Help Choosing Pickups?

[BrownPanick]

Hey all -

I've got an Ibanez RG 220B that I'd like to use as a project guitar, and now I'm on the step where I replace the pickups.  This particular guitar has a basswood body, a Floyd Rose-licensed trem, bolt-on maple neck with rosewood fretboard.  I typically will play hard rock and metal/thrash metal and punk to a lesser extent.  For examples of sound, say I want to be able to play some AC/DC, then be able to switch to some 80's Metallica with some Pantera thrown in - I guess I'm looking for something pretty all-purpose with the ability to clean up nicely.  I'd like to get some nice deep chugging and still be able to make it scream.  I typically play through solid-state amps, but am looking at a Carvin right now, so I'd like something that would sound good through a tube amp too.

The stock pickups are really really muddy, hardly any tone or sustain even after changing strings.  If it matters, I have some heavy gauge strings on it now, but I plan on switching back to my mainstay, Dean Markley Regulars (.010 - .046).

I originally thought the Nailbomb Alnico set would be great and I contacted BKP sales, where Ben affirmed my original thought.  I looked some more and was interested also in the Holy Diver set.

Was wondering if anyone has any first-hand experience that might be able to comment on the set up I described and the problems I'm trying to solve?

Thanks!

[metale]

Hi.

Personally, for a basswood RG, I would avoid mid-heavy pickups and go for one of the following sets:

- Riff Raff

- Emerald

- Cold Sweat

The first two would work with a boost for the heavier styles, while the Cold Sweat would be more at ease with them but less with the classic rock.

If going Nailbomb, then would choose the ceramic version.

The guys will soon come and correct me :) so wait a bit for more replies.

[Dave Sloven]

Along that line of thinking a Miracle Man would also be a possibility

[metale]

It would, and would do a better Metallica and Pantera. But the Cold Sweat is already pushing it for the classic stuff, no? Miracle Man would be even farther away.

[Dave Sloven]

Yes, you're right.  I haven't thought much about basswood (none of my instruments have been made from it) but if you're right on avoiding middy pickups the Cold Sweat would indeed be the best choice.  It can certainly do Pantera and Metallica.

[BrownPanick]

Thanks for the tips.

From my reading it sounds like basswood is supposed to generally give a guitar a mid-heavy tone as it is, so it makes sense to go with something that reads higher in the lows and highs to round out the tone a bit, is that the idea?

One thing that troubles me is that if basswood is supposed to be so mid-heavy, why is my current tone so... muffled?  Just cr@ppy stock pickups?  I could see that being the case since a new set of BKP's or Seymour Duncans would actually cost more than what the guitar was purchased for, but still...

Based on that criteria, it looks like the Ceramic Nailbombs would be better than the Alnico, and the Emerald and Cold Sweat (as mentioned).  Since this will more likely be a guitar for my more aggressive tunes, (I have an LP I can use for pretty much anything, esp bluesy or classic rock), I think I'll stick with a contemporary pickup, and the Miracle Man may be a good bet after all.

[darrenw5094]

Apart from ACDC, the Nailbomb would suit you, although roll the gain off and you could get away with it. :)
Anyway, because you have basswood, the Ceramic version with the scooped mids would be the one. The Cold Sweat would also work.

[Dave Sloven]

^ This should be correct.

C-bomb will sound hairier, CS will sound smoother, but basically I see these as the two options.

You may struggle finding good cleans with the MM and output wise it's more than you need.