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Author Topic: ultimate metal pickups Miracle Man vs Aftermath vs Black Hawk vs active EMG  (Read 9992 times)

Lucas

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Hi all!

I`m looking for your thoughts and opinion about the best, ultimate pickups for metal. What I`m lookinf for is colossal ground-breaking sound (with distortion) of a bridge pickup and vowel-like, smooth attack for solos of neck pickup. Clean sound it that case doesn`t matter that much. I`m a big fan of Zakk Wylde and his sound as well. That would be a reference point I suppose.
The guitar is Dean Cadillac (Les Paul type, mahogany body and glued mahogany neck)

Miracle Man? Aftermath or Black Hawk?

And what are your opinions and thoughts about those 3 particular BKP pickups and how do they compare to active EMGs (Wylde uses EMGs).
To that point I really like Miracle Man, but I`m still a little bit confused.
Many thanks,
Best regards,
Lucas
« Last Edit: May 24, 2013, 06:04:36 PM by Lucas »
Dean Cadillac - Emerald (b), Cold Sweat (n),
Mayones Flame CS2000 - Miracle Man (b), Sinner (m), Aftermath (n)
Warmoth Custom Telecaster - Cold Sweat (b) VHII (n)
Warmoth Custom Tele - Miracle Man set

Alex

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I have both the Miracle Man and the EMG81 and I like both - they're the only ceramic bridge pickups I actually like!
For me though, a pickup is just a pickup: it has to fit the guitar! So in my book the pickup choice really depends on the guitar choice, and for that cadillac the Miracle Man would work great, because it has a bit more treble than the EMG.
Current BKPs: Miracle Man, Nailbomb, Juggernaut, VHII
Past BKPS: Holy Diver, Trilogy Suite, Sinner, Black Dog

Lucas

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Thanks a lot for replying.

But how basically could you describe in few words all of those 3 BKP pickups? Like a short description and general opinions?
I`m trying to get as much information about Miracle Man, Aftermath and Black Hawk as possible not only from website but users as well.

So basically Miracle Man nails Zakk Wylde sound (more or less obviously) the best?

And by the way, I`m curious about EMGs, to be honest I was never using active pickups. Is that true that it doesn`t really matter what guitar you put that in, they always sound pretty much the same due to having the preamp?

Cheers,
Lucas
Dean Cadillac - Emerald (b), Cold Sweat (n),
Mayones Flame CS2000 - Miracle Man (b), Sinner (m), Aftermath (n)
Warmoth Custom Telecaster - Cold Sweat (b) VHII (n)
Warmoth Custom Tele - Miracle Man set

gwEm

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For me, EMGs don't immediately give the Zakk Wylde tone. His old tone (Breaking all the Rules is my favourite tonewise) is quite ballsy and organic for being EMGs.

That's why the Miracle Man is such a great choice, it is ballsy and large sounding. The neck pickup is also quite smooth too, I would stay with the stock.

Cleans are only 'acceptable' but it seems like you aren't bothered!

Not tried Blackhawks or Aftermaths
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Kiichi

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And by the way, I`m curious about EMGs, to be honest I was never using active pickups. Is that true that it doesn`t really matter what guitar you put that in, they always sound pretty much the same due to having the preamp?
To say it makes no differene is an overstatement, but yes, the are less influenced compared to passives and especially in comparison to BKPs which really work a lot with the wood.
That means for one that a great BKP will not always work perfectly in every guitar, but when you find a match ---> mind blown.
BKPs in use: 10th set / RY set / Holy Diver b, Emerald n / Crawler bridge, Slowhand mid MQ neck/ Manhattan n
On the sidelines: Stockholm b / Suppermassive n, Mule n, AM set, IT mid

Slartibartfarst42

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I use a Miracle Man bridge in my Jackson and here's the review I did:

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=28004.0

I've tried EMG 81/85 but never owned them. If you don't want to spend the time reading the review, here's a shortened appraisal.

Not as hot as EMG and not as tight as EMG but much more organic, much warmer and a lot smoother. The Miracle Man was very responsive to all sorts of variables such as pickup height and even strings. In my Jackson, I usually use DR High Beams with the Miracle Man which makes it a bit tighter and brighter but with standard strings the sound is darker and really huge. Pinch harmonics are fine all over the place. It's aggressive without being OTT and tight without being surgical, it's big and thick without that totally dominating and it's very articulate indeed. It's my favourite pickup for Metal but I suppose it depends on what your taste in Metal is.
BKP owned:

Bridge - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; A-Bomb; Holydiver; Miracle Man; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Neck - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; Holydiver; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

braintheory

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I have a Les Paul Custom 68 reissue with a Miracle Man Bridge, a Dean CFH with a aftermath bridge, a jackson sl2h with a black hawk bridge, and have played emg's countless times and know the sound very well.  The Miracle Man definitely has the most Wylde like sound.  Compared the emg 81, the emg is tighter, more compressed, has less bottom end and lows mids, more mids and upper mids, which are also voiced more aggressively.  The miracle man is fatter, less focused, and more organic.  Both pickups have similar highs (sharp and present).

The aftermath is probably the most emg-like bkp, but still quite different.  The emg is again tighter, more compressed, less bass and low mids, but the mids are somewhat similar, but maybe less grindy with the emgs.  Also, the aftermath is drier and the emg has sharper, more present highs. 

I don't really like the black hawk that much.  It's too smooth and polished for my tastes and not as tight or aggressive as either the emg or aftermath.  There is though something about the BH's tone that reminds me of emg's and active pickups in general.  I think that the black hawk is the only pu out of the ones you asks for that would possibly give you the solo tone you want though because it has smoother, warmer highs than the MM, AM, or emg.

However, my favorite pu for a "colossal ground-breaking sound" (like you asked for) would be a Lundgren M6.  I have a lundgren in a ibanez rg2011 and it's incredible!  It has a bigger bottom end than the mm, am, bh, and emg.  It's not as tight as any of the those pu's, but still very tight and punchy!  It's scooped, but not overly scooped, with good high mid presence, and really biting, but not harsh highs (which may not have the solo tone you want).  I also like the lundgrens cleans way better than the am, mm, bh, or emg.  If you stick with bkp though, I think you'll like the Miracle Man the best for the sound you're describing. 
Engl Artist Edtion
Engl Invader
Friedman Phil X
Gower Rockmonster
Mesa/Boogie Mark III Coliseum
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+
Peters FSM/Halo
Randall Thrasher
Rhodes Gemini
Wizard Modern Classic

Slartibartfarst42

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Miracle Man for me  :D
BKP owned:

Bridge - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; A-Bomb; Holydiver; Miracle Man; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Neck - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; Holydiver; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Raymond

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I have a mahogany Ibanez and I have Miracle Man - bridge and Cold Sweat Neck. They work well together.

Dr.Pain

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There are different series of actives and they have different eq settings and magnets.  I have EMG 81/85, I have EMG X series 81/60, EMG Hetfields and Seymour Duncan Blackouts.  They all sound different and I have them in mahogany body's, agathis and basswood.  They do dictate they tone and they are  good leveller for making a cheaper guitar sound good.  My basswood guitar has the 81 and it's tuned to C using Dunlop heavycore 12's and it sounds monstrous for a cheap guitar.  They do sound best in mahogany but they work in anything really.  I play metal and didn't use actives for a long time but once I got them I could see why they are so popular. 

I had a Ceramic Warpig in my 7 string before I put Blackouts in it and although Blackouts gave me what I wanted I do miss the tone of the Warpig especially in songs where the root was E or D as it sounded mega and the output was great too.  But go C and to B, which is what the guitar is tuned too, then the bass was too much.  An Aftermath would have been better but I'm happy with Blackouts.  I personally having both actives and passives is the go.  It add's variety to your guitars and sound, which is a good thing.  If I'm high gain it's actives but as soon as I start dropping the gain I reach for my Les Paul with it's 57's.

darkbluemurder

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I don't think there will be any "ultimate whatsoever" sort of pickup because at one stage it's all personal preference anyway. You may well come up with one pickup you decide for you to be the ultimate but this can never be applied universally - there are just too many variables such as the player, the guitar, pedals and amp/cabinet set ups.

I found that most pickups in the BKP contemporary section that I tried (Miracle Man, Holydiver, Alnico Nailbomb, Cold Sweat and Rebel Yell) work well for metal - OK the Crawler would not be my first choice for that but then again IMHO it's a vintage hot model.

Cheers Stephan

Dr.Pain

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Michael Amott shows the a passive can be just as good as an active pick up for metal.  That's his personal choice as he doesn't really like actives.  You find something you like you'll make it work.