Bkp for metal, metal core, shredding and neo-classical metal??

[mabiz]

hi guys, i have a esp horizon nt alder body...i play mostly metal core, shredding and neo-classical metal abit...which set of pickups will give me the sound like michael romeo, chris broderick, michael angelo batio, and andy james?? thanks :D

[Slartibartfarst42]

I think with those players and that style you're looking at players who either use hot ceramics or actives that are very tight. Based on that, I'd say you should be looking at either Aftermaths or Black Hawks.

[mabiz]

I think with those players and that style you're looking at players who either use hot ceramics or actives that are very tight. Based on that, I'd say you should be looking at either Aftermaths or Black Hawks.

hmm tim recommend me the holydiver... im not interested in aftermaths..does holydiver sound like seymour duncan jb tb-4?? 

[Slartibartfarst42]

Ah, the Holydiver - now you're talking about one of my favourites and certainly the most versatile pickup I've ever used  :D

The Holydiver is like the JB in so far as it has a kind of 80's Metal feel to it. I always think of it as being everything the JB wants to be but isn't. The Holydiver is thick, smooth, warm and very articulate. It will do anything from Classic Rock, through 80's Metal to more modern tones if you use a boost. The rhythms are thick, smooth and fluid and the leads are really sweet. With some tweaking it will even do some decent Blues tones. I can't see how anyone could dislike it and I had mine in a Jackson SL3 Soloist (maple neck-thru with alder wings) so not massively different to yours. It's an awesome pickup with some aggression but the smoothness prevents it ever being OTT. Clearly I really like this pickup but I'm surprised Tim suggested it when you cited all those players who use ceramics and actives.

I no longer have the Holydiver in my Jackson as I'm going to use one in my PRS instead so I now use a Miracle Man in the bridge of the Jackson and if I were you I'd give that VERY serious consideration. It has a lot of the qualities of the Holydiver in that it's thick, warm, fluid and smooth but it's tighter in the bass, has a bit more aggression and LOVES being in a maple neck-thru.

I think you'd love the Holydiver if you like the JB but for the players you mentioned, I think you may prefer the Miracle Man. Don't worry about the name; it's far from being an EMG clone. Think of it like a Holydiver with some of the tightness and aggression of an EMG. It never fails to put a grin on my face when I play it. The Holydiver is my favourite pickup still but I prefer the Miracle Man in my Jackson  :twisted:

[mabiz]

im not a fan of jb...that's why i wanna try something else..the miracle man seems to have a really high output..hmm im thinking of painkiller (bridge) cold sweat ( neck) or holydiver set...  :roll:

[Slartibartfarst42]

The Holydiver is so much better than a JB it's almost an insult to it to use 'JB' in the same sentence. As for output, the DC resistance figures on the website are not an accurate indication of output. The Miracle Man is hotter than the Holydiver for sure but I wouldn't say it's that much hotter and I've had both in the same guitar. The Painkiller I've heard described as a ceramic version of the Holydiver before, possibly due to the EQ and I've also heard it can be a bit ice-picky in some guitars but I've never played one so that's not from personal experience. It's just not a pickup that's ever appealed to me. The upper mids will make it seem brighter than the Miracle Man for sure and not as thick. It's a very tight pickup, as the 'djenty' reference implies and not at all like a Holydiver, which is why I find it odd that you're considering a Painkiller or a Holydiver as their characteristics don't seem similar at all.

I stand by my suggestion of a Miracle Man as it has all of the features you'd like of the Holydiver with a lot of the tightness and aggression of the Painkiller and it's the number 1 choice for maple neck-thru guitars.

[mabiz]

better than jb huh...cool i think i'll go with the holydiver :D

[ericsabbath]

chris broderick was a huge alnico nailbomb fan
he also had the cold sweat on nevermore tours
michael angelo stuff sounds more like a painkiller job

[mabiz]

Can the holydiver play stuff like trivium, all that remains? Other than the HD im thinking of cold sweat ( neck) with miracle man or painkiller for the bridge... Arghh so hard to choose :?

[ericsabbath]

Can the holydiver play stuff like trivium, all that remains? Other than the HD im thinking of cold sweat ( neck) with miracle man or painkiller for the bridge... Arghh so hard to choose :?

sure
in fact, except for the warpig and crawler, due to voicing differences, all the contemporary models would do a magnificent job
I'd pick the holy diver or nailbomb, though, as they can be more versatile than the ceramic models
the painkiller is true facemelter and the miracle man is one of the punchiest pickups I ever played

what amps are you playing? any sort of boosting devices?

[mabiz]

just some cheap behringer v-tone gm108 thats all haha...planning to get the ibanez tube screamer ts9 soon...

[ericsabbath]

that amp has a built-in sansamp gt2 analog circuit
no pedals needed, then

you'll be fine with the holy diver

[Slartibartfarst42]

I'd agree with Eric that the Painkiller is more of a 'facemelter' while the Holydiver is the most versatile and the Miracle Man sits between the two of them. If you want it versatile, thick and smooth you'll love the Holydiver and it will certainly do what you want. If you want a bit more aggression, tightness and punch while still being thick and smooth, go for the Miracle Man. Both will do what you want but I really do believe that given all the tones you've mentioned, the Miracle Man edges the Holydiver on this one, especially in your guitar.

[mabiz]

SO i just ordered the holydriver set! cant wait to get it! hoho   :mrgreen:

[itamar101]

SO i just ordered the holydriver set! cant wait to get it! hoho   :mrgreen:

Congrats! Remember to review it when you get it