Holy Diver Bridge PU issues

[metalmaniac93]

Maybe it is just me, but I cannot seem to get a good metal rhythm tone out of these especially when playing power chords and riffs.  The leads sound wonderful, but the bass strings seem to sound like they have a blanket over them when playing metal chords/riffs.  I do not get it since I have these in an already bright guitar (Carvin Alder/Maple Neck Bolt) and play though an Engl Savage which is agressive with some nice high end in its own right?  Some people say they can get AIC like tones, but I cannot even get that through any of my amps!!!   Could it be too much low-mids or bass from the PU? 

[darkbluemurder]

The Holydiver has lots of bass and low mids. Since you like it for leads your best option is to use a treble booster or tubescreamer for the rhythm parts. That would shift the relative balance of bass and treble frequencies and make things tighter in the low end. Brightness can then be controlled through the amp's controls.

Cheers Stephan

[metalmaniac93]

Stephan, thanks!!! Never thought I would ever need a tube screamer for an Engl, but I do have that and the Aldrich Rocket Fuel. I will give it a try.

[metalmaniac93]

Stephan, how would the A-Nailbombs compare?  Would they get a good lead sound that is not too harsh?

[DvE]

I use a Maxon OD808 to make it tighter and this helps a lot.
Otherwise I miss the chunk for metal-riffs ;-)

[Madsakre]

try and raise the bass side a little. my miracle man is about 3-4mm away from the bass string and it works very well.

[ElectricTurkey4369]

I have a holydiver in my Les Paul and it sounds great for rhythm tones. Like Stephan said, a boost is definitley needed. I HAVE to use a boost. Also, try playing with height. Mine is set pretty low around 4-5mm

[ericsabbath]

the diver doesn't have a lot of bass
it's pretty much average compared to other BKP's in the same guitars
it's just middy

getting it closer to the strings will increase the bass response, not tame it
but it also increases the picking response

an ENGL won't do AiC, anyway
very different texture

sounds like you're having the same experience I had with the diver in a Gibson SG
it was wonderful for leads, but it was quite weak and very muffled for rhythms, unlike the 3 les pauls I had the diver

the black dog was quite muffled in my les paul, until I brought it very close to the strings

[Alex]

A couple of thoughts on this

- the Holy Diver doesn't compare to the Miracle Man, the MM is in a different league when it comes to low end definition
- raising the HD on the bass side might help, but I also struggle a bit with the problem that metalmaniac describes. I don't run a tone pot on that guitar and it helps keep things a bit "fresher".
- the NB isn't as fluid on the top end, but better defined on the low end IMO; it's not as fat souding as the HD, however
- I always feel the HD is more a "rock/hard rock" kind of pickup, whereas the NB is more a "hard rock/metal" pickup and the MM is clearly "metal" all over.

Now I'm starting to really miss the Miracle Man!  :(

[metalmaniac93]

Thanks everyone for your responses.  I will try everything everyone recommended, but I hope I do not have to replace it since I love the lead tones.  Some of the best I have heard from a pickup.  As far as the AIC stuff, I do have a Bogner XTC and Shiva and I have similar problems with the HD.  I know the Engl is a different beast, but I can get some AIC like tones out of it with other guitars.   Any other pickup recommendations will be helpful and maybe a suggestion on a good treble booster?   I do have an Analog Man modified Tube Screamer and the Majik Box Rocket Fuel I could try.

[darkbluemurder]

The Analog Man modified TS should get you there.

Cheers Stephan

[metalmaniac93]

Well, I used the Analog Man Tube Screamer and the Majik Box Doug Aldrich Rocket Fuel and it helped at little.  Still a little too much bass and mids, but it is manageable. I might replace the HD bridge with something else  or sell the whole set in the near future.  I cannot believe I have my treble all the way up on the Engl Savage and it still does not get an open tone.  I just do not get it?  I have had this amp for a very long time and many guitars/pickup combos and it never sounded like this. 

[Transcend]

Just a thought but did you change from actives?

if so are you 100% sure that you are using 500k pots?

i had similar problems with a nailbomb because of this but even after sorting it it wasnt for me

I've found ceramic pickups are the way to go for tight metal tones unless you are using a modeller

[metalmaniac93]

No, I did not use active PUs in this guitar.  They were the stock PUs (Alnico V) @ about 13K and I believe they are 500K pots.  I will keep searching until I find the right one.  So what didnt you like about the Nailbomb.  I was thinking of getting that for the ESP NTII that I have on order.  Actually a A-bomb bridge and a CS neck.   I am not a huge fan of cermanic PUs, but I have heard good things about the MMs.

[metalmaniac93]

All I do know is that the HD bridge nails the later George Lynch lead tone and he is one of my favs and early influences.  I guess I was looking for a little bit less mids to balance it out for my style of playing.