preston

i got an ibanez rgt prestige which is a neck thru guitar. it has an alder body, and floyd rose. i want to throw in some new humbuckers but im not quite sure which ones with all the options out there. im leaning toward seymour duncan jbs but maybe even some super distortion or emgs.
the sound im going for is something similar to artists such as ratt, skid row, firehouse, cinderella, van halen etc. 80s hair metal in general.
thanks.

sojatriani

Most guys in the 80s' used one of three pups, the Dimarzio Super Distortion, The Duncan JB, or EMGs. I prefer the super distortion, Warren Demartini used the JB in Ratt, EMGs have been used forever as well. They all sound good. Cinderella and VH both used older PAFs for their sound. My 1991 Ibanez RG550 has a JB in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck and sounds great. It is my 80s' guitar, I can get all the old school sounds with it and my Vintage Modern. I will tell you , I tried a Super Distortion in my Basswood bodied RG and it was horrible. Really trebly and weak, in my Mahogany body S470 it sounds great. The JB is really smooth and defined in the Basswood body RG.

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steelhorse

All the pups soj recommended are great ones.

For the added bite I go with the EMG 81/85's I even have a fiddle with an EMG Custom Shop 58 in it and it really nails the classic rock tones. It's not as quiet as the other EMG's as far as noise goes but it's not that bad.

If you ever do wind up with EMG's and find they distort too soon, wire them for 18volt and add another 9v battery, if you want them even hotter add a PA-2 toggle which adds about 20DB.

I have all kinds of EMG's around here and love them. One of my favorite guitars to gig with is a Les Paul outfitted with a pair of 25th Anniversary EMG's, they are the proverbial wolf in sheeps clothing. They look pretty and can sound very sweet for an active set but they can get down right nasty when need be!

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psphill27

Personally, I don't like DiMarzios that much, but I do have Seymour Duncans and EMGs in some of my guitars. The pickup I would most recommend for that '80s metal sound is the Seymour Duncan SH-6 Super Distortion. I have one in the bridge posisiton of one of my axes and it rocks.

I also have a set of Zakk EMGs in one of my Les Pauls and it sings pretty well. But, I personally think the tone of the Zakks is more aggresive that the typical '80s metal tone. Just my take...but I did play my share of metal in the '80s

suncrimson

Dimarzio SuperDistortion +1
KISS use 3 of them in the Gibson lp

Tommy Boy

We do some 80's hair metal in our band ("Unskinny Bop" and "Nothin' But a Good Time" by Poison, "Sweet Child O'Mine - G&R, "You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi, etc.), and my Dimarzio Super Distortion-outfitted 80's Flying V nails the rhythm sounds perfectly. For solos, however, my newer Gibson V with stock pickups (496R and 500T in the bridge) actually cuts through the mix much better than the Dimarzio. The highs are crisper and edgier with the 500T, and when I go with the neck pup (CC Deville-esque), the 496R sounds smooth and creamy w/great sustain without getting lost in the mix.

So...I've been quite surprised and impressed with the stock Gibson pickups in my new Flying V for the hair metal stuff we do.

psphill27

Tommy Boy has a point...I believe my stock Gibson LP Classic has the same pickups as his V and it's my favorite guitar. Then again, might be the guitar itself as opposed to just the pickups. BUT, a lot of the after-market pickups above are awesome ways to go.

My suggestion is find a store, or friends, where you can play and hear the differences and see which one you like the best. Go with that one...

MJK

From what I have tried:

Great HIGH gain pickup would be the Dimarzio Tone Zone.

Good drive but better fatter tone and definition (in my opinion) is the JB.

Personally I would use the JB!

preston

sweet thanks guys. i should also probly mention i just bought a 1985 marshall jcm 800 4010 and an ibanez tube screamer. thats basically what im running right now, well aside from my chorus and reverb pedals. im trying to develop "my sound" and i need something that screams but also sounds good, i like to mess around with the whammy bar, tap, pinch harmonics that kind of style but with all this distortion im trying to keep it from getting all muddied up.

MJK

Sounds like you are well on your way to getting "your sound" man...

Like I mentioned,the JB is a good solid choice and should deliver just about all those qualities you just mentioned..Even played through a lousy buzzy Crate combo the JB retained it's clarity yet delivered very good sustain,and a nice sharp attack.Very "beefy" if you will..

Besides,if you end up not liking it...it's not the end of the world and you can eventually swap it out again for something more to your liking.But from what you describe,I think it should do the trick...

If you really want all out gain,I would say get a Tone Zone from Dimarzio but,I think it's a little over the top in my opinion.

Finding a good tone sometimes takes a fair amount of experimenting...then again,some times people get lucky and find something they are happy with right off the bat!

Good luck and let us know what you get...

psphill27

Rockin setup man...with that gear, any of the PUPs mention by any of the dudes should give you a solid sound.

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+1 JB DUNCAN!!!!! the worlds best selling humbucker !!!!
i , also am not a fan of the dimarzio tone zone .

preston

Right on thanks guys. I actually have a cheaper rg too that needs new humbuckers so maybe for my own little Christmas present ill get them both lol. But then I'm going to have to take a break from buying all this crap for awhile. haha

preston

Hey guys i have another question about the duncan jbs what is the difference between the sh-4 and the tb -4? thanks

poeman33

TB stands for Trembucker. The poles are a little wider so they line up with the string spacing on a guitar with strat style tremolo.

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preston

So the Sh-4 would be the better choice then i take it? Since im playing on an ibanez with a floyd rose.

guitartate

I have the same pups as Tommy Boy. I know some may consider it sinful but looking for a boost I swapped my 57 classics in the LP for the 496R and the 500T. Despite the many poor reviews I think they are excellent and can be tamed for other things such as blues. True the 57s beat them in the clean country and jazzy tones but for rock and metal such is the subject of this forum then they are awesome.

preston

hey this is probly a stupid question, but im getting ready to go buy those humbuckers. i think im going to go with the duncan jbs in one guitar and the dimarzio tone zone in another. is it best to just go with 2 of the same in each guitar or what? i lot of players ive talked to have one type of pickup up in the bridge and another in the neck position. seeing how you all know what sound im more or less after what would your suggest? thanks

jcmjmp

+1

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Dimarzio PAF Pro. Excellent pickup and it was used in the 80's a lot.

HOT TUBES 70

this where i'm pointing into the back of my throat with my finger !!
i did not like the PAF PRO at all , in fact i do not like much of what
larry is putting out . have you tryed duncan's , a little more of a
refined pup IMO.

luekemeyer

Does any one know what PAF stands for??

Patent " " " "?

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"patent applied for"

jcmjmp

The PAF pro is such a distinct pickup and it interacts so well with the amp in live situations. Mmmmmm..... so sweet.

Its just a very lively pickup that cuts through the mix and has a lot of character. It definitely has a place in my arsenal of sounds. It absolutely sounds amazing in the neck position. In the bridge, you have to like that open wah sound. Tons of mids.

meh... to each his own, I guess.

luekemeyer

Come on Hot Tubes, let the other guys answer...

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JCM 2000 DSL 100 & MC412 Cab
Crate Blue Voodoo BV-120H and 4x12 Cab
ADA 1/2 Cab

POD X3 Live
VOX ToneLab
Tube Screamer
Flanger
Phase 90
Chorus
Crybaby Wah

Epi Les Paul Plus Top - Dimarzio Super Distortions
Dean Dime Shadow ML - Dimebucker bridge
Ibanez RG - Van Halen II paint job - Dimebucker
Kramer Aerostar
Fender Squire Strat(From Corona Plant employee sale)

mooncobra

JB's would be great, but it also depends on the feel that you like also. I had never had Dimarzio Super Distortions until recently, and I found they felt soft and kindof mushy, where as the JB's make your fret board have an icier, harder, slicker feel. Plus, the JB's seem to be a bit punchier, so for the e muted thumps, the JB's will be a bit punchier and thicker sounding. As for EMG's I did not reallyt like them much, only hasd them once and the one time I did have them, I got roid of them quick, their feel and tone was not as warm, smooth, and round as the JB's, I would even take the Super Distortion over the EMG's.

HOT TUBES 70

SEE !!! here's a man who knows pick ups !!
mooncobra , we got to stick together on this ,
we are going to have to start a support group
for those against EMG'S and DIMARZIO'S.
LOL!!!!!LOL!!!!

sojatriani

Dimarzios" Rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

__________________
Marshall 92 JCM 900 4101/running thru 1936 212 cab
Marshall 2008 Vintage Modern half stack
1975 VOX AC30 with extension cab
Peavey Classic 50 212 combo
Peavey Triple XXX 212 combo

'85 Les paul
'74 strat
2002 American Deluxe Strat/Fat 50's
2004 Richie Sambora Strat
1997 USA Roadhouse Strat
1992 Ibanez RG 550
1996 ESP Eclipse

jcmjmp

This is all very childish. Who cares about the brand name. I have guitars with Seymour Duncans, EMGs, Fender, Gibson, Lace and DiMarzio pickups and can enjoy them all.

The question was about the best 80's metal pickup.

IMO, EMGs won't get you there as well as a Medium/Hot output Dimarzio. Will it be the best option? Really depends on the person playing the guitar and what he's looking for. If you don't like the Super Dist, you might want to try out the Tone Zone or the SD3. I find the JB too smooth for metal. As sojatriani stated, pickup selection also depends on the type of guitar and woods its made of.