HolyDiver in an all out mahogany seven stringer?

[Kultus]

Hey guys :P

I have a 7 string mahogany guitar, tuned to BDGCFAD. Atm, there's an EMG707 (7string version of their 85 model, which is alnico). I am looking for a pickup that will give me organic tone, but at the same time which will be capable of aggressive tones. I am mainly low mids guy, don't like shrill/tone with plenty highs that much - so I like thick, fat, warm tone, but clear. Anyway, this one night I heard about BKPs over at sevenstring forum, so I payed a visit to BKP site, listened to the clips and all that jazz.

In theory, HolyDiver would be right up my alley, cuz it's recommended for bolt on guitars, and has pretty much the exact eq characteristics which I am searching for (my guitar being all mahogany, so I need plenty low&mid mids, some highs, with bass being the least accented by the pickup). So, would HD be tight enough for mahogany? Is it tighter or at least as tight as emg 85?

I searched numerous threads here, where it's recommended to use boost with HD. Not problem, seeing that I have Bad Monkey pedal (a TS clone) and Peavey 6505.

It's worth noting that I need this pickup for a mix of aggressive stuff (death metal...kinda, at least in sound, intensity and technique) and some really dynamic, ethno/folk with overdrive style stuff, where giving much of the volume dynamics with your picking hand is required, so I figured if I would use a boost pedal, it would be easy to switch it on/off for different needs. That's why HD has caught my eye.

It would also be cool if it cleans up well with the adjusting of vol pot.

Anyway, what's your take on it?

[ericsabbath]

well, people seem to enjoy those 7 string schecters that come with a duncan JB in the bridge
the diver is a much tighter, clearer, more articulate and open sounding pickup
still won't be as tight and no near as hot as the 707, but tight enough and hot enough with the bad monkey

[Alex]

I would not go for it. I have a mahogany guitar, but it has a maple neck and that seems fine, but I also have no tone pot on the guitar and it borders on being a bit "tame". Also, the HD has an even mid range, just in case you have the impression that it's full of low mids. That would probably be the Miracle Man (which is NOT scooped as often said).

well, people seem to enjoy those 7 string schecters that come with a duncan JB in the bridge
the diver is a much tighter, clearer, more articulate and open sounding pickup
still won't be as tight and no near as hot as the 707, but tight enough and hot enough with the bad monkey

I don't know about the 7-string versions, but the JB is tighter than the HD. All the rest is right of course about the HD.

[Kultus]

Thanks both of you!

Alex, I didn't express myself correctly, I see that now. Mahogany by itself has good amount of low mids. I meant that, with pickup (or, sound resulting from mahogany+pickup combo), I want my guitar to have good dose of low mids (which it already has being mahogany), plenty of mids to cut through, but not so much higher mids, and smooth highs.
So I don't need low mid heavy pickup ;)

The reason HD has caught my eye is because it's fat and dynamic, with liquid leads (according to reviews). My only concern is if it's tight enough for more aggressive sound in conjunction with 7 string mahogany neck and body type of guitar, while using TS type of boost pedal in front of a high gain amp.

[Alex]

With a booster and amp EQ there shouldn't be problems. It always easy to cut some bass.

[ericsabbath]

I don't know about the 7-string versions, but the JB is tighter than the HD. All the rest is right of course about the HD.

brighter? yes
tighter? not in my experience

[Slartibartfarst42]

I would have to agree with ERic on this one. The JB is noticeably brighter than the Holydiver but I don't see it as any tighter at all. The JB is a thinner sounding pickup, no tighter at all and far less articulate in the bottom end than the Holydiver. The Holydiver will work well in a Les Paul with standard tuning, especially if it has some brighter woods like ebony and maple involved. My guess would be that it would be fine for what you want but I really wouldn't like to say for sure as I have no experience of how it would behave in that tuning on a 7-string. If the guitar was all mahogany and a rosewood board I guess I'd be a little more hesitant and based on what Tim told me, I'd certainly keep it open poled. A JB may be brighter but it's not as articulate so I'd guess that if a JB works, a Holydiver will.

[Alex]

I exchanged a JB directly with a HD and stand by my opinion. HD better in all respects, but not tighter.

[Slartibartfarst42]

Perhaps it depends on the particular guitars or just how individuals here it as I changed a JB for a Holydiver too. My impression was that it was every bit as tight, if not a shade tighter but perhaps I'm confusing articulation with tightness again  :D

[Telerocker]

Miracle Man will probably do better then the Diver in this guitar.

[Slartibartfarst42]

Good call, the Miracle Man would work well. There's plenty of cut there to get through the mahogany and despite its obvious association with EMGs, I found it to be surprisingly warm and organic. The EQ shows little in the way of Mids but it's not super dark and will give you the mids you want in that guitar.

[kmanick]

I think you really can only use woods as a starting point.
I have a Jackson Sl2H-Mah soloist that is much darker than my BRJ 7 string that has the exact same woods.
it's also a lot darker than the Carvin DC727 I had that was also the same woods but wih a maple board instead of ebony.
Each  guitar will have it's own characteristics.
I started with a Crunchlab in my BRJ 7, then went to an Aftermath, and now I have  JB in there.
For the sound I am looking for the JB has been by far, the closest , so I am now waiting on a Holydiver.
Thru my Mark IV and my 5150 II (which I boost) the JB is plenty tight and gives me a lot of that lower mid tone that I was hoping it would.
If your guitar is not already dark and loose sounding I would try it.
I have a Miracleman in one of my 7620's and I love it , it's got tons of lower mids and would probably work great too, I just have never tried it in Mahogany only in Basswood and in Basswood I really like it.