which BKP for USA PRS Tremonti for 1970-2000 era hard rock/heavy metal sound?

[igor.majer]

Hi guys!
I'm new to this forum, and this is my first post here....
I have 2 USA PRS Trmonti trem guitars, and I would like to fit them with some BKP pups that would allow me to cover 1970s-2000s Hard rock/metal tones,.... just to be perfectly clear about it,.. I want different PUS in 2 guitars, to be able to cover more grounds.
I was researching a lot on the theme, and find A/C-bomb , Miracle Man and Mules up to the task,.... it is worth to sat that I also have 2 PRS CU24s, one of them is fitted with Rebel Yell set and other one with Cold Sweat set...
Also, I'm fairly certain that one Tremonti will be fitted with the Mules,... for more classic tones.... so this really seems a fight between MM and A/C-Bomb...
What are your opinions guys?

[ericsabbath]

Considering you already have a RY and a CS loaded guitars (they would be my suggestions), I'll say Riff Raff bridge/Mule neck (one of the best and most versatile combos, in my experience) for the classic stuff and modern non-metal rock and Miracle Man or Painkiller for the metal guitar.
I like the Alnico Nailbomb for early/mid 90's heavy rock: Rage Against The Machine, Faith No More, Helmet, early Tool
The ceramic version sounds more like Sepultura, Biohazard, early Machine Head and late Pantera.

[Dave Sloven]

I think out of the high output ones I would go for the Miracle Man.  It should cover a lot of ground and the bridge pickup is great for both rhythm and lead.

[igor.majer]

Thanks guys,...
Nice suggestions... somehow I decided on using hi gain PUS for both of guitars instead of making one low gain, since I don't use clean much... so now I'm thinking A-Bomb for one, and MM for other,.... or Maybe even RY for one of them,... so many choices, not enough guitars :)

Ben from BKP suggested Black Dogs for the other guitar... I used to have PRS McCarty 594 but I got rid of her, since I could never bonded with low turn pups she had, so now I'm hesitant about vintage PUS, and always afraid they won't be enough....

[Dave Sloven]

If you are looking for something different that gives more modern tones I liked this PRS with Impulses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8MyXNAj_6E

[igor.majer]

Thanks Dave.... not my cup of tea,... not into this Djent stuff :)
But I have a question....I will probably go with alnico Nailbombs for one guitar and Miracle Man for other one,…and since I haven’t find anything about neck versions of those pickups, tell me is it worth getting the Bridge/neck sets of said pickups, or is there a better neck combo that would work better?

[ericsabbath]

I liked the neck VHII better than the neck Nailbomb and it matches the Alnico Nailbomb nicely.
For the Miracle Man guitar, I find it the neck Cold Sweat to be a better match than the neck Miracle Man.

The neck Miracle Man sounds great installed in the bridge position, though, kinda like a Suhr Aldrich or something, quite thick and singing (the neck VHII and neck Cold Sweat sound great in the bridge too!)

[Dave Sloven]

Thanks Dave.... not my cup of tea,... not into this Djent stuff :)
But I have a question....I will probably go with alnico Nailbombs for one guitar and Miracle Man for other one,…and since I haven’t find anything about neck versions of those pickups, tell me is it worth getting the Bridge/neck sets of said pickups, or is there a better neck combo that would work better?

I'm not into djent at all ... but I think this pickup set is pretty versatile.  Here's some examples of it doing other things

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kot1vCp0IQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-5Ysauhjw4

[Yellowjacket]

I am going to offer my $0.02, but do consider the exchange rate. 

I got a really good result with an Alnico Nailbomb in a Les Paul for huge as a house heavy tones.  The guitar has this overwhelming rock voice to it but it can get good and heavy anyhow. 
Not sure how that would translate to a PRS Singlecut, which has a different voice.  It seems the A-Bomb is quite at home in a Les Paul kind of guitar.

For my money, I found that I like super strats for metal.  I know this may not be an option in your case but to my ear, the voice of that kind of guitar just metals much better.   

Considering the PRS Singlecuts are the options, consider the A-Bomb.  It will do heavy thrash tones.  If you like the Rebel Yell, you'll like this pickup.  Similar, but beefier with more gain saturation, hair, and aggression.   Just don't get something that will fight with the natural sound of the guitar. 

[Dave Sloven]

For my money, I found that I like super strats for metal.  I know this may not be an option in your case but to my ear, the voice of that kind of guitar just metals much better.   

I agree with this statement 100% ... Gibson scale sounds okay for stoner or sludge, but most metal genres sound better with the longer scale and the flatter 14" fretboards are great for metal playing.

[igor.majer]

I hear you guys,.... I used to own EBMM JP12, EBMM Axis and Ibanez Jem FP2 before I transcended to PRS guitars.... they were great for metal stuff,.... but they were lacking the character IMO... so now I own 2 PRS singlecuts, and 2 CU24s,.... CU24s are a bit longer scale,... and are great all-around axes... I was very hesitant to change the PUs in expensive guitars like that, but I always felt like smth was missing in that department.... so when I tried CS set and RY set in my cu24s, it opened a completely new world to me,... and that is what I'm hoping to achieve with Tremonti singlecuts,.... so ATM I'm leaning towards A-bomb set in one of them and MM set in the other one,... and these past few days I started looking at Holly Divers as a potential option,.... I always liked PUs to be a matching sets,... but, if there is a really better combos, maybe I would be willing to try it out...
also, I read somewhere that A-Bomb are not so good with leads, but are fantastic for rhythm,... not sure if that is the case,.. but I need this PU to do booth equally...

[Yellowjacket]

I hear you guys,.... I used to own EBMM JP12, EBMM Axis and Ibanez Jem FP2 before I transcended to PRS guitars.... they were great for metal stuff,.... but they were lacking the character IMO... so now I own 2 PRS singlecuts, and 2 CU24s,.... CU24s are a bit longer scale,... and are great all-around axes... I was very hesitant to change the PUs in expensive guitars like that, but I always felt like smth was missing in that department.... so when I tried CS set and RY set in my cu24s, it opened a completely new world to me,... and that is what I'm hoping to achieve with Tremonti singlecuts,.... so ATM I'm leaning towards A-bomb set in one of them and MM set in the other one,... and these past few days I started looking at Holly Divers as a potential option,.... I always liked PUs to be a matching sets,... but, if there is a really better combos, maybe I would be willing to try it out...
also, I read somewhere that A-Bomb are not so good with leads, but are fantastic for rhythm,... not sure if that is the case,.. but I need this PU to do booth equally...

BKP are legit a whole different level of quality and performance.  I notice it a lot with the feel, sensitivity, and response when playing.
I think I complained about the leads with my A-Bomb.  I've since monkeyed with the height more and got some cool tones out of it.

The amp makes a big difference.  Switching to a Revv Generator 120 for heavier tones, I've not had lead problems anymore.  The amp is more forgiving but it also is still articulate and responsive. 
I was just fighting endlessly with my Mesa Dual Rectifier.  I love the tone of those things but they just don't jive with me as a player.  I remember rehearsing with my band and switching to the other guitarist's Mark V.  And my bandmates commented on how much BETTER I sounded.  A Mark V is a tighter and more precise amp that translates better with the player is playing.  It isn't slow and sludgy.

My REVV has the grind of something like a recto, but it is tight like a mark series amp.  It is also more aggressive and responds like it is boosted.  <3
AMP is important for high gain.

For guitars / tones.  Metal does have tone but it is a different sort of a sound world.  I love BKP with my superstrats because while the tones are different, they still sound great.  They just tend to be aggressive and articulate, with lots of attack, present harmonics, and a huge roar in the mids. 

Have fun!

-p

[Dave Sloven]

I read somewhere that A-Bomb are not so good with leads, but are fantastic for rhythm,... not sure if that is the case,.. but I need this PU to do booth equally...

Yeah the A-Bomb is better than the C-Bomb in that respect but there are so many options that are better for leads on the bridge

Holy Diver
Rebel Yell
Black Hawk (either)
Miracle Man
Cold Sweat
Impulse
Silo
A-Pig
VHII

[igor.majer]

Maybe a relevant info,... I have 2 Friedman amps,... Be100 Deluxe and 2015 BE100, Friedman 412 2x v30 and 2x G12m25 ... and Friedman 212 v30,...
Also,... I stay 99% of the time on the bridge pup,... for rhythm and leads,... neck I use mostly for cleans,... (and I don't play lot of cleans) but I would like to change that,....

so maybe

Miracle Man/Cold Sweat  or MM set (not sure yet)
Holly Diver set

hearing and reading all of this, I'm leaning more and more to HD set instead of Nailbomb,..... maybe a safe bet going that way...

[darrenw5094]

The Holy Diver has a load of mids that the Nailbomb or Cold Sweat doesn't have