig). Balanced highs, quite non-compressed, but really powerfull due to meaty wind with huge magnet. Pretty organic, good cleans "for a metal pickup", backs off very well, though.

Miracle man: Tight bass, smooth mids, lots of sizzling top end. Highest resonant peak of the bunch, I think. Leads sing on it, and its the most articulate and clearest for that. Lots of low mids and bass too, though: its still capable of lots of heaviness. Despite its intermediate DCR, its the least aggressive sounding of these pickups, I think, because of its EQing: the pig and PK wind have more mids so push a bit harder. Least organic of the bunch. Least tamable, too. Its got an OK clean, but it doesnt back off as well as the others.

Personally, for what you've said about the style and guitar, I'd go double screw pole painkiller.

[KlogW]

Thank you guys, especially MDV, I found your post very useful, but damn, now I think I want every pickup you named :D So, the double screw pole seems to be an amazing feature. Are there any additional costs when ordering them?

For what you all have said, I'm now between the pig or the painkiller, but isn't the PK more "80ish"? I can't remember if I read this searching the forum or it's just what the name suggests me.

And, although I started the thread asking about bridge PUs, I'm GASing now about neck ones as well. I'm pretty happy with my Air Norton-7, but I heard some neck clips here and I love them. So, wich pickup for this smooth, warm, beatiful singing-like neck soloing?

Thanks again,
K.

[Transcend]

Thank you guys, especially MDV, I found your post very useful, but damn, now I think I want every pickup you named :D So, the double screw pole seems to be an amazing feature. Are there any additional costs when ordering them?

For what you all have said, I'm now between the pig or the painkiller, but isn't the PK more "80ish"? I can't remember if I read this searching the forum or it's just what the name suggests me.

And, although I started the thread asking about bridge PUs, I'm GASing now about neck ones as well. I'm pretty happy with my Air Norton-7, but I heard some neck clips here and I love them. So, wich pickup for this smooth, warm, beatiful singing-like neck soloing?

Thanks again,
K.

Cold sweat neck or miracle man neck.

Theyre quite similar but i believe the mM neck is hotter and more fluid sounding whilst the CS has a tad less ouput biut is still fluid tight and has amazing cleans

I cant comment on the cleans of the MM neck as ive never heard any samples

[temps]

Convenient timing for this question... I just ordered a new pickup for my S7320 as well. I settled on the Nailbomb myself.

[bobthemerciful]

Pig!!!! I have one, mud is not in its vocabulary? Mines's an alnico one, and as MDV said its got a good clean as well as crushing well defined bass. If I sold the guitar (which I won't) I'd keep the pickup. One of the few guitar-related things I've bought which vastly exceeded my expectations, and I did try a six string one in my friends SG prior to ordering. The clip in my sig's played with it, recorded it so my mate could hear what it sounded like once I'd got it in. (was drunk and tired tho  :? )

[opprobrium_9]

Note on the pigs: they come with double screw pole, so you neednt worry about mud: you can eq the pickup very easily to be ultra-bassy or ultra-trebly. You can get that option on all BKs, too (as I do: all my bridge pickups are double screw pole for this reason, I dont know how I coped without it).

You can get any pickup with double screwpoles?

[Lazy_McDoesnothing]

Yep.  Just put it in the comment box or call it in.  It costs a bit extra though.

[MDV]

Note on the pigs: they come with double screw pole, so you neednt worry about mud: you can eq the pickup very easily to be ultra-bassy or ultra-trebly. You can get that option on all BKs, too (as I do: all my bridge pickups are double screw pole for this reason, I dont know how I coped without it).

You can get any pickup with double screwpoles?

Yep.

I've got the usual DSP Pig and C-Pig, but my painkiller and miracle man bridge are DPS too. I've also had a DSP nailbomb

I asked, tim cheerily said "No problem". He does give a caveat with the heavier pickups "get seriously thick". That, strangely, didnt put me off  :twisted:

I'm sure it doesnt cost more. I dont really pay attention to the cost: I get the sound I want and sometimes the look I want, but I'm sure if the cost increase is there, its marginal.

[Krucifier]

Seriousy thick? Could you please elaborate! Thick as in saturation?

[Nolly]

Thick as in more bass response.

I spoke with Tim about a double screw Painkiller yesterday, and he advised against it, saying it would have far more bass than it needs. At this point I know MDV will say they are tuneaeble by adjusting the pole height, and I'm sure he's right, but I think it's worth at least getting Tim's opinion.

[MDV]

The pickups overall height, too.

What guitar was it going in, Nolly?