Are you looking for the best guitar pickups for 80s metal? We’ll help you find several good options to pick from.
Seymour Duncan offers some of the greatest guitar pickups for 80s metal, and that’s why in this short article, we will highlight humbuckers made by this famous manufacturer.
Why? 80s metal calls for Duncan distortion as it was popular among people who love metal. The rich harmonic content is why it was a big hit; the large ceramic magnets overwound offer a high gain crunch and aggressive output.
Seymour Duncan works extensively to create the greatest pickups. It is dedicated to offering pickups that provide the best possible tone ranging from metal to reproductions of exclusive old gems.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at our list of the best humbuckers for 80s metal.
Best Guitar Pickups for 80s Metal (Comparison Table)
| Image | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Seymour Duncan SH4 JB Model Humbucker (Top Pick) | Check Price |
 | Seymour Duncan 11205-02 SHR-1b Hot Rails Pickup (Close Runner-Up) | Check Price |
 | Seymour Duncan TB-6 Duncan Trembucker | Check Price |
 | Seymour Duncan Nazgul Trembucker | Check Price |
1. Seymour Duncan SH4 JB Model Humbucker (Editor’s Choice)
For over 30 years, Seymour Duncan SH4 JB has been the hot-rodded humbucker, and when you want a pickup for heavy metal, SH4 JB is great for everything. SH4 JB provides superb output with a correct blend of distortion and sustains while retaining aggressive harmonics and singing highs. You can enjoy everything from raw rock n roll to sweet, warm tones.
Seymour Duncan SH4 JB has stronger treble detail. For smoothing out the highs, some players use it with 250K pots. This pickup is recommended for the bridge position and comes with a four-conductor hookup cable. It is often paired with SH-1 ’59 for PAF classic tones and neck pickup like the SH-2n Jazz when it comes to versatility.
These pickups are made for warm and balanced instruments and work great with rosewood fingerboards. In addition, it is a favorite pickup of several legendary guitar players. So if you are looking for a crisp treble/mid-tone, you can go with this option. It also works well with an SD vintage middle pickup.
Seymour Duncan JB will become your favorite bridge pickup for metal if you try it once. It gives an 80s metal tone that is musical, expressive, and dynamic. In addition, the pickup offers lots of aggression, making it versatile and one of the best metal pickups.
You will make a wise decision if you choose this pickup for thrash metal.
Pros
- Excellent humbucker construction
- Clean sound
- No hum
- Easy to install
- Affordable option
- Tagged pole pieces
- Perfect for jazz, blues, classic rock, radio, and country
- Best pickup for tone, gain and attack
Cons
- None
2. Seymour Duncan 11205-02 SHR-1b Hot Rails Pickup (Close Runner-Up)
It is a humbucker that easily fits into a single-coil slot, and thus you get the noise canceling effect without the need of cutting a larger hole in the guitar. It was, actually, our pick in the article about the best single-coil-sized humbuckers. We highly recommend to read it if you are interested in this kind of pickup.
In addition, the two thin blades with extremely coil windings offer the incredible sustain and a full-fat sound required for heavier rock music.
The pickup responds to the delicate finger movements. It comes in a white or black four-conductor cable making the installation easy.
These have consistent pickup and are dynamic across the fretboard. You will love them because they will meet your requirements for sure and are affordable too.
Seymour Duncan’s hot rail pickup is the most popular output pickup. It is an uncompromising and respected pickup that offers an 80s metal tone. The powerful coil windings create a pickup that is fat and full with a lot of sustain.
It is great for classic rock however superb for more aggressive tones like metal or garage rock. The best thing about these humbuckers is that they easily fit in a single coil and add girth to the tone. When it comes to installation, these are easy to install and have a great tone. These hot rails pickup is an excellent complement to the middle and neck pickups.
Pros
- It fits into a single-coil slot
- Two thin blades
- Powerful coil windings
- Expressive sustain and a fat
- Responds to the softest finger movements
- Perfect for heavy tones
- High output
- Clear tone
- Easy installation
Cons
- None
3. Seymour Duncan TB-6 Duncan Distortion Trembucker
Seymour Duncan TB-6 Duncan distortion trembucker yields high output without compromising clarity. It offers massive power and distorted rock sounds due to its powerful ceramic magnet and hot coil windings. It suits high gain and aggressive styles because the ceramic magnets make this pickup very hot.
If you slightly roll off the volume, then you will get a decent clean. Articulate and super clean when the volume is drawn round. However, when pickup shines, there is much distortion. It is punchy, chunky, and has no mud where mids sound natural. You will like lots of soft-sounding highs with tons of harmonics and massive headroom, which are the characteristics of hi-fi pickups.
It offers power, clarity, and aggression and this humbucker is perfect for all metal flavors and different aggressive genres. It has ultra-clear dynamics, crunchy rhythms, hard-hitting, quick lead work, and whatnot.
They are made with stealth in mind, and they are super hot. The set is fantastic for metal and performs well for low tunings coupled with clean and tight low-ends. This humbucker was made for old-school metal, punk, gothic, and many other heavy rock styles. It is great for drop tunings and adds perfect weight to whatever you play.
Pros
- Versatile
- Well balanced
- Punchy
- Perfect for a huge attack
- Provides high output and retains clarity
- Delivers massive power and distorted raw rock sounds
- Huge sustain
- Sounds ultra-heavy
Cons
- None
4. Seymour Duncan Nazgul High Output Bridge Trembucker
Metal for you is a guitar tone that is fuming, chugging, fork-tongued and filthy. You can convert your imagination into reality with this humbucking high output bridge pickup. This high-quality Nazgul’s custom-wound ceramic magnet trembucker with four-conductor lead wire has multiple options for wiring. The brutal rhythm tone, biting highs, high gain character, and grinding midrange define your music power.
This bridge trembucker is perfect for 80s heavy metal and performs well for low tunings. The low end is clean and tight, letting you stay focused and clear as the volume increases and behaves well when there is excessive noise. It offers enormous output and works perfectly at volume while retaining clarity. The raw power makes room for warmth and tonal quality.
The seriously high and aggressive gain offers a lively yet controllable tone. On clean amp settings, this bridge trembucker knows to behave better and offer clear tones. It gives chords heavy saturation and offers a fast-lightning response with high output that metal requires.
Pros
- The fantastic tone for metal
- Pronounces high ends well
- Easy setup
- Amazing sonic properties
- High gain steed, aggressive can steer just with a touch
- Ceramic custom-wound magnet churns out saturation and high note articulation
- Vacuum wax potted for roaring tone
- Fantastic harmonics in all audible frequency ranges
Cons
- None we could find
Frequently Asked Question about Guitar Pickups for 80s Metal
Best Pickup Configuration for 80s Metal
Metal music is known for lots of distortion, which calls for humbucker configuration. Mainly two humbuckers configuration is enough, but you can go for three humbucker configurations for more power. Humbucker-only configurations offer darker and warmer tones.
H-H is the classic configuration, and you will get three possible tones. Commonly humbuckers are located at the neck and bridge positions, but sometimes one may be located more centrally. The H-H configuration suits rock music and high gain as you will get a dark and thick tone. Alternating between neck and bridge pickup gives you the way to darken or brighter the tone and adds versatility.
Get a more powerful tone by using the H-H-H configuration. You will have five options of pickup selection. It is a popular configuration among hard rock and heavy metal guitarists.
Conclusion: the Best Guitar Pickup for the 80s Metal
The tone is critical, and thus we have compiled the Seymour Duncan pickups for 80s metal. Seymour Duncan SH4 JB is great for everything.
With lots of options available from Seymour Duncan, you can get the one that meets your requirements. Our winner is Seymour Duncan SH4 JB, but you can pick any other humbucker from the list according to your taste.