- Why choose passive pickups for metal?
- Find a passive guitar pickup that best suits your high gain needs.
In the early seventies, pickup manufacturer Larry DiMarzio released the first mass-produced aftermarket pickup.
Since then, aftermarket pickups have become one of the most effective ways guitar players can change up the tone of their instrument. But due to the large number of pickups available, it can be a little difficult to figure out which one you need.
In this article, I’ll give you my top picks for passive pickups best suited for metal.
What Are The Best Passive Pickups For Metal?
With that said, we’ll be diving into 9 of the best passive pickups for metal currently available on the market. Here’s the list:
- Seymour Duncan JB
- DiMarzio Super Distortion
- Bare Knuckle Riff Raff
- Seymour Duncan 59 Custom Hybrid
- Bare Knuckle Silo
- Suhr DSH+ Humbucker
- Seymour Duncan Perpetual Burn
- EMG H4
- Bill Lawrence L-500XLB Hot Humbucker
1. Seymour Duncan JB (Our Pick!)
A completely balanced coil configuration produces great harmonics and high output with just the right blend of sustain and distortion.
- Versatile sound
- Trembucker spacing
When it comes to metal pickups the Seymour Duncan JB really needs no introduction. It has been one of the most popular aftermarket pickups the industry has seen. It’s super popular across all genres, with plenty of professional guitarists adopting the JB over the years.
Thanks to its enduring popularity, there’s a good chance your music store will have a guitar with a JB. This makes trying it out a lot easier! This Alnico V sporting pickup is known for its higher output and upper midrange bump, which makes the JB great for defined chords and punchy lead lines that need to cut through the densest mixes.
The best part? It’s under 100 dollars!
Check out this video of the JB in a metal context.
2. DiMarzio Super Distortion (Best Budget)
Many of the classic rock sounds of the '70s and '80s came from this pickup. It's been integral to the sound of DiMeola, Gambale, Vinnie Moore, and Frehley.
- Great for solid-body guitars
- Impressive power and tone
This is the passive pickup that started it all, way back in 1972.
The DiMarzio Super Distortion was the first mass-produced aftermarket pickup available in the world. It was originally designed to hit the front end of a guitar amplifier much harder than regular pickups. Back then, there were no real high gain amps or distortion pedals, so it made sense to compensate with pickups.
(Want a huge amp sound without annoying your neighbors? Check out our guide to the best amp-in-a-box pedals with excellent tone!)
This pickup uses a ceramic magnet which helps it achieve the fat midrange it’s known for. The DiMarzio Super Distortion is primarily suited for players longing for liquid high gain sounds that are ideal for chugging power chords and playing intense guitar solos.
Check out this demo video of the Super Distortion.
3. Bare Knuckle Riff Raff (Best Premium)
Tight and punchy bass response with a smooth bite in the high-end; the epitome of the voice of early '60s humbucker-driven rock'n'roll.
- Tight and punchy bass response
- Smooth bite in the high-end
The Riff Raff is a personal favorite of mine and easily one of the best pickups for metal. I have it in my main guitar, because it can do anything. I can go to the studio knowing this pickup will be great for pop, but also the heaviest of metal.
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In a metal context, this is great for chugging, complex chords, and lead parts that need to cut through the mix. Because this pickup is weaker than the other pickups mentioned in this article you may want to increase the gain on your amp a little bit to achieve the same levels of drive.
Check out this video to see what this these metal pickups sound like in a heavier context.
4. Seymour Duncan 59 Custom Hybrid
A medium output humbucker pickup that sparkles with upper midrange harmonic content and grit. Plenty of crunch and bite on top as well.
- Vintage look and sound
- Brilliant tone
The Seymour Duncan 59 Custom Hybrid is a unique creation with an interesting backstory. Some members of the Seymour Duncan forum started experimenting with putting the best of two pickups in one by combining two coils from different pickups.
Eventually one of the forum users mixed the Seymour Duncan 59 with the Seymour Duncan Custom. This new “hybrid” caught Seymour Duncan’s attention, so they decided to turn this Frankenstein pickup into a production model.
Sporting an Alnico V magnet and a medium output it’s got the rich full-range sound of the 59, but it remains tight in the low-end thanks to the coil of the Custom.
Having played with a 59 Custom Hybrid a few times I can testify to the fact this pickup is just great for guitar players that are into the late 80’s metal scene, but also want to play rock or more mellow genres.
Check out this demo of the 59 Custom Hybrid by Keith Merrow.
5. Bare Knuckle Silo
Twin-screw coils, Alnico V magnets and a pairing of 44AWG wound bridge and 42AWG wound neck all combine into an incredible range of depth and output.
- Versatile
- Pure, warm, and full-bodied
This is one of the newer pickups
This passive pickup is the signature pickup of guitar badass Rabea Massaad. You may know him from his YouTube demos, his prog band TOSKA, or his work as a live guitarist for Leo Moracchioli.
He wanted a pickup capable of achieving lots of clarity, while still retaining a nice amount of body, and boy does this pickup deliver on that front!
Check out this demo video by Rabea Massaad for more info on the Silo pickup.
6. Suhr DSH+ Humbucker
From warm and clear clean sounds to classic rock to high-energy jazz-rock fusion to 80's metal/shred to modern high-gain sounds, the DSH+ covers it all.
- Powerful
- Heavy sound
Suhr is primarily known for its high-quality custom guitars. They are one of the most well-known brands in the circle of pro musicians who need a workhorse that’ll last them years.
However, what most people don’t know is that Suhr also makes their own pickups ranging from low output PAFs to high output pickups for those looking for extra aggressiveness.
The DSH+ pickups are known for their rich midrange and tight low end. Its Alnico V magnet ensures the top end of the pickup can cut through a dense mix without it ever sounding harsh, thus making it great for solos and playing thick sounding riffs.
7. Seymour Duncan Perpetual Burn
Measuring 12.11k DC resistance, this pickup has enough output for shred and metal while remaining sensitive enough for rock, blues, and fusion.
- Designed for the legendary Jason Becker
- Note-to-note clarity
The perpetual Burn pickup was designed in collaboration with shred guitar legend Jason Becker. Seymour and Jason started working on this pickup in the early nineties. However due to Jason Becker’s ALS getting worse, the prototyping phase of the pickup was halted, and only a few years ago they picked the project back up.
This Alnico V humbucker is often being described as a JB with some of the kinks ironed out. The Perpetual Burn has a tighter low end and a less pronounced emphasis on the midrange, therefore making its frequency response across the strings.
The Perpetual Burn’s balanced response makes it great for technically demanding lead guitar, but it’s also very dynamic which is useful for riffs with complicated chord voicings.
8. EMG H4
The H4 is EMG's one of the best selling passive humbucker for guitar. Combining the power of our active 81 with the soul of a passive PAF, this pickup produces a well balanced tone, with tight bass response, glassy mids, and crunchy highs.
- A great pickup for your arsenal
- Punchy tone
EMG are one of the biggest brands in metal with legendary players like Zack Wylde and Kirk Hammett favouring their pickups, the EMG 81 being a particular favourite across the board with metal fans.
Often synonymous with active pickups, EMG’s H4 (unlike the EMG 81) is a powerhouse of tone that is completely passive. The tight low end with crunchy highs is achieved with over wound coils loaded and ceramic bar magnets, all shielded to reduce unwanted noise.
It’s no surprise that the H4 is EMG’s best selling passive pickup. They sound great, don’t cost the earth and you can order yours in a variety of cap colour.
9.Bill Lawrence L-500XL Hot Humbucker
The L500 is used from lapsteel, blues, rock, and heavy metal even jazz by a whole range of musicians. You color your sound with all your gear and playing styles.
The L-500XL is very similar in tone to the sound of Dimebag Darrel’s Washburn guitars. These aren’t just pickups for metal either, you’ll also find the L-500 series offer a great sound for blues, rock and even jazz.
Originally patented in 1981, the L-500 series are still going strong today with the XL typically used in the neck position.
The model is made with chrome plastic housing which does add a little to the high end but as Bill himself states ”on volume 10 who can hear it?”.
Considerations
Why Choose Passive Pickups?
Passive pickups are great for metal because their output allows for a broader dynamic range. They will capture nuances in playing style much better than active pickups.
For modern metal, dynamic range and complex chord structures are part and parcel, so this makes passive pickups perfect for the job (check out our guide to active vs passive pickups here).
Final Thoughts
So, you can’t just rush out and grab whatever pickup you want based on “what sounds best”. As always, that big question is entirely subjective, so it’s up to you to do your own research here. Figure out what’s missing from your current pickups (whether they are active or passive pickups), listen to YouTube demos from guitarists who play in your style, and even try out some different pickups at a guitar store if you can.
Depending on the style you play and the sound you’re after, I’m confident you’ll be able to find a pickup you absolutely love in this article.
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