# The best pickup for death metal / shreading solos..??



## ajdath (Jul 7, 2006)

hi,
im having my costum made 7 strings guitar and it comes with merlin pickups ( hand made pickups from poland) i never tried them but i know vader and another famous polish acts uses them. they said that 7 strings version is close to the blaze , i never tried the blaze i play on SEYMOURS i was adviced by seymour duncan support to try the duncan distortion 7 strings. for neck and bridge. now my guitar is like this maghony, neck-thru. 7 strings. i want nice thick tight palm muting, razor sharp powerchords and selective cutting throw shreading solos. any suggestions?
thx 

ps: i use neck pickup for 70% of my solos


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## Metal Ken (Jul 7, 2006)

Air Norton 7 for neck is awesome. im a fan of the blaze in the bridge


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## D-EJ915 (Jul 7, 2006)

81-7 in the bridge.

I absolutely love the 81 in mahogany guitars. I haven't used the Distortion but it's pretty much the passive equivalent so I'd go with that too.


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## JPMDan (Jul 7, 2006)

check out Bare Knuckle pickups Nail Bomb and War Pig


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## Drew (Jul 7, 2006)

I could post some thoughts here, but instead I'm just going to say that, whatever eaeolean or noodles come in here and recommend, listen to them. They know their Duncan's.


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## zimbloth (Jul 7, 2006)

I'd advise against EMG-81s. Sterile boring lead tones, good bite but really no balls. The EMG 707 sounds a lot better I think. For death metal/blistering leads, I like the Duncan Invader 7, and the JB/Custom models are pretty cool too. DiMarzio PAF7, X2N, DS7 and Evo (in certain situations) are good for that sound too. The Blaze sounds really good for death metal too, especially leads, but the bottom end sometimes doesnt have the most articulate attack, but its cool in that Morbid Angel kind of way. The Duncan Distortion pickup is garbage, stay away.


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## ajdath (Jul 7, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> I'd advise against EMG-81s. Sterile boring lead tones, good bite but really no balls. The EMG 707 sounds a lot better I think. For death metal/blistering leads, I like the Duncan Invader 7, and the JB/Custom models are pretty cool too. DiMarzio PAF7, X2N, DS7 and Evo (in certain situations) are good for that sound too. The Blaze sounds really good for death metal too, especially leads, but the bottom end sometimes doesnt have the most articulate attack, but its cool in that Morbid Angel kind of way. The Duncan Distortion pickup is garbage, stay away.



but i heared that the invaders are not selective , i tried them on 6 strings they were powerfull but not selective as my sh-13 . i want something thick and tight with nice palm muting and when you play solo or fast legato ppl can hear what your doing , nothing mudy or noisy


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## zimbloth (Jul 7, 2006)

what do you mean 'selective'? invaders have a really cool lead tone and heavy growl on the low end. they're not muddy or noisy if you set your gear up right. but yea they do have a very powerful low end and arent overly crisp. If you've heard the new Nile album, that can give you a good idea on how they sound like with low tunings. I think the SH-5 "Duncan Custom" model would probably suit your needs better though.


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## ajdath (Jul 7, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> what do you mean 'selective'? invaders have a really cool lead tone and heavy growl on the low end. they're not muddy or noisy if you set your gear up right. but yea they do have a very powerful low end and arent overly crisp. If you've heard the new Nile album, that can give you a good idea on how they sound like with low tunings. I think the SH-5 "Duncan Custom" model would probably suit your needs better though.



i agree, and i really like the power they put in the sound, but you cant hear the notes your playing as clear as i want for example, even karl sanders said he used secret equalization , he just dont want tell what exactly. i a;ways thought invader need to boost the missing frequencies by an equalizer . or if we could combine the duncan ditortion with invader i think it would be killer metal pup


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## Cancer (Jul 7, 2006)

JPMDan said:


> check out Bare Knuckle pickups Nail Bomb and War Pig



Have you tried these pickups personally, any recommendations for a the Bare Knuckles equivalent to the Dimebucker?


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## ajdath (Jul 7, 2006)

psyphre said:


> Have you tried these pickups personally, any recommendations for a the Bare Knuckles equivalent to the Dimebucker?



i recorded our mini cd with ibanez guitar basswood and sh-13 /sh-1 
you can check it at our website www.ajdath.net
i wanted diffrent sound but it ended abit sharp production , i could get thicker sound though


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## JPMDan (Jul 7, 2006)

psyphre said:


> Have you tried these pickups personally, any recommendations for a the Bare Knuckles equivalent to the Dimebucker?



I'd say the Nailbomb is a good equivalent to the Dimebucker but the Miracle Man is similar just more tight sounding. I havent tried them personally but the sound clips I hear they sound excellent through tube amps.

www.bareknucklepickups.com the only downside is they are expensive.

http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3036&start=0

this clip isnt exactly death metal but you can hear the Nail Bomb's tone on his RG7321.


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## Mastodon (Jul 7, 2006)

Our good friend Chuck S. says go with an x2n.


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## JPMDan (Jul 7, 2006)

Definitely can't go wrong with the X2N for Death Metal


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## D-EJ915 (Jul 7, 2006)

Oz Fox uses the Distortion and he gets pretty awesome tones \m/ (lol yeah, he's in Stryper)


@Zimbloth: The sterile tone kinda goes with death metal...lol


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## JPMDan (Jul 7, 2006)

D-EJ915 said:


> @Zimbloth: The sterile tone kinda goes with death metal



Not necessarily, Only if you want that sterile sound in your music.


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## Elysian (Jul 7, 2006)

Mastodon said:


> Our good friend Chuck S. says go with an x2n.


+1 and +rep


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## noodles (Jul 7, 2006)

^ Big surprise, Elysian chiming in on the X2N.


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## Elysian (Jul 7, 2006)

noodles said:


> ^ Big surprise, Elysian chiming in on the X2N.


i try and stay consistent


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## omentremor (Jul 7, 2006)

the SH-5 custom was mentioned earlier. I have one in my 1527 (basswood) andits pretty killer. From my experience I'd recomend it
i can get a sort of behemothesque, morbid angel type sound.
That's incredibly flippant so probably dont worry about what I say.


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## Brord (Jul 8, 2006)

How about some nice Lundgren M7's

http://www.lundgren.se
http://www.lundgren.se/index.asp?folid=22&micid=88


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## bostjan (Jul 8, 2006)

Which Merlin pickups come in seven string models?


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## Brett89 (Jul 8, 2006)

Is there a 7string version of this Bear Knockle pickups? I didnt se any on their site.


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## Dive-Baum (Jul 8, 2006)

I'm a big Dimarzio fan. I have a Mahogany guitar and did tons of research into sounds for my pups. I use a Blaze 7 at the neck and a EVO 7 at the bridge. It is a nice mix of tones that blend into a powerful signal.


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## JPMDan (Jul 8, 2006)

yea they make 7 string pickups,you can order them straight from them just email Tim and tell him what your playing style is he'll recommend you some models. The thread I sent was 7 string pickups Nailbomb and Cold Sweat installed on a 7321


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## ts73 (Jul 8, 2006)

Try those Merlins first. My friend, Sebastian from Antigama, used the model Vader uses (I don't know if he still does) and it sounded insanely huge.


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## maliciousteve (Jul 8, 2006)

If you want to completely blugeon peoples heads with your guitar tone then the 7 string Bareknuckle Warpig is the way to go. I used to have one in a 7 string i once had and it was killer. It went from a flabby lifeless tone to a super tight, super aggresive and crushing tone. That was just through a Marshall JCM900 too


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## ajdath (Jul 8, 2006)

ts73 said:


> Try those Merlins first. My friend, Sebastian from Antigama, used the model Vader uses (I don't know if he still does) and it sounded insanely huge.



yeah i will use them first and check how its going , but i thought they wont give what i want i dont know why i have this feeling but hope im wrong, but incase i was wrong i would like o have i dea of what should i look for.
even though im not big fan of vaders sound. 

lets describe the sound im thinking of this way:
palm mutes like emg tight crunchy riffs, power chords like duncan distortion , over all power like invader, solos like jason becker marty friedman michael angelo, selective,tight , fat mutes


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## zimbloth (Jul 8, 2006)

D-EJ915 said:


> @Zimbloth: The sterile tone kinda goes with death metal...lol



Not _good_ death metal.


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## Elysian (Jul 8, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> Not _good_ death metal.


theres not much of that


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## zimbloth (Jul 8, 2006)

I agree totally. I really only like maybe 2-3 pure DM bands.


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## bostjan (Jul 8, 2006)

If you don't want the Merlins, post them up here and maybe one of us will buy them and review them.


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## ajdath (Jul 8, 2006)

bostjan said:


> If you don't want the Merlins, post them up here and maybe one of us will buy them and review them.


ok , when i get the guitar i will try them and see how it goes


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## Stitch (Jul 8, 2006)

im ordering a nailbomb seven string pickup so ill tell y'all how it goes...
of course, JPMdan now has me wondering if i really want that for fear factory picking/meshuggah stuff...and not a miracle man...oh dear! indecision!
and lundgrens are nice, but id only get the M8...


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## Jerich (Jul 8, 2006)

i know everyone jumps onto the Dimarzio/Duncan /EMG train..but to me you'll end up sounding like all the rest.....everyone who has ever tried my Lundgren M Models has wanted them they just are too exspensive...now with my own "Jerich" model guitar pickup being introduced at NAMM this year I think this is a good time to shamlessly plugg it.....they will be ready for shipping in feb 2007...and be under $60.00 us...Bridge....Middle single coil.and Neck...all high output.......Lundgren is the nest ....it is all in the wire they use...and my "jerich" pickups will be half as good ...to keep price down.....i am working on sound files soon.....


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## nyck (Jul 8, 2006)

I'd recommend the X2N. Although the rhythm is damn sweet, I believe the leads is where it shines. It's just such a cutting and powerful tone. Perfectly aggressive for death metal.


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## bostjan (Jul 8, 2006)

That's my problem with BKP, there are too many choices!  If they made one kickass pickup, I'd be all over it, but as it is, I can't decide between the Warpig, Nailbomb, and Holy Diver.


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## ohio_eric (Jul 8, 2006)

bostjan said:


> That's my problem with BKP, there are too many choices!  If they made one kickass pickup, I'd be all over it, but as it is, I can't decide between the Warpig, Nailbomb, and Holy Diver.



I feel your pain. BKP makes a bunch of killer sounding units. Plus Tim is so damn good at customer service it just makes you want to buy more than you probably need. lol


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## zimbloth (Jul 9, 2006)

These may be good pickups, but I have my hands full enough with the American brands. Have some models I still want to try out.


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## TMM (Jul 9, 2006)

My vote is for the Bareknuckle Warpig. It makes SS amps sound good, and makes tube amps scream.


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## goth_fiend (Jul 9, 2006)

x2n all the way, huge muted tone, cuts through the mix awesomely, all around powerhouse of a pickup, hell throw a booster in front of it like me and make people freak out when you pull out sustainer like leads (albiet not infinate...damnit)


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## ajdath (Jul 9, 2006)

hey guys i got today an email from dimarzio custmer support and for tight death metal riffs,selective fast runs and alternate picking and shreading solos they adviced me the Evo 7 (DP704) in the bridge position and a Blaze neck model (DP700) in the neck position, what do you guys think? any got this combo?


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## Pith777 (Jul 9, 2006)

Di'marzio Evolution 7 at the bridge ... Sick & fat sound ...


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## Stitch (Jul 9, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> These may be good pickups, but I have my hands full enough with the American brands. Have some models I still want to try out.


do i detect a hint of xenophobia in your tone?


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## ajdath (Jul 9, 2006)

Pith777 said:


> Di'marzio Evolution 7 at the bridge ... Sick & fat sound ...


in good way you mean?


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## ts73 (Jul 9, 2006)

ajdath said:


> in good way you mean?



haha


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