I have an ESP Horizon nt-ii loaded with the factory SD JB/'59 passive pickup set. I play though a 6505+ into a Peavey cab reloaded with Eminence Texas Heat/Swamp Thangs. I play primarily in Drop-C tuning. I'm musically interested in Scar Symmetry, Textures, Soilwork...
I'm looking for a high-output pickup that works great in high-gain applications, but will clean up nicely. I want the sheer output of an active, but something less compressed. The factory SD JB is not quite high-gain enough for my style of music, and the 59 (while good for clean and slightly overdriven) is a mess under high-gain soloing situations.
So finally the question! Directed to you guys who have played these pickups out in the real world...
For playing metal with plenty of stop/start, palm muted riffing, what Bare Knuckle would you recommend for both the neck and bridge positions? Alnico or Ceramic?
~Thank you