Bit of advice

[Covalima]

I want to by a bridge holy diver for my Les Paul Halcyon... the Halcyon has coil splitting.. not sure if that makes a difference? Let me know!

Also, I currently run a bridge aftermath in my other Les Paul (Studio)... can anyone say if the difference in these pickups is drastic?

Cheers.

Cov

[JimmyMoorby]

I want to by a bridge holy diver for my Les Paul Halcyon... the Halcyon has coil splitting.. not sure if that makes a difference? Let me know!

Also, I currently run a bridge aftermath in my other Les Paul (Studio)... can anyone say if the difference in these pickups is drastic?

Cheers.

Cov

I'll let others weight in but obviously drastic is subjective.  Both pickups are very mid orientated but the aftermath is WAY tighter than the holy diver.  The Holy Diver will get you those Mastodon tones and the aftermath more ultra tight riffage.
They'll be very different but in a good way IMO but I don't know what your needs are.
If you plan to use both at a gig it could be too big a change BUT obviously depends on how many different sounds you want in your set.........

[Kiichi]

If you want it to split you need 4 conductor. Thatīs all.

The Holydiver and Aftermath are vaaastly different. The AM is a modern metal machine, surgically tight, dry as the desert, mid focused, agressive, hot, etc. The HD is an 80s style metal pickup with some PAF DNA. Roaring, warm, juicy, musical topend, very versatile, etc.

Really two very different ones. Can do similar things too, but they come from very different eras. Around 30 years separates them. Their spirit is related, yes, but well....

would be cool to know what your goal is here I must say.

[Covalima]

Sorry I will try to explain where I am at as best I can.... might be hard to articulate so bare with me 

I play in an original prog rock band... ultimately my ideal tome would be something 'like' Adam Jones.. but I'm not chasing his tone.

I do a fair bit of light palm muting where I don't need it to be super 'metal'.. but like the gain to really kick in when I smash an open chord, and the palm muting to get chunkier when I really dig in... really like a more dynamic feel..

I find the lace that came in the Halcyon a bit to 'mushy' when I palm mute unless I really have the gain right up.. whereas the Aftermath performs much better for me in terms of the dynamics I am looking for..

Having said that I have read that the Holy Diver might be more what I am looking for.. I could just stick to the Aftermath I guess...

I am playing through a Mesa Mark V Head and Mesa 4x12 cab with V30s.....

Hope that helps!

[ericsabbath]

I replaced the diver with an aftermath (or was it the other way around?) for a month or two in my 73 les paul custom
they actually had a similar voicing, but the aftermath was hotter, louder and didn't have the smooth feel of the holy diver
the diver doesn't keep up with the tightness and output of the aftermath but I still like it better even in low tunings

the diver is my favorite for tool, but I find the alnico nailbomb to be a little more dynamic and slightly better for a mesa mark

Bill Kelliher recorded most of the last mastodon album with that '78 cream les paul custom loaded with a holy diver set (he later changed to laces on tour)
but I actually find the nailbombs more "mastodonic"

[JimmyMoorby]

I think the Juggeranut bridge is like a mix of the aftermath and the holy diver but has the best cleans i've ever heard on a bridge pickup.  The Juggeranut is more modern sounding though so think Tool and Dream Theater and beyond....if you want a more 'old school' Mastodon/Opeth vibe consider some thing else although the Jugg neck is like an overwound hot PAF neck.....to my ears an overwound VHII neck.

Juggs would sound ace in a les paul too.

Agree nailbombs are ace for mastodon.......so are alnico warpigs in the right guitar.....like my SG.

I should add I have no experience with Mesa's though........aren;t they meant to have more than enough low end though?  In that case Juggs over diver IMHO even more so in an LP but i'm talking more modern polished tone....

[Slartibartfarst42]

The basic answer to your question is that they are very different. I loved my Holydiver and I've also loved other pickups with a similar vibe (JB, Classic '83 etc.) but that's probably because at my age, the smooth, warm and organic distortion of 80's Metal is exactly what I like best whereas I wouldn't go anywhere near an Aftermath.

[darthphineas]

If you want it to split you need 4 conductor. Thatīs all.

this

[Dave Sloven]

Sorry I will try to explain where I am at as best I can.... might be hard to articulate so bare with me 

I play in an original prog rock band... ultimately my ideal tome would be something 'like' Adam Jones.. but I'm not chasing his tone.

I do a fair bit of light palm muting where I don't need it to be super 'metal'.. but like the gain to really kick in when I smash an open chord, and the palm muting to get chunkier when I really dig in... really like a more dynamic feel..

I find the lace that came in the Halcyon a bit to 'mushy' when I palm mute unless I really have the gain right up.. whereas the Aftermath performs much better for me in terms of the dynamics I am looking for..

Having said that I have read that the Holy Diver might be more what I am looking for.. I could just stick to the Aftermath I guess...

I am playing through a Mesa Mark V Head and Mesa 4x12 cab with V30s.....

Hope that helps!

I could be the case that one of the other ceramic BKPs (besides the AM) could be better for you.  Have a look at the ceramic version of the Nailbomb and the Cold Sweat bridge pickup.  The AM Is very dry sounding and a long way from the HD