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Since I have a new guitar on the way, I'm thinking about a "simple" pup upgrade. I want to rock, so humbuckers are the name of the game. (since it's routed for 'em already, no other reason).

BUT:

I want something that'll crush BOTH skulls and souls. Invoking daemons is a plus. The guitar will be mainly used for teh meatalz.

Suggestions?

I was thinking in the line of Seymour Duncan Invaders, but I'm easily swayed.

Oh, I forgot:

No active trickery in my guitars. Passive all the way.

What's the guitar? And what kind of metal? Do you want tight clinical chug a chugs or just massive and fat?

DiMarzio Crunch Labs are pretty metal. If you plan on doing any cleans, make sure you've a good sounding neck pick up cuz the Crunch Lab doesn't do cleans at all.

I liked the X2N by DiMarzio. Super Distortions are also really cool.

I've bought my friend's "old" Tokai Explorer (MIJ, I recall). Massive and fat, yet tightish would be preferred, something in this vein:

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(beware, asses will be blown at approx. 2.02)

I wasn't that impressed with Invaders. The Breed by DiMarzio have better frequency response at high gain (i think) and the Duncan Dimebucker is another one with more clarity.

DiMarzio Steve Morse Model is a smokin' pickup.

I have one in both of my guitars. Replaced a DiMarzio Air Norton in my basswood body Jackson and it has an amazing midrange growl and will melt your face. Stays nice and clear even tuned down to B.

Put one in my mahogany body Charvel to replace the Tone Zone that was there before. Less pronounced mids than the Jackson, but full-sounding and articulate.

HNB wrote:I liked the X2N by DiMarzio

Buckethead is a user of those I believe

Seymour Duncan JB.

I really like how the Artec/GFS rail pickups in my superStrat project sound; it definitely makes for a more even output when bending and so on. Good for teh metalzzzz, but not so much output that cleans are off the menu.

Doog wrote:I really like how the Artec/GFS rail pickups in my superStrat project sound; it definitely makes for a more even output when bending and so on. Good for teh metalzzzz, but not so much output that cleans are off the menu.

I loved the GFS power rail I used to have in my 80s superstrat:

http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Power-R ... p_342.html

I had a lil killer in the neck that was awesome too!

ekwatts a few threads down wrote:GFS Loudmouths. I have the SUPERHIGHPOWERED ones in my Nu-Sonic, but I think the lower (as in, lower in relation to the ones i have but still fairly powerful at 9.5k) ones might suit you fine. You really need to use your volume control on these. You can go from broken-glass-cock-sex to smooth chordy flowery bullshit in a few notches. And they look ace with their stupidly big polepieces.

and again in the same thread ekwatts wrote:You can get surprisingly sweet sounds from them. It's just that they're so superhumanly powerful than with the volume up full you feel compelled to just start chugging some metal, which is missing the point in about the most mindlessly fun way possible.

Sounds like what you're after?

Duncan Distortion.

My old Ibanez has a pair of V2s, which are - according to googling, so I'm not convinced of this - based on Dimarzio Super Distortions. Whatever their heritage, those pups are LOUD. Loads of thick bottom end but they also have really clear and sweet highs that don't sound harsh. Overall they're really nice-sounding units, but a bit too loud for what I play these days. I've not had chance to measure the specs but they are, to quote a recent episode of Mock the Week, "...hotter than a pasty with VAT on it."

Concretebadger wrote:My old Ibanez has a pair of V2s, which are - according to googling, so I'm not convinced of this - based on Dimarzio Super Distortions.

Many high-powered ceramic buckers over the years have been said to be "based on Super Distortions" simply because the Super Distortion is kind of the big kahuna when it comes to these types of pickups. They were the first aftermarket high-powered ceramic bucker, so a lot of hard rock/metal guys used them very early on and made them a legend. I think most ceramic passive metalbuckers could be compared to them just for the sake of a classic example, the same way you'd call a gentler sounding alnico bucker a "PAF".

Duncan Distortions are good as Sloan says. I always forget about them in lieu of the Invader, but the Distortion is way more versatile.

IMO it's hard to go wrong for mean sounds with a ceramic magnet, high-output humbucker in the bridge position. Alnico magnet buckers like the JB always sound "prettier" to me, or at least smoother. You're spoiled for choice these days, though. You can fine-tune your personal preference pretty close with bucker/pot choice.

paul_ wrote: Duncan Distortions are good as Sloan says. I always forget about them in lieu of the Invader, but the Distortion is way more versatile.

IMO it's hard to go wrong for mean sounds with a ceramic magnet, high-output humbucker in the bridge position. Alnico magnet buckers like the JB always sound "prettier" to me, or at least smoother. You're spoiled for choice these days, though. You can fine-tune your personal preference pretty close with bucker/pot choice.

this.... the Duncan Distorion is Massive.... I had one in a Washburn Idol that killed, was mega hot but cleaned up to sound like a PAF....the JB has a MUCH more pro-nounced vocal mid-range

Put the dimarzio super3 that humbucker is hot. Only for metall. A true demon!!! And like the strongest chilli sauce i bhought, named the devils sweat!