Need pup advice for my custom Warmoth axe!

[the7can6pack]

Hey everybody!

Over the past 3 years, I've been slowly gathering the parts for my custom guitar and would love some input from you guys on what kind of pickups I should consider.

I have a Warmoth custom body and neck that are both absolutely gorgeous.  The former is a bubinga thinline tele body with a buginga top, no f-holes, routed for a Gotoh-Wilkinson tremolo bridge and 2 humbuckers; the latter is a one piece bubinga strat neck with stainless steel frets.

The music I play is LOUD, heavy electronic stuff, really spacey and distorted, lots of reverb and delay.  You know, like if the Edge, but with serious balls.  Some of the passages are pretty intricate, so I'd like a set of pickups that will scream, but still remain articulate and cut through everything else that's going on (and there's a lot!).  I'm playing through either (hopefully both soon) a 3 channel Mesa Dual Rectifier and/or an Ampeg VH-150 solid state head running into a Mesa 2x12 (hopefully 2 soon!).

At this point, I'm considering a pair of Q-Tuner humbuckers (you can check them out at www.q-tuner.com).  Cool as they are, I'm concerned they might be more than I need, especially for the price.  This is my baby, so I'll definitely spend what it takes to make it sound as good as I can, but I also realize that it doesn't necessarily mean I have to spend a lot.

I'd just like to have some electronics in this thing that will really complement the wood they're set in.  What are your suggestions?

Thanks a ton!
Ryan

 

[Mor Paul]

PAF style is always an option.
Maybe the other members can recommend one.

 

[RexTheDog]

A set of Bill Lawrence pickups may suit your needs.  They're quite hi - fi sounding without over doing it.  www.wildepickups.com this is the place to get pickups made by Bill Lawrence himself.

 

[Mor Paul]

A set of Bill Lawrence pickups may suit your needs.  They're quite hi - fi sounding without over doing it.  www.wildepickups.com this is the place to get pickups made by Bill Lawrence himself.

I would jump on those quickly, if that's the route you want to take. Lace and Wilde are merging.

 

[stubhead]

I tried to get ahold of Becky Lawrence for a few weeks, but there's no answer - the bird has flown, I think.

 

[jackthehack]

Rio Grande TX/BBQ set

 

[riverbluff]

Bare Knuckle Pickups, Riff Raff set.

 

[jimh]

Bare Knuckle Pickups, Riff Raff set.

I just put a couple of bare knuckles in my lp. Riff raff neck, and rebel yell bridge. Both are epic pickups.
A good call by riverbluff!

 

[RexTheDog]

I tried to get ahold of Becky Lawrence for a few weeks, but there's no answer - the bird has flown, I think.

Bill Lawrence has been hospitalized with cancer.  They reckon hes going to be ok and will be discharged soon.  Apparently you can still order pickups using pay pal but actually contacting them is almost impossible.  As Max mentioned above due to Bills health there is something of a merger happening between him and lacepickups.  They're moving production to the Lace factory right now.  I dont think lace is taking over the business though.

 

[Tempest]

Bare Knuckle Pickups, Riff Raff set.

I just put a couple of bare knuckles in my lp. Riff raff neck, and rebel yell bridge. Both are epic pickups.
A good call by riverbluff!

Amen, Bare Kncukles are great pups, I got a Riff Raff bridge that sounds rockin!

 

[jimh]

Bare Knuckle Pickups, Riff Raff set.

I just put a couple of bare knuckles in my lp. Riff raff neck, and rebel yell bridge. Both are epic pickups.
A good call by riverbluff!

Amen, Bare Kncukles are great pups, I got a Riff Raff bridge that sounds rockin!

my Riff Raff is actually a bridge pup, (swapped with a mate for my seymour d's) it's just that I put it in the neck position.

 

[tfarny]

That's really sad to hear about BL.

As to your original question, if you are playing with huge amounts of gain, distortion, effects, and delay, what does it matter what pickup you use? Just get a JB / Jazz set and spend your boutique bucker cash on another stomp.
Alternatively, what is wrong with your guitar as it currently sounds and what is in it? Without knowing that I don't know how people can really advise you.

 

[blue313]

As to your original question, if you are playing with huge amounts of gain, distortion, effects, and delay

For that reason alone I was thinking EMG 85's.

But you're right, we're all over the place in our recommendations.  Can you narrow the field a little bit for us?

 

[Finch]

you know, youtube is a pretty good resource for pickup comparisons, i ran searches using the model numbers of the pickups i was interested in, and then listened to see how i liked the sound they put out. Some demo's are better (and more scientific) than others, but still it gives you an idea when you might not have the option of running to the local guitar shop and picking one off the shelf to demo (our local shop only deals in Ibanez) -_-

 

[tfarny]

Ah, no offense intended, but youtube is totally useless for hearing how things sound. It's roughly AM radio quality audio and people are using all kinds of different rigs. I can't think of a worse source of pickup tone info, actually.

 

[Alfang]

I agree with Tfarny, I wish I had said it first. I woulda forced him to agree with me  :laughing7:

 

[tfarny]

If you had said it first I would have said you were dead wrong!. :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Death by Uberschall]

EMG 81/85  :headbang1:

 

[the7can6pack]

Well, I don't currently have ANY pick-ups in the guitar, so at this point, that's the problem.  Just wanted some input on what might best complement the instrument and music I play.
Also, there are plenty of songs that don't have any additional effects, or at least very minimal use of them. 
Thanks for everyone who's put in their 2 cents, I'll definitely look into your suggestions!