Bridge pickup recommendation

[rockskate4x]

This guitar will have a mahogany body, SD '59 neck pickup, and an SD vintage rails middle pickup. I am not sure what the neck would is going to be.

The tones....

I would like it to have a defined clean tone that isn't too bright or twangy, but will still handle heavy metal well. This distortion will come from my Electro Harmonix Metal Muff stomp box.
It shouldn't overpower the other pickups.

I play jazz, blues, rock, and metal. Good luck...

Oh, and I am very open to suggestions that sound like "get this pickup, but take off the cover and swap that magnet for this one" and stuff like that...

 

[GoDrex]

Why not another '59? hard to go wrong with that.

I just tried out the Alnico II Pro and it rocks - very sweet sound. Can do all the styles you mention. It's the type of pickup Slash uses. I'll be selling mine soon.

For something a little hotter, but not really hot (like JB or Custom hot) - I also tried out a Screamin' Demon and it was excellent, Very articulate, and sounds nice clean. Sounded great in my LP.

( I have the Demon for sale on ebay, btw)

For something even hotter, but still with the PAF vibe, try a Custom 5

 

[rockskate4x]

I've already overruled the custom 5 cuz I don't like it's clean tone... but the demon is worth looking into.

I also had the idea of getting a jazz or a '59 and putting and alnico 8 in it. Has anybody done this? Is this worth a try?

 

[GoDrex]

I've read about people putting an A8 in a 59 - those that have tried it liked it. I've tried one in a Custom, JB and Full Shred (currently using this in my Parker). I don't use one in my LP because I like that guitar to sound a bit more old school

To me what an A8 does is adds some compression, but not as much as a ceramic magnet. This tightens up the lows and tames the harshness of the high end. It also brings out the perception of the mids. But you lose some dynamics - meaning the effect of hitting the strings softer or harder is lessened a bit, the volume level is more consistent. To me the A8 (like the ceramic) is great for modern rock and metal. Also the cleans are still going to be good with a low output pickup. I use this description all the time, but to me the A8 acts like the loudness button on a stereo. When you press it everything sounds louder and clearer. Same thing with the A8.

go here http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/ and search for 598

some people claim that a 598 is similar to an Ibanez Super 70 - - which is was EVH had in his Destroyer.

 

[rockskate4x]

would an A8 in the '59 make it too high in output  to match the vintage rails and the neck '59?

 

[GoDrex]

I don't know, but I never worry about those kinds of things. I do know that you'd probably have to back it off of the strings a bit.

 

[rockskate4x]

... and I just remembered that magnet swapping is reversable... so if it is too much, than it's all good. I think I'll give it a try!

 

[GoDrex]

yeah it's real easy and totally reversible. it just gives you more options

 

[Superlizard]

I play jazz, blues, rock, and metal. Good luck...

I'll say what I always tell people who do different genres/need different amounts of distortion:

Get a low output pickup, and let the amp/stompbox do the distorting.

Humbucker?  Anything around 8K, PAF type.

 

[Orpheo]

I play jazz, blues, rock, and metal. Good luck...

I'll say what I always tell people who do different genres/need different amounts of distortion:

Get a low output pickup, and let the amp/stompbox do the distorting.

Humbucker?  Anything around 8K.

no, thats too general. I have a low output pickup with 15k! its the combination of wire, impendance and the magnet. the higher value gives you a specific sound, and thats for that pickup exactly what I needed. I have a motherbucker, and sure, thats got a lot of output, but mostly: its the TONE of that beast that works for me. I don't have it high near the strings, because of stringpull and stuff, but it works for me, tonewise, and thats the most important part.

 

[Superlizard]

I play jazz, blues, rock, and metal. Good luck...

I'll say what I always tell people who do different genres/need different amounts of distortion:

Get a low output pickup, and let the amp/stompbox do the distorting.

Humbucker?  Anything around 8K.

no, thats too general.

You're right - I forgot to add "PAF type".

 

[Caisa]

I ordered a WCR Godwood bridge pickup last month for my Tele and it seems to be one of the best bridge humbuckers in the PAF class I have ever heared. It also splits nice for SC sounds and Jim from WCR is a cool guy to deal with!