Medium to low Pickup into ESP SC-607B. Which one? THX for help

[crushedfinga]

Hi guys!

Since weeks i own this amazing piece, but i hate the cleans of those stock pickups (EMG 81 ´7). Alder Wood, maple neck.
A friend of mine played over my setup with an Ibanez MMM1 mahogany with stocks custom super 58 and the cleans where just amazing, full of live, thick but not muddy, even the bridge sounded warmer and nicer than this active stuff. Distorted tones i had to raise the gain on the lead quite much, but still was superbe. And versatile. and i could use the treble on the amp...

I know that mahogany is warmer the alder, but i want to go with the SC in this direction.
First i thought about Nailbomb or Cold Sweat, then about Holy diver, Black Dog, Abraxas and Rebell Yell.
And now I'm just desperate and have no idea.
My amp is a Framus Cobra v1, cab is 2xframus dragon 4x12 with 2x Celestionv30/2x Celestiong12k-100
Were try to create tones like Cult of Luna/Isis/Kylessa/Cloudkicker/fall of efrafa mixed with a bit of Neubauten and Penderecky.

Heres  the guitar:
http://static.bax-shop.nl/images/resized/959/1361377/1500x1500/ltd_sc-607b_blk_stephen_carpenter_black_01.jpg

Thank you for help!
Really!

[Telerocker]

Black Dog is a good idea, the Framus has so much gain on tap that you don't need a hot pickup. The middy BD stays tight and has nice cleans too.

[Slartibartfarst42]

The Black Dog and Abraxas both sound like excellent choices to me but if I had to choose, I'd second the Black Dog.

[crushedfinga]

THX first!
Another question: you think that these could take the low tuning which starts at g#? I´m not this metal picking guy, but still want clarity in power chords with ninth and fifth minor chords. Also I'm worried about feedback with those…and versatility.

Want this deep mid growl during this chords, also beauty full saturated clean tones, where it makes sense to use E-Bow, delay and reverb…. what speaks against the holy diver? Is the risk of feedback lesser? Or i´m just completely wrong?

Thank you for your help.

I know, its maybe kind of hard to understand what i want to have (also english is not my mothers tongue), but the cobra is a really picky amp and trying out several pickups would be a financial disaster.

[darkbluemurder]

If you consider playing low tunings the Black Dog does that better than the Abraxas.

Cheers Stephan

[Slartibartfarst42]

Agreed, you need a Black Dog

[crushedfinga]

You maybe have seen that the position of the 2nd Pickup is in the middle, what gives a HUGE thick tone and the best of 2 Worlds in clean mode. What do you think of a combination from BD in middle and HD on the bridge, with the option to split the BD for clean/percussive stuff?
Why i´m still annoying you with this is, that i heard Black Dogs can sometimes be quite harsh….

[crushedfinga]

*Bump*

[Telerocker]

That combo should work. I don't own the BD, so I can't comment on how harsh it is. That depends also on the sound of the guitar, what kind of amp you play, how it's dialed in etc.

[darkbluemurder]

The Black Dog is bright, not harsh. Two completely different things.

Cheers Stephan

[Telerocker]

The Black Dog is bright, not harsh. Two completely different things.

Cheers Stephan

Yeah, true. I yet have to encounter a BKP that sounds harsh.

[Slartibartfarst42]

The Black Dog won't be harsh as BKP don't make such a pickup.

[crushedfinga]

Ok, i´m stil a bitt nervous cause: Its a bright amp, a quite bright guitar (more bright than mahogany i mean) with a bright pickup?

I gave the example of the other guitar, which is dark wood and really dark n´beefy pickups, so I'm really not sure about the BD, when you say me, those are bright pickups.

Is there no darker alternative? something with high mids scooped a bit? Or I'm just talking s**t with beein afraid of Black Dogs XD ?

And other question: Should i take Bridge or neck humbugger for the middle position?

Thank you again!
Peace

[Kiichi]

Can´t comment on the Black Dog, but to answer the question of bridge or neck for the middle I would recommend shooting BKP an email, the will know that one best for sure.

[darkbluemurder]

Ok, i´m stil a bitt nervous cause: Its a bright amp, a quite bright guitar (more bright than mahogany i mean) with a bright pickup?

Is there no darker alternative?

Abraxas or Holydiver sets have darker bridge pickups compared to the Black Dog bridge. Neck pickups I would say the Holydiver neck is about as bright as the Black Dog neck (did not try it in the same guitar though) and the Abraxas neck is slightly warmer than both. Everything else that comes to mind suitable for low tunings (like Cold Sweat, Rebel Yell or Aftermath) is everything but scooped in the high midrange.

And other question: Should i take Bridge or neck humbugger for the middle position?

Agree with Kiichi to contact BKP but my gut feeling says a neck humbucker in the middle position would make a better balance with the bridge pickup - think of all the HSS guitars out there.

Cheers Stephan