The best pick up for hardcore punk / metal

[itsonlyausername]

I've been having trouble choosing a pick up ever since my current guitars bridge decided to lose power

I want a rise against/leathermouth kinda tone when it comes to power chords as i like that tone im also a metal head too so i do want some nice gain to take a lead.

I was going to go with a phat cat at the neck that 8K output and a holy diver but are bare knuckle pick ups to glam metal ish and i can't tell anything from the tone samples they all sound the same. and seymore duncan tone wizard recommends pick ups i hate like the destorted humbucker the JB is good though but then it's picking a neck plus everyone uses a Jb i would like something different just maybe inspire rather stay in the comfort zone.


I have a epiphone specail II mahagony body vintage tremelo flat body bolt on neck

[Madsakre]

i play music in that ballpark. I use painkillers for that kinda stuff. if you want it darker, then take a look at the nailbomb

[itsonlyausername]

Painkillers sound good the nailbomb i dont think so on the grounds thats what matt bellamy uses and he is my hero but his tone is very glam rock i want to avoid that

Also do the pain killers sound ok on standard tuning

[Alex]

Both will be great for metal (NB and HD) and both are rather versatile. For punk... better ask someone else.

[itsonlyausername]

They are good metal pick ups and thats the problem all i hear is metal know one ever uses them in the punk genre and all the demo's on youtube are all metal heads

The JB seems to be the only pick up that i see and like and know it's good the problem is everyone uses it and dosent seem to be an original idea and id rather have something new and interesting.

The p90 humbuckers would any of them suit the criteria

[Madsakre]

People sometimes refer to the HD as the perfect JB. Quite often actually. So give it a spin

[brian_ward]

what is your guitar/amp/pedal combo?

[itsonlyausername]

what is your guitar/amp/pedal combo?

I have a Marshall Mg 15 with a zoom multi Fx and a epiphone specail gt

I will be getting a Marshall JCM 800 or a dsl 50 it will be a hard marshall amp i use overdrives as i like to drive the amp hard rather use destortion

Phaser and a compressor

Im in the process of getting my rig together for gigging

[Nolly]

I'd suggest the Nailbomb from the humbucker range - it has a savage midrange grind that will be excellent for punk tones. It will also cover any metal tones you're after.

If you are interested in pursuing the humbucker-sized P90s, the Stockholms would be well worth looking into. They will be more than capable of what you're after, and give you a different sound that will set you apart from regular humbucker users.

[itsonlyausername]

il say it again the nail bomb is to glamy matt bellamy uses it.

It would be a holy diver for the bridge as i have read review of it being the same as  a JB but better as for the neck i may try a humbucker p90 for a different tone if i can the holydiver paired up with a low output neck so i do have room to mess a guess.

Still suggestions for something new will be nice too just don't mention the nailbomb again

[doomcaster]

vintage spec P90s or tele singles, that's what my punk idols were/are using.

But then punk is about just using whatever you have to hand...

[itsonlyausername]

I know what you mean but my bridge humbucker is broken and needs replacing. I cant hear quite notes and only responds to aggressive playing

Maybe your generation of punk but im more hardcore and into rise against /leathermouth and bad religion its the nice power chords i want from it.

offcourse my chemical romance go to a classic side using p90 phat cats but also the JB it appears to be somewhat the best and most common professionally used pick up even though people say the holydiver is better.

I did think about having the high output holy diver bridge and then a low 8 ohm p90 missisipi queen or the phat cats not unuaslly daron malakian a metal guitarist did that and so does matt bellamy not neccesarily a punk guitarists

[Madsakre]

il say it again the nail bomb is to glamy matt bellamy uses it.

You know, theres more than just humbuckers to generate sound.

There are not much similarity in tone between Nile and Blink 182, even though both bands used Sd invaders.

[brian_ward]

just because matt bellam uses it, doesnt mean its glammy. i have one in my les paul studio which i use in my post hardcore band. slap some gain at it, and its super mean sounding. due to its kinda hollowed out mids, it sounds excellent through midrangy amps like marshalls. dont write off gear because someone else uses it.  after all, Les Paul him self played countryjazzfusion stuff and you seem quite content to use something he used. well, sorta.

[Shag101]

il say it again the nail bomb is to glamy matt bellamy uses it.

That just shows the versatility of the nailbomb.  Its an awesome punk pickup. 

You seem to like the JB, but dont want it because its not an original idea and rather something new and interesting.  I think if you like it, you like it....get one and make some new and interesting music with it to stand apart from the rest.  :twisted:

I have no hands on experience with the HD, but from others...it does sound like the big brother to the JB.