Swamp Ash 8-string: Juggernaut, Painkiller, or...?

[MerlinTKD]

Got a birthday coming up, might be some cash involved 😊 So of course I'm thinking about upgrading a bridge pickup!

I've got an Agile Septor 828, 28" scale, swamp ash body, bolt on maple neck, rosewood fretboard. I've gotten so I can dial in a tone  pretty happy with, with the stock Cepheus pickups, but they lack that little bit of clarity and... I don't know, *color*, that the PK set in my 7-string has. The PK is the only Bare Knuckle I've had personal experience with, and that in basswood, so I'm not sure what would suit the Agile best.

I'm a bit all over the place with tones I like, from Sevendust's Animosity to Deftones Diamond Eyes to Periphery's Clear and PIII; basically, I love everything about the Painkiller but worry it'll be too bright or harsh in this guitar. The obvious next thought was the Juggernaut, but heard iffy things about it and swamp ash. Of course, since I can get pretty happy with the Cepheus, it occurs to me that maybe a Lundgren M8 is the way to go.

Essentially, I'm looking for a pickup that will be tight in the bass, even in drop-Eb, clear enough in the top to do 7th and 9th chords without sounding harsh, and growly in the mids but not hairy or uncontrolled. Suggestions?

[one]

I have a baritone swamp ash 7 and though I love the juggs installed, I have also read some people don't like it so much. I don't think you'd dislike it either, but coming from a PK you probably want tighter bass response, which I think the Warpig beats the Jugg about. So, If I had to chose for myself, I'd go for the Warpigs first, followed by the Lundgren (just out of curiosity, never tried one of those), and finally the Juggs, but it would never cross my mind using a PK in Swamp Ash, though I have recently read it's not so bad. My amp is very trebble oriented for that kind of experiments though

[Nolly]

Hey MerlinTKD, sounds like you're essentially describing the Impulse's modus operandi here - have you considered it?

[Dave Sloven]

Is the Impulse now available for 8 string guitars?

[MerlinTKD]

Yeah, at least in the online shop there's only 6 and 7's available. I admit, I'm a little leery of the Impulse's flat EQ, but I suppose that could give one even more control over the tone. Moot for now, though.

Nolly, Ben seemed to think the PK's wouldn't be overly trebly or harsh in this guitar, what's your take?

[Nolly]

Sorry, that was a brain fart - I forgot there isn't an 8-string set available yet!

I don't think the PKs would be problematic in that guitar, especially on the lower strings, though it might thin out on the higher ones especially if you're using really thin strings to compensate for the 28" scale. I personally don't think the Juggernauts would be muddy in that guitar (they'd probably be my choice, if not something lower output like a Black Dog), but perhaps a good middle ground would be the Aftermath. The Aftermath and Juggernaut both are symmetrical coil designs unlike most of the rest of the range, and I do find that that tends to prevent the top end from being scratchy, and also imparts a nice solidity to the midrange that especially keeps things fuller when playing in the higher registers. The Aftermath won't be as peaky in the high mids as the PK, instead having a more balanced mid response and even playing feel.

[MerlinTKD]

Thanks Nolly! The Juggernaut is so tempting, I admit! String-wise, I'm using 10s and tuning down a half step, so probably okay there. I really love the PK neck, and would love to eventually get that in this guitar as well, how would it pair with the Juggernaut bridge, you think?