Pickups recomendation

[zenabi]

Hello BKP users.

Looking for some help, advice and recommendations about choosing right pickups for my axe. It's Ibby rgt320q. 5pc maple/wenge neck thru, with rosewood fingerboard in mahogany body (wings) with maple top. Guitar is quite heavy compering to other superstrats and even lp type guitars and resonate beautifully. Stock pickups are not the worst I played but they missing clarity, definition, character etc (dimarzio/ibz some of you probably had a chance to try them).
I'm mostly heavy music player from classic rock, metal, progressive styles to all those new genres of heavy music but really appreciate a good clean sound too. I'm a bit more lead player then riff master ;) will say 60/40%. Don't really like that sterile sound of emg and maximum scooped mids (popular in heavy/metalish music). Looking for something with power of actives something that's gonna roar but with clarity playing with some gain. Something that you can hear notes and strings not chainsaw. Something "organic" that let wood have impact on overall sound. Crystal clean will be very appreciated as well as smooth liquidi mids and tight but open bottom. Nothing muddy or squeaky. Something perfect for heavy riffs and fast solos.

Good time ago I wrote email to Tim and he recommended set of nailbombs with ceramic bridge according to my needs. And from what I read and hear that will be something for me but would like to hear some other opinions and recommendations from old BKP veterans :) as I won't be able to replace pickups to often and even not looking to do this so advices welcome.

[Telerocker]

I was thinking more in the direction of the Holy Diver: mids, organic, superb solotones, cleans up well, pretty tight. Not as raunchy and agressive as a Nailbomb.

[ericsabbath]

If he didn't mention output, I'd say holy divers or rebel yell
Sounds like a juggernaut job

[zenabi]

Yes hi output as well. Didn't mention that, but I should kick balls . I had similar Ibby rgt42 with evolutions and was great for both worlds. Good for heavy riffing and clear that you could hear clear notes, even on high gain setup and quite versatile (important as well), but kind of "dry" to my taste. I don't play jazz, country, reggae (lighter stuff) but apart from that this set should be able to cover most of heavy music styles.

[ericsabbath]

If you have some sort of boost device, I think you'll be happier with a holy diver than with a hotter model
I love it with my tc classic sustain pushing some mids and compression in front of the amp
The Diver works flawlessly with overdrive pedals too

[zenabi]

Just played on emg 57/66 and the sound pretty good to me. More open then 81 with better mid-range but still not natural like a passive pups. Don't have a booster. Pickups must do the job ;). They should do riffs like and solos well. Like the sound of nailbombs recommended by Tim only concern is maple neck thru (don't want make it to bright). Also read somewhere on this forum that NB/CS it's great combo for that type of guitar.
If set of Nailbombs gonna work in this guitar or set of NB/CS (fast modern heavy riffs, fast smooth sweeps with tightness clarity lquidy solo sound and good cleans) without this mess I have now with dimarzio/ibz (lack of clarity, tightness, muddy, squeaky etc) I'll go for them.

[Lucas]

In my opinion if you`re mostly lead player, you should avoid Nailbombs especially Ceramic version.
I`ve been using Ceramic Nailbomb in my Dean Cadillac for few years now and must say that leads are the weakest point of CBomb. I`t great rhythm pickup with surprisingly good cleans for ceramic, but leads are only 'ok'. First of all it`s not 'precise' pickup, really aggressive, hairy. Those aspects apply to leads as well.
I would certainly avoid CBomb for lead work.

that`s the bridge. When it comes to neck. I happens that I have CS neck  paired with  CBomb. CS is great, with great cleans, sounds great split. In my all mahogany Dean (tuned half step down) I find CS a bit dark, but should be much better in your guitar. I would say CS has some PAF vibe going on rather than super modern soloing neck pickup.

Bottom line is that I dont really think CBomb is for you especially if you play loads of leads on bridge humbucker.

[zenabi]

As far as I listen to nailbomb on yt it does meet my expectations only thing is that I have no idea if its gonna work in maple neck thru. Bridge pickup is mostly used for riffing, only in lower parts of the neck I'm using it for solos, single notes. For speedy solos in upper parts of fretboard always neck pickup. Really want something that will do stuff like dream theater, symphony x, annihilator, slipknot, monuments, vai-ish stuff, sylosis and other stuff around those genres. I know there's nothing that will do all, from country to black metal so there's need for compromise. But something versitale that will cover most of that as this is my main and beloved guitar. Pickups that wouldn't be muddy squeaky and have punch, definition, clarity, throaty roar, liquid smooth mids for soloing etc. Maybe something in other brands will do better.  I do like pickups from other brands but didn't have a chance to test them on guitar like my one (neck thru) and anyway would like to try those famous BKP 

[Lucas]

If you dont use bridge pickup for leads, you should be fine. Just remember it doesnt have great solos.
Other thing is that from my experience I can say that CBomb is not the first choice for technical, complex riffing. It`s not really precise when you want to play some harmonic melody under distorted root note.
It can easily get lost and gets blurry due to its hairy, angry and a little 'messy' nature. It does not have smooth mids to my ears at all. It`s really pissed off pickup.

What I found it does really shine in hard rock, it gives a little of that modern, aggressive nature but with overdrive it kicks azz.
 

[pcarrion]

I have an Ibanez RGT220ANTF, neckthru but swamp ash wings and no maple cap. I tried a lot of different pickups (SD JB/Jazz, Dimarzio Tone Zone/Air norton, Suhr Aldrich, BKP Holydiver and Warpigs,...) and nothing worked. I was looking for a 80s metal shred sound, mainly leads. I talked with some luthiers and neckthru construction is a world on its own. Actually some known guitar builders avoid neckthru guitars. I was told that usually you get longer sustain and upper frets accessibility but a softer attack. This softer attack can translate as blunt sound. Anyway, what worked for me in this guitar was the Miracle Man. I was afraid because sometimes it is described as a higher output ceramic monster and I thought it could be too much for me (I'm not into extreme detuned metal) but it worked perfectly. It's not as middy as the Holy Diver but single notes sound really full and smooth but aggressive when needed. I was surprised because I didn't expect this amazing 80s lead sound.

[zenabi]

I'm getting more and more confused. More I read and more I listen to many different clips more difficult is to make up mind, especially that I'm not shiteting diamonds, so want be able to swap pickups every week just to try. Maybe should stick to emgs and problem will be solved as they sound even in chipboard 

[Dave Sloven]

You should consider the Miracle Man bridge pickup.

(1) Great with maple neck-through guitars
(2) Great for leads
(3) Tight for rhythm
(4) Great alternative to EMGs

Would pair well with a Cold Sweat, Holy Diver, or Rebel Yell in the neck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHwpjTog9IA

[ericsabbath]

Miracle Man is great, indeed, and should work great for the banda you mentioned
Sylosis frontman has a holy diver in his main guitar, though, and emg 57/66 in his second

[Pale Rider]

I have an Ibanez RGT220ANTF, neckthru but swamp ash wings and no maple cap. I tried a lot of different pickups (SD JB/Jazz, Dimarzio Tone Zone/Air norton, Suhr Aldrich, BKP Holydiver and Warpigs,...) and nothing worked. I was looking for a 80s metal shred sound, mainly leads. I talked with some luthiers and neckthru construction is a world on its own. Actually some known guitar builders avoid neckthru guitars. I was told that usually you get longer sustain and upper frets accessibility but a softer attack. This softer attack can translate as blunt sound. Anyway, what worked for me in this guitar was the Miracle Man. I was afraid because sometimes it is described as a higher output ceramic monster and I thought it could be too much for me (I'm not into extreme detuned metal) but it worked perfectly. It's not as middy as the Holy Diver but single notes sound really full and smooth but aggressive when needed. I was surprised because I didn't expect this amazing 80s lead sound.

Neckthroughs have softer attack in terms of loudness but in terms of speed it's faster, more compressed. They have an overall compressed feel, I know this first hand since when I was working at Warwick. I had a neckthrough Mockingbird to test various equipment and the next lab had a bolt on Bc Rich V type guitar. The Mockingburd was so immediate in comparison. The notes were just jumping out of the amp, so fun to play, it was nothing near the bolt on.

I have a neckthrough Ibanez RGIT20FE walnut/maple neck, ebony board, ash body wings and it soubds amazing with a set of Painkillers. I received the neck bucker and wired it with s push pull for coil split and along with the bridge they make an amazing set. I tried it loud yesterday in a rehearsal and it sounds godly, it has that large venue powerful sound, precise, snarly with a cool metallic high end, love it. Ok my opinion might not be of much value because I really like tgat particular sound so I'm biased. But I had this amazing result with this guitar.

PS. And something worth mentioning is that electric guitars sound completely different loud than how they do at bedroom levels.

[zenabi]

Thanks guys so much for your help and all advices. I'm gonna send one more email to people from BKP and ask what that will suggest but so far I guess the winner is miracle man. If that set can deliver power, thight quick bas, throaty chords, stay clear under fair amount of gain. It's fast response not muddy or squeaky doesn't sound like kicked wasp nest, have good clean, will do the job for complex riffing and fast solos where you can hear notes and strings the choice will be MM set or MM bridge with CS neck.
I noticed there's a big difference in power between MM and CS neck pickups. Is combo MM/CS will work well together? Is a much tonal difference between MM and CS neck pickups that will be worth it to take CS for neck, or it's not that big so calibrated set of MM will do the job?