software

I have a JacksonDKFS2 with a Humbucker - Single Coil - Single Coil configuration. The guitar body is Alder with a maple veneer on the top. The neck is bolt on rock maple. The fingerboard is rosewood and it also has a JT580 LP Double Locking 2-Point Tremolo. The pickups that are currently installed in the guitar are duncan designed and i feel as though they lack definition and clarity as well as crunch. I really enjoy playing lots of metal like megadeth and metallica. I want to achieve a heavy crucnh tone for playing these songs but i don't want my sound to be so distorted that it becomes unclear. My considerations so far have been a TB-4 or SH-6 duncan distortion in the bridge position and a SHR-1 hot rails or SDBR-1 Duckbuckers in the middle and neck postition. If anyone could please tell what they think might be best based on the specs of my guitar

BODY: ALDER WITH MAPLE VENEER
NECK: BOLT ON ROCK MAPLE
FINGERBOARD: ROSEWOOD
JT580 LP Double Locking 2-Point Tremolo

I had the Duckbuckers in the neck and middle of a strat, and didn't like them under a lot of gain. I felt they lacked defination and tended to mush out. Just my experience.

For the bridge, I'd recommend a Custom based on the tones you mentioned, although the Distortion wouldn't be a poor choice either. The Custom will rock heavy with the best of them, and will still clean up nicely when you roll back on the volume. I think with the maple top the JB might have too many upper mids and highs.

I think rails would be a nice touch in the other slots. Perhaps a Vintage Rails in the middle, and a Cool rails in the neck.

Welcome to the forum by the way!

I didn't like the voicing of the mids in the DD in my alder DXMGT. The JB sounds much better. The DD's mids wen't quot;chink chink,quot; where the JB's go quot;chunk chunk,quot; so to speak

As for neck, I'd go for a Hot Rails...I'm not too big on middle pickups though.

I'd install a Cool Rails in the neck, for a smooth, fat humbucker like sound from that position, a Hot Stack in the middle, for some pseudo-strat tones, and a Custom in the bridge. This combo will cover all of your high gain needs and still provide great clean tones when you need them.