[phantomofalfred]

This axe has a mahogany body with a thick flame maple top. Maple neck.
I have an alder guitar and a mahogany both with sets of D Activators, so this guitar I still want it to be bright, but maybe with more medium output pickups for better control.
I am thinking of the following sets. Let me know your opinions, I am usually using D Activators/X2Ns/Super3 etc, so I am looking to expand my Dimarzio choices when recording.  Sometimes, Medium output buckers can give you a killer sound when applied to Death Metal/Thrash etc. You can get a clear cutting tone, and get the gain from the Pedal/Amp.

1:  FRED Bridge / HFH neck
2: Mo Joe  /  PAF Joe Neck
3: Satchur8  /  PAF Pro Neck.

I used to have a FRED in an alder V for metal and it killed.  Great clarity and harmonics, as well as having that upper mid clarity that one needs in high gain METAL applications.
I also had a Mo Joe in the bridge of a Maple Steinberger Neck Thru with Maple wings.  That was much like the fred but in some ways seemed less wild. I though since it was hotter it would be better for metal.
The Satchur8 is an unknown for me.  I looked for reviews but i guess not many people are playing them.
I already have too many guitars outfitted with High Output pups, so this one i want to be different.

[HarlowTheFish]

Double FRED, FRED-B/PAF Pro-N, or double PAF Pro IMO. Will be lower output and a bit of a different vibe to the D Activators, but still bright and clear under gain.

[phantomofalfred]

Yeah, i remember FREDDY being awsome at metal.  Upper mid spike but medium output so very clear and crunchy.  Im def gonna go FRED for the bridge.  But FRED Neck would be too much output.
Thats why i thought HFH., but i have no experience with it. The Mo Joe is hotter but it has Virtual Vintage technology, which basically dulls the pickup.  The HFH and FRED both have dual resonance technology, which means more harmonics and scream. 

[HarlowTheFish]

See you'd think a FRED neck would be too hot, but just like a PAF Pro they balance out really nicely just by adjusting the height.

If you're thinking HFH, it's definitely not a traditional humbucker at all. If you like a neck single-coil, it'll do that pretty well, but if you want something with a little more body or a little warmer then it's not really gonna do it for you. Maybe a Titan neck? I've played it a bunch on the Jake Bowen Ibby (which is basically a modded RGA) and I think it's a super nice pickup - clear and cutting without being harsh or trebly, and not woolly or too dark, but still sounds like a neck humbucker. The parallel setting on that pickup is GODLY for ambient cleans or mid-gain leady stuff, and the full series wiring is really great for stuff from jazz to high-gain.

[phantomofalfred]

I purchased the TITAN set and hated it.  The bridge was hard to get pinch harmonics out of and sounded really dull.  The neck I did not use too much, but remember it being good, the bridge was terrible.
I might try the Titan neck though,  I think Freddy is 305 output but cant remember what the output was on the Titan neck, however it is a ceramic if im not mistaken.

[HarlowTheFish]

280 and ceramic, according tot he website. I wasn't crazy on the bridge pickup either, but I really like the neck.

[DarthPhineas]

Of those three choices offered in the OP, I’d personally go with maybe #2 and definitely #3

The Satch pups have always sounded like slightly modified PAF Pros, except for the Satchur8. For something a little less compressed than the Satchur8, consider the Mojotone Sledgehammer.

Of the Periphery -based pickups currently out there, the Titan set comes off to me as the most versatile.

[greenlion]

I have a Norton Bridge and a Fred neck in a mahogany body/maple cap PRS 245, and they make a great combo. Balanced, easy to get harmonics with both, and they compliment each other well.

[Guitar74]

I second the Fred. It does metal VERY well. I am thinking about this one in one of my axes as well.

[phantomofalfred]

So Darth i believe has tried both the combos of choice 2 and 3.   I once tried a duncan alt 8 and it sounded  metallic and klanky.  Had a weird pick attack.  Hope the satchur8 doesnt have that. What is the tonal difference in the sets Darth? I kind of dont like the idea of virtual vintage cause i like spiky mids and highs. But looks on paper the satchur8 is missing some highs.  Is the satchur8 good with crunch and harmonics?

[DarthPhineas]

So Darth i believe has tried both the combos of choice 2 and 3.   I once tried a duncan alt 8 and it sounded  metallic and klanky.  Had a weird pick attack.  Hope the satchur8 doesnt have that. What is the tonal difference in the sets Darth? I kind of dont like the idea of virtual vintage cause i like spiky mids and highs. But looks on paper the satchur8 is missing some highs.  Is the satchur8 good with crunch and harmonics?

I have all the pups mentioned in the OP. As well as the Alt 8 and other A8 pups.

You can read my thoughts about the OP pups on my site.

A rundown of some of the A8 pups I’ve tried can be found here: http://darthphineas.com/tag/alnico-8/

[Guitar74]

I agree on the FRED. I played metal with it in a basswood Jackson in the very early 90s. It kills metal.

[phantomofalfred]

 I read the reviews darth. But they say thst all 3 bridge pickups are great without comparing them. The eq of the satchur8 makes me feel that it is the darkest of the three. I need tight and bright. Going by EQ i would think the FRED. I had a Mo Joe i loved in a maple steinberger but that axe was maple neck thru w maple wings. Super bright wood. This one is mahogany w flame maple top n maple board n neck. Direct mount to the mahogany body. Dimarzio Mike is waiting for my answer. I got a $20 discount on this set as i over paid for another set.

[DarthPhineas]

I read the reviews darth. But they say thst all 3 bridge pickups are great without comparing them.

As a general rule, I prefer to avoid “shootouts”. There really is no better or worse, but what works for the players needs. In all fairness, anyone is welcome to do what I’ve already done and throw down the cash to try them all.

The Satchur8 isn’t as dark as numbers on a webpage might suggest. It is, however, ballsier than the other Satch options. But chasing specs will never reveal as much as installing the pups and trying them out. Nobody said playing guitar is a cheap hobby.