Is the Holy Diver what I want? Plus unsure on a neck pickup...

[AnnunakiMassacr]

I'm looking to replace my pickups in my MusicMan JP XI, and just looking for a few friendly words of advice...

I'm currently having a set of Aftermaths in my ESP Horizon, so anything metal is covered.

For my JP XI (Alder Body with Mahogany Tone Block, Mahogany Neck, 24 fret Ebony Fingerboard, Floating Vintage style Trem) I'm after something that will be a One-for-all, All-for-one guitar. While the guitar won't be used for any particular genre, I want it to cover a wide array of tones. II think mostly it will cover instrumental styles of guitar, so would preferably be something to cut through well for recording purposes, I'd like to dabble in areas of other genres that feature in the guitar magazines that I subscribe to. Sometimes there's Jazz, Blues, Country, etc. I don't need them to perform these genres exactly  as I know a Tele loaded guitar would be well suited for Country, and a P90 LP would be great for Jazz and Blues...I just want to be able to cover these styles for practising purposes, in which I'll then incorporate these techniques into my own style of playing. Anyone who reads Guitar Techniques will have a good idea of the range of tones I need to cover.

I'm thinking Holy Diver for bridge, although I'm open to suggestions. But the neck has really got me thinking. I've heard the Emerald is a great match for sheer versatility, but I'm wondering wether it'll have that "vintage-snap" for clean tones, and able to keep up with the more demanding shred. I know a lot of people would then recommend the Cold Sweat, but I also want to retain a singing vibe on more emotional playing. A sort of sweet, but cutting neck solo tone. I hate dark neck pickups, and I've yet to find one which is bright enough that I like.

Again, any help would be mucho appreciated.

I also forgot to add: I like my bridge pickups to have a harmonic complex which allows my notes to feedback well. Kind of like a Dimarzio FRED meets a JB, but with the fatness of a NORTON

[Kiichi]

For the neck I stick by my EM choice. It does very much sing from the magnet yet cuts from the wire. The clean tone is lovely in the way that it has a vintage mojo with modern production (the good kind, like Steven Wilson or so) while the gainy tones...well they do the same thing really, but more Porcupine Tree Wilson and less solo project. Thing is that I would not hesitate to use the EM neck for anything really. It is so versatile that it can do brilliantly sweet cleans and shreddy solo tones with character which do not just seem overproducedly dead. If there is one definete neck PU I have encountered it is the EM. Given the right environment it can do it all better than anything else I have seen.

Thus I would go for that. Should that turn out to be too dark for you, it would not be too dark rather too smooth if anything I´d say, the Holydiver neck would probably be your ticket. Also very fluid, but all in all brighter and more vintage than the EM neck. Cleans are more brilliant in the sparkly way, but the shreddy fluidity in the modern sense is taking a backseat for that.

[Dave Sloven]

I'd recommend the Emerald over the Cold Sweat if you want a neck pickup that 'sings'

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Damn you Kiichi, you had the Emerald sold to me until you described the Holy Diver neck being brighter and more vintage. It's almost like I'm looking for a pickup, bang on between them both. I'm a person that has only ever played high output neck pickups (if you don't count the SD 59 in my Eclipse). I just don't know wether to go for the Emerald as it sounds like a great pickup, but the HD sounds like it is also the ticket as it's brighter and more vintage.

Off the subject though, I really like the sound of the Nailbomb neck pickup, if you've had any experience with that? I just like the description of it being woody, but focussed for gain.

I wish I could solder, just so I could test them all one after the other, to get a feel -.-

[Telerocker]

+1, that's a good combo.

[Dave Sloven]

I wish I could solder, just so I could test them all one after the other, to get a feel -.-

If you have two hands, both eyes, a power point, a (under 40W) soldering iron, and some 60/40 solder you should be able to teach yourself how to solder.

I have a Nailbomb neck, I like it as far as neck pickups go but then I'm not really a neck pickup guy.  Not as smooth and rounded as either the Cold Sweat and Emerald necks, or as powerful and warm as the Warpig neck.  Those are the only four I have direct experience of.

[Kiichi]

I´ll just leave these two brilliant reviews here which I just pulled from my collection thread. They paint a complete picture of both pickups and touch upon the HD bridge.

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=31081.msg400552#msg400552
https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=30491

More as always can be found in the sticky. ;)

[AnnunakiMassacr]

I've actually spoken to Ben at BKP, and he suggests the VHII neck. Anyone familiar with this neck?

And just about to read the review now, Kiichi :)

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Ben just sent me this clip

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5864881/Francesco%20Filigoi%20-%20Mayones%20solo.mp3

I'm floored. I think I've found my perfect pickup combo :)

[Telerocker]

The VHII is thicker and warmer than the Emerald-neck when I remember well.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

I asked Ben about the difference between the VHII and the Emerald neck. He said: "The Emerald is darker and fatter and uses alnico IV magnets which cut off the top end and attack, creating a more mid focused tone."

Think I'm going to go for the HD/VHII combo. Will be interesting to see the results :)

[Yellowjacket]

I really love the VHII neck.  It can get so raw, growly, and bluesy when you dig in and when you start shredding, it shows an entirely different personality.  It's an absolute treat to play!

[m t soule]

+1 to vhii, hd combo.
I will in future get the em and cs to do a comparison (albeit an expensive one )