1. Seymour Duncan JB
The JB Seymour Duncan humbucker is probably THE most popular and versatile aftermarket pickup of all time.
Blues, country, fusion, punk, hard rock, grunge, thrash; the JB has always sounded just right, even as new genres emerged around it. The low end is full and powerful, the highs are crisp and detailed and there’s an upper-midrange bump that adds crunch and chunk to heavy chords but translates to a singing, vocal-like quality when you play single notes or solos. Meanwhile the hot output pushes your amp just that little bit harder for more sustain and harmonics.
Famous JB users:
Dave Mustaine, Scott Ian, Zacky Vengeance, Jerry Cantrell, Jake E. Lee, Warren Demartini, Scotti Hill, Tom Morello, Steve Stevens…
Hear it on:
Alice In Chains - Man In The Box
Megadeth - Holy Wars
Avenged Sevenfold - Hail To The King
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2. EMG 81
One of the most popular active pickups of all time, EMG 81 is the one that started a revolution.
Utilizing powerful ceramic magnets and close aperture coils, the tone was designed with detailed intensity, incredible amounts of high end cut, and fluid sustain. Traditionally used in the bridge position of your guitar, this humbucking pickup will make your leads slice right through even the densest mix.
Famous 81 users:
James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Zakk Wylde, Glenn Tipton, Kerry King, Steve Lukather…
Hear it on:
Metallica - Sad But True
Ozzy Osbourne - Miracle Man
Judas Priest - Lightning Strike
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3. Bill Lawrence L500XL
The Bill Lawrence L500XL is a dual-rail humbucker designed specifically for high-gain usage.
It has a very unique, razor-like high end that’s coupled with a quick attack, making it a superb choice for speedy and precise riffs, as well as fluid legato-based lead work.
Famous L500XL users:
Dimebag Darrell, Nuno Bettencourt, Leda Cygnus, Dave Mustaine (as neck pickup)
Hear it on:
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
Extreme - Decadence Dance
Babymetal - Akatsuki
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4. Dimarzio Super Distortion
Replacement pickups simply didn’t exist before the invention of the Super Distortion in the early Seventies.
The balance of tones is classic — thick, boosted mids, big lows and fat highs.
Famous Super Distortion users:
Adrian Smith & Dave Murray, Paul Gilbert, Rob Caggiano, Phil Collen
Hear it on:
Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight
Racer X - Technical Difficulties
Anthrax - Fight ´Em ´Til You Can´t
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5. Gibson Dirty Fingers
Appropriately named, the Gibson “Dirty Fingers” pickup is manufactured with three powerful ceramic magnets to produce massive output for maximum in-your-face output without compromising the original tone of your guitar in any way.
Famous Dirty Fingers users:
John Sykes, Tom DeLonge, Mike Sullivan
Hear it on:
Thin Lizzy - Cold Sweat
Whitesnake - Still Of The Night
Blue Murder - Valley Of The Kings
Great post, I'm a huge fan of all these pickups. I used to own an ESP LTD EC-1000 with the EMG 81/85 and they are definitely great pickups for djenty metal tones. More recently I switched to a music man guitar with Dimarzio Crunch Lab and Liquifire and I also have a PRS with Suhr Thornbuckers.
cool overview, thanks!
I use EMG 81/85 combination for some time now, always first choice for me \m/
I had the EMG 81/85 on my old LTD EC-1000. I liked it for a while but decided to make the switch to passive pickups ever since. Actives definitely pack more of a punch, but the passives just feel a bit more responsive to me. At the moment, I use a Music Man guitar with the Crunch Lab and Liquifire combo and I love it.
i just checked some of your covers and followed you. great stuff, you have a really clean technique!