EVH Tone - Pickup Roundup

[rgorke]

I was thinking it might be valuable to do a sticky or something of all of the pickups, mainly current production but also vintage, that have the ability to yield EVH-esque tone. Or put another way, pickups that have shown to deliver EVH tone, based predominantly on recorded clips posted on this board. I am also putting a couple of notes based on my understanding (not necessarily complete) on specific application of each pickup. Much has been posted on each of these but this is an attempt to have this basic information in one place. The application of one pickup over another mostly depends on what else is in your signal chain and, ultimately, the amp, but we all already know this. This is just one piece, albeit an important one, of the puzzle. I welcome people's input.

SD '59 - $75 - low output PAF (probably better with Fender tremolo), best for VH1 black and white franky
SD '78 - $160 (custom shop) - PAF style (probably better with Fender tremolo) also for black and white franky
SD Custom - $75 - purportedly the pickup designed with EVH's input in the late '70s/early '80s
Dimarzio Super Distortion - $70 - higher output - Some have had good results swapping magnets to A2, A5, or A8
Ibanez Super 70 - Vintage and prices vary - higher output - used in Ibanez destroyer
EVH Frankenstein Humbucker - $149 clean, $399 relic'd - pickup in the current incarnation of red, white, and black Franky - probably works best with Floyd Rose Tremolo - the relic version may sound much more authentic, or atleast twice as authentic.
MotorCity BlisterBucker - $120 - higher output - works well with Floyd Rose
Mighty Mite - 13000, I think
SD IM1 -$160 clean, $180 relic'd
Bareknuckles VHII
Dimarzio PAF

I would prefer to have this not turn into a contest or argument over which is better, just a list of pickups that could get someone there (in the ball park) and have been shown to do just that. So, what do people think? Am I missing any? Are my observations correct? What else should be included?

Thanks

Roger

[vanhalen5150]

Having the sound clips of them would be a great idea.

[jds22]

Great idea. I like how you also included the type of trem with each pup.

Couldn't find the MotorCity BlisterBucker listed on their site.

[rgorke]

Having the sound clips of them would be a great idea.

If people have good examples, I can edit the post and add the clips. I had not dug up all the posts yet that may include clips.

[rgorke]

Great idea. I like how you also included the type of trem with each pup.

Couldn't find the MotorCity BlisterBucker listed on their site.

Wood body types might also be a good twist to add, for example, "SD '59, Northern Hard Ash, Fender Trem, maple cap neck..." Something like that. Always with the YMMV caveat and the, "you gotta have chops" caveat.

I think you need to call them, MotorCity, and from what I understand it use to be call the Angel Dust.

[vanhalen5150]

Having the sound clips of them would be a great idea.

If people have good examples, I can edit the post and add the clips. I had not dug up all the posts yet that may include clips.

Gives us an excuse to record/post new clips then.

[Star*Guitar]

A lot of this has already been covered with a few exceptions. Check out the post from Stan, Bmf5150, sound clips and all.

[rgalpin]

Bareknuckles VHII
Dimarzio PAF

i've posted lots of clips here with both of these. the bareknuckles may be closer and certainly has more complex and interesting sounding mids - but the Dimarzio PAF is a little less cloudy at the bottom - yet kind of synthetic at the top - the older it gets the better it sounds i think - some of the synthetic sounding top end seems to have dulled out into a normal sounding top. or maybe i'm just tweaking the amp to match the pu. and i've been using the dimarzio paf for a couple years now after i lost some of the perceived (imagined?) magic in the BK swapping A8s in there and hitting it with a blow dryer. fwiw!

[Kapo_Polenton]

I've got a dimarzio PAF sitting around doing nothing. Maybe I will pop it into my Ash no name strat to test. Wasn't overly impressed with the GFS VEH pickup to be honest.

[vanhalen5150]

I got a new Axis. Dont know what pickup is in those. I think Dimarzio? It's smoking!

[bmf5150]

the best i have played,is the motor city 2nd degree black belt.the pickup was designed with the help of dave friedman,who does work for EVH.

[vh junkie]

Has anyone tried (do you want to add) the Smit's EBS-2 to the round up?

[vanhalen5150]

I've got a 9k and 12k from StewMac. $45 each. That would be interesting.

[jimmy_j]

Anybody ever throw an A2 into a Super Distortion?

FWIW, I love my DiMarzio Virtual Hot PAF in the bridge position of my ash-maple Floyd super Strat.

[motrock]

My favorite is my MotorCity Custom Pickup. Its not the 2nd Degree Blackbelt! According to Wade at MotorCity, this pickup is much closer to the EVH tone. He told me the he didn't gear the 2nd Degree Blackbelt for a Van Halen tone. He did something with cut A2 magnets and winding it for the magnets. Don't know what that means... but it smokes! 85.k is the output!