Pickups for DI recording (sludge, post metal and all that)

[fuzzbeerpizza]

I play bass. But i got drunk so i bought a guitar.

An ESP ltd Phoenix 200. Its not that bad actually, but it needs some killer pickups.

The main use of the guitar is songwriting for my two bands.

Band one (Empire Of Doom), plays a mix between stoner rock, sludge and hardcore. We call it stonercore.
Band two (Shipwreckers), is some deppressive post metal/hardcore sludge whatever.. i hate genres. Inspired by bands like Cave In, Old Man Gloom, Coverge etc.

Anyway, back to the pickups.
Guitarist in band one is really happy about Lace pickups.
Guitarist in band two plays a Warpig in the bridge.

I like the sound of Lace from demos, but maybe they are a tiny bit too old school for band two.
I like the Warpig a lot, but im thinking its a pretty high output when i dont have a tube amp to punish with it.

I should add, I'm probably overthinking this a lot.

A friend of mine made me look at stockholm. I love the demo of it on the bkp site. But i'm scared it will be too far away from the humbucker sound.


TL;DR: I need pickup suggestions and cool sound samples.

[Dave Sloven]

I have the Stockholm.  I basically use it for a supercharged version of the early Discharge sound.  I have it in an SG Junior tuned to D standard.  It is probably the best P-90 out there for the styles of music that you play, no doubt.  Quite a few heavy bands use P-90s now.  Agents of Abhorrence is one example that comes to mind.

I also have an alnico Nailbomb and an alnico Warpig.  They are both in guitars tuned to C standard.  I play German-style sludge/hardcore/doom with them (something like Black Shape of Nexus meets Triptykon).

All are great for sludge, hardcore, post-metal, etc.

I would recommend any of these pickups for those styles but I'd say that the A-Bomb is the worst of the three bridge pickups for lead work.  I use the Nailbomb neck for leads on that guitar.

You might also want to consider the Painkiller, Impulse, and Blackhawk sets

[fuzzbeerpizza]

Yes. I've been listening to Lace pickups all day, and they bore me a little bit.

I have a few concerns about the Stockholm, mainly because the sound sample on the shop is only (or mostly) single notes.
Will it be able to get that sludgy feel of fuzzy power chords? I use an amp simulator on my computer when i record demos and while i have always loved the attach of single coil pickups i just think i am missing something with a bit of fatness sometimes.


I have been playing with the thought of a stockholm and warpig combination. Actually i was being as crazy as considering the warpig in neck for ultimate thick fuzz heavyness and the stockholm in the bridge for punchy single note riffs.

But somehow it seems more natural to me to have the P90 in neck and humbucker in bridge.

What would happen if i bought both pickups as bridge pickups and experimented with the position? Is it doable or do i get a bare knuckle beat down?

[Dave Sloven]

I used it for d-beat so it was power chords 24/7

Like I said play d-beat power chords through it and you get a supercharged early Discharge sound, at least when mounted in an SG

I don't know the Phoenix but I can tell you that with a Gibson you really need more output in the bridge than in the neck, otherwise the neck sounds boomy and the bridge sounds thin by comparison

Stockholm/Supermassive is a popular combination, especially for guitars like Gibsons that have that issue

But believe me the Stockholm can do power chords all day long

You can hear it in a rough demo I recorded with that band. There is aother guitar on there too, I think it was the Telecaster with a Quarter Pound, playing leads, but most of the rhythm sound is my SG with the Stockholm

There subsequent release (a 7") sounds different because I left and took all of my gear with me.  Amp was a Peavey 6534+ set up fairly middy with an Orange PPC412 cab

https://teraniapunk.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2015

Like I said, it's rough, all done in one take.  Hopefully you can get some idea of the Discharge style tone

It's kind of amazing that I spent so much money on my guitar and then played that noise with it, lol

[fuzzbeerpizza]

I have bass gear for more money than i dare count, but i still just use it to make noise... It's just part of the hobby/lifestyle to buy exclusive stuff than makes you louder than your neighbour. :D

Thanks a lot for the input man, I don't have a lot of experience with guitars and bass is usually just both pickups on full blast.


Thanks for the proof that Stockholms can indeed play power chords.. I'm still not sure if they can get heavy enough though. Maybe i should just try one out.. It can always go in the other guitar if its not exactly what im looking for.

[Dave Sloven]

It can do palm mutes too

In terms of heaviness I'd say it's on par with my alnico Nailbomb, but less hairy.

They are prone to feedback issues so you will need to shield the guitar and be mindful of your body position relative to the amp when playing.

The alnico Warpig is more extreme than either the Nailbomb or the Stockholm in terms of output and is pretty capable of feedback too if your left-hand muting is not the best, but not in the same way as the Stockholm.  More like you can get really big pinch harmonics from it.

I have a bass too.  The most over-capitalized Squier Vintage Modified '70s Jazz in the world!  Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups, Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut (cut from a blank), Hipshot tuners (including a Bass Xtender Key), Hipshot A-Style aluminium bridge, Audere Pro JZ3 active preamp, DiMarzio wide ClipLock strap, Rotosound Steve Harris signature flatwound strings, tuned to C standard with a big Black Shape of Nexus sticker on the pickguard ...  it's a doom machine!  But I play guitar in my band!!  Occasionally our bassist borrows it but he mainly uses his own gear.  I tend to have the bridge pickup on full and the neck pickup backed off a bit.

[fuzzbeerpizza]

A friend of mine just convinced me to go for the Warpig with a coil split. Then i go in here and re-read the thread, and now i'm tempted on the stockholm again.

Originally when i was looking for the guitar that ended up being the Phoenix, i was looking for a guitar with humbuckers. So i should probably save my GAS for the Stockholm and put it in my other guitar in a few paychecks time.


With a warpig i have a few options.

Cover or not cover, alnico vs. ceramic.

Based on the EQ illustrations on the BKP site, the C-Pig seems to be a bit more open sounded, which could be great for chords, although my gut tells me to go with alnico.


I really like the look of covers, so i will probably get them on even if i'd prefer the uncovered sound. Unless someone convinces me otherwise.



I have that bass aswell. Fitted it with a badass bridge, BKP pots and pickups. The 60 PE J's. Sounds soo killer! But was too thin in the sound for the bands mentioned above.
Main bass is a Gibson Ripper, completely standard. It just has that perfectly filthy sound for hardcore/sludge.

[Dave Sloven]

I have the alnico version, and really like it

mine are uncovered with black bolt pole pieces. Main reason I went uncovered in this instance was the extra cost of the covers.

I love Gibson Rippers!! Wish I had one.  Jonathan Campos from Primitive Man plays one!

[fuzzbeerpizza]

Thanks a lot for your input. I've got a plan now.

And yea the Ripper is a mean machine. So much bottom end.
Would be cool if someone else than Seymour Duncan made pickups for it :D

[Dave Sloven]

No worries.  Here's a photo of my guitar with the Warpigs.  As you can see from the size of myself and our bassist, we are going to be the heaviest band in the world, one way or another! 



Seymour Duncan makes pickups for the Ripper?  Sweet.  I have to say that I am really pleased with the Quarter Pounds in my Jazz.  Very heavy sound

[fuzzbeerpizza]

That is one killer SG!

Yea, SD makes some replacement pickups for the ripper, but I would love to see Bare Knuckle (or other makers with the modern hardcore and metal scenes ind mind) make a set.

Not that i really need to change the pickups in my ripper, but i know people who doesn't have the original pickups.


Anyway, back to guitar pickups.. BKP support also suggests a Warpig. I did find a used Nailbomb though, so that is kinda tempting. How do you feel about yours?

[Dave Sloven]

I like the Nailbomb, but be really careful about it if your guitar is middy.  It gives quite a raspy sound, especially in a middy guitar like an SG (in my SG Standard it was really only capable of giving that really abrasive Sepultura type sound, although it has been much better in the Explorer due to the latter being very dark).  It's possible that it could be fine in yours, as long as it is a relatively heavy chunk of mahogany (at least as thick as a Viper), but it will always have an element of that sound.  I think the Warpig is a bit more versatile really.

The Warpig has a LOT of bottom end, so it is best in a brighter guitar.  It was too bassy for the Explorer.

[fuzzbeerpizza]

Ahh yes.. If only i had bought a "normal" guitar :D

The Phoenix is a neck through construcktion with a maple neck. So the main part of the body is maple. The wings on this cheap version are basswood.

Seeing as maple is not the most bassy wood in my experience i think i should just stay on track and go with the Warpig.

Also when i think of the Les Paul type ltd i used to have (which had Seymour Duncans), this Phoenix guitar has way more clarity on the neck pickup. Could suggest that it is a guitar with more clarity.

The used nailbomb was a set anyway. So it would be more money in the end, but twice the amount of pickups :D

[Dave Sloven]

Maple neck through I would go with a Miracle Man or a ceramic Warpig, although  the alnico version of the Warpig might also be fine

I would go with BKP's recommendation