ESP Vintage Plus - wanna change the pickups

[ZeeW]

My fav guitar for 'feel' and playability is the ESP Vintage Plus with maple neck. It currently has SD's SSL-1 throughout and these are far too 'vintage' for my needs.

I was thinking of going with a HSS config of Bareknuckle NailBomb and Triolgy Suite, but its going to be a real pain getting the body routed and finding a decent quality HSS pickguard. SO, I thought what single coil options do I have that will get me some tight high gain tones without routing for HSS?

So what will suited for heavy rhythm and tight numetal leads? Where hell do I start

 

[Mordacain]

Personally, I'd go with a Tone Zone S in the bridge and an Air Norton S in the neck. If you want to leave one position sounding vintage (for some versatility) try an Area 67 in the middle. Really an excellent combination. You could even run a coil split on the AN & TZ if you wanted but I can't say I like the sound of a split single-coil sized bucker...sounds a bit thin and flat (the ones I've heard anyway).

 

[Kamikaze7]

^

I agree with Mordacain, in that the Tone Zone S/Area 67/Air Norton S set would be the way to go. I would also say something like the Duncan Hot Rails (B)/Vintage Rails (M)/Cool Rails (N) would be worth a shot too, but I'm a fan of DiMarzio rather than Duncan. So My vote is DiMarzio.

 

[yellowv]

The Fast Track 2 is hotter and tighter than the Tone Zone S. It would get my vote.

 

[sell2792]

Fast Track 1, 2, or Chopper

 

[ZeeW]

Thnaks for the input

 

[ZeeW]

What do you think to this combination:

Fast Track 2 - bridge
Fast Track 1 - mid
and Chopper neck?

 

[yellowv]

What do you think to this combination:

Fast Track 2 - bridge
Fast Track 1 - mid
and Chopper neck?

That would work, but personally I would do a real single in the middle. Maybe like a true velvet or virtual vintage. I love the FT2 bridge and Chopper neck combo.

 

[ZeeW]

That would work, but personally I would do a real single in the middle. Maybe like a true velvet or virtual vintage. I love the FT2 bridge and Chopper neck combo.

Great I'll look into virtual vintage

 

[ZeeW]

A quick question.... it looks as though I'm going FT2 bridge, V Vintage mid and Chopper neck. Is this just a straight swap out from my ESP Vintage Plus or do I need to look at pots and things?

 

[Racerdeth]

I would say for the chopper and FT2 go with 500k volume.

A nice little wiring trick I recently learnt (and performed on my strat) is to get a fixed metal film resistor as close as you can to 500k and put it between your middle pickup's switch contact and ground. It makes it so that your humbies "see" 500k but your "single" (I know the areas are hum cancelling but you know what I mean) "sees" 250k.

 

[ZeeW]

I would say for the chopper and FT2 go with 500k volume.

A nice little wiring trick I recently learnt (and performed on my strat) is to get a fixed metal film resistor as close as you can to 500k and put it between your middle pickup's switch contact and ground. It makes it so that your humbies "see" 500k but your "single" (I know the areas are hum cancelling but you know what I mean) "sees" 250k.

Cheers for this sounds like a top tip and worth a go.

 

[shanejohnson02]

Fast Track 2 / Chopper / Chopper. Pure win. I had this in my RT650 at one point.

It's also visually the same...all 3 are blade-style pickups. For a more "vintage" sound but keeping the visual theme, a Cruiser Neck model in the middle would be good.

The new Paul Gilbert pickups (Injectors) are supposed to be pretty awesome, too. I can't speak for them though as I have never actually played any.

 

[ZeeW]

It's also visually the same...all 3 are blade-style pickups. For a more "vintage" sound but keeping the visual theme, a Cruiser Neck model in the middle would be good.

Good point on the aesthetics.

 

[ZeeW]

Thanks for the recommendations... I've decided to go for something completely different a set of BKPs. Sinner in the bridge and Trilogy Suite mid and neck.

This is first time I've ever bought anything without first testing - hope they work and will post my findings.

 

[blackrobedone]

I have the same guitar and love the neck as you say. Here' are a few pickups I've tried.
Dimarzio X2n in bridge - too bright
Duncan Invader - to0 nasty - picked up trem spring vibrations as well
Duncan Full Shred - just right!
In the neck I had a Duncan Classic stack and it sounded great but I just wanted a little more juice. I put in a Dimarzio Tone Zone, and while it is hotter, it is too dark and doesn't give you the pick attack you'd expect from a neck pickup (which I guess it really isn't supposed to be anyways). I should've stuck with the Classic stack.