New Bridge pickup - Jackson 7 string

[Kashran]

Hi!

I'm planning to buy a new bridge humbucker for my Jackson SLATXM 7. It's a basswood body, with a through-body maple neck, floyd rose, 7 strings guitar.

She already have a Nazgul. It sounds powerful for rythm, but i'm not entirely satisfied : it's lifeless, too mid-focused and the chord definition is not that great.

It's a bit harsh and "clanky" on the high notes, and the low B sometimes feel not that powerfull, a lot of bass and a little bit muffle. It seems to be very mid focused, so it can get messy sometimes, and the chord definition is not very good. I don't know how to describe it but I try to do my best .

I want a powerfull pickup, clear and tight, but not aggressive and harsh. I really love to play big chords and keep every notes clear. The main goal : chord definition and versatility.

I have some pickups in my mind :
- Pegasus
- Titan
- Black Winter

It's my go to guitar : I can play heavy metal like Iron maiden, to Trivium, then I can play some Metalcore like The human abstract or Bleed from within, and after that, Prog or ambiant (think Toska, for example). So it has to be versatile.

I love alnico magnet in the bridge position.

I'm afraid with this guitar to have a muffled sound, and a lifeless feel, juste like the Nazgul : powerful but lifeless and too aggressive. So I try to choose a pickup that feel organic, powerful and clear.

Thank you for your time and your help on this one. It's really hard to make a decision!

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

Pegasus probably isn’t aggressive enough for you. Black Winter I haven’t played so can’t comment on it, but most people seem to really like it around here. The Titan hits most of your boxes, but isn’t overly organic.

 

[Kashran]

This is my main concern about the Pegasus : the lack of power.
The Titan seems to be the best choice and his price is good.
I already have a black winter in my les paul. Totally different guitar, so I can't say about a 7 string version in my Jackson. But it's a very good pickup, clear and tight, and really responsive.

And the Sh5 custom? Is it a good option?

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

This is my main concern about the Pegasus : the lack of power.
The Titan seems to be the best choice and his price is good.
I already have a black winter in my les paul. Totally different guitar, so I can't say about a 7 string version in my Jackson. But it's a very good pickup, clear and tight, and really responsive.

And the Sh5 custom? Is it a good option?

Generally speaking, most 7-string pickups sound similar to their 6-string counterparts, especially with Duncan's. So if you really like the 6 you'll probably like the 7.

The SH-5 Custom is a pretty cool pickup as well. Haven't played one in years but I never found it to be very organic. It also has a lot of high-end sharpness which can usually be dialed out if its too much for the guitar/wood combo but it may be a concern if you found the Nazgul to be a little sharp/clanky on the high-end.

I really like the Titan pickup for down-tuning, it is a solid prog/rock/metal pickup. It's EQ is very even so it's fairly easy to sculpt tonally, and you don't have to worry too much about any annoying frequencies (like too much bass or mid or high) like some pickups can suffer from. Clarity is very good and it has a lot of power, without being excessive.

 

[Kashran]

Thank you for your help, it's really hard to find a good pickup just by reading reviews and comments.

So I will try a Titan. I already have a black winter in my les paul, so it's better to go with a new pickup.

 

[makecamera]

From your description, maybe try a Guitarmory Red Stone?

Edit: actually, maybe go to the Guitarmory website and listen to the Red Stone and Foxbat (from lowest to highest output, lower than Nazgul) and see which one sounds best to you. There's also Instrumental SFTY3 (I just placed an order for a 7 string set), and Elysian Trident both of which I believe are lower output as well.

 

[elkoki]

What do you tune to? what are string gauges like?

 

[Zoobiedood]

Both the Pagasus and Custom are great choices, and no need to worry about the lack of power at all. They both still hit the amp really hard.

 

[Kashran]

From your description, maybe try a Guitarmory Red Stone?

Edit: actually, maybe go to the Guitarmory website and listen to the Red Stone and Foxbat (from lowest to highest output, lower than Nazgul) and see which one sounds best to you. There's also Instrumental SFTY3 (I just placed an order for a 7 string set), and Elysian Trident both of which I believe are lower output as well.

They all seems to be great, but it's hard to have them in Europe I guess ?

What do you tune to? what are string gauges like?

I'm in drop A with 10-62 strings.

Both the Pagasus and Custom are great choices, and no need to worry about the lack of power at all. They both still hit the amp really hard.

The custom, juste like AkiraSpectrum said, may be a little too harsh for a basswood / maple neck guitar. But the Pegasus is pretty cool for what I've seen, but there is some bad reviews here and there.

The Titan is the safe bet here : good reviews, and the price is friendly.

 

[elkoki]

They all seems to be great, but it's hard to have them in Europe I guess ?



I'm in drop A with 10-62 strings.



The custom, juste like AkiraSpectrum said, may be a little too harsh for a basswood / maple neck guitar. But the Pegasus is pretty cool for what I've seen, but there is some bad reviews here and there.

The Titan is the safe bet here : good reviews, and the price is friendly.

I find that with a longer scale and tuning to standard on the first 6 strings, it's better in my opinion to use a lighter gauge of strings. 9-42's feel great on a 26.5 tuned to standard, not only does it feel better on your fingers, they're easier to bend, & it helps the tone breathe much better. It'll help get rid of some of that harsh/ clanky tone you're getting now. 62 will work fine for the low A so keep that. Change out the other strings for lighter ones. I recommend you try it first, and see if you like the results. You might be pleasantly surprised ...Cheap experimentation before you decide to spend more $...

 

[Lemonbaby]

I love the Pegasus 7. It's not a brutal-output-PU, but it's still usable for all styles IMHO.

 

[Kashran]

I find that with a longer scale and tuning to standard on the first 6 strings, it's better in my opinion to use a lighter gauge of strings. 9-42's feel great on a 26.5 tuned to standard, not only does it feel better on your fingers, they're easier to bend, & it helps the tone breathe much better. It'll help get rid of some of that harsh/ clanky tone you're getting now. 62 will work fine for the low A so keep that. Change out the other strings for lighter ones. I recommend you try it first, and see if you like the results. You might be pleasantly surprised ...Cheap experimentation before you decide to spend more $...

I will try a 9-42 set with a 62 (I don't know if a brand already make a set like that). I understand that it can be better for the sound, with a 26.5 scale.

I love the Pegasus 7. It's not a brutal-output-PU, but it's still usable for all styles IMHO.

It's hard to choose between the Titan and the Pegasus... I know they will be both good for what I'm aiming for, but between the two of them, which one is the more precise for riffing? Especially with low tuning?

 

[KnightBrolaire]

It's hard to choose between the Titan and the Pegasus... I know they will be both good for what I'm aiming for, but between the two of them, which one is the more precise for riffing? Especially with low tuning?

titan.