# Can Mini Humbuckers Do Metal?



## Carl Kolchak (Nov 5, 2014)

Never used minis before and was curious as to how they'd work in high gain applications.


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## MAJ Meadows SF (Nov 5, 2014)

In short, yes. Iron Maiden? Yup. I have a mini '59 in a Kramer, neck position. It shreds.

The blade minis are pretty bad ass from both Ibanez and SD. There's also a blade minibucker in the works at BKP...


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Nov 5, 2014)

I think he means mini humbuckers like in a Gibson Firebird, not single-sized humbuckers like Maiden use(d). The awkward in-between-sized pickups


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## Chokey Chicken (Nov 5, 2014)

I've used a firebird for metal, and my roommate has an old harmony rocket that I think has mini humbuckers that I've used for metal. They work well enough.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 5, 2014)

I remember trying a vintage Gibson LP Deluxe with stock pickups through my old Ibby TBX. 

Sounded pretty thin, but it was managable. If needed, you can probably find some HB-sized P90s.


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## MAJ Meadows SF (Nov 7, 2014)

TheWarAgainstTime said:


> I think he means mini humbuckers like in a Gibson Firebird, not single-sized humbuckers like Maiden use(d). The awkward in-between-sized pickups


 
Yeah gotcha. So like the mini PRS humbuckers in "Paul's Guitar". They cannot do metal. Not good metal. Not those. Nope. No.


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## Black Mamba (Nov 7, 2014)

yes


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## Thanatopsis (Nov 10, 2014)

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> In short, yes. Iron Maiden?


As soon as I saw the thread title that was my first thought.

Also, not sure how often he used it, but Stephen Carpenter used to have a Hot Rails back when he played a 6 string. I still so want one of his old 6 string sigs in that awesome green. I've just always wanted a deep green guitar but that you can still see the wood grain. Only reason I never did is because as awesome as I think it looks with the bridge and middle humbuckers and neck single coil, I find the middle pickup just gets in the way of picking unless it's set obscenely low. Hence my dislike of middle pickups. Sorry, I know I just went way off topic there.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 10, 2014)

Thanatopsis said:


> As soon as I saw the thread title that was my first thought.
> 
> Also, not sure how often he used it, but Stephen Carpenter used to have a Hot Rails back when he played a 6 string


Still not mini-humbuckers.


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## Ancient (Nov 11, 2014)

I've got an artec bridge mini-hum in a tele build. It sounds pretty damn good, its not as thick and crunchy as my other six with an SD black winter but that's a totally different pickup. It can do metal tones but I'm not sure what kind of metal your asking about, I do mainly sludge / doom and it can definitely hang.


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## Rus (Nov 11, 2014)

I play a Gibson Firebird with ceramic minibuckers through a Dual Rectifier or Peavey 6505/6534+ quite a bit. It sounds great 90% of the time, and if you're going to be playing stuff you wrote with humbuckers, you'll notice where it sounds thin and crappy.


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## WillDfx (Nov 13, 2014)

I put Seymour Duncan MiniHumbuckers in the neck position in mostly all my six string Ibanez's. I got the idea from Paul when he used them back in the late 80's. Of course he only used it so he could grab higher notes, but they do have a certain character that suits that type of playing.


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## Thanatopsis (Nov 17, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Still not mini-humbuckers.


Yeah, I realized that after I posted it that he means those weird mid sized things as opposed to single coil sized humbuckers.


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## greendog86 (Nov 19, 2014)

man even single coils can do metal... i have a tele with "texas special" pickups, which are
a bit overwound and they rock! they won't do any extreme brutal style, but they do classic metal, heavy rock etc...


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## Whammy (Nov 19, 2014)

I see no one mention the mini humbuckers from Lace.

Drop & Gain Mini
Nitro Hemi Mini

I haven't used them so I have no idea how they sound


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## VBCheeseGrater (Nov 19, 2014)

Yes, i had a dragonfire hotrails in a frankenstrat I used to use. That sucker was nice and chunky - was able to get a nice tight metal tone with it easily. Plus it looked pretty cool too

It was one of these...


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## stevexc (Nov 19, 2014)

greendog86 said:


> man even single coils can do metal... i have a tele with "texas special" pickups, which are
> a bit overwound and they rock! they won't do any extreme brutal style, but they do classic metal, heavy rock etc...



+1, my Tele's Tex Mex pickups got me some awesome metal tone through the right amp. Sometimes all you need is a noise gate. Did replace them with Hot Rails, though. I don't see any reason why mini-humbuckers, or P90s, or anything else can't "do metal". I mean, you won't make a Gibson Mini Humbucker sound like a Juggernaut, or a Pig 90 sound like a Liquifire, but you won't make a Liquifire sound like a Juggernaut either.


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## shanejohnson02 (Nov 19, 2014)

VBCheeseGrater said:


> Yes, i had a dragonfire hotrails in a frankenstrat I used to use. That sucker was nice and chunky - was able to get a nice tight metal tone with it easily. Plus it looked pretty cool too
> 
> It was one of these...



Still not mini-humbuckers.

To keep everyone on the same page, *this* is a mini-humbucker:


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 19, 2014)

`


Whammy said:


> Drop & Gain Mini








HOW HAVE I NEVER SEEN THESE!?!?!?  This would be perfect for a Schecter Ultra VI... I ....ing love you man. 



VBCheeseGrater said:


> Yes, i had a dragonfire hotrails in a frankenstrat



If I had a nickel...


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## protest (Nov 21, 2014)

Duncan has a bunch, blackouts, Hot Rails, JB Jr. etc.

this was just to piss off JazzHands


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## JD27 (Nov 21, 2014)

Whammy said:


> I see no one mention the mini humbuckers from Lace.
> 
> Drop & Gain Mini
> Nitro Hemi Mini
> ...


Wow, those are some hot mini-buckers! Didn't know lace made any.


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## RoyceIsNotMyName (Nov 21, 2014)

To answer your question...........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYxNQ1LvR0M


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## Mprinsje (Nov 22, 2014)

The guy who plays with Phil Anselmo's band plays on a firebird with mini-humbuckers. That's pretty metal stuff so i guess it could be done.


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