anyone got any suggestions for new pickups to get for my ibanez to play death metal with?

Dimarzio X2N
EMG 81


these two pickups are responsible for the tone of like 90% of death metal.

emg 81 in neck pickup is all you need

not a fan of emgs. Try out the Dimarzio X2N or Evolution.

i want X2N-7's in my Warlock. that would do sexy to my ears.

are livewire's any good?

evolutions, PAF pro's, screamin deamons, JB, and X2N are all good choices. Some people are into stuff like the dimebucker, but that may be a tad too loud for me. While an emg 81 has it's benifits, I think you can gain more and tune your sound better with a passive pickup that suits and a boost pedal of ome sort.

I'm all about passive pickups.

i was thinking of getting JB's, Livewires or EMG 81's for my guitar.

EMG 81 or x2n
If you want passive= x2n
Want active= EMG 81.

well, im guessing you are looking for high output, so ill reccomend these:

duncan distortion
duncan dimebucker
dimarzio evolution
dimarzio x2n
dimarzio d-sonic
dimarzio tone zone
dimarzio super distortion
rio grande crunchbox
bareknuckle warpig


but there are huge factors determining which one would be ideal for you. what kind of guitar are you throwing it in? body wood? neck construction? floyded/stoptail?



ELjustin nli said:

neck pickup? waa?

I didn't get that either.

what kind of head do you have?

i got an ibanez rg with solid ash body, string through fixed bridge, 3 piece maple neck, and i play through a marshall valvestate vs-100 and 1960a 4x12 cab. the guitar came stock with pickups designed by emg thats all it says, nothing great. i havent been satisfied with my sound everything sounds dry and dead with no crunch, cutting gain, and sustain. it could also be the head and the distortion but i figure i'll try some new pickups because i've never, on a guitar, changed the stock pickups. i dont know to much about pickups so i could us all the advice i can get.

i just picked up the king kerry set at guitar center....
it has the 81, 85 and after burner
only reason i got it was cause of the price it was $150- there was another same exact set for $230-