Most defined and articulate pickup

[Hybrid_Child]

Ok I'm looking for a pickup to replace the SD Invader currently sitting in the bridge position of my ESP Horizon. I recently lended a Tokai Les Paul copy from a friend, and it had a BK Painkiller i the bridge and I really liked it. The clairity and definition was incredible. And when I took it to band practice I thought I could hear myself more clearly than usual. So it seems a very cutting pickup as well.

What I wasn't satisfied with in the painkiller was the amount of output. I'd prefer a little more bite and chunk. And I wouldn't mind it being a bit brighter as well.

So the question is. What pickup would be the choice if what I'm looking for is something as clear and defined and cutting as posible, but still with relatively high output.

I'm playing in an Opeth cover band, so that's the style I play. But I wouldn't say that I'm in any way trying to copy their sound.

Anyway. The Painkiller and Holy Diver seems to be the most fitting choices.

Thanks in advance for you advice.

[DimeZakk]

Get and overwound Painkiller if you liked the sound but brighter and with more output!

[MDV]

C-Pig

Very nearly as tight, not quite as articulate, the mids are more compressed, but its plenty clear and has 2 extra spoons of br00tal.

[Nolly]

Interesting. The Painkiller is one of the brightest and highest output BKPs, perhaps you could get the sound you want by nudging the gain up a bit further on your amp and/or by playing with the pickup height a tad. You could have Tim wind up a hottened up PK, but it will darken the pickup's sound.
If you definitely don't want to get the PK, that doesn't leave you with many hotter pickups in the range. You could either go for the Miracle Man, which has the most cutting high end of the BKPs, but foregoes the upper-mid emphasis of the PK, instead having very prominent lower-mids. It's a bit hotter and more compressed than the PK, but perhaps not quite as clear (though this is all relative - any BKP is going to be 100x clearer than the Invader you currently use).
You could also look into a ceramic Warpig, which will give you a comparable output to what you're used to, but with far more clarity and articulation than normal for such a hot pickup. It is significantly darker and more compressed than the PK though, so might not give you quite the "bite" you're looking for, though it does have the more cutting highs you get from a ceramic magnet.
Finally, the Cold Sweat is extremely defined and articulate, as well as having shedloads of bite. It is, however, lower output than the PK, but perhaps with some EQ and gain tweaking you'd find a sound you're happier with.

Finally, and this is a major point, you've not tried the PK in your own guitar yet - you may well find it to be brighter in your ESP than in the Tokai.

[dheim]

AND, if i played Opeth (and i do sometimes) i wouldn't use such a tight and modern pickup, but something way more vintagey or at least less aggressive (mind that every BKP is very articulate, so if you want clarity you'll have it, whatever your choice will be!)

[Hybrid_Child]

Thanks for the inputs everyone.

I'm quite surprised that the Painkiller is one of the hottest BK pickups. I get shiteloads of chunk from the Invader where the PK almost sounds tame next to it. I guess that's the price for clairity.  :P

Nolly: Yes you're right. The Horizon is probably more bright than the Tokai. After all it's got a neck-thru maple neck.

The Cold Sweat sounds interresting, since I'm really after as much clairity as possible. How is it voiced compared to the Painkiller?

[ericsabbath]

the miracle man has more chunk, bite and a brighter top than the painkiller
but you have a horizon, so I think you'll be happier with the c-pig

I had the MM, PK and I prefer the cold sweat, but it's not as high output and it's thinner sounding than both
I personally like it way better than both, cause it sounds like a MM x PK crossover with less output and a warmer response
compared to the painkiller, it has less mids, the bass is similar, the mids aren't that strong but have a bit more crunch, the high end is a bit brighter
the output is high, but not extreme
less thana  duncan distortion, more than a duncan custom
the miracle man a huge amount of bass, but less mids than the cold sweat, so it's sounds more punchy, dense and focused, not really "fat" and the highs are more piercing
it's like a baseball bat with a huge spike nailed to the tip

[Hybrid_Child]

Ok... I could also try and ask like this.

What pickup would you suggest for chord strumming at hi gain settings and still having all the notes ringing out clearly?  (That's what I mean with clairity) But still with a decent amount of output for the metal riffs?

[CJ]

I'm quite surprised that the Painkiller is one of the hottest BK pickups. I get shiteeloads of chunk from the Invader where the PK almost sounds tame next to it. I guess that's the price for clairity.  :P

\

i'd have to think it only appears there's an output difference from the differences in guitars possibly. i don't know how much output the invader has, but i highly doubt it has more, or at least, much more output difference than the painkiller.

i'd also recommend a painkiller, or maybe a ceramic nailbomb perhaps?

[Nolly]

Ok... I could also try and ask like this.

What pickup would you suggest for chord strumming at hi gain settings and still having all the notes ringing out clearly?  (That's what I mean with clairity) But still with a decent amount of output for the metal riffs?

Note definition under gain is the Cold Sweat's party piece.

As Eric says, the Cold Sweat has the most balanced mids of the contemporary BKPs. It really lets the character of the woods come through as well, so you should get a brighter sound than you had with the Tokai/PK combo. I think it'd be an excellent choice for you.
You may as well save yourself a few quid and get a calibrated set while you're at it, I imagine you'll be wanting a neck BKP straight away once you've heard the bridge one.

[Doadman]

I found the Cold Sweat to be a far more organic sound than the Miracle Man, which always sounds very metallic and cutting to me. In terms of tone, think of a Gibson Les Paul being pushed hard; very like John Sykes playing the song Cold Sweat actually only it's even better. As for the Cold Sweat neck pickup, it's just brilliant.

[ericsabbath]

wow, mr. spawn is back from hell!
long time, huh?

:D

[Hybrid_Child]

The Cold Sweat sounds like it's the way to go for the bridge. I don't know about having one in the neck as well though.

This may sound odd, but the most important thing in a neck pickup for me is that it sounds good for clean stuff when coil split. I normally use the bridge pickup for leads anyway. So what I need from a neck pickup is basicly a very balanced sound that hasn't got too much output and punch. The closer the sound of an acoustic guitar the better basicly.

What do you suggest?

And again thanks alot everyone for taking the time to advice me here.

[MDV]

I'd get a cold sweat neck then.

One of my clips has it split in the neck on a clean tone panned either left or right (I forget which, I think its left).

Here it is

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=13249.0

[Davey]

Ok... I could also try and ask like this.

What pickup would you suggest for chord strumming at hi gain settings and still having all the notes ringing out clearly?  (That's what I mean with clairity)

ANY Bareknuckle :P

But still with a decent amount of output for the metal riffs?

MM, PK, C-WP, CS. even the regular piggie would do you good.

you really cant go wrong with any of them. depends on what sound you're after. if you want more heights, go with the MM, if you want a cutting middy pickup, get the PK, if it's sheer brutality and a very even punchy tone, get a C-WP, for immense clarity and organic tone, the CS and the normal WP is quite like the ceramic version, but a bit more tame and not as tight, though through a laney it gets so close to the opeth tone, it's not even funny
but.. i think you'd be best suited with a cold sweat set