Recommend me a set of pickups

[Myaccount876]

Alright, so I need new pickups for my Epiphone Les Paul that is getting everything redone. I am open to any brand (other than something like Barenuckles. WAY too expensive)

I am looking anywhere on a price of $20 (or even less) to $60 per pickup. I am very willing to go used. Specs I'd like:

-2 pickups, doesn't have to be specific brand
-HATE mid scooped pups. Anything scooped like a '59 or Custom 5 turns me off
-Prefer 4 cond. pups, though I am willing to do 'pickup surgery'.
-Either black, zebra, or chrome/nickel cover. Thinking of black bridge, nickel neck
-I'd like emphasized mids and highs in the bridge, and lower mids in the neck
-Magnets I'd prefer are Alnico II, Alnico III, Alnico VIII, Ceramic. DO NOT like Alnico V.
-Want bridge to be powerful, neck to be moderate. Doesn't need to be like this though.
-Would like to get decent cleans somewhere in the setup. Not that important though.
-Don't want something too muddy
-Clear pickups. I'm going to have to find a window in the mix with two other rhythm guitarists. I'm lead though so it isn't too bad if I dominate, but I don't want to be the selfish over-powering guitarist.

Genre is pretty much heavy metal/doom metal/doom/death metal/power metal (German)/hard rock. Influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Dio, Queen, Alice in Chains, Iron Maiden, Blind Guardian etc.

Tuned down to Eb Standard. Rig is Kustom Quad 200 into B-52 AT412. Only pedals are Dunlop Wah, Boss ST-2, Boss Blues Driver. Future more professional amp would be something like Laney Pro Tube 50.

Aftermarket pickups I have had experience with are: Telecaster Hot Rails, and the GFS Alnico II Vintage Wound PAF, etc.

So yeah, pretty specific, but I'm flexible with options. I am just trying to give the most information so I can get the best suggestions.

[Edgecrusher]

Seems silly to pick a magnet without picking a wind. Without coils a magnet does nothing besides stick to your fridge. Saying I dont like A5's in JB's makes sense saying you dont like A5's by themselves is silly. Your going to have a hell of a time finding stock pickups with A3 or A7 in them (Do they even do A7?) but I guess thats ok since there are plenty of A2 and Ceramics out there for you.

My suggestion is to put the guitar together with whatever pickups you have then listen to it tonally. Then come and say ok I have these stock epi pickups I need something with more bass, smoother mids, more output etc. When you do it like this you are including the sound of YOUR guitar and YOUR amp with your needs.

Without this all your going to get is a bunch of people shouting THEIR favorite pickups at you.

[CTN]

Not my favourite pickups by any means, but it sounds like a Distortion and an A2Pro might be right up your alley. If the Distortion is a bit too much output, you could always swap in a regular ceramic mag for the stock oversized one.

Can probably find each of those used for $50-60 or less

[Myaccount876]

Seems silly to pick a magnet without picking a wind. Without coils a magnet does nothing besides stick to your fridge. Saying I dont like A5's in JB's makes sense saying you dont like A5's by themselves is silly. Your going to have a hell of a time finding stock pickups with A3 or A7 in them (Do they even do A7?) but I guess thats ok since there are plenty of A2 and Ceramics out there for you.

My suggestion is to put the guitar together with whatever pickups you have then listen to it tonally. Then come and say ok I have these stock epi pickups I need something with more bass, smoother mids, more output etc. When you do it like this you are including the sound of YOUR guitar and YOUR amp with your needs.

Without this all your going to get is a bunch of people shouting THEIR favorite pickups at you.

I woops I meant Alnico 8 not 7. I thought I pressed the "I" key one more time. Well I haven't liked A5 in my experiences but I am still willing to try things.

[Myaccount876]

Not my favourite pickups by any means, but it sounds like a Distortion and an A2Pro might be right up your alley. If the Distortion is a bit too much output, you could always swap in a regular ceramic mag for the stock oversized one.

Can probably find each of those used for $50-60 or less

Any ideas where I can find these? Ebay is the only thing that comes to mind. The Distortion I was able to find quickly for $40, but the Alnico II Pro Neck I am having some trouble finding. I am going to check the Trading Post. I could use the A2P bridge in the neck and it will work well with the Distortion right? I found one for $30.

[Scorpion]

I suggest a Sd distortion in The bridge and in The neck a di Marzio Paf pro or you can try with The jb and split it for Clean sound (also dave mustaine used it) or if you like dimarzio's bridge sound Go with a D activator or tone zone.
But i think that The Classic setup is The best : jb & jazz

[CTN]

Any ideas where I can find these? Ebay is the only thing that comes to mind. The Distortion I was able to find quickly for $40, but the Alnico II Pro Neck I am having some trouble finding. I am going to check the Trading Post. I could use the A2P bridge in the neck and it will work well with the Distortion right? I found one for $30.

Yeah you could use the A2P bridge as long as it's regular spaced (ie APH-1b, not a TBAPH-1b). Trembucker spacing would work in the neck position, but it isn't meant for that.

[rumblebox]

What you're describing sounds like you want a custom8, and a 59 with an A4.

[Dark Order Lord]

Simple dude. Duncan Distortion in the bridge and a Jazz model in the neck. You can't go wrong, since you don't like the '59. And buy an all tube Marshall, don't bother with other amps

[rumblebox]

Lol marshalls are not the end-all amp. Not the new ones anyway.

[Myaccount876]

Lol marshalls are not the end-all amp. Not the new ones anyway.

My point exactly. I actually don't care for marshalls in general. I prefer Peavey, Laney, Mesa, Vox, and Bogner.

[Myaccount876]

Simple dude. Duncan Distortion in the bridge and a Jazz model in the neck. You can't go wrong, since you don't like the '59. And buy an all tube Marshall, don't bother with other amps

But according to the tone chart, the Jazz EQ is 5 / 3 / 9. Now, if the mids was somewhere like a 7, I'd jump on it instantly. But here it looks like it would be way too scooped. And I am buying used so the Seymour Duncan return policy is void so I need to be sure. Could a magnet swap to a A2 or A3 do that for the Jazz?

[Ashurbanipal]

Hmm, I wouldn't say a Jazz is scooped sounding. It's clean, yes, but it still has warmth, and in a 22 fret guitar like LP, it would work well and keep up with a hotter bridge.

You can get a Jazz all day on eBay; stick an A2 in it and you have something similar to an A2P.

[rumblebox]

I'd say a 59 with an A2 is closer to an A2 pro than a jazz. It sounds good, but the jazz keeps up with hotter bridge pickups better than the 59. I would day an A3, A4 or UOA5 in the jazz. I'm just not a fan of A5 pickups in general. I'd even rather have a ceramic mag in a jazz than an A5.

[LtKojak]

You can get a Jazz all day on eBay; stick an A2 in it and you have something similar to an A2P.

Sorry, but no.

The only thing somehow similar is the DC reading.

With both p'ups loaded with A2s, you can't get two p'ups that sound so different from each other than the A2P and the Jazz. They're polar opposites.

The A2P is all about soft and SMOOTH.

The Jazz is all about crisp and ARTICULATION.

HTH,

[elelpe]

Seems silly to pick a magnet without picking a wind. Without coils a magnet does nothing besides stick to your fridge.

Yep, because you want Full Shred neck and it comes with A5 ...

Without this all your going to get is a bunch of people shouting THEIR favorite pickups at you.

... to accompany Distortion in the bridge (not MY favourite but I think it's the right bridge pickup for your application)

[Myaccount876]

Hmm, I wouldn't say a Jazz is scooped sounding. It's clean, yes, but it still has warmth, and in a 22 fret guitar like LP, it would work well and keep up with a hotter bridge.

You can get a Jazz all day on eBay; stick an A2 in it and you have something similar to an A2P.

Because I am kind of liking the Jazz pickup from sounds on Youtube, just think I would want to do a magnet swap.

[symptom]

My 2 cents:

Bridge:

Custom 8

Neck:

Alnico II pro

I've never played a guitar with this exact set together, but, alone, I think they do the trick for what you want in the neck and bridge by itself.

[blueman335]

What you're describing sounds like you want a custom8, and a 59 with an A4.

+1.

[speed2dirt]

Dimarzio X2N in bridge is very well-balanced with no frequency push.
Bill Lawrence/Wilde L500 in bridge & L600 in neck, both of which are very transparent.