Which pickups for me? Epiphone Prophecy EX Custom

[Anarchia]

Newbie to BKP here, but I'm already convinced they're the best :P I have an Epiphone Prophecy EX Custom, Mahogany body with maple cap, I play lots of different styles of metal, bouncing between '80s vintage (Randy Rhoads, Sabbath, Van Halen), thrash (Megadeth especially) to modern high gain (Pantera, Dream Theater, Avenged) and some odd-ones (Zakk Wylde tone, Yngwie Malmsteen, Marty Friedman, Vai, Satriani).  I occasionally dabble in blues but I'm not too bothered about that.

In particular, I want a new bridge pickup, but if needed, I may replace the neck aswell. I currently have an EMG 85 in the bridge and an 81 in the neck, while I like the neck a lot, the bridge is sterile and lacking. Is there any way I could keep the 85, and have a passive in the bridge?

My main problem with the bridge 85 is that it sounds sterile, is strangely awful for harmonics on this guitar (inb4 your technique sucks), and just lacks any 'punch' to it. So I'd like a pickup that will add a low-end punch to my guitar for palm muting, and will be good for pinch harmonics. I'm thinking the Nailbomb or Miracle Man, but whatever you guys think. Remember, it's got to sound alive, be punchy, and good for harmonics (everything my current guitar isn't)


For the neck, if I choose to replace it, I'd like a pickup that is articulate, with lots of attack for the sweeping runs I play...I very rarely play rhythm on the neck because I don't like the tone, but I'm interested in doing so, in future, so if there's any BK pickup you'd recommend for that, please do :) I don't have much problem with my current neck, in honesty, it has a very nice tone, the only thing I'd say is, it is awful, actually awful for cleans. I try playing cleans on it, and the damn EMG actually distorts them anyway.

Anyway, that about wraps it up, so advice, please :)

[Anarchia]

Oh, and I usually play in either standard or open D.

[Sancho]

I asked the same question for two guitars : a Les Paul Traditional and an Explorer.
The recommendations I got from BKP were Nailbomb for the LP and Cold Sweat for the Explorer.
I ordered the Nailbombs already, I'll let you know how they work out. I'll be tuning down to D.

[Anarchia]

Ah cool, thanks :) Keep me posted.

[darkbluemurder]

Hi and welcome!

It is possible to run passive and active pickups on the same guitar with a bit of rewiring and pot swapping if you want to go that route. But the comments about the clean (or rather not so clean) tone of your neck pickup suggest to me that it's probably not worth it in the long run. Furthermore, that EMG 81 is one of the highest output pickups on the market and designed for the bridge position where string movement is smaller and raw output thus is lower. No wonder it overwhelms the amp in the neck position.

Provided the guitar supports pinch harmonic playing (not every guitar does it) the Miracle Man should fit the bill perfectly. For the neck position the Cold Sweat does it for articulate sweeping (even though I suck at that). Its output is low enough to offer clean tones. As regards tight rhythm playing I personally would not use a neck humbucker for that but if this is important to you you may consider a Riff Raff neck which is described as the brightest of all BKP neck models.

MM b/CS n will also work as a combination. Unfortunately I have no idea how the MM b would combine with the RR neck.

Cheers Stephan

[Telerocker]

Nailbombs cover most of the styles you mention.

[lyonk55]

Which model is it you have: the Les Paul, SG or Futura?

I've got a Miracle Man set in a Prophecy SG and it sounds great for the more modern styles, but something like a Nailbomb might suit here.

[Anarchia]

Sorry, forgot that detail :P It's a Les Paul.

[Roobubba]

I vote Miracle Man here, though the Nailbomb (or even holy diver?) could also suit well. I'd do away with the actives completely to save the hassle of the wiring, quite frankly. BKPs just sound so much more alive :)