Pickup recommendation for an alder body guitar

[fps_dean]

Somewhere down the road, I'd like to buy a strat style guitar with a H-S-H pickup configuration and an alder body for my next project guitar.

Which pickups would give me a good Iron Maiden Powerslave era tone?  I hear that the Painkillers may be too bright in alder, which was what I was thinking as they have the mids for the job.

[Dave Sloven]

From memory in that era Murray played a Fender Strat and Smith played a Gibson SG.  Are you trying to get both sounds in one guitar?

[Slartibartfarst42]

For the bridge, the Aftermath might be the way to go as I believe it's the closest to a Super Distortion. The other option, which would be my preferred route for Maiden, would be the Holydiver as it is the closest to the JB and typifies 80's Metal. For the neck, you'd want something that was a bit more vintage in tone but had plenty power so I'd say Emerald. You just can't beat a Holydiver/Emerald combo for that style. I'd have a Trilogy Suite in the middle.

[fps_dean]

From memory in that era Murray played a Fender Strat and Smith played a Gibson SG.  Are you trying to get both sounds in one guitar?

From what I gather, Adrian Smith used a lot of guitars from Charvel strats to a Gibson Explorer and a SG....

I'll elaborate a little more what I'm trying to do.  I used to have an Ibanez Jem which I sold and now I kind of regret it.  The evolution pickups could use a slight midrange boost but were almost there... maybe a little too modern.  There are certain nuances in the sounds you get from a 25.5" bolt on neck vs a 24.75" set neck or a 25" neck-thru guitar, so I'm hunting around for a decent H-S-H strat style guitar to fill a certain void.  It might be a while before I get one.

Essentially, I want something with fat mids and the Powerslave-era Maiden tone is a very similar tone.  Granted, I have a hotrodded JCM 900 SL-X not a 1987X head so it naturally will sound a little different, but after the modifications I had done, it can pull off a cranked 1987X sound very well too...

For that matter, I have a alder bodied Carvin DC127 that I'm not really a fan of the pickups in.  I still haven't decided what to do with that guitar as far as sound, either brutal metal, or something cleaner.  I'd been thinking Crawlers for a while, mainly for the neck but I'm not sure if those pickups are really me either if you know what I mean.

[Slartibartfarst42]

You're describing a Holydiver for the bridge without a shadow of a doubt in my mind. The Crawler is very vintage sounding and in my opinion, too soft and rounded for Iron Maiden. I've followed Maiden since 1980 and I love the Dave Murray neck tone. I thought I had it with the Cold Sweat neck but for me, the Emerald neck comes closer. It's got all the cut you need and the AIV magnet keeps things really sweet. Very Dave Murray.

[fps_dean]

Oh sorry to confuse you.  I wasn't getting the Crawler for a Maiden tone.  It's just for another guitar I have that I haven't decided what I want to put in it for the past several years.  It's just a chance to get a different sound and I'm hardly fond of the stock pickups.  I haven't done anything with it because if I play it for too long, my hand cramps due to the neck shape but I was thinking of either putting in something for really heavy tones (Miracle Man?) or really sweet clean tones.  It also has coil splits installed.  I always liked the neck of the Crawler a lot, but I'm not even sure if I'd like it when I play on it either, you know what I mean?

[fps_dean]

And I think the Holy Diver might be it too, I'm not all that familiar with that pickup.  I was listening to darthphineas's Rebel Yell and Holy Driver recording where he switches every 30 seconds.  I could pickout the Rebel Yell from its mids and high and and super clarity, where the Holy Diver has less highs and less high mids and more low mids.

[Telerocker]

Out of those two, Holy Diver for alder.

[darrenw5094]

I was listening to darthphineas's Rebel Yell and Holy Driver recording where he switches every 30 seconds.  I could pickout the Rebel Yell from its mids and high and and super clarity, where the Holy Diver has less highs and less high mids and more low mids.

Where is this comparison vid? I would love to hear it. :)

[Dave Sloven]

I haven't done anything with it because if I play it for too long, my hand cramps due to the neck shape

My advice is to sell it, don't waste any more money on it.  It's not for you.  Get something that you can play without pain.

[darthphineas]

I was listening to darthphineas's Rebel Yell and Holy Driver recording where he switches every 30 seconds.  I could pickout the Rebel Yell from its mids and high and and super clarity, where the Holy Diver has less highs and less high mids and more low mids.

Where is this comparison vid? I would love to hear it. :)

just on soundcloud.  glad to hear it's helpful

https://soundcloud.com/darthphineas/dream-warriors-pickup

#1 is RY
#2 is HD

there's a new one up today that's the same tune with the same tone, using the VHII in basswood.


edit:  dirty tones only.  clean is another pickup/guitar/amp

[fps_dean]

I haven't done anything with it because if I play it for too long, my hand cramps due to the neck shape

My advice is to sell it, don't waste any more money on it.  It's not for you.  Get something that you can play without pain.

Long story on that guitar... several years ago a push mower with a vibration caused some my hands to lock up, carpel tunnel syndrome.  At first, it went away after time but the neck on the Carvin started being problematic, mainly when I was playing sitting down.  Eventually, the pain stopped going away, I got a new lawnmower but it didn't matter by that paint and I couldn't play at all.  Eventually I quit smoking and changed my diet and my hands have been fine for a couple years now.  I can play that guitar for a while without any problems now, but I'm afraid to play it as my main guitar.  But it's still a great chance to add a new tone to my collection as I can play at least a few songs on it now without a problem, and maybe it won't be a problem at all anymore.  It wasn't when I got it.

I do have 3 other guitars which are higher on my rotation (Les Paul with Rebel Yells, ESP Mirage Custom with a Abomb and 2 trilogy suites, and a Jimmie Vaughan strat with stock pickups).

So I'm looking for a strat style guitar which I'll probably put the Holy Divers in when I find one I like, and then that leaves the Carvin...