Which one for Les Paul? Aftermath vs Painkiller?

[Cammi]

I'm looking for a true metal pickup for my Drop C Les Paul and wondered how each compares, etc?

This is the kind of styles I'm wanting to play:

Asking Alexandria
Avenged Sevenfold
Bullet For My Valentine
Dream Theater
Atreyu
All That Remains
Attack! Attack!
Killswitch Engage

I'm looking for a pickup that really stomps through the mix when playing riffs and breakdowns, but also has a really great solo tone to it.

The thing I'm worried about these 2 pickups is that it will make everything I play sound Djenty. If someone could just please lay my mind at rest on this one, lol.

Cheers

[wolfenstein]

I'm looking for a true metal pickup for my Drop C Les Paul and wondered how each compares, etc?

This is the kind of styles I'm wanting to play:

Asking Alexandria
Avenged Sevenfold
Bullet For My Valentine
Dream Theater
Atreyu
All That Remains
Attack! Attack!
Killswitch Engage

I'm looking for a pickup that really stomps through the mix when playing riffs and breakdowns, but also has a really great solo tone to it.

The thing I'm worried about these 2 pickups is that it will make everything I play sound Djenty. If someone could just please lay my mind at rest on this one, lol.

Cheers

At least half of these bands use EMG 81 so answer is=Miracle Man...

[Cammi]

Sorry i forgot to mention. I had the Miracle Man and it just didn't cut it for me. It didn't have the boosted midrange of the EMG. It also sounded very 'WAH' to me. I'm wanting something with more mids to really cut through the mix.

[Cammi]

I've also heard a lot of people say the Aftermath is quite a Dry pickup which kind of turns me off a little bit, as I like my pickups to be really smooth. Would you say the Painkiller has that extra bit of saturation I'm looking for? Or would you recommend another pickup entirely?

[ericsabbath]

don't know if you're referring to the miracle man or the EMG, but both AM and PK are way more "wah" sounding than both MM and EMG 81
and both PK and AM are also drier sounding than the MM
maybe you want a holy diver or rebel yell instead
depending on the rest of your setup, specially the amp and boost pedals, they might work just as well

[darkbluemurder]

It was quite long ago when I had an EMG 81 in one of my guitars. Before the EMG I had an OBL XL 500 and then a SD SH-4 (the JB model) in it and thought it was a thin sounding guitar. With the EMG 81 it was even thinner sounding.

On the other hand I had the Miracle Man in no less than 4 different guitars. It never sounded thin, not even in the guitar with the Floyd Rose. To me the Miracle Man sounds nothing like the EMG 81.

If you want something with more high midrange than the Miracle Man then I would look at the Rebel Yell or the Cold Sweat.

Cheers Stephan

[Shotgun]

Choose the Aftermath. It's dry but metalcore needs dry sound and the mahogany les paul too. Or if you want a bit more organic choose the Rebell Yell or Cold Sweat. They sound also awesome in mahogany and not muddy.

[wolfenstein]

Choose the Aftermath. It's dry but metalcore needs dry sound and the mahogany les paul too. Or if you want a bit more organic choose the Rebell Yell or Cold Sweat. They sound also awesome in mahogany and not muddy.

I have Cold Sweat in LP and compare to Miracle Man itīs bit weaker with less mids...No mater what amp you use it still sounds kinda Cowboys from Hell....

[ericsabbath]

it does sound a lot like Dimebag, but still has more upper mids than the miracle man
a lot less bass and low mids, though

but more bass than the aftermath and painkiller, although those have a lot more low mids as well

[TRAVIS BICKLE]

I found the aftermaths to be way too muddy in an my lp studio (which also has an ebony fingerboard).  To my ears, the painkiller complements the low end of the mahogany bodied lp perfectly.

[Madsakre]

Emg 81!! Works well for all that mallcore.

[Cammi]

Emg 81!! Works well for all that mallcore.

Yh I'm thinking I may just be better off with sticking to the EMG 81 now, lol. I love the Miracle Man, but I found it didn't seem to have as much mids as the EMG.

Btw, what would people say about upgrading the EMG to a Ceramic Nailbomb?

[schantist]

Btw, what would people say about upgrading the EMG to a Ceramic Nailbomb?

People'd say go for a Miracle Man unless you're into progressive stuff^^

[asianaxeman]

110% painkiller, esp fro drop C. cbomb has much smoother mids and slightly thinner lead tone, u need a PK.

Emg 81!! Works well for all that mallcore.

Yh I'm thinking I may just be better off with sticking to the EMG 81 now, lol. I love the Miracle Man, but I found it didn't seem to have as much mids as the EMG.

Btw, what would people say about upgrading the EMG to a Ceramic Nailbomb?