Need help with some pickups

[Jim W]

Hey all, was hoping to get some opinions for everyone on some pups.

I bought a LTD EC-1000 with the Fishman Fluence Moderns. Needless to say, I'm not a fan of em. While I dig what they are trying to do they are just far too hot and compressed for my tastes. The guitar is all Mahogany with an Ebony board on it and I'm playing thru a ENGL Powerball. Got a 2x12 cab with a V30 and a Creamback in it.

 I'm a fan of playing metal. Iced Earth, Testament, Orden Ogan, Damage Done era Dark Tranquillity, Graves era Misfits, old Tallica/Megadeth The tone I would love to shoot for the most is Horror Show by Iced Earth and the first Demons and Wizards album but a little more aggressive. I know Jon has his Icebucker and used Black Dogs I believe. But sometimes I want a fuller/angrier sound.  Neck pup is pretty much only for clean noodling, I dont do leads often as I enjoy rhythm. From lots of reading and sound clips I was thinking maybe a Painkiller Set. I've seen a lot of love for the Aftermath but I dont like it from what I've heard in clips. I'm lookin for that beefy tight low end to compliment my Powerball, but I need better mids as the amp has a scooped/compressed voicing to it. It needs to have that low end chug with mids that can keep up and a nice rich saturation. I hate the dry and clanky pick attacks. Hell the tone I want may not even exist haha. I'd appreciate any opinions on what I should lean toward.

I'll throw up a couple clips of a example of how I play. Recorded guerilla style on my Android.

Me noodling on my 7 string doin a sound test on the Powerball.

https://soundcloud.com/jim-wielogorski/7-string

And one testing the Fishmans on a Peavey Vyper 2

https://soundcloud.com/jim-wielogorski/rhythm-active

[Telerocker]

Maybe I'm totally wrong, but this sounds like Juggernauts to me.

[Dave Sloven]

To me it sounds like you want the alnico Nailbomb.  The Painkiller might be a bit dry for you.

For a neck pickup if you think the Nailbomb neck might be too bright for your tastes the VHII pairs well with the Nailbomb.

[Jim W]

So after listening to some more sound clips I think I prefer either the Painkiller or A-Bomb. The Juggernaut sounds good but its really compressed sounding and dark. And compressed is what I wanna get away from. I've heard some decent clips of both pickups. But 95% of videos I've found are tuned down Djenty clips which I'm not a fan of. The Nailbomb seems to be fuller sounding than the Painkiller but both sound really tight.

I rather like these clips of the A-Bomb. Trying to find something of the Painkiller I like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMApp5bD-nc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0jUaCrz5VE

[one]

Every time I see someone recommending the Nailbomb it strikes me how different should be the Alnico and the Ceramic. I owned the ceramic and it was horrible, nothing to compare to the glorious Painkiller. Anyway, if you are playing through a Powerball I the more mids the pups the better, that dark amp makes a huge inrecognizable mass of tone that's only worth playing alone. In a band context, you're lost for good.

[Dave Sloven]

The alnico Nailbomb is the middiest pickup that I own, and a great rhythm pickup with some lead playing ability, but nothing stellar in that department.

The alnico Black Hawk also has plenty of mids, but they are smoother mids, and while it is good for rhythm it is also a great lead pickup.  In some ways it is like a more contemporary Holy Diver.

I tend to think the A-Bomb is the best choice here, all things considered.

[Jim W]

I sent in en email as well and Tim is suggesting the Holydiver. He says the PK would probably be too dry with an ebony board and the A-Bomb maybe have a bit too much low end. Nearly everything I could find on youtube of the Diver tho is nothing like what I play and I'm not impressed by what I've heard. I've heard some clips I quite liked of the A-Bomb and I can roll off the lows. Anyone have experience with using a Diver in a heavier setting?

[Dave Sloven]

A quick search for LTD EC-1000 and BKP gave two videos, one comparing an A-Bomb to a DiMarzio in a different guitar, the other with Black Hawks in it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogu4RDMeiqs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8L2NyAIWPU

I suspect that is a ceramic Black Hawk, but tone wise the alnico version is like a heavier Holy Diver in some ways, especially on cleans. It has a very big bottom end though, at least as much as the Nailbomb and more than the ceramic Black Hawk (from what I've heard).

[Jim W]

Well I decided after reading a ton of stuff and changing my mind about 500 times to give the Holy Divers a shot.  I like the descriptions of them. So many contradictory "reviews" tho. Some people say they are fat and full sounding and clear. Others say they are weak and not full enough. But I guess its all subjective. If they dont have enough to em I'ma give those A-Bombs a shot. I'm need another set of pups anyway for another guitar so....

[darrenw5094]

I have both the holy diver and nail bomb alnico. The HD is very full sounding in the Superstrat, plenty of mids in it.

[ericsabbath]

I'd pico the painkiller for your specific purposes, but the Holy Diver is also great and more versatile
Rebel Yell should work fine too, and has a tighter response than the diver

[Jim W]

Yeah I was really trying to narrow it down between Painkiller and A-Bomb but then Tim said the Holydiver.  From what I could gather the Diver seemed to e the more well rounded out one with lots of mids to push the Powerball I play through. The Nailbomb has lots of low end which I dont use a lot of low end in my EQ and a lot of people said the Painkiller were kinda dry which Im not the biggest fan of. So once I get the Divers put in  shall see how it goes. I have another mahogany guitar I need new pups for so it will be Painkillers or A-Bomb for that one.

[schneidas]

I have both the holy diver and nail bomb alnico. The HD is very full sounding in the Superstrat, plenty of mids in it.

@darrenw5094
Sorry for chiming in like that, but would you mind comparing the Rebel Yell set in your one LP to the A-Bomb/Cold Sweat set in your other LP?
I'm in the middle of deciding exactly between those two combos for my LP Custom. I only play distorted and lots of solos on bridge and neck pickup, so only interested in 80s/90s/early2000s rock and metal.
Nothing modern like Djent or anything like that...
Thanks 

[Jim W]

Got my Holy Divers. Took em to the music store to get em put in and a setup done. Turns out the guy that owns the shop is Billy Ozello from Survivor.