Right! Those cheap G500 Xaviere guitars have that plug n play option. So easy! I think James hetfield had some or something I can’t recall. But plug and play standard would be awesome
Where is Glenn when we need him! I think you're totally right, the response of the pickup makes you play differently and that's something you can't edit in post :)
For anyone who likes swapping pups often (as I do), check out the Duncan liberator or obsidian wire - both great solutions and save so much time once they’re installed. God bless emg and fishman for the quick connects - those are even easier!
This video confirmed what we've all always known: The Invader is just nuts lol. Hearing the DI was really cool! You definitely seem to have a pretty light touch on your right hand, so it totally makes sense that you'd like hotter pickups. I tend to enjoy varying what my right hand is doing and like being able to dig in sometimes, so I've been tending more towards medium output humbuckers. I have a Dimarzio Crunch Lab in my Ibanez, which I've been finding kind of annoyingly hot, to the point that I lowered it a fair bit and always ease off on the input gain on my audio interface when I play it. As far as "getting the sound you want out" goes, I've found the double-tap humbucker in my Strat just perfectly dialled in - it feels totally effortless, and like I can just "be me" or whatever. With the Crunch Lab, it feels like I'm having to hold myself back more to keep it under control. As tones goes, I think the main difference I was able to actually consistently notice was low-end response. This didn't really seem to be a function of output, but some just seemed to have a loose low-end (super distortion and tone zone, in particular), while others (PAF Pro, the Jake Bowen one) sounded tighter. So, for low tunings and/or really precise, riffy stuff, it's not surprising why all the djenters have signature pickups that really control the low end.
hey thanks so much for your comment! Yes, I have a very light touch, which is why I love active pickups and like we said high output. I appreciate your comments on the crunch lab. That's a pickup I've yet to try!
@@xanderraymondcharles My take: I love it at or around standard tuning on a 6 string, but it’s pretty bass-heavy on my 7 string. Anything below standard B on the 7 starts to get muddy, even with heavy strings and a 26.5” scale. Thanks for putting your video together. That was definitely some high effort content lol
Hey Xander, thanks so much for doing this! Definitely agree with the point on response > tonal shift since that kinda also dictates whether I vibe with a pickup or not. Love the content and keep it up man!
After doing my own pickup comparison, I know for tonal changes pickups don't matter as much going from humbucker to humbucker. But some pickups do really respond to how hard you pick where some don't respond as much. For an example, I have one of Fluff's old signature pickups, a Fastback Beardcomber, that thing really responds to how hard you pick. Love it.
Definitely one of the best pickup comparison vids ive seen. And youre righr about the tonal shift and pickip response, I'd agree that ia definitely the most noticeable affect, and it cant be edited out. This is so much better than any Glenn Fricker pickup comparison, and you can actually play!😂
Good demo. It shows how little difference pickups make while playing high gain. I'm sure many cheap pickups would've sounded similar compared to all those you tested. Output is all that makes much difference. Lower output pickups while boosted will "feel" like a high output pickup
Doesn't necessarily need to be high gain to neutralize the differences. Just being plugged into an amp will change whatever the original DI signal to whatever the frequency response of the amplifier is.
I put a pair of Seymour Duncan distortions in my prs because I simply didn’t like the sound of the stock pickups due to the lack of output, so I can definitely agree with your points from personal experience. Although the changes tonally were very little, I still felt as though the change was bigger due to output alone.
I think the output is the only variable, pickup to pickup. In other words, how many time they wrap a wire around a magnet. Marketing is what makes us pick one from the other.
Nice seeing this much of a control. Seeing a lot of extra string on the tuning peg, I’m assuming the same strings were used? (Can’t remember if you said it). It would be nice seeing this repeated but with the active pickups (Fishman, EMG, Seymour Duncan etc). Especially to when you said the output didn’t really dictate the tonal shift, it would be really interesting to active thrown into the mix - maybe stand alone, or maybe passive vs active.
My current setup is Dimazio Super Distortion bridge and paf pro neck. Was a jb/59 user for a long time. Checked out a Charvel with the Dimarzio combo and became a convert.
Good video! It is all about feel and how the output of the guitar reacts with the next receiving / preamp stage. Output + overall eq curve characteristic. Then add the pickup's inherent tonal quality (related to the general response, but not always one in the same, and which some have more than others). And finally, yes setup, pole/screw height can also add to this. These 4 ingredients each slightly steer, but all together, they can take things in a completely different direction. Anyone who says passive pickups don't differ much has just not had a lot of experience playing with these specific variables.
Thanks for the comparison! I just picked up a Jackson JS-22 as my first venture into extended range guitars and while the build quality and playability punches way above it's price tag, the pickups are just straight mud. After hearing this test, I think I'm going to go with the Invader. The palm muted sections were so beefy and IMO it's harder to add frequencies rather than take them away in post. Thanks for the video, it's no small feat swapping out 8 different pickups!
Very fun video to watch from a Active Pickup user perspective! I definitely agree in the thought process of, sure the tonal shifts aren't dramatic as some people will claim, however its just how it responds, feels and resonates with you the guitarist for sure. I've been a massive Active pickup only user since I started playing guitar, but I just got my first set of nice passive pickups (Seymour Duncan Mark Holcomb Scourge & Scarlet pickups) and honestly, the response, feel, and clairty is exactly what feels massively different for me. Great video man, love your thoughts on this!
still the best guitar channel out here btw, and the only channel so far that I have found to go this far and prove some thing. People will shoot out multiple instruments but they won't go out of their way to wire up multiple electronics in such a way that is undeniably identical. I love this
Thx for making this video man ! I figured by myself 2 years ago that pickups don't matter with high-gain tones. I have a Squier Affinity Tele and a Jackson JS22, didn't like their tone, swapped respectively with a Bare Knuckle Brute Force and a Seymour Duncan Custom-Custom. Recorded my tracks again and.... no difference. Swapped again the SD CC with a Dimarzio D-Activator. Still no difference. Then, Glenn released his own test, and then you with an even better test ! Can't say about the feel (didn't pay attention at the time), but tonally I wasted my money !
I picked up the mirage set on a whim one time when I was trying to find a good pickup for a particularly dark guitar. And while I ended up moving it to a different ax later I was very impressed with it. It's only like 11k but has high output while maintaining superb clarity. Very underrated.
First and foremost thank you for the level of proffesionalism and effort put into this video. Much appreciated. +1 subscriber. The next comment has nothing to do with the content creator but guitar gear in general. One of things people say about modelers is that they react less to a pickup change then a real “amp and cabinet in the room” setup would. My take: they all sound very similar to me. I know they are not the same but I feel like the modeler piece of this is what makes them the same. I wonder if he was running this setup through a Mesa Dual Rec or a JCM800 if the differences would jump out a little more. My specific thoughts: -Mirage pickup seemed like the one that I liked the least -Tone Zone sounds real thick - seems like a good solution for a guitar that has more High end bite (my les paul has more high’s then I’d like) -Dimebucker SCREAMS on harmonics -The others all sounded pretty good beefy and chunky. Again thanks for the video. Gluck!
First off I was surprised. To my ears the biggest difference was in the pinch harmonics and the paf pro, dimebuckers and the invader had something that seemed to be missing from the others. The Invader was the hottest able to get the sequel sweet spot. I was sad I didn't dig the utopia more,they are just so damned pretty lol
100% agree with your verdict! The pickup response matters and it's in my opinion super overlooked. Switched from EMG 81 to Fishman Devin Townsend (which is more medium output). Both great sounding pickups, but a medium output PU suits better to the way I play.
I use either a Dimarzio Super 3 Distortion or the Tone Zone in the bridge. For the neck I use the Dimarzio PAF or PAF Pro. The Seymour Duncan JB and 59 are a good combination in any guitar as well.
I have to say I agree. Not as obvious a tonal shift as last time, and the response is the most important. It does affect the way you sound because we all play things a bit differently, and the response is what causes that difference. So, some pickups will be better for some people than others because the response will work better with how they want to play.
Pickups matter. The EQ profile for each type of pickup makes a difference for sure. I’ve played many guitars in my life and at one point in time, Jackson and Schecter were using the Duncan JB as a bridge pickup in a lot of guitars. I would consciously avoid any guitar that had this pickup because I hated it. The mid-hump on the low end was too much and when you drop tuned, it was more noticeable. Great job putting in all that effort. Swapping 8 different bridge pickups is no short task.
The point is these pick ups are designed for distortion. I'm here as I'm a metal guitarist that is finding it hard to decide what pickup to buy. And although it's very subtle difference in sound as XRC said I can 100% tell a difference. But I guess I'm so used to playing with distortion that I can tell even the slightest difference in sound.
I figured there would be more of a difference in tone. Wonder if you would get similar results with other companies, Bare Knuckle, Fishman. Cool video and test, a lot of work swapping pups 8 times 😆
Trying to pick a passive pickup for a superstrat I'm building. Was trying to pull a cover off a JB to match the aesthetic I want, but couldn't get it off. I'm an active guy through an through but want to make this one passive. I had a few ideas but this video put the duncan distortion on my radar. It sounded so good. Thanks for doing this! Playing mostly metalcore/deathcore its been hard to find anything other than bareknuckles I've liked and im not willing to spend bareknuckle money on this build.
Tbh, yeah. The only reasons I'd replace pickups is to match the output of my other pickups, and if the stock pickups are muddy. To that point, I really liked the note separation the Mirage had
Huh tough choice between tthe funk and loudness of the invader and the reposivness of the pro... But yeah great test! As I needed to see what different humbuckers do as I want to one day make a quad + humbucer guitar with little to no controller just raw power! Or what ever it would do... So yeah I could always mix them have the pro for where I play and the invaders for the rest.
I'd have to agree with your test here. Glenn did an amazing job proving that speakers really are the tonal center of your rig, but I always felt as though he ignored the fact that how hot a pickup is can shape how you set your EQ or even what speakers you use. Both of ya are excellent though, rock on man!
For me personally, when it comes to high gain and high output pickups, the bass response is the number one factor. A Les Paul with it’s shorter scale length already produces a heavy low mid focused sound, so I tend to like pickups with a smaller low end for those, especially in lower tunings where the string gauges get big. The Duncan Distortion and Dimarzio Mirage sounded best here in the LP, with more focused low ends. The Super D and Utopia do sound awesome in 25.5” trem equipped guitars though, especially in D or E standard.
Some tones reveal the pickup tonality more than others. If you're using a mid focused boost in front of your distortion, you'll be getting that general sound about the same, with most of the difference just being the amount of purr or grunt or whatever. I use a Klon modeled boost, which has a very wide smooth curve to it, and it leaves in a lot more lows and highs than a TS. On top of that I have the hogh shelf on it boosted and the gain very low. I can tell a pretty clear difference. Your tone has that midrange focused warmer chug, like Killswitch etc, where the high end attack isn't emphasized. There's a big difference in the high frequencies between some pickups that just doesn't come through as much in that kind of tone, so it's really about what you're trying to do, rather than an objective "X is better" or whatever
Thank you for putting the time and effort into this interesting experiment! Sounds like it matters to the player, not the audience or listener. Honestly, High gain, couldn’t pick a winner.🤘🏻
It's like saying which hammer is the best one out of 8. They all do the same thing to the same standard when perhaps one will feel better in the hand, your hand!. For info I have a SD in the bridge and PAF pro in the neck. Interesting to hear nearly 0 difference between the two. Any difference can be adjusted out by EQ and string heights etc. Nice demo to confirm that I wont be changing them, no point at all
@@MichaelMonzonMusic Usually a single coil strat but for high gain I use a LP and the SD does a very good' brown sound' with my set up which can quickly become much heavier/crunchier with an SD-1 pedal, so yeah the SD pickup gives a lot of versatility, it is better suited with the guitar tone on 5 for the heavier music i find.
Those are all awesome pickups, even if a bit overpriced. I've purchased a couple pickups from GFS and for around $35/each, couldn't be happier. Wonder how they'd do against the ones in this shootout. * GFS Crunchy rails & GFS Crunchy PAT
After watching this video I agree with you that pickups matter from a players perspective in the feel and response. However, I believe that Glenn's original point was that they don't matter as in the perspective of production in the scope of a full mix the subtitles disappear. You are both right from both of your perspectives.
I dont play metal so there were some surprises for me, i lliked the duncan invader more than i should have and i was a little disappointed with the PAF Pro! The Utopia was my favorite.
Great video, and thank you for talking about response and feel. I look at pickup swaps as less about tone, and more about making the guitar play and feel the way I want, and that's something I feel has been left out of most of these pickup swap conversations cause everyone is focused on tone. I like the immediacy and output of Fishman Moderns and EMG 81/85, makes it feel like the guitar is working with me, making it easier to play. While I often hear from people that like low output passive pickups that they enjoy a guitar that "fights" them. Then the mid output guys will often talk about the dynamics and response to their pick attack. I think having a guitar you enjoy the feel of is just as important as the tone of your rig. I'm sure engineers like Glenn get better performances out of musicians in the studio when the musician actually enjoys playing on the guitar they have versus someone who doesn't like the way their guitar responds to their playing.
Great work dude, in line with Glenn Fricker test, tonal shift not so much, however The feel and response is in my case what matters The most, to me I like Pickups with 15-16 kohms of resistance! Happy holidays \m/
great vidéo dude as always ! pickups matters a lot , but to me it's more like , ok i prefer use a sigle coil for cleans , i prefer use a hot and clear humbucker for rythm and double the tracks with a hot P90. It's just adding flavors to your mix
I could tell a difference in output but the difference in tone was negligible. I'm surprised the Dimebucker was on the lower output side of the scale compared to the others.
I actually subscribed and shared this video.. I am a pickup builder and designer .. This video is geenus because not everyone actually knows what they want ... Most metle player's want is the hottest pup you can build .... And when I give it to them ... Lol they tell me that it is a piece of crap lol ... That just telling me that they don't really know what they want..... 😊🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
So as a guy with his 1st guitar to have Invaders in it stock, to today, favoring mostly lower output pickups more often then not... This was cool.🤘 I think it's all a recipe based on what amp, cab, guitar, and what sound you want to get. Although, I do think with the amount of gain that's on tap with more modern amps, we can use a "low" output pickup and usually gain some dynamics. As you mentioned, basically its a lot of feel; how hard do you pick, what kind wasof pick do you use, what string gauge etc...
Nice video man, that was a hell of an effort to put something like this together. What I have discovered is that.... I still absolutely hate The Tone Zone :D In general differences are miniscule. So yeah, the level of output matters - regardless of tone I prefer to have a high output pickup and dial the gain on the amp waaaaay back instead. With a heavy pick attack it will just sound crushing and tight as hell.
This totally blew the stereotype I had for DiMarzio vs Duncan out of the water. I usually always felt Duncan was brighter and more high end whereas DiMarzio had warmer tones across the board. Nope. The differences were so subtle. The invader and the paf pro were the most noticeable because they had the biggest gain difference from the rest.
Why would two brands sound different generally? Both of them has like hundreds of differetn models that are bright or dark etc. Actually EVERY brand tries to cover each area of the "tonal spectrum" from bright to dark. Not that it actually matters much through distortion tho. xD
@@cederickforsberg5840 agreed that it doesn't matter much under high gain. But in general when you look at EQ charts provided by each brand, Duncan usually have a lot more high end shown where DiMarzio has them rolled off. Especially in bridge pick ups. So not having much knowledge, I figured DiMarzio stuff would generally be warmer tonally. So for me it was a nice learning process.
I'm sure a lot of people already comment the same but lot of gain + plugin, I'm not surprised they will almost sound the same. Also you need to compare a cheap no name pickup to a branded pickup. The real question is not should I replace my JB for an Invader but will it make a difference if I put a good pickup in my guitar which has no name stock pickups. For me the answer is defintely yes.
If you play metal you will have lots of gain thats just how it goes. Be happy that you dont have to worry about your pickups much :) it's a liberating feelnig to just be happy with what you have. I rock out just as much on my Harley Bentons and Epiphones with stock pickups as I do with my high-end guitars with Duncans, Dimarzios and EMGs
Some advice for those who find most of these pickups sound the same. Sorry about the length but I want to help. Keep in mind this took me longer to type than for viewers to read. *My definition for output here is how loud the pickup is combined with how much it distorts a clean signal with no aids like an amp head's distortion or distortion pedal.* 1) Most pickups are going to sound similar under high distortion. The difference is how they feel in the hands. 2) *If you only wire your passive pickups in series, you are only using 25% of the pickup's potential.* What separates pickups that sound similar in series is how they sound split to each coil, in parallel, and out of phase. It isn't just the series mode that makes a humbucker desirable. You'll need four conductor plus ground pickups to do this (note: stock Gibson pickups are usually two conductor plus ground only--you'll need their more expensive aftermarket versions if you want more sounds out of your Gibson pickups). For the sake of flexibility, I put Seymour Duncan Triple Shots on all my guitars so I can switch the tones from the humbucker mounting ring and only have to rely on a push/pull volume knob for phase switching. I put the phase push/pull on the neck pickup volume knob while for the bridge pickup volume I use a Shadow volume/killpot. I use a tone knob as well if there is a third knob. I use a .047uf cap. This arrangement gives me the most common wiring options in a two humbucker guitar and a phase/killswitch in a V/V/T format. Some of my pickups like my Gibson 498t and 500t don't do much at all when split, in parallel, or out of phase, but they sound great in series. The Gibson 498t is one of my very favorite pickups, but it is a one trick pony. Other pickups like my Duncan Custom and Custom 5 sound good in series and make all sorts of sounds when split, in parallel, or out of phase. They're also a bit clearer and less fizzy than using something like a Duncan Distortion for tracking rhythms. A Custom/Custom 5 BC Rich Mockingbird I have is very versatile. It is a case by case basis. Remember, with 2-6 rhythm guitars you're tracking fizz on fizz, which adds up, so lower the distortion on each guitar a bit for a clearer mix. *Don't be afraid to try bridge and neck pickups in the opposite position. You might like what you find.* A Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro neck version did not match well with my Duncan Custom 5. Using the A2P bridge version in the neck with the Custom 5 in the bridge was a perfect fit as the volume and tone were a closer match when switching pickups. Try an Alnico II pickup in the neck if you like bluesy bends. If you like a lot of hybrid picking like country music or what Zakk Wylde does, try an Alnico II in the bridge, as the low end is very springy and responsive to fingerpicking. *Many players like having a lower output humbucker in the neck for cleans, but you may like a hot bridge pickup in the neck if you like to solo from the neck.* I have a Duncan Dimebucker/JB Jackson Warrior set up like this. The JB is mushy in the bridge but warm and fat in the neck and splits/parallels for beautiful cleans. 3) *Most importantly, it is easy to boost a clean, low to moderate output pickup, but hard to clean up a high output, distorted pickup.* Don't just go for the highest output pickup like an Invader or X2N. *My advice is if you want clarity in your tone and an easier guitar sound to mix, start with low to moderate output pickups and let your amp/pedal do the distorting of the signal.* Save high output pickups for guitars that do mainly solos and need to be compressed, hot, and bright to cut through a dense mix. That said, a few pickups can be high output and clear. One of my recent favorites is the Duncan Parallel Axis Original, which is like a less fizzy distortion. They are underrated sleeper pickups that sound great for prog metal shredders. Give them a try, especially if you play rhythm with a lot of flashy whammy bar lead fills in the style of Randy Rhodes or Alexi Laiho. Alternately, try a DiMarzio Super 2 in the bridge instead of the neck. *Way too many metal players, especially young ones, end up with an overly distorted mess instead of a clear, balanced, but still saturated sound. While the guitar may sound fine by itself, it will sound bad in a mix.* A lack of clarity is why I am not big on high output pickups. High output pickups made sense in the 1970s before we had a lot of gain on tap because hot pickups would push Marshall Plexis into distortion. In the 80s, the common Ibanez Tubescreamer into Marshall JCM800 signal chain became common with thrash metal bands because the Tubescreamer gave the additional distortion the JCM800 needed. From there, Mesa Boogie perfected the scooped mid sound with the Dual Rectifier (and the more midrange oriented Mark series). Peavey's 5150 amps added yet another distorted sound. Marshall, Mesa Boogie, and Peavey 5150 remain the main metal amp sounds and, despite all the gain these amplifiers offer, many players still boost the front of these amps with pedals. Usually dialing in the pedals very conservatively is enough to give the amp just a bit of an edge to tighten up the bottom end, saturate the signal slightly, and produce enough brightness for pinch harmonics. I didn't realize this until I tried a pedal with my amp and suddenly my EMG 81s started to squeal like they were supposed to (EMGs tend to be very midrange focused pickups with the highs and lows chopped off so they sit well in a mix, making harmonics difficult without a boost). Now with infinite gain available in DAW plugins and modeling preamps, high output pickups are less necessary. Hotter pickups tend to sound darker because the increased coil winds increase output at the expense of brightness, requiring ceramic magnets to restore treble to the tone (looking at you, Duncan Invader). Often the bottom end on these hot pickups can get rather loose as well. Hotter pickups also tend to be more compressed and less responsive to changes in picking dynamics. I use these hotter pickups for color, again, mainly for parts that sit on top of other parts like solos and melodies. My preferring lower output pickups also applies to bass. I use 62 Fender Original reissues in my PJ basses even for extreme metal and end up with very good results because the bass pickup tone is very even across all strings with a controlled low end and clarity on the notes. *If all this with the Duncan Triple Shots sounds like a lot of trouble to wire up, it is. Wiring one guitar with Triple Shots, killswitch, phase switch, and other mods along with Floyd Rose setup can take about two hours. So, I save my passive guitars with complex wiring mainly for studio use.* My advice is *if you want a simple distorted humbucker sound that is master volume only, use active pickups, especially in lower tunings and with 7 string guitars.* Not only are active pickup systems simpler and faster to install, but active pickups tend to make the guitar sound very consistent and tight on the low end, which is ideal for all the chugging in metal. Of the brands I have tried, EMGs are good for a more midrange focus. Seymour Duncan Blackouts are better for a fuller sound with more lows and highs. Active bass pickups lose some warmth relative to passives but gain clarity and consistency in a mix. You may need to use a compressor on a passive bass but not on an active bass. *If you use EMGs, use the 24 Volt Mod.* It costs around $35 and attaches to your regular 9 volt battery clip. Your EMG equipped guitar will come alive with a fatter sound and faster transients. You may not even need new, expensive pickup models because you'll find your old EMGs from the 80s and early 90s can still do the job. *If your guitar or bass has accessories like EMG tone controls don't use the Mod with them because the accessories are rated at 18 volts max.* For this reason I use passive tone controls only even on my active 24 volt basses. *Lastly, don't ignore the EMG HZ line just because they are passive.* If you like the EMG sound but want more wiring options, use them with the Seymour Duncan Triple Shots (the space on the back of the pickup is crowded due to the quick connector, but the Triple Shot does work with every pickup brand--just mind the wiring color differences between manufacturers). EMG HZs let you have the basic EMG sound at a lower volume, but give you more wiring possibilities than active EMGs, which require special models and accessories to do split coil/parallel/out of phase sounds. You can always compensate for the quieter HZs by just turning up your amp. EMG HZ1/HZ1As are similar to Duncan Customs. They are a good pickup for rhythm guitar because they are slightly scooped and clearer than the fizzier HZ4 (EMG 81) or HZ4A (EMG 85). The HZ1/HZ1As are patterned after high output PAF-inspired pickups like the Gibson 498t and Duncan Custom line. They don't have an equivalent in the active versions. The HZ3/HZ3A are patterned after the EMG 60/60A. The underappreciated 60A in the neck is a great, warm blues pickup similar to the Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro or Gibson 57 Classic, while the 60 is better for bright cleans like out of a Roland JC120. The HZ2/HZ2As are lower wind pickups used for classic rock. The A versions are Alnico 5 magnets for a warmer sound. The non-A versions are ceramic for a brighter sound. Hope this helps. *Edit: In today's world, we also have impulse responses, which simulate microphone and speaker cabinet combinations. I think of them as a post-EQ. Finding the right impulse response may be all you need to find the right tone. If your pickup is where your tone starts, then your impulse response is where it ends.*
Im going to listen to this on my phone and then give my expert opinion
I love you hahaha
Literally doing this now 😅😅
Lolololol 😂
Fucking accurate
That is how most people listen to music. Great video!
Lmfao
The real star of this video is your soldering iron. I hate changing one pickup, never mind 8.
The good ‘ole Weller soldering station didn’t miss a beat after hours of work!
@@ledthrax Props to you man, you’re a more patient man than me 😂
Does a completely blacked out arm tatoo prevent sunburns? Asking for a really white friend.
Right! Those cheap G500 Xaviere guitars have that plug n play option. So easy! I think James hetfield had some or something I can’t recall. But plug and play standard would be awesome
SD made solderless pots... Makes changing pickups take a few minutes,... :)
I love that the SD Distortion and DiMarzio Super Distortion are both 40+ year old pickup designs that can still hang all these years later!
That's because they are all made from the same things in pretty much the same way. EMG's are differnce but for passive, it's limited.
Isn't it just amazing how the DI sound of all of these makes you realize that an unamplified guitar is truly like a supermodel without makeup?
Theres a really terrible rapper named lil darky and they used the di of a heavy riff and it sounds so good
Always happy to help out man! Had a great time yesterday hanging out and giving the soldering iron a workout.
I can't thank you enough dude!
Thanks for your major soldering contribution!
Where is Glenn when we need him!
I think you're totally right, the response of the pickup makes you play differently and that's something you can't edit in post :)
No one needs Glenn 😂😂😂😂
Amp simulation
1:39 Duncan Distortion
2:08 DiMarzio Utopia
2:40 Duncan Dimebucker
3:10 DiMarzio Tone Zone
3:44 DiMarzio Super Distortion
4:14 DiMarzio PAF Pro
4:45 Duncan Invader
5:20 DiMarzio Mirange
DI
7:32 Duncan Distortion
8:00 DiMarzio Utopia
9:02 DiMarzio Tone Zone
9:37 DiMarzio Super Distortion
10:07 DiMarzio PAF Pro
10:36 Duncan Invader
11:14 DiMarzio Mirage
For anyone who likes swapping pups often (as I do), check out the Duncan liberator or obsidian wire - both great solutions and save so much time once they’re installed. God bless emg and fishman for the quick connects - those are even easier!
I still don’t understand why all new guitars don’t come with quick connects. It’s like guitar companies don’t want us to swap pickups, lol. 🤔😂
Dimarzio also offers quick connect versions of most of their pickups from their custom shop.
This video confirmed what we've all always known: The Invader is just nuts lol.
Hearing the DI was really cool! You definitely seem to have a pretty light touch on your right hand, so it totally makes sense that you'd like hotter pickups. I tend to enjoy varying what my right hand is doing and like being able to dig in sometimes, so I've been tending more towards medium output humbuckers. I have a Dimarzio Crunch Lab in my Ibanez, which I've been finding kind of annoyingly hot, to the point that I lowered it a fair bit and always ease off on the input gain on my audio interface when I play it. As far as "getting the sound you want out" goes, I've found the double-tap humbucker in my Strat just perfectly dialled in - it feels totally effortless, and like I can just "be me" or whatever. With the Crunch Lab, it feels like I'm having to hold myself back more to keep it under control.
As tones goes, I think the main difference I was able to actually consistently notice was low-end response. This didn't really seem to be a function of output, but some just seemed to have a loose low-end (super distortion and tone zone, in particular), while others (PAF Pro, the Jake Bowen one) sounded tighter. So, for low tunings and/or really precise, riffy stuff, it's not surprising why all the djenters have signature pickups that really control the low end.
hey thanks so much for your comment! Yes, I have a very light touch, which is why I love active pickups and like we said high output. I appreciate your comments on the crunch lab. That's a pickup I've yet to try!
@@xanderraymondcharles My take: I love it at or around standard tuning on a 6 string, but it’s pretty bass-heavy on my 7 string. Anything below standard B on the 7 starts to get muddy, even with heavy strings and a 26.5” scale.
Thanks for putting your video together. That was definitely some high effort content lol
Hey Xander, thanks so much for doing this! Definitely agree with the point on response > tonal shift since that kinda also dictates whether I vibe with a pickup or not. Love the content and keep it up man!
I just realized the other day that you can push or click the timestamp and it will bring you to that time of the video
@@Durkhead Useful, right?
I’ve heard response referred to as “attack” in years past. Certainly agree, the attack matters big time! Great video!
hey thanks!
Always wondered what that meant
After doing my own pickup comparison, I know for tonal changes pickups don't matter as much going from humbucker to humbucker. But some pickups do really respond to how hard you pick where some don't respond as much. For an example, I have one of Fluff's old signature pickups, a Fastback Beardcomber, that thing really responds to how hard you pick. Love it.
Man anytime I hear fluff demo something it makes me turned off from buying it after hearing him. I feel like he's tone-deaf.
They all sound great honestly. I have to pick the Duncan Distortion.
Definitely one of the best pickup comparison vids ive seen. And youre righr about the tonal shift and pickip response, I'd agree that ia definitely the most noticeable affect, and it cant be edited out. This is so much better than any Glenn Fricker pickup comparison, and you can actually play!😂
Damn, really appreciate the amount of effort that went into making this video. This was such a great shootout, man!
Good demo. It shows how little difference pickups make while playing high gain. I'm sure many cheap pickups would've sounded similar compared to all those you tested. Output is all that makes much difference. Lower output pickups while boosted will "feel" like a high output pickup
Doesn't necessarily need to be high gain to neutralize the differences. Just being plugged into an amp will change whatever the original DI signal to whatever the frequency response of the amplifier is.
This turned out pretty much exactly as I predicted in my comment on your last video. Bravo for taking the time to put this together, awesome man.
I put a pair of Seymour Duncan distortions in my prs because I simply didn’t like the sound of the stock pickups due to the lack of output, so I can definitely agree with your points from personal experience. Although the changes tonally were very little, I still felt as though the change was bigger due to output alone.
this is the first objective video on the matter, thanks for showing the differences in output in the end.
Sick riff!! I’m looking into changing the pickups on my guitar for the first time ever…this was extremely helpful!
I think the output is the only variable, pickup to pickup. In other words, how many time they wrap a wire around a magnet. Marketing is what makes us pick one from the other.
The invader and dimebucker had the most output out of the bunch. That's all i noticed. The output lvl.
Cool experiment my man! Wow, that Invader was sick!
Nice seeing this much of a control. Seeing a lot of extra string on the tuning peg, I’m assuming the same strings were used? (Can’t remember if you said it). It would be nice seeing this repeated but with the active pickups (Fishman, EMG, Seymour Duncan etc). Especially to when you said the output didn’t really dictate the tonal shift, it would be really interesting to active thrown into the mix - maybe stand alone, or maybe passive vs active.
My current setup is Dimazio Super Distortion bridge and paf pro neck. Was a jb/59 user for a long time. Checked out a Charvel with the Dimarzio combo and became a convert.
Good video! It is all about feel and how the output of the guitar reacts with the next receiving / preamp stage. Output + overall eq curve characteristic. Then add the pickup's inherent tonal quality (related to the general response, but not always one in the same, and which some have more than others). And finally, yes setup, pole/screw height can also add to this. These 4 ingredients each slightly steer, but all together, they can take things in a completely different direction. Anyone who says passive pickups don't differ much has just not had a lot of experience playing with these specific variables.
Thanks for the comparison! I just picked up a Jackson JS-22 as my first venture into extended range guitars and while the build quality and playability punches way above it's price tag, the pickups are just straight mud. After hearing this test, I think I'm going to go with the Invader. The palm muted sections were so beefy and IMO it's harder to add frequencies rather than take them away in post. Thanks for the video, it's no small feat swapping out 8 different pickups!
Thank you for using the same guitar. This is a true shoot out.
Very fun video to watch from a Active Pickup user perspective! I definitely agree in the thought process of, sure the tonal shifts aren't dramatic as some people will claim, however its just how it responds, feels and resonates with you the guitarist for sure. I've been a massive Active pickup only user since I started playing guitar, but I just got my first set of nice passive pickups (Seymour Duncan Mark Holcomb Scourge & Scarlet pickups) and honestly, the response, feel, and clairty is exactly what feels massively different for me. Great video man, love your thoughts on this!
I've been saying this exact thing for years. The response and feel is way more important. Great video man!
I like Duncan Distortion is every shootout where it's included. This is no exception.
If anything this video has taught me how I forgot how awesome dimarzios pickups sound !
You Tube's compression makes it hard for us to hear/feel the difference in attack/output. But I know what you mean.
still the best guitar channel out here btw, and the only channel so far that I have found to go this far and prove some thing. People will shoot out multiple instruments but they won't go out of their way to wire up multiple electronics in such a way that is undeniably identical. I love this
Yeah, Glen Fricker would never do such a thing.
Thx for making this video man ! I figured by myself 2 years ago that pickups don't matter with high-gain tones. I have a Squier Affinity Tele and a Jackson JS22, didn't like their tone, swapped respectively with a Bare Knuckle Brute Force and a Seymour Duncan Custom-Custom. Recorded my tracks again and.... no difference. Swapped again the SD CC with a Dimarzio D-Activator. Still no difference. Then, Glenn released his own test, and then you with an even better test ! Can't say about the feel (didn't pay attention at the time), but tonally I wasted my money !
I picked up the mirage set on a whim one time when I was trying to find a good pickup for a particularly dark guitar. And while I ended up moving it to a different ax later I was very impressed with it. It's only like 11k but has high output while maintaining superb clarity. Very underrated.
Hey Ray did you see Glen Frickers vid about pickups? Appreciate your content brother. Keep on rockin.
Duuuude those Dustie Waring signature pickups are FANTASTIC!!! So powerful and punchy!
First and foremost thank you for the level of proffesionalism and effort put into this video. Much appreciated. +1 subscriber.
The next comment has nothing to do with the content creator but guitar gear in general. One of things people say about modelers is that they react less to a pickup change then a real “amp and cabinet in the room” setup would. My take: they all sound very similar to me. I know they are not the same but I feel like the modeler piece of this is what makes them the same. I wonder if he was running this setup through a Mesa Dual Rec or a JCM800 if the differences would jump out a little more.
My specific thoughts:
-Mirage pickup seemed like the one that I liked the least
-Tone Zone sounds real thick - seems like a good solution for a guitar that has more High end bite (my les paul has more high’s then I’d like)
-Dimebucker SCREAMS on harmonics
-The others all sounded pretty good beefy and chunky.
Again thanks for the video. Gluck!
First off I was surprised. To my ears the biggest difference was in the pinch harmonics and the paf pro, dimebuckers and the invader had something that seemed to be missing from the others. The Invader was the hottest able to get the sequel sweet spot. I was sad I didn't dig the utopia more,they are just so damned pretty lol
Yep, those definitely make the guitar louder. Thanks for the test!
i absolutely love the massive eye screws. Never have to worry about the buttons coming out HAHAH
100% agree with your verdict! The pickup response matters and it's in my opinion super overlooked. Switched from EMG 81 to Fishman Devin Townsend (which is more medium output). Both great sounding pickups, but a medium output PU suits better to the way I play.
Incredible video and been thinking about switching my humbuckers. Gotta admit Dimebucker sounded best to me.
I use either a Dimarzio Super 3 Distortion or the Tone Zone in the bridge. For the neck I use the Dimarzio PAF or PAF Pro. The Seymour Duncan JB and 59 are a good combination in any guitar as well.
What do you match the Super 3 with?
You can use the paf or paf pro. I prefer the paf.
I have to say I agree. Not as obvious a tonal shift as last time, and the response is the most important. It does affect the way you sound because we all play things a bit differently, and the response is what causes that difference. So, some pickups will be better for some people than others because the response will work better with how they want to play.
Pickups matter. The EQ profile for each type of pickup makes a difference for sure. I’ve played many guitars in my life and at one point in time, Jackson and Schecter were using the Duncan JB as a bridge pickup in a lot of guitars. I would consciously avoid any guitar that had this pickup because I hated it. The mid-hump on the low end was too much and when you drop tuned, it was more noticeable. Great job putting in all that effort. Swapping 8 different bridge pickups is no short task.
Awesome video!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
The difference is minimal. If you want to hear differences shoot them out clean. The more gain you add the less they're going to sound different.
If you want clean play an acoustic.
The point is these pick ups are designed for distortion. I'm here as I'm a metal guitarist that is finding it hard to decide what pickup to buy. And although it's very subtle difference in sound as XRC said I can 100% tell a difference. But I guess I'm so used to playing with distortion that I can tell even the slightest difference in sound.
I figured there would be more of a difference in tone. Wonder if you would get similar results with other companies, Bare Knuckle, Fishman. Cool video and test, a lot of work swapping pups 8 times 😆
Maybe trying different Speakers? Then the sound would change, a lot. 😉
Trying to pick a passive pickup for a superstrat I'm building. Was trying to pull a cover off a JB to match the aesthetic I want, but couldn't get it off. I'm an active guy through an through but want to make this one passive. I had a few ideas but this video put the duncan distortion on my radar. It sounded so good. Thanks for doing this! Playing mostly metalcore/deathcore its been hard to find anything other than bareknuckles I've liked and im not willing to spend bareknuckle money on this build.
Tbh, yeah. The only reasons I'd replace pickups is to match the output of my other pickups, and if the stock pickups are muddy. To that point, I really liked the note separation the Mirage had
So, which one was most responsive? We can’t tell that part just from listening…
How do they compare in responsiveness? Thanks’
Huh tough choice between tthe funk and loudness of the invader and the reposivness of the pro... But yeah great test! As I needed to see what different humbuckers do as I want to one day make a quad + humbucer guitar with little to no controller just raw power! Or what ever it would do... So yeah I could always mix them have the pro for where I play and the invaders for the rest.
I'd have to agree with your test here. Glenn did an amazing job proving that speakers really are the tonal center of your rig, but I always felt as though he ignored the fact that how hot a pickup is can shape how you set your EQ or even what speakers you use. Both of ya are excellent though, rock on man!
If you mention that demons name then you will summons the antichrist.
For me personally, when it comes to high gain and high output pickups, the bass response is the number one factor.
A Les Paul with it’s shorter scale length already produces a heavy low mid focused sound, so I tend to like pickups with a smaller low end for those, especially in lower tunings where the string gauges get big.
The Duncan Distortion and Dimarzio Mirage sounded best here in the LP, with more focused low ends.
The Super D and Utopia do sound awesome in 25.5” trem equipped guitars though, especially in D or E standard.
Some tones reveal the pickup tonality more than others. If you're using a mid focused boost in front of your distortion, you'll be getting that general sound about the same, with most of the difference just being the amount of purr or grunt or whatever. I use a Klon modeled boost, which has a very wide smooth curve to it, and it leaves in a lot more lows and highs than a TS. On top of that I have the hogh shelf on it boosted and the gain very low. I can tell a pretty clear difference.
Your tone has that midrange focused warmer chug, like Killswitch etc, where the high end attack isn't emphasized. There's a big difference in the high frequencies between some pickups that just doesn't come through as much in that kind of tone, so it's really about what you're trying to do, rather than an objective "X is better" or whatever
Wish there’s have been a couple Bareknuckle pickups in this, I use Bareknuckle but would like to see if I could have a better sounding one
Cool video !! the feeling and respond really makes you play diferent
Thank you for putting the time and effort into this interesting experiment! Sounds like it matters to the player, not the audience or listener. Honestly, High gain, couldn’t pick a winner.🤘🏻
Thank you so very much in taking your time and money in making this video for us all..... 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😂😊😊
It's like saying which hammer is the best one out of 8. They all do the same thing to the same standard when perhaps one will feel better in the hand, your hand!. For info I have a SD in the bridge and PAF pro in the neck. Interesting to hear nearly 0 difference between the two. Any difference can be adjusted out by EQ and string heights etc. Nice demo to confirm that I wont be changing them, no point at all
@@MichaelMonzonMusic Usually a single coil strat but for high gain I use a LP and the SD does a very good' brown sound' with my set up which can quickly become much heavier/crunchier with an SD-1 pedal, so yeah the SD pickup gives a lot of versatility, it is better suited with the guitar tone on 5 for the heavier music i find.
@@MichaelMonzonMusic Oh im not sure, the Dimarzio website will show what they're made from, i think they're ceramic magnets. They sound good to me.
Love the Duncan distortion and invader.
Can anyone link a vid on 3 set pickups? I'm curious to understand how they work and if something I would try?
I had an Invader in my RG7620 for many years. I never liked it. My favorite here was the PAF Pro. Lower output is more interesting to me these days.
There’s so many big and small variables when it comes to tone. I’m starting to think pickups really don’t matter that much.
I thought the Uropia pickup only came f spaced?
Those are all awesome pickups, even if a bit overpriced. I've purchased a couple pickups from GFS and for around $35/each, couldn't be happier. Wonder how they'd do against the ones in this shootout.
* GFS Crunchy rails & GFS Crunchy PAT
You sold me on the tone zone
After watching this video I agree with you that pickups matter from a players perspective in the feel and response. However, I believe that Glenn's original point was that they don't matter as in the perspective of production in the scope of a full mix the subtitles disappear. You are both right from both of your perspectives.
I like the TONE ZONE and the PAF PRO
Hey bro. Whats your opinion on the SD black winter and the SD nazgul? Im torn between the 2.
You need to compare only in a full valve rig to truly hear and feel the difference
If that’s true, does that further prove pickups don’t really matter? Especially in outdated equipment
@@xanderraymondcharles thats just a stupid response
I dont play metal so there were some surprises for me, i lliked the duncan invader more than i should have and i was a little disappointed with the PAF Pro! The Utopia was my favorite.
Invader it's great 🔥
The ones where he's doing some extra doodling are clues about how good they are
That Dimebag sounds great 👍
it always does! It's a classic
How did you PAF tone to sound like a high gain pickups?
Great video, and thank you for talking about response and feel. I look at pickup swaps as less about tone, and more about making the guitar play and feel the way I want, and that's something I feel has been left out of most of these pickup swap conversations cause everyone is focused on tone. I like the immediacy and output of Fishman Moderns and EMG 81/85, makes it feel like the guitar is working with me, making it easier to play. While I often hear from people that like low output passive pickups that they enjoy a guitar that "fights" them. Then the mid output guys will often talk about the dynamics and response to their pick attack.
I think having a guitar you enjoy the feel of is just as important as the tone of your rig. I'm sure engineers like Glenn get better performances out of musicians in the studio when the musician actually enjoys playing on the guitar they have versus someone who doesn't like the way their guitar responds to their playing.
Great work dude, in line with Glenn Fricker test, tonal shift not so much, however The feel and response is in my case what matters The most, to me I like Pickups with 15-16 kohms of resistance! Happy holidays \m/
great vidéo dude as always ! pickups matters a lot , but to me it's more like , ok i prefer use a sigle coil for cleans , i prefer use a hot and clear humbucker for rythm and double the tracks with a hot P90. It's just adding flavors to your mix
You should try out “Legendary Pickups” they can custom make your sound requirements.. and they are hand built..ask for Jason.
The Amp sim has too much distortion there so all the pickups sound the same.
Tell me you didn’t watch the whole video without telling me you didn’t watch the whole video
I could tell a difference in output but the difference in tone was negligible. I'm surprised the Dimebucker was on the lower output side of the scale compared to the others.
I actually subscribed and shared this video..
I am a pickup builder and designer .. This video is geenus because not everyone actually knows what they want ... Most metle player's want is the hottest pup you can build .... And when I give it to them ... Lol they tell me that it is a piece of crap lol ... That just telling me that they don't really know what they want..... 😊🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
So as a guy with his 1st guitar to have Invaders in it stock, to today, favoring mostly lower output pickups more often then not... This was cool.🤘 I think it's all a recipe based on what amp, cab, guitar, and what sound you want to get. Although, I do think with the amount of gain that's on tap with more modern amps, we can use a "low" output pickup and usually gain some dynamics. As you mentioned, basically its a lot of feel; how hard do you pick, what kind wasof pick do you use, what string gauge etc...
Glenn Frickers head is exploding right now 😏🤣🤣🤣
Awesome video as always!
Nice video man, that was a hell of an effort to put something like this together. What I have discovered is that.... I still absolutely hate The Tone Zone :D In general differences are miniscule. So yeah, the level of output matters - regardless of tone I prefer to have a high output pickup and dial the gain on the amp waaaaay back instead. With a heavy pick attack it will just sound crushing and tight as hell.
Good demo, thanks.
This totally blew the stereotype I had for DiMarzio vs Duncan out of the water. I usually always felt Duncan was brighter and more high end whereas DiMarzio had warmer tones across the board. Nope. The differences were so subtle. The invader and the paf pro were the most noticeable because they had the biggest gain difference from the rest.
Why would two brands sound different generally?
Both of them has like hundreds of differetn models that are bright or dark etc.
Actually EVERY brand tries to cover each area of the "tonal spectrum" from bright to dark.
Not that it actually matters much through distortion tho. xD
@@cederickforsberg5840 agreed that it doesn't matter much under high gain. But in general when you look at EQ charts provided by each brand, Duncan usually have a lot more high end shown where DiMarzio has them rolled off. Especially in bridge pick ups. So not having much knowledge, I figured DiMarzio stuff would generally be warmer tonally. So for me it was a nice learning process.
@@sb632 But those charts doesnt matter if play metal distortion xD
Good job. Wanna feel a difference try SD distortion vs Fishmans or EMGs.
Dimarzio is the most underrated pickup brand
I'm sure a lot of people already comment the same but lot of gain + plugin, I'm not surprised they will almost sound the same. Also you need to compare a cheap no name pickup to a branded pickup. The real question is not should I replace my JB for an Invader but will it make a difference if I put a good pickup in my guitar which has no name stock pickups. For me the answer is defintely yes.
If you play metal you will have lots of gain thats just how it goes. Be happy that you dont have to worry about your pickups much :) it's a liberating feelnig to just be happy with what you have. I rock out just as much on my Harley Bentons and Epiphones with stock pickups as I do with my high-end guitars with Duncans, Dimarzios and EMGs
Oh that utopia killed the duncans, espacially sh6 at the beginning.
Had my favorites, but you do you brother!
sick video! great detail and info!
Heard little to no difference across the board. I was listening with headphones as well 😅
Some advice for those who find most of these pickups sound the same. Sorry about the length but I want to help. Keep in mind this took me longer to type than for viewers to read.
*My definition for output here is how loud the pickup is combined with how much it distorts a clean signal with no aids like an amp head's distortion or distortion pedal.*
1) Most pickups are going to sound similar under high distortion. The difference is how they feel in the hands.
2) *If you only wire your passive pickups in series, you are only using 25% of the pickup's potential.* What separates pickups that sound similar in series is how they sound split to each coil, in parallel, and out of phase. It isn't just the series mode that makes a humbucker desirable. You'll need four conductor plus ground pickups to do this (note: stock Gibson pickups are usually two conductor plus ground only--you'll need their more expensive aftermarket versions if you want more sounds out of your Gibson pickups).
For the sake of flexibility, I put Seymour Duncan Triple Shots on all my guitars so I can switch the tones from the humbucker mounting ring and only have to rely on a push/pull volume knob for phase switching. I put the phase push/pull on the neck pickup volume knob while for the bridge pickup volume I use a Shadow volume/killpot. I use a tone knob as well if there is a third knob. I use a .047uf cap.
This arrangement gives me the most common wiring options in a two humbucker guitar and a phase/killswitch in a V/V/T format.
Some of my pickups like my Gibson 498t and 500t don't do much at all when split, in parallel, or out of phase, but they sound great in series. The Gibson 498t is one of my very favorite pickups, but it is a one trick pony.
Other pickups like my Duncan Custom and Custom 5 sound good in series and make all sorts of sounds when split, in parallel, or out of phase. They're also a bit clearer and less fizzy than using something like a Duncan Distortion for tracking rhythms. A Custom/Custom 5 BC Rich Mockingbird I have is very versatile. It is a case by case basis.
Remember, with 2-6 rhythm guitars you're tracking fizz on fizz, which adds up, so lower the distortion on each guitar a bit for a clearer mix.
*Don't be afraid to try bridge and neck pickups in the opposite position. You might like what you find.* A Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro neck version did not match well with my Duncan Custom 5. Using the A2P bridge version in the neck with the Custom 5 in the bridge was a perfect fit as the volume and tone were a closer match when switching pickups.
Try an Alnico II pickup in the neck if you like bluesy bends. If you like a lot of hybrid picking like country music or what Zakk Wylde does, try an Alnico II in the bridge, as the low end is very springy and responsive to fingerpicking.
*Many players like having a lower output humbucker in the neck for cleans, but you may like a hot bridge pickup in the neck if you like to solo from the neck.* I have a Duncan Dimebucker/JB Jackson Warrior set up like this. The JB is mushy in the bridge but warm and fat in the neck and splits/parallels for beautiful cleans.
3) *Most importantly, it is easy to boost a clean, low to moderate output pickup, but hard to clean up a high output, distorted pickup.*
Don't just go for the highest output pickup like an Invader or X2N. *My advice is if you want clarity in your tone and an easier guitar sound to mix, start with low to moderate output pickups and let your amp/pedal do the distorting of the signal.* Save high output pickups for guitars that do mainly solos and need to be compressed, hot, and bright to cut through a dense mix.
That said, a few pickups can be high output and clear. One of my recent favorites is the Duncan Parallel Axis Original, which is like a less fizzy distortion. They are underrated sleeper pickups that sound great for prog metal shredders. Give them a try, especially if you play rhythm with a lot of flashy whammy bar lead fills in the style of Randy Rhodes or Alexi Laiho. Alternately, try a DiMarzio Super 2 in the bridge instead of the neck.
*Way too many metal players, especially young ones, end up with an overly distorted mess instead of a clear, balanced, but still saturated sound. While the guitar may sound fine by itself, it will sound bad in a mix.*
A lack of clarity is why I am not big on high output pickups.
High output pickups made sense in the 1970s before we had a lot of gain on tap because hot pickups would push Marshall Plexis into distortion.
In the 80s, the common Ibanez Tubescreamer into Marshall JCM800 signal chain became common with thrash metal bands because the Tubescreamer gave the additional distortion the JCM800 needed. From there, Mesa Boogie perfected the scooped mid sound with the Dual Rectifier (and the more midrange oriented Mark series). Peavey's 5150 amps added yet another distorted sound.
Marshall, Mesa Boogie, and Peavey 5150 remain the main metal amp sounds and, despite all the gain these amplifiers offer, many players still boost the front of these amps with pedals. Usually dialing in the pedals very conservatively is enough to give the amp just a bit of an edge to tighten up the bottom end, saturate the signal slightly, and produce enough brightness for pinch harmonics.
I didn't realize this until I tried a pedal with my amp and suddenly my EMG 81s started to squeal like they were supposed to (EMGs tend to be very midrange focused pickups with the highs and lows chopped off so they sit well in a mix, making harmonics difficult without a boost).
Now with infinite gain available in DAW plugins and modeling preamps, high output pickups are less necessary. Hotter pickups tend to sound darker because the increased coil winds increase output at the expense of brightness, requiring ceramic magnets to restore treble to the tone (looking at you, Duncan Invader). Often the bottom end on these hot pickups can get rather loose as well. Hotter pickups also tend to be more compressed and less responsive to changes in picking dynamics.
I use these hotter pickups for color, again, mainly for parts that sit on top of other parts like solos and melodies.
My preferring lower output pickups also applies to bass. I use 62 Fender Original reissues in my PJ basses even for extreme metal and end up with very good results because the bass pickup tone is very even across all strings with a controlled low end and clarity on the notes.
*If all this with the Duncan Triple Shots sounds like a lot of trouble to wire up, it is. Wiring one guitar with Triple Shots, killswitch, phase switch, and other mods along with Floyd Rose setup can take about two hours. So, I save my passive guitars with complex wiring mainly for studio use.*
My advice is *if you want a simple distorted humbucker sound that is master volume only, use active pickups, especially in lower tunings and with 7 string guitars.* Not only are active pickup systems simpler and faster to install, but active pickups tend to make the guitar sound very consistent and tight on the low end, which is ideal for all the chugging in metal.
Of the brands I have tried, EMGs are good for a more midrange focus. Seymour Duncan Blackouts are better for a fuller sound with more lows and highs. Active bass pickups lose some warmth relative to passives but gain clarity and consistency in a mix. You may need to use a compressor on a passive bass but not on an active bass.
*If you use EMGs, use the 24 Volt Mod.* It costs around $35 and attaches to your regular 9 volt battery clip. Your EMG equipped guitar will come alive with a fatter sound and faster transients. You may not even need new, expensive pickup models because you'll find your old EMGs from the 80s and early 90s can still do the job. *If your guitar or bass has accessories like EMG tone controls don't use the Mod with them because the accessories are rated at 18 volts max.* For this reason I use passive tone controls only even on my active 24 volt basses.
*Lastly, don't ignore the EMG HZ line just because they are passive.* If you like the EMG sound but want more wiring options, use them with the Seymour Duncan Triple Shots (the space on the back of the pickup is crowded due to the quick connector, but the Triple Shot does work with every pickup brand--just mind the wiring color differences between manufacturers).
EMG HZs let you have the basic EMG sound at a lower volume, but give you more wiring possibilities than active EMGs, which require special models and accessories to do split coil/parallel/out of phase sounds. You can always compensate for the quieter HZs by just turning up your amp.
EMG HZ1/HZ1As are similar to Duncan Customs. They are a good pickup for rhythm guitar because they are slightly scooped and clearer than the fizzier HZ4 (EMG 81) or HZ4A (EMG 85). The HZ1/HZ1As are patterned after high output PAF-inspired pickups like the Gibson 498t and Duncan Custom line. They don't have an equivalent in the active versions.
The HZ3/HZ3A are patterned after the EMG 60/60A. The underappreciated 60A in the neck is a great, warm blues pickup similar to the Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro or Gibson 57 Classic, while the 60 is better for bright cleans like out of a Roland JC120.
The HZ2/HZ2As are lower wind pickups used for classic rock. The A versions are Alnico 5 magnets for a warmer sound. The non-A versions are ceramic for a brighter sound.
Hope this helps.
*Edit: In today's world, we also have impulse responses, which simulate microphone and speaker cabinet combinations. I think of them as a post-EQ. Finding the right impulse response may be all you need to find the right tone. If your pickup is where your tone starts, then your impulse response is where it ends.*
This is not controlled for pickup height I'm assuming?
Incorrect. The pickup height were measured every time to make them the same height. Thanks for watching!