Replacements for Charvel

[andrew_k]

I have a Jackson Soloist with Bare Knuckle pickups (Nailbomb in the bridge, Irish Tours elsewhere). I've just picked up a Charvel San Dimas Style 2 SH (twin humbucker guitar with an alder Telecaster body, maple fretboard and Floyd Rose trem) and was thinking about replacing the stock pickups with Bare Knuckles. The current neck pickup is a Seymour Duncan '59, the bridge a Seymour Duncan JB. I contacted Bare Knuckle pickups themselves and they recommended the Holy Diver set. I quite like the sound of the current neck pickup, but it lacks that extra complexity you get from the Bare Knuckles. I'm not sure if the neck Holy Diver will give me that sound(?). As well, though my choice in guitars would tend to suggest otherwise, I don't play metal in any way or form. I play in an alternative pop/rock band, through a Fender Blues DeVille 4 x 10, with tones ranging from clean to fuzz with the occasional bit of high gain filth (courtesy of a Blackstar Dual). I dabble a little in jazz fusion in my bedroom as well (big fan of Holdsworth and Shawn Lane). Any pickup recommendations hugely appreciated.

[FELINEGUITARS]

If less gain is a good way to go then I would suggest the VH2 as a great fun pickup set.
The neck pickup will be similar to the 59 but will be a bit more open and singlecoil like without losing the humbucker vibe.
Same thing goes with the bridge, but will be much less gainy than the JB and give a broader frequency response

[Slartibartfarst42]

I'd go with the suggestion of a Holydiver set as the neck version isn't actually that powerful so it has a distinctly PAF feel to it, unlike the bridge version. It's probably no more powerful than the VHII.

[Telerocker]

Holy Diver or (a bit more PAF-ish, but still good mids) Abraxas.

[andrew_k]

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. I was looking at the VH11's as well. However I was also wondering if a neck Mule with a bridge Holy Diver might work? I'm hoping the volume balance would be ok(?)

[Telerocker]

The gap isn't that big, only 0.5 k between Mule-neck and HD-neck. The Mule is PAF in the best way, creamy yet crispy enough. Roll the tone down for nice jazztones.

[Slartibartfarst42]

And the Abraxas is largely just a more powerful Mule so that would work equally well but in reality, the Holydiver, Abraxas, VHII, Riff Raff and Mule are all very much PAF-style pickups of broadly similar power.

[darkbluemurder]

Before I played the Holydiver neck pickup that was a pickup I really was not looking at at all. I don't have a direct comparison to a SD 59 but the HD neck is warm, bright, PAF-type output and very clear.

The Abraxas neck is also bright and clear but has a bit less bass.

The Crawler neck is a bit darker and warmer than both.

I also have a VHII but I never played it in the guitar where the other three were.

I think you would be happy with the Holydiver set.

Cheers Stephan