Humbuckers for a bright sounding guitar - any recommendations?

[jdawg]

Looking to replace the stock HBs of my Squier '51. It's a very bright sounding guitar -- basswood body with a maple neck and maple fingerboard. The current pickup is not really bad and lends itself to more "twangy" music, but I'm finding the high end a bit brash or shrill (however you want to call it) and would like to replace it with a bucker with a smoother top end, moderate midrange and slightly increased bass. Prefer a low-output pickup as well. My only experience with HBs have been with Ibanez Super 70s(fanstastic pickups BTW), SD JB and a PRS bucker (the exact model I can't recall at the moment). All these were mated to Mahogany bodied guitars though.

For my needs, I've shortlisted the following so far:

1) SD Custom Custom - a bit too high output for my taste but SD recommends this for bright guitars to tame the top-end.
2) Di Marzio Virtual PAF - teh intarweb reviews all seem to say this is a good pickup
3) SD Alnico II Pro - I know this sounds killer on a Les Paul, but I've no idea whether it'll be good on a basswood body/maple fingerboard combo

Any other recommendations? Would like to keep the shortlist within the mass-market pickup realm (i.e. I can't justify buying pickups that will cost the same as my cheapo shitkicker guitar).

BTW, not sure if this helps but as a point of reference, I really really liked the sample tones for the Seth Lovers on the SD website.

Any help would be appreciated.

Dawg

 

[brandnewrock]

u can try tesla plasma 2.
can get nice warm tone.. powerful too.
more of bass and mids.

 

[subversion]

gee... dunno why SD recommends the CC to tame highs- i own this humbucker, it's one of the brighter units offered by Duncan...

i also own the Alnico II Pro- good utilitarian tone for those not into high output or excess vintage vibe.

i only have good things to say about TESLA's Plasma II pickups- it's in my agathis Squier & it's one of the best i've come across

 

[loldude333]

+1 to the TESLA's. Great sounding pickups at an even better price.

 

[whee]

you might want to try something like a dimarzio breed, its rather dark sounding.

 

[jdawg]

Thanks guys. Seems like a lot of good feedback on these Teslas -- lemme check 'em out in person at Standard Value.