What's a great Riff Raff type pickup for double cut guitars?

[veritas0aequitas]

Hey all,

I love my covered Riff Raffs in my Les Pauls through my Diezel VH4. Recently though I have been moving to lighter guitars as my cr@ppy back prefers them and we've been moving to lower tunings like drop C, drop B, drop A#, etc. I love the 3D tone, dynamics, open airiness but still punchy and tightness of the Riff Raffs. Both the cleans and the high gain are very pleasing to me. I think I am just very much into the PAF vibe as I love some pickups that do ethereal clean well and still rock. My VH4 and V30 cab definitely like it.

I have sold off the LPs in favor of ESP E-II Eclipses, ESP E-II Horizons, and a Schecter KM-6 MK-III. The Eclipses are obv a lot like the Les Pauls being single cut Mahogany body/neck with a maple cap but thinner so maybe I could try Riff Raffs in them? My other dilemma is what to do about my double cut guitars with mahogany body maple neck/cap. These guitars are already bright and I fear the Riff Raffs may be too bright for them. I would like to stick with an A5 pickup set.

So far I have tried Emeralds (too thin sounding in double cuts but ok in the Eclipse), Silos (great frequency range, just too powerful), Impulses (too clinical), Polymaths (might be the best so far but not as good as the Riff Raffs). I own a set of Black Dogs and Alnico Nailbomb which I have not installed yet but I am guessing the Nailbomb is probably going to be a miss. Maybe the Black Dog will work better, especially in the double cut guitars. Holydivers were recommended as well but my fear is they may be too high output.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

[Dave Sloven]

Emerald, Impulse, and Rebel Yell would be the three with an EQ closest to the Riff Raff, but it seems like you have not had so much luck with them in these guitars.

Have you considered a VHII?  That or a Black Dog might be the best bets given what you have eliminated.

Don't overlook the True Grit.  I might be just what you need.

[veritas0aequitas]

Anyone else? Would love some advice here!

[RobAbrams84]

My first thought would be the Black Dogs. 

I was told by Tim in an email that the True Grit bridge is most similar to an overwound Emerald, so if you like the Emerald in another guitar, the True Grit might do what you want in this one.  I personally love the True Grit bridge pickup: it's the perfect blend of vintage and modern, and does what the Nailbomb is advertised to do ("perfect synergy of old-school and modern rock tones") but actually fails at in my personal opinion.