Ultimate 80's shred pickups. Need advise.

dupere11497

Experienced
I have own a lot of different guitars over my 25 years playing guitar. I've come to the conclusion I'm definitely a strat kind of player. Superstrat in fact. I'm into 80's shredding so I much prefer humbucker sound. I own 2 Warmoth superstrat and planing to build a third one.

It's gonna be an Alder bolt on body on a flame maple neck/ fretboard, H-H configuration. I'm looking for moderate output pickups, vintage vibe but hot and growling at the same time. I've done quite some research and need help on matching sets or different combinations to choose from.

Price is not an issue so any suggestion is welcome! Anything but active pickups! I was thinking about Bare knuckles VHII or holy diver, Seymour Duncan Custom Custom TB11 with jazz Sh2, etc. I like Alcino 2 PU for their tightness. I'm listening for any idea guys! Thanks!
 
I have a suhr Aldrich in my Charvel super strat. It is a great pup.

My favorite though is the DiMarzio Super Distortion Humbucker. I've got a vintage one I bought in the 70's. The new ones are pretty spot on too. That pup just gives a great great chewie tone with a Marshall.
 
I had Suhr Aldrich in a Charvel and a LesPaul! I thought they were too hot and the bridge PU had the mid scooped which is not good for 80's metal!
 
I just installed Kinman Paf's and a single coil in the middle position in my Larkin Superstrat +
....
I added a split coil pushpull.

I must say the Kinmans are the best sounding split pickups I ever had.
The combinations with the middle pickup sound absolutely fabulous.
The look is not bad either
 
I've got Suhr VLP60's and the Suhr Aldrich in my super strat.

It's wired like Suhr, mega switch, position 2: splits the humbucker + middle is RWRP. Sounds killer. The Suhr single coils are great!
 
I'm about to finish my warmoth soloist HSS guitar. When it's done, I'll post pics and a little soundclip, I hope you'll do the same :) I've chosen SSL-1s in neck and middle and the George Lynch Screamin Demon Trembucker in bridge position. I do enjoy very hot humbuckers from time to time, my favorite still being the Duncan JB and I love the tones people get out of DiMarzio's super distortions or Seymour Duncan's distortions, but I also like the added dynamics of lower output humbuckers, too. Had to make a call, so I went with that slightly unorthodox combo of SSL1+SD.

As for the ultimate 80's heavy metal pickup: Have you tried some of the Motor City stuff? I've only read great reviews about them. And why not go with lower output pickups? You have all the gain and compression in the Axe FX II, so go for a more "organic" pickup tone.
 
Slammin Mofo said:
I also like the added dynamics of lower output humbuckers, too.
Funny you say that. Some medium to lower output pickups I tried out so far had way less dynamics than some higher output pickups, but that was exactly the reason why they sounded gorgeous.
 
Never played a motorcity but I'm indeed curious about them too. I have a H-S routed Warmoth soloist too. In fact, I've just received the pieces and I'm waiting for my luthier to finish it. It's an alder body with birdeye maple neck. I've put a bareknuckle holy diver on the bridge and a Dimarzio pro track in the neck. I had the pro track in neck position on other guitar and it sounds great. Don't know about the holy diver, never played one, but I should be happy with this combination.
 
I've read a lot of bad reviews about the screaming demon. Some users claims it sounds tiny and lifeless. My guess is a lot of metal players get fooled by the PU name. It's a medium output pickup, kind of vintage hotrod voicing. I might give it a chance someday anyhow...
 
I had Suhr Aldrich in a Charvel and a LesPaul! I thought they were too hot and the bridge PU had the mid scooped which is not good for 80's metal!

Mid scooped? I think they are just the opposite. I think they're perfect for 80's metal. I have a Suhr Aldrich in the bridge and a Suhr SSV in the neck, with the SD Triple shots, and they are the best sounding and most versatile pickup combination I have ever used. You ever hear Mark Day? He plays mostly 80's stuff, and he uses Aldrich PU's and sounds amazing.
 
Bareknuckle Holydivers and VHII (both Alnico V) are absolute 80's machines in an alder strat. And they can do so much more.
Cold Sweat is also incredible for Thin Lizzy John Sykes era or Nuno Bettencourt Extreme vibe; medium-output ceramic.
 
Never played a motorcity but I'm indeed curious about them too. I have a H-S routed Warmoth soloist too. In fact, I've just received the pieces and I'm waiting for my luthier to finish it. It's an alder body with birdeye maple neck. I've put a bareknuckle holy diver on the bridge and a Dimarzio pro track in the neck. I had the pro track in neck position on other guitar and it sounds great. Don't know about the holy diver, never played one, but I should be happy with this combination.

From what I've read, the Holy Diver is basically an Anderson HN3 / SD JB clone, or whatever Vivian Campbell used on Holy Diver in his black Les Paul. I've never tried the Holy Diver, either, but I do use a Cold Sweat set in my Gibson SG and it sounds really nice. It's Bareknuckle's attempt to copy the Gibson Dirty Fingers Humbucker and I have to say they did a good job. I'm certain that your experience with that company won't differ from mine.

Apart from Bareknuckle and Motor City there's also WCR. Their candidate in the 80s's shred bracket is the new WCR Murkat pickup. It's a replica of the Warren DeMartini vintage JB humbucker. Again, a company I can vouch for. I use their Darkburst and Crossroads pickups and the Darkburst is probably my overall favorite pickup. Great for that VH / PAF on steroids tone.

I've read a lot of bad reviews about the screaming demon. Some users claims it sounds tiny and lifeless. My guess is a lot of metal players get fooled by the PU name. It's a medium output pickup, kind of vintage hotrod voicing. I might give it a chance someday anyhow...

At first, I was a bit reluctant to try it out. The reviews you mentioned were not favorable to the Screamin Demon at all. But once I played an ESP Kamikaze IV guitar I quickly changed my opinion. It sounded really good to my ears. Had that great high end tone to it that just screams 80's metal. Maybe it's his odd body wood choice, all maple, that made the pickup sound just right. I'll see how it sounds in my soloist (maple body, maple top, pau ferro neck, ebony fretboard). One thing's sure: It's going to be very bright :)
 
From what I've read, the Holy Diver is basically an Anderson HN3 / SD JB clone, or whatever Vivian Campbell used on Holy Diver in his black Les Paul. I've never tried the Holy Diver, either, but I do use a Cold Sweat set in my Gibson SG and it sounds really nice. It's Bareknuckle's attempt to copy the Gibson Dirty Fingers Humbucker and I have to say they did a good job. I'm certain that your experience with that company won't differ from mine.

Apart from Bareknuckle and Motor City there's also WCR. Their candidate in the 80s's shred bracket is the new WCR Murkat pickup. It's a replica of the Warren DeMartini vintage JB humbucker. Again, a company I can vouch for. I use their Darkburst and Crossroads pickups and the Darkburst is probably my overall favorite pickup. Great for that VH / PAF on steroids tone.



At first, I was a bit reluctant to try it out. The reviews you mentioned were not favorable to the Screamin Demon at all. But once I played an ESP Kamikaze IV guitar I quickly changed my opinion. It sounded really good to my ears. Had that great high end tone to it that just screams 80's metal. Maybe it's his odd body wood choice, all maple, that made the pickup sound just right. I'll see how it sounds in my soloist (maple body, maple top, pau ferro neck, ebony fretboard). One thing's sure: It's going to be very bright :)[/QUOTE
You got my attention with that WCR pickup. I'm a big DeMartini fan,
I will definitely check for that one. Thanks!
 
You got my attention with that WCR pickup. I'm a big DeMartini fan,
I will definitely check for that one. Thanks!

I was just watching the Murkat youtube videos again (the guy in the official videos plays through the Axe FX II) and it's so tough not to buy them :) Anyway, whether you choose the Murkat or the Holy Diver, please voice your opinion about them here, I'd really like to know what your hands on experience is (big 80's fan myself)!
 
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