Need pickups with insane articulation and cluck.

[purpledc]

All right. Im wanting new pickups. They are going to be going into a carvin CT6 with a graphtech floyd. The body wood is black limba and a quilt top. Im not a big tonewood buff but I know some will ask so I figured I would mention it. I recently put a crunchlab and liquifire in the guitar and Im really not satisfied. Cant really describe what I dislike about the Crunch lab. The best I can say is that mine sounds a lot like a single coil. Almost twangy. Ive tried reversing it and this helped but Its just not for me.

My needs are simple. Im looking a humbucker with as much articulation and definition as possible. I want a cluck to each note I pick. I much like the sound of my picking and I absolutely hate the liquid, fluid like gain. I like it nasty and crispy if that makes sense. But im not a fan of fizziness. And I would also like to stay away from bareknuckles. I know everyone loves them but im simply in Seymour duncan price territory not double that. I have been thinking of a duncan distortion in the bridge and Id like something that would compliment it well in the neck. Id also like to stay away from the liquid fluid tone in the neck pickup.

High output, low output doesnt make a damn bit of difference as I will be boosting. I simply want a crisp insane attack. I want single coil articulation and cluck without the single coil twang. Does such a pickup exist? Here is a list of what ive used so these are out:


Duncan:
JB
Screamin demon
Custom Custom
Custom
59
Jazz
Alnico Pro II


Dimarzio:

Evolutions
Crunchlab
liquifire
Super Distortion
Air Norton
Tone Zone

EMG:
81x
60x
81
60
85

Tonerider:

All of them. Great pickups not what Im looking for in this guitar

Lace:
Drop and gain set.



So anything besides the above and im game. I just really want them to focus on the attack a pick dynamics. I really feel that If I could get the sound of my attack the way id like I could back off the gain.

 

[Whammy]

I find the BKP Aftermath has great pick definition and may be what you're looking for. Not the fullest pickup by any means but it's a yin yang situation. If you want articulation and definition the something else is going to suffer.
I have examples on my soundcloud in my sig against other pickups and the BKP page has awesome clips.


EDIT...

Ooops just read the part about not wanting Bare Knuckles. My bad. Ignore this post

 

[CTDguitarist]

ha up like the sound of your pick hitting the string cluck cluck !?

okay here is what u do. get set of d activators prob the tightest pickup out. n if u mess with the height of the pick up n the poles u will cluck. the noise ur describing is more apparent with certain picks. experiments with that also.


Posted from Sevenstring.org App for Android

 

[tedtan]

A couple of thoughts spring to mind.

One, if you want more clarity and articulation, go ahead and back off the gain now, don't wait for the perfect pickup. This transition is more about you adjusting to lower gain than it is about the gear.

Another thing is pickup height. Lower the pickup more than you normally would. This often provides more clarity and definition. From here you can experiment with raising the pole pieces like CTDguitarist mentioned above.

One more thing. You mention you don't like twangy sounding single coils, which to me are more Telecaster than Stratocaster. The strat type single coils provide articulation, definition and pick attack cluck without the twanginess, so you might look into a humbucker designed for a similar sound, like Dimarzio's Humbucker From Hell.

 

[sevenstringj]

Send the pickups you have to Duncan or Wolfetone for rewinding and even new magnets if necessary. Costs about the same as new Duncans, and you can tell them exactly what you want.

 

[purpledc]

A couple of thoughts spring to mind.

One, if you want more clarity and articulation, go ahead and back off the gain now, don't wait for the perfect pickup. This transition is more about you adjusting to lower gain than it is about the gear.

Another thing is pickup height. Lower the pickup more than you normally would. This often provides more clarity and definition. From here you can experiment with raising the pole pieces like CTDguitarist mentioned above.

One more thing. You mention you don't like twangy sounding single coils, which to me are more Telecaster than Stratocaster. The strat type single coils provide articulation, definition and pick attack cluck without the twanginess, so you might look into a humbucker designed for a similar sound, like Dimarzio's Humbucker From Hell.

In most respects I think your right. And Ive all ready lowered the pickups on most of my guitars. This is just a single guitar though that im trying to get right and im trying to go for something different than what is in my other guitars for some variety. Thank you for the suggestions. To me almost all single coil pickups sound twangy to me. The only thing I like about them is the articulation and definition. The only single coils that I actually like are P90s. They are one pissed single.

 

[tedtan]

In most respects I think your right. And Ive all ready lowered the pickups on most of my guitars. This is just a single guitar though that im trying to get right and im trying to go for something different than what is in my other guitars for some variety. Thank you for the suggestions. To me almost all single coil pickups sound twangy to me. The only thing I like about them is the articulation and definition. The only single coils that I actually like are P90s. They are one pissed single.

Hmmm..... That makes things a tougher, but I'll take a shot in the dark.

If you are open to a P90 sound, Jason Lollar winds a humbucker sized P90 called the Single-coil for Humbucker Pickup. I haven't heard this pickup, so I can't recommend it from experience, but Lollar's pickups have always impressed me. This is a boutique pickup, but being wound in the US it lists for about the same as a Duncan or Dimarzio (there are no extra import/export taxes and international shipping like we have here stateside with the Bare Knuckles).

Another possibility is the Dimarzio Steve Morse model. I don't know if this is what you are going after or not, but Steve usually has a strong pick attack, and his pickups were custom designed for that sound.

For something different, you might consider the Dimarzio Steve's Special. This a scooped mids pickup that, in an odd way, has the balls of a humbucker with the clarity of a single coil, but without being too "liquid" (especially in the bridge position). It's basically the 6-string version of the Blaze 7-string bridge model, so if you've played a Universe or something with the Blaze in the bridge, this a similar sound.

I don't know what else to recommend in stock pickups. Beyond these, you may need to call up Seymour Duncan's custom shop and have them wind something specific to your needs.

 

[DTay47]

Suprised no one has mentioned the Lundgren M6. I don't think there is a pickup out there that has more attack to it.

 

[tedtan]

Suprised no one has mentioned the Lundgren M6. I don't think there is a pickup out there that has more attack to it.

It's well over the budget purpledc set out in his OP, at least here in the states.

 

[Demiurge]

OP, have you checked out the sound samples for those Dimarzio Gravity Storm pickups that just came out? From what I've heard, they seem to have that kind of attack you're looking for.

 

[TemjinStrife]

Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell.

 

[noob_pwn]

as far as duncan goes it sounds like you're wanting a full shred, they are a lot more articulate than the distortion and have a moderate to hot output that works well with just about anything, very defined pick attack.

 

[Given To Fly]

I'm thinking a bit outside the box here but have you played many semi-hollow/chambered body or hollow body guitars? Their sound is based much more off pick attack/articulation than solid body guitars and might give you the sound you want. I just wanted to throw that idea out there because, if it is the sound you want, no pickup in the world can replicate it on a solid-body guitar.

 

[DTSH]

Lower gain, maybe a different pick... I switched from everyone's beloved Jazz IIIs to the Dunlop Tortex in the same thickness and instantly got loads more articulation.

Otherwise my vote goes for the Tone Zone... responds really well to changes in pick attack.

 

[purpledc]

I'm thinking a bit outside the box here but have you played many semi-hollow/chambered body or hollow body guitars? Their sound is based much more off pick attack/articulation than solid body guitars and might give you the sound you want. I just wanted to throw that idea out there because, if it is the sound you want, no pickup in the world can replicate it on a solid-body guitar.

Yes actually Ive owned a Carvin SH550 semi hollow. I actually am very surprised semi hollows arent more popular in the heavy music crowd. Or at least chambered guitars. I understand the issue with feedback but many newer designs really eliminate that problem. Still a semi hollow is not exactly the sound im going after. This is what is so hard about tone chasing. You hear it in your head. And you try to describe it and everyone has to interpret what they think your trying to say. Frustrating, lol.

 

[maxoom]

So you have a black limba body that makes a CL sound like a SC? How are we supposed to help you pick a pickup? My CL in a Carvin bolt alder body sounds nothing like a SC.It`s thick and crunchy with articulation and sensitive to pick dynamics. I think you are on your own finding the right pickups.

 

[celticelk]

Since you've said that you like P90s, why not try a humbucker-sized P90? Most of the major manufacturers have these, I think.

 

[purpledc]

Thank you to "most" of those who gave their input. Im going to look into the P90s and a few duncan options

 

[captcoolaid]

If the guitar is bright and you are trying to tame it, go higher DC and an A8. Preferebly plain enamel wire to keep the shrill down. Why not look into the boutique guys

 

[Malkav]

I'd say given the request and the brands:

Seymour Duncan:

- 59 neck
- Custom 5 Bridge

Dimarzio:

- Air Zone Bridge
- Gravity Storm Neck

I really think these guys will be able to deliver the sort of crunch and attack you want without the fizz