Pickup choice problem

[Kaoskadosk]

So, I'm doing a nice clear finish Flame Koa on Mahogany Soloist with all gold hardware and while I'll start with temporary pickups, I have to get some proper ones eventually. So, I thought to myself, why would I go with regular black pickups, when I can get gold pickups? So, as I originally planned on using JP's new signature pup's I went to DiMarzio's website and checked out the color alternatives. Well, sadly the Crunch Lab can't have a gold top, only the LiquiFire can.  :sad1: Then I was a topic about the Suhr Aldrich pickups which got me very interested.
So now I'm stuck with three alternatives.

1. JP's pup's with either both black or gold/black.
2. LiquiFire in the neck and Tone Zone in the bridge, both gold for a classy look.
3. Suhr Aldrich pup's, both black.

They will be woodmounted so I guess pickup covers is out of the question. Or? Any advice to help me a bit here?  :toothy12:

 

[Patrick]

you can have pickup covers even if they are woodmounted. the covers are screwed directly onto the pickup with the screw poles.

 

[pabloman]

Actually the covers are just fitted over the pup and its soldered on for a good ground. I don't know about DiMarzio but SD will add gold to regular production items through their custom shop. Also there are some companies making bobbin covers with different colors. I've seen chrome. Can't recall about the gold. They have a pretty cool look though. I believe they are called bobbin toppers or something to that extent. Anyway I love zebras. They look good on anything.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

These are getting great reviews on Rig-Talk and gold covers are an option.

http://motorcitypickups.com/products/afwayu.htm

 

[m4rk0]

If you are going for temporary pickups, you may as well go for good value pickups.. closer to home too (for you)

Iron Gear's Hot Slags are fantastic pickups for the price!!
"Stand back, because you might get hurt! Nasty, snarling, bad-tempered bastard of a pickup."

http://www.irongear.co.uk/irongear_018.htm

 

[Patrick]

^ +1 its a great pickup for the price

 

[Kaoskadosk]

Alright, here's an update on the situation, but with another problem.

I'm now pretty sure that I'll eventually get a ToneZone and a LiquiFire, but as I said before I would use temporary pickups before that. I thought that the only ones available to me was the ones that were sitting in my Jackson (Seymour Duncan JB TB4 humbuckers), but it turns out that my EMG HZ's in my Schecter is also wood-mountable (yes, silly me thought it wouldn't be possible because they don't have the double single-coil shape and the pickup ring looked integrated with the actual pickup). Well, my stupidity aside, a new problem has arisen. Should I go with the SD's or with the EMG's? I do really like the EMG tone on my Schecter, which has the same body wood that I'll be using, the neck is maple though. However, I do find the tone to be a bit screechy at times with certain amps.
Although the Jackson isn't very screechy, I generally dislike the guitar. The unwound strings sound very thin and trebly, even unplugged. Basically, even though my Schecter's neck is pretty warped, I still go back to the Schecter all the time because it sounds and feels better. Now, why I'm bringing this up is, do this guitar even make these pickups justice?

What experience do you guys have? Which would be the better choice? For reference, I usually play Dream Theater-esque things and other metal. I hate scooped sounds and try to stay away from any form of "modern" amps. I'd say I'm after a Petrucci-like tone. That form of gnarling, crunching, yet defined tone.

 

[pabloman]

That's really a tough call. The JB is a great pickup. It is super versatile.  It will do pretty much anything you ask of it.  It is probably the singlemost popular OE pickup. Those passive EMG's are pretty good too. I had some in a Dinky and I really liked them. Either way as far as a temporary installation goes I don't think you could go wrong either way.