re: Metal Guitar Players, What is your pickup of choice?

If you want to get into the boutique pickup department, then Motor City Pickups and Bare Knuckle Pickups are both great builders with any flavor you want. You have to be specific as to what type of metal. Uber heavy drop-tuned Killswitch Engage stuff, 80's hair metal, or modern metal Alice In Chains type tone. Im a passive pickup guy as opposed to active, (not knocking active, just my preference because of the feel and they tend to clean up alot better with volume knob). Passive pickup metal style offerings from Motor City are the Afwayu (Jerry Cantrell model, it's probably on 90% of the new AIC record for reference), the Solution or the Nasty Nasty. Wade is the owner and if you can get a hold of him, he is the most laid back and coolest guy to talk to. Really cares about his customers and will talk music with you for however long you want. I just got a pair of slightly overwound Detroiter's for my Les Paul and they are smoking. They are the most expressive and vocal pickups I've ever used. They are def more of the vintage type flavor but they will give your guitar a huge set of balls. Overkill "Electric Age" has this pickup all over it so it can def handle metal as well as classic rock. Bare Knuckle wise, the Nailbomb and Painkiller's are supposed to smoke. You could also go the Duncan way and get the Custom 5 or 11 or a simple JB.

Motor City Pickups