Favorite guitar / pickup combo for Rectifier?

[Anonymous]

What's your favorite guitar and pickup combination for your Rectifier? I've got a Jackson DK2 with an X2N, and I'm finding it very muddy. Anyone recommend the Duncan Invader? I want a nice heavy tone, but not as thick as the X2N.

Thanks!

 

[R_ADKINS80]

Invader will be muddier than the x2n by 10 fold lol. Go with maybe an Evolution or an Air Norton in your bridge poss. Evolutions in mahogany guitars are killer pick-ups and not ice pickey at all.

 

[Anonymous]

Invader will be muddier than the x2n by 10 fold lol. Go with maybe an Evolution or an Air Norton in your bridge poss. Evolutions in mahogany guitars are killer pick-ups and not ice pickey at all.

Evo or Evo II?

Thanks!

 

[R_ADKINS80]

I've owned both and I prefer the original Evo. The EvoII had too much high end chopped off and too much mids bumped into it. Those were my perceptions, at least, from putting them in all mahogany guitars.

 

[RoyceW]

I have a '97 PRS Standard 24 with an HFS in the bridge and a Vintage Bass, that combo absolutley kills with the recto. Enough output to get a tight rhythm sound, and be able to solo without adding pedals. The neck pickup and out of phase modes sound very strat like.

I also have a new JP6, and the D Sonic is probably one of the coolest sounding pickups out there, look into it! Rectifiers are very sensitive to different guitars, so a cheaper guitar (depending on what it is) really sounds cheap through a recto.

 

[fluff191]

I have 2 Ibanez SZ guitars and after lots of searching, I have settled on Seymour Duncan Blackouts. They are just so dynamic and responsive but without the compression of an EMG, for example. Similar output to an X2N as well.

 

[Anonymous]

I have 2 Ibanez SZ guitars and after lots of searching, I have settled on Seymour Duncan Blackouts.

I've heard some good things about those! Think I'd just refer passive though. How about the JB?

Keep the responses comin'!

 

[jtxdriggers]

Before I got my first dual rec, I used to love my Invaders; I actually put them in 2 guitars, bridge and neck. Once I got my boogie though, I felt like I wasn't getting the tone I should have been. The overall sound was very muddy, and note articulation was terrible. Then I got my ESP H-1001 with EMG 81 and 85 as a graduation present. I immediately fell in love. I told myself I'd always be a passive pickup guy, but those EMG's definitely converted me. I got the guitar in December '07 and just had to replace the battery for the first time last week, so active really isn't that bad.

To be honest, it really depends on the sound you're going for. My friend plays an ESP MH-1000 with an EMG 81 in the bridge for his metal/deathcore stuff, and a Seymour Duncan JB in the neck that sounds great with his bluesy/jazz stuff. He plays through a Peavey 5150 and a Madison Divinity cabinet.

 

[Anonymous]

Before I got my first dual rec, I used to love my Invaders; I actually put them in 2 guitars, bridge and neck. Once I got my boogie though, I felt like I wasn't getting the tone I should have been. The overall sound was very muddy, and note articulation was terrible. Then I got my ESP H-1001 with EMG 81 and 85 as a graduation present. I immediately fell in love. I told myself I'd always be a passive pickup guy, but those EMG's definitely converted me. I got the guitar in December '07 and just had to replace the battery for the first time last week, so active really isn't that bad.

I know what you mean. I've got EMGs in my Schecter 7 string, and for some stuff it kicks ***. I think what I want is a passive type sound that doesn't have a **** load of bass, like the X2N.

I just did an experiment though and so far i love the results. I used to have a Classic '57 in the bridge of my Les Paul, but upon realizing I didn't want to keep the X2N in my Jackson, I switched it over - noting the Les Paul is much, much brighter. I have to say, I love the results so far! Seems to have much more bite from the crisp and bright tone of the guitar, which the X2N is complementing nicely. I've only played at a quiet volume so far, but we'll see... The Classic '57 wasn't doing it for me anyway; far too bright for the bridge.

Any other suggestions? Any other comments on what you like?

Thanks for the responses; all have given me much to think about!

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

I have too many to list. In fact, them Mesa amps actually make my guitars sound a lot better, go figure... :lol:

 

[echoes420]

I have found that the tone I like for the live setting is very dissimilar to the tone I like in the controlled environment of recording.

Live= I really love my SG with the 498t/490r smokey coils with brass studs. It has massive amounts of output on tap but also cleans up nice... or as nice as it can with a two channel recto. Ha! The ebony fretboard/mahogany body make for a really dark growl.

Recorded= My Billy Corgan Strat all the way. I am not the biggest BC fan in the world... but I wanted a strat with a hardtail bridge and I had planned on putting mini humbuckers in it anyway, thus the BC was a good choice. It is one of the most unique sounding guitars I have ever played. Beastly high gain sounds that articulate like a strat on top of some tele twang... that is how I would describe it. It is very bright, even brighter than most maple fretboard guitars.

On a side note... Both of my other live guitars are EMG equipped. Both 81b/85n combo, but one has a mahogany body and neck with an ebony fretboard, the other has an alder body with a maple neck/rosewood fretboard comination.... Both of these guitars sound completely different, like worlds apart. Just further proving the point that wood makes more of difference than most people think.

And the fact the our rectos really do respond differently to different guitars really makes you want to go out and buy every combination of woods and pickups possible to find that "perfect" tone... but honestly... it takes different tones to move the world. Ha!

 

[wildrat666]

I really like the sound of emgs through a dual recto. tight and nasty.
emg s are not my favvo pickups but with a mesa it is always a safe card.

most pickups sounds ok through a mesa actually.even epiphone stock pickups

 

[boogieslayer]

id have to say my favorite combo is my ESP Eclipse standard with EMG's ( 81/81)...

 

[domct203]

Favorite Guitar: '73 Les Paul Custom

Favorite P'ups:

PASSIVE: Bill Lawrence L500XL bridge, L500R neck.
ACTIVE: SD Blackout bridge, EMG 60A neck.

I played the Active set above for quite awile in my Paul. The last 6 months or so I have been using the Bill Lawrence setup. The Passives seem to have more character and dynamics and IMHO are alot more versitile. If you are just playing Hardcore/De-tuned, the Actives really can"t be beat.

Dom

 

[Armando]

You guys with your EMG, Dimarzio and Duncan limited mentality.....call Roy at Tom Anderson Guitarworks and let him know the Recto your using, the guitar's makeup and the tones your after. Mesa tests their amps with Andersons(or at least use to) and the same is true for TA and Boogie amps. Plus Roy is the "tone guru" when it comes to matching pickups, woods and amps to get the desired end tone your looking for.

 

[fluff191]

You guys with your EMG, Dimarzio and Duncan limited mentality.....call Roy at Tom Anderson Guitarworks and let him know the Recto your using, the guitar's makeup and the tones your after. Mesa tests their amps with Andersons(or at least use to) and the same is true for TA and Boogie amps. Plus Roy is the "tone guru" when it comes to matching pickups, woods and amps to get the desired end tone your looking for.

Wow I didnt know anyone did that kind of thing anymore. Very interesting. I could see myself getting everything matched if I got a high end PRS or something.

 

[tunedown]

Invader will be muddier than the x2n by 10 fold lol. Go with maybe an Evolution or an Air Norton in your bridge poss. Evolutions in mahogany guitars are killer pick-ups and not ice pickey at all.

"...not ice pickey at all"

I am currently using an LTD CD-1000 with a Gibson 500T (passive, ceramic) in the bridge and I think "ice-pickey" is an excellent way to describe the part of my tone that I don't like right now. I really like the low end response I get from it and how punchy it is. It still has some warmth too, and I like that. Have any of you used these pickups in a Mahogany guitar?

Could you recommend a passive pickup of similar output that's tight and punchy, but no so "ice-pickey"?