Pickups for Jackson SL3 Soloist

[Anarchia]

Hi all, I'm looking for a bridge pickup for my Jackson. It is a neck through but naturally bright sounding guitar. It currently has a Duncan JB in the bridge and two Hot Rails in the neck and middle. I need a bridge pickup which is capable of playing thrash (a la Megadeth) but most importantly to give a singing lead tone with good note clarity on fast runs. Also, the guitar sounds quite thin in the highs right now, and I want something to fatten them up. I'm looking for a sort of juicy lead tone, similar to Marty Friedman's, but I want to retain note clarity so it doesn't mud up when playing across the fretboard.

Thanks :)

[darkbluemurder]

but most importantly to give a singing lead tone with good note clarity on fast runs. Also, the guitar sounds quite thin in the highs right now, and I want something to fatten them up. I'm looking for a sort of juicy lead tone, similar to Marty Friedman's, but I want to retain note clarity so it doesn't mud up when playing across the fretboard.

You have described the Holydiver.

Cheers Stephan

[Sancho]

I've put a Holydiver in my SL1. Will take it to rehearsal tomorrow to try it through a big rig, but at home it sounds pretty nifty.
I don't know if it would be my first choice for thrash though, but it definitely fits your description of lead tones to perfection.

[Telerocker]

The Diver is stellar for those leadtones, Nailbombs will do trash a bit better.

[Anarchia]

Well, I already get a good thrash rhythm tone out of the JB through a Blackstar HT5 (using a crummy MG15 as a cab for now :() so surely a Bareknuckle would surpass that. So long as the rhythm is good, I'm happy, but I mostly only play lead. Should the Holy Diver do that, then?

[Anarchia]

Oh, and how is the Holy Diver for pinch harmonics? Thanks.

[Alex]

I'd recommend the Nailbomb over the Holy Diver, because it has that nice bottom end chunk. Definitely better for thrash than the HD. I felt the HD excelled at Motley Crue-style sounds, but for palm muting it didn't have the presence on the low strings.

My voodoo LesPaul also suffers from a bit thin sound on the high strings - I think that is often a problem with ebony fretboards btw - and the Nailbomb thickened the treble strings up nicely.

[Sancho]

I felt the HD excelled at Motley Crue-style sounds, but for palm muting it didn't have the presence on the low strings.

Yep, I'm not  too impressed with the HD's bottom end thump. It may be the one area where I find it lacking.

[ElectricTurkey4369]

+1 about the HD's lack of Bottom end, BUT,
that doesn't make it a bad pickup. I love it!

[Alex]

I didn't perceive is a lack of bottom end, more of the lack of chunk and low end presence.

[ericsabbath]

the holy diver has a quite flat bass, although it has a nice amount of low mids
it needs to be set quite close to the strings, specially the bottom ones, so you get maxed bass response and picking attack

if you want extra bass, try the alnico miracle man
it's a lot like the diver, but bassier and slightly more compressed (but not fuzzy like the warpig)

Oh, and how is the Holy Diver for pinch harmonics? Thanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1RafxMYU5w

[blackie]

painkiller?

[darkbluemurder]

I never feel the Holydiver lacking in bass, even though it does not have as much of it as the Miracle Man. However, compared to a Duncan JB the Holydiver is a bass monster! For the bass punch make sure that you got the right amp. I have never played a Blackstar HT-5 but if it's only 5 Watt and single ended you will not get much low end punch with any pickup. Low frequencies need the most power from the amp, and 5 watts just don't cut it. 

Cheers Stephan

[Sancho]

Tomorrow I'm taking two Soloists to rehearsal. One with a Holydiver, one with a JB. So that will be a pretty direct comparison...
I think my Splawn Quickrod has more than enough power to get the bass pumping :)

[darkbluemurder]

I think my Splawn Quickrod has more than enough power to get the bass pumping :)

Definitely. That is a very bassy amp going by the schematic - never had the chance to play one though.

Cheers Stephan