Nailbomb Set Or Painkiller Set For My Schecter Guitar?

[jennings92]

I'm trying to find the best 6-string pickup set to go in my Schecter C-1 40th Anniversary as I plan to swap out the stock pickups for a BKP set. The gear setup I will have will be a Roland Cube 20GX amp & a Boss GT-1 multi-effects pedalboard. The tunings I plan to use will vary. I'll mostly use standard & dropped tunings maybe going further than drop a like once in a blue moon. Right now, I don't have all the knowledge to play guitar very well, but that will change once I have a job & can afford lessons! I am simply asking for people's advice & opinions so it can help me decide easier.

You're probably wondering why I'm wanting the stock pickups taken out that Schecter make themselves. Personally & honestly speaking, I'm not disowning Schecter or anything, their pickups just don't quite have the tone I'm after. The other reason is I've heard BKP makes some awesome pickups that are versatile & great! Afterall, I was very satisfied after viewing their soundclips & checking out a bunch of demos/reviews on Youtube & Google.  As for the pickups, I'm currently torn between the Alnico 5 Nailbomb set & the Painkiller set. There will be A LOT of musical genres I plan to cover: '90s stuff (pop-rock, alternative, rock & metal for that era), modern rock & metal, some grunge/post-grunge type of territory, and finally the more modern pop-rock & alternative styles.

There are a few minor cosmetic changes that I will have a guitar tech do for me: I'm going to pair the pickup set I'll buy with some all black covers (which I will buy separately somewhere else) simply to match the black hardware my guitar has. And I will have the pole screws on the pickups changed to something all black just to make the pickups look cool all-in-all.

So, which of the 2 sets I mentioned should I buy? Or better phrased, "Which set do you think will suit my needs better?" Will changing the pole screws alter my tone very much? I'd like your thoughts, opinions & even helpful suggestions if you have experimented the way I will!

BTW, in case anyone doesn't want to say my username, just call me Kyle as it's my first name. Hopefully I didn't confuse anyone with this, but I'm sure someone will definitely help me out!

[one]

Being a swamp ash guitar, I wouldn't go for any of them, I'd go for Juggernauts as my first choice, very good on lighter woods and versatile, as a second one I'm very happy with my Warpig, and thirdly I'd get a pair of blackhawks.

If you are sure about the PK or NB, I'd probably choose the PK although it might be too agressive for your guitar in the trebble side (well, so will the NB, so it's a good idea to go for the Alnico in case you don't want to consider other options)

[capac]

While pickups will make a difference, I'd suggest you getting a better amp first.

[jennings92]

Good suggestion, One. I thought at first the Warpig was a little too bassy for my tastes, but I might consider it afterall. But now, I'm torn between the Warpig set, the Nailbomb set, & the Painkiller set. Decisions, decisions... I know as far as the pickup sets go I'd like it to be versatile enough for my tastes. Lows should be firm, maybe a little thunderous, but not overly pronounced. Mids should be grinding & powerful, but not an overdose of them! And highs should be nice & fluid-like, but not screeching. Hopefully that might give some of you a general idea of what I'm looking for, but I think I could have done a better job at describing what I prefer... And in case any of you might be curious about the specs of my guitar, I'll provide a link: http://www.schecterguitars.com/vault/listing/c-1-40th-anniversary-natural-pearl-detail

As for the amp I plan on getting, I think it will be a very good starting amp for me! So no need to criticize me over the amp I'm getting, Capac! Since I've been trying to look for work lately, I have to go with what I can get until I can work up to something else!

1 last thing to anyone out there noticing this: I don't mind you making suggestions or giving me tips on the original subject. Just don't say anything negative, please! Afterall, I'm just looking for suggestions, tips, opinions based on experience. I sure hope someone here can help me decide on the pickup set I'll go with...

[capac]

I'd get nailbombs because they are a lot more versatile.

I was just trying to say that pickups won't drasticly change your tone since most of the tone is your amp.

[Dave Sloven]

Kylie welcome to the forums.  I have to agree with capac. The amp makes a massive difference, the pickups a relatively slight one.  The Boss GT-1 is probably adequate for your needs, and to be honest with that you will get very little value out of the Roland Cube other than it's basic amp models as the Roland effects are all based on the Boss ones you already have.

BKPs are expensive and the money would be better invested in a better amp.  If your budget is tight you might find that a second-hand Peavey Bandit transtube combo will be better value than the Roland and your effects unit will sound better through it.  In my experience the Roland Cubes do not have a real clean channel that you can run an effects unit through well.  They have a Jazz Chorus model on the clean channel instead of a simple clean. This means that there is always a chorus on the clean channel that stuffs up your distorted sounds if you are going effects into clean.  Bandits have an effects loop too.  Be careful though with older solid state amps as often the effects loop has a buzz in it, which is a sign of bad soldering joints or other faults.

I tend to also agree with the comment regarding brighter guitars and these pickups. From my experience the alnico Warpig sounds excellent in brighter guitars and will most likely give you a more satisfactory result.  The samples on the BKP site for the humbuckers are all recorded in a Les Paul, which is a darker instrument.  The Warpig will sound brighter and have more presence in your guitar.

[capac]

Aren't some recorded with blackmachine B2 (might be aftermath and juggernaut though)? I think I've read it somewhere...

You could also just get bias fx or something like that.

[ericsabbath]

There will be A LOT of musical genres I plan to cover: '90s stuff (pop-rock, alternative, rock & metal for that era), modern rock & metal, some grunge/post-grunge type of territory, and finally the more modern pop-rock & alternative styles.

that sounds more like a holy diver or rebel yell job

Lows should be firm, maybe a little thunderous, but not overly pronounced. Mids should be grinding & powerful, but not an overdose of them! And highs should be nice & fluid-like, but not screeching.

now that sounds more like a juggernaut
a miracle man should work well, though