Which pickup for Metal, with a twist?

[Vintage Metal]

If I'm honest, I just want our band/music to sound different to most other metal bands out there. I really want a sound where people will be like "how do I get that tone?". Something musically organic and expressive. I'm just sick of the traditional EMG and Peavey 6505 combo. It's been done to death!

I've also got a post before this one on page one, just incase you clicked straight to page two

[TheyCallMeVolume]

I would think so, but then again alot of people do put them in guitars like this for this kind of tone/

It matters what kind of "metal" you're talking about. Early metal stuff IMO wold actually be more upper mids, but anything mid-80s and beyond is probably lower-mids.

Like I said, I don't have any direct experience with this, but I feel like the RY neck is just a bit raunchier than the Emerald, both in cleans and dirty tones. RY adds a bit of hair and edginess to a clean, while the Em pretty much keeps it clean, and when overdriven, it's pretty much the same deal. It just matters if you want that extra little something that the RY has or not.

[TheyCallMeVolume]

If I'm honest, I just want our band/music to sound different to mot other metal bands out there. I really want a sound where people will be like "how do I get that tone?". Something musically organic and expressive. I'm just sick of the traditional EMG and Peavey 6505 combo. It's been done to death!

If you feel that way, then no doubt go for the RY's. They have a mor organic feel to them that screams hard rock, while still being metal. I think it's a cool little variation.

[Vintage Metal]

I would think so, but then again alot of people do put them in guitars like this for this kind of tone/

It matters what kind of "metal" you're talking about. Early metal stuff IMO wold actually be more upper mids, but anything mid-80s and beyond is probably lower-mids.

Like I said, I don't have any direct experience with this, but I feel like the RY neck is just a bit raunchier than the Emerald, both in cleans and dirty tones. RY adds a bit of hair and edginess to a clean, while the Em pretty much keeps it clean, and when overdriven, it's pretty much the same deal. It just matters if you want that extra little something that the RY has or not.

I mostly play post-80s. I just really want a pickup to play modern metal that sounds like it has a life, as to just bland. But like I said, I delve into all other types of metal which are more musically demanding. Think power metal that involves a lot of lead work. The reason I wanted something that wasn't totally geared to metal was so I could play slow ballads with feeling, really working the volume pot. With most modern pickups I've played, I seem to feel the sound is getting carried away with itself and I can't keep the power of it under control.

[TheyCallMeVolume]

Well, if it were up to me, RY all the way. No doubt.

[Vintage Metal]

Well, if it were up to me, RY all the way. No doubt.

I'll try that then. I'm just a bit scared that it wil sound too modern as I originally set out after a vintage type pickup that can play metal. I guess sometimes things work out the way you didn't expect.

Now it's just deciding the neck pickup. If anyone can give me a good comparison between the neck RY and Emerald, that would help a lot!

Thanks!

[itamar101]

Wouldn't the Holy Diver sound exceptionally dark in my LP, seeing as it's already very dark?

Also what's more suited to metal, Upper Mids or Lower Mids?

How would you compare the Rebel Yell to the Emerald neck as well?

Read the review. Holy divers are not dark at all! It is just a myth that was probably started when someone put them in a guitar with 250k pots. As longs as you have 500k pots it'll easily be bright enough. I'm actually thanking tim as if he were god right now that he recommended holy divers to me cos if I got the Rebel Yell then they CERTAINLY would've been too bright in my les paul with 550k/500k pots. Not that they're bad pickups at all. They just wouldn't have suited my particular needs and my guitar very well.

Rebel Yells are much more modern sounding than the Holy Diver or Emerald and a bit tighter. They'll work really nicely for 80's metal but 80 metal is really where Holy Divers are most at home.

Is your amp bright or dsark sounding though. I don't really have much experience with 6505s.

[TheyCallMeVolume]

I'm not trying to create any rifts or arguements, just giving my opinions. In the end, what we say doesn't mean a thing! It'll come down to your gut feeling. What's your gut feeling?

[Kiichi]

I would say go with the RYs.

The previous descriptions given are very good and acurate.

Concerning the modern / vintage thing the RY is in my view a modern take on vintage qualitys. There is a nice vintage throwback in the voicing which is combined with qualitys from modern PUs. I think it really is what you want.
Can sound modern or vintage depending on your playing, amp, amp setting, pedals, etc. Really versatile.

Also it is height sensitive as shitee so you can actually just dial in the tone you want with the height.

My short review of it remains: IT ROCKS!!!!111eleven

[ericsabbath]

I wouldn't attribute the term 'vintage' to a rebel yell by any means
it's a quite bright 80's hard rock tone

[Vintage Metal]

Well when I say vintage, I don't mean a true vintage sound. Just more af a vintagesque kind of quality. I'll give the Rebel Yell a go in that case.

What would you say for neck then? Calibrated set or Emerald neck? I love shredding on my neck, but I also like to play a lot of my cleans so I would need something that isn't boomy on the low strings and cuts nicely in the highs. I'm not really fussed about glassy and pristine singlecoil cleans. Just a clean that has a sort of sparkle to it. You've got too remember I'm upgrading the neck from an EMG 85, so I will probably be blown away either way.

With my amp, I'm selling the 6505 and I'm going to get something a lot more unique to give myself my own tone. But this will probably be a later thread if you think this would be a good place for suggestions?

[Vintage Metal]

Oh and thanks to all the responses. Made my day  PDT_001

[TheyCallMeVolume]

Aren't EMG's supposed to have good cleans? Anyways, I do think the RY set is more for your liking.

[Vintage Metal]

Aren't EMG's supposed to have good cleans? Anyways, I do think the RY set is more for your liking.

I think the 60 is meant to havt decent cleans. The 85 is ok, whereas the 81 isn't really. It's the built in pre-amp and EQ that push your amp, so you always get that hint of dirtiness in your cleans. Kind of annoying really, but I guess the purpose was to push your amp for metal.

[Kiichi]

I wouldn't attribute the term 'vintage' to a rebel yell by any means
it's a quite bright 80's hard rock tone

Oh well yes in a way you are right, but at my age 80s sounds are at the beginning of the vintage realm since they ended before I was born.^^