emgs seem to be pretty versatile but seymour duncans really scream.. im upgrading at some point, if i go with emgs ill probably get 81s or 85s, dont really know any good seymour duncans? any other suggestions?

EMG 81+85

Its the industry standard for a reason.

Seymour Duncan, definatly, 100%, no question.

I have tried numerous EMG's on numerous guitars and found they give the most generic metal tone imaginable. If you want to sound like everyone else, buy EMG's. If you want to create your own, slightly uniquer metal sound, buy Seymour Duncans.

EMGs arent what makes your sound, for any half decent metal tone you need a high gain tube amp, active pups like the 81/85s just tighten up the sound and give it more kick, its the same as putting a tube screamer in your chain.

If you want a unique sound look more at your amp than your guitar or pickups.

I use Distortion Trembuckers in my axes and I'm 100% satisfied with them. I also use a '59 in the neck of my LTD but don't like it so much - I would change it for a Jazz but I don't really play on the neck much so there's little point.

Never used EMGs but so many people use them for different things, Lee from Heathen uses them but then so do a lot of shite bands that I see on la télé.

Jono wrote:EMG 81+85

Its the industry standard for a reason.

I've heard 85 in the bridge is better than 81...

Any truth in that?

Jono wrote:EMGs arent what makes your sound, for any half decent metal tone you need a high gain tube amp, active pups like the 81/85s just tighten up the sound and give it more kick, its the same as putting a tube screamer in your chain.

If you want a unique sound look more at your amp than your guitar or pickups.

Pickups make a significant difference. I know many guitarists who use different amps set to vaugely the same settings who get their main sound from their pickups.

Johnny Tightlips wrote:

Jono wrote:EMGs arent what makes your sound, for any half decent metal tone you need a high gain tube amp, active pups like the 81/85s just tighten up the sound and give it more kick, its the same as putting a tube screamer in your chain.

If you want a unique sound look more at your amp than your guitar or pickups.

Pickups make a significant difference. I know many guitarists who use different amps set to vaugely the same settings who get their main sound from their pickups.

Yeah man.

I disagree with the whole 'you need a high gain amp' for Metal. Gary Holt used a Hi-Watt that didn't distort on BbB and it's the best album ever! Moreover, Game Over...

I hate to see people trying to play Thrash with too much bass, treble, presence and gain on their amplifiers like. More mids, more volume, and less gain = good Thrash sound.

a friend of mine owns an LTD with EMG HZs and i found they had a kinda flat tone, nice high output but they werent really bright enough, seemed to be lacking attack.. i realize the 81/85s are much better, but is a good duncan tone any more cutting?

Pez wrote:a friend of mine owns an LTD with EMG HZs and i found they had a kinda flat tone, nice high output but they werent really bright enough, seemed to be lacking attack.. i realize the 81/85s are much better, but is a good duncan tone any more cutting?

Definatly. I use a Duncan JB-4 in the bridge position on 2 of my Jacksons and it gives such a killer tone. The neck positions are filled with 2 classic stack singles on one guitar and an SH-10 'Full Shred' on my other one. I'd recommend the JB-4 highly, it's an excellent all round pickup that sounds great for metal and cuts very nicely. But listen around, try a few and decide what you think sounds best.

SDs bitch.

They sound heavy.

I totally suck at knowing about techie guitar stuff, which is bad as I'm playing guitar more and more currently.

Haha yeah man, all I know is that when you turn on your amp and plug the guitar in, a cool noise comes out that I mould into speedy riffs!

Jeez... there's no right answer to this one, it's basically down to personal preference. I've been through a lot of them and currently find myself switching back to EMGs, having used a DiMarzio/Duncan combo for the last 2-3 years. Basically, for a defined high-gain sound, EMGs are hard to beat. A lot of people use them and hence accusations that they are 'generic' in some way, nonetheless they have a hi-fi quality which really cuts. But experiment - remember these companies make a range of pickups - bassy ones, high output ones, treble-heavy ones, the works. It's hard to say which is 'best' when there is such a range.

As an aside, whomever mentioned letting the amp do the work up there was right - having played for 11 years now, I'm more and more starting to think that this is by far and away the most important aspect in the chain.

Atom wrote:Haha yeah man, all I know is that when you turn on your amp and plug the guitar in, a cool noise comes out that I mould into speedy riffs!

:

aye man, and half the time i have to ask for help to turn the fuckin thing on or where the lead goes haha, ive actually played a few songs completely clean and not even noticed lol