I remember when I played a rehearsal with a friend a couple of months ago.
I played bass (E string tuned down to B) and he played his 7 string LTD with stock 'Duncan Designed' pickups through a 100W Valvestate. Sounded like cr@p. Mushy cardboard tone.
Next tune, he played bass, I played my 6 string with my E string tuned down to B and a pair of War Pigs. We played No More Tears.... Black Label Society-style.
It was his amp, and he was shocked beyond belief: MAN, those pickups really make my amp sound GOOD!
Next time someone says a bad tone is all in the amp, think twice.
This Nailbomb clip is a good example of that too. Even though it's played through a (innit solidstate?) lower-end Marshall, wich normally wouldn't sound too good, it sound decent to good because of the Nailbombs, much more lively than a regular pickup.