SHH for maple body superstrat

[Iced Dragon]

Hi all,

I'm looking to replace the SD Invader/coolrails/hotrails HSS combination in my maple body + neck + ebony fingerboard Jackson Dinky.

The hotrails is too muddy, the coolrails is hardly used and lacks output compared to the others. Not entirely dissatisfied with the Invader (an old-Metallica tone is partly what I'm looking for), but I feel the guitar lacks definition/dynamics and overall sounds quite sterile. I think it's a difficult guitar for finding well-suited pick-ups, and sounded very bright with the original pickups (stacked jackson SCs and a fake (?) Bill Lawrence, the latter which was first replaced by a SD Distortion, but I didn't really like it).

It's basically a metal-only guitar (speed, shred, thrash, doom, melodic death ...), but it might open up for other genres as well. I do like nice cleans. Now tuned to Eb but will likely tune it to D.

I play an Engl 570 and VHT 2/50/2.

I am thinking of perhaps an A-Pig with sinners (or mixed SCs?).

Thanks!

[Telerocker]

Holy Diver plus two Trilogies or Sinners.

[Dave Sloven]

Personally I would probably go with a Miracle Man plus two bridge model Sinners with baseplates as this has been a successful combination with Jacksons with a lot of maple here before.

It would be tighter than the Holy Diver with more lows.  Cleans wouldn't be as good but the basic tonality is similar.  Output wise, sound wise, and tightness wise it would be the best choice for the genres you mention.

Actually the set was installed in one guitar, reviewed, and then sold to another forum member who also reviewed it.  See below.

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=29859

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=30291.0

[ericsabbath]

Nailbomb (alnico or ceramic) or Miracle Man and Sinners (or maybe trilogy/sinner combo)

[Iced Dragon]

Then it would be a trilogy neck and sinner middle?

[Dave Sloven]

Then it would be a trilogy neck and sinner middle?

I'm not sure what the point in that might be, given that the set reviewed on here was a MM + two bridge sinners with baseplates in the neck and middle slots.  If I wanted a lower output for the versus the middle I would probably just put a neck Sinner in the neck position.

[Slartibartfarst42]

To me, this is screaming out for a Miracle Man in the bridge. For the singles, bridge Sinners with baseplates will give you a monster sound in those positions and they're a great solution if you want your singles hotter, more raunchy and darker than you might normally expect. Trilogy Suites would be the other option. People talk of the Trilogy Suites being like P90s but I felt they retained a lot of the character of true singles but with enough power to live with something like a Miracle Man.

[Yellowjacket]

Pickup that sounds like an Invader but with more  clarify?   A-Pig.  You don' t want something overly bright.  Based on what you are saying, the bright tone of the guitar will become strident if you have any pickup that emphasises the already predominant high end.  The fact that the Invader works leads me to suspect that the A-Pig or C-Pig will be the best fit.

Other options are juggernaut or holy diver,  but the A - Pig is   closest.  Juggernaut has more string separation and more weight in the midrange, and also has a great clean tone.  The advantage with the Juggernauts is the clean, but in the words of Ryan 'fluff' Bruce, "the Juggernaut pickups will punch you in the gut and pour you a cup of coffee at the same time." 

So, with them you get more midrange weight, exceptional string to string definition, extremely articulate attack, and a hammering low mid punch. 
The disadvantage is that they likely are not as gutteral, angry, and balls to the wall as the warpig.  I would anticipate the warpig to be even darker and phatter sounding:  Very similar to an Invader but with more articulation, clarity, and string separation.  I can't help but think that for a bridge pickup, THIS is what you are looking for. 

Holy Diver would work too but think more of a hot rodded 80s hmb.  Compared to Warpig (A or C pig), the Juggernaut is more 'progressive' sounding and the Holy Diver is more **cough** vintage.