Looking for a pickup to rival the Dragon II Treble

[Sage]

I've used the Dragon II Treble pickup for a while now in the bridge of my Custom 24. I love the increased output and boosted midrange it provides over a vintage PAF-style pickup -- in my view, the Dragon II Treble is perfect for making a thinner-bodied guitar like the Cu24 sound like a thunderous heavyweight Les Paul or McCarty. It's a fantastic pickup for playing classic hard rock a la Boston or Slash.

However, as many have pointed out, the pickup can sound a bit "compressed," like it doesn't have a lot of dynamic range, and I'm wondering if there are any third-party pickups out there that can provide a similar output and tonal character without sounding quite so compressed. Does anybody have any suggestions?

 

[jfb]

Maybe the \m/ pups from PRS?

I also like a bunch of Tom Anderson, Suhr, and Bare Knuckle pups available.

 

[maxtuna26]

I don't know any direct rivals for DII for sure...but for classic rock stuff, nothing beats the Super Distortion imo. :top: For some people it can sound a bit compressed, but for some they are perfect. You can look into the Breed or Dominion, they're pretty similar on the papers apart from their magnets. The general consensus is that Dominions sound tighter with the ceramic mags. The Breeds are slightly spongier and gives a rounder bass response due to the Alnico mags. Do keep in mind that both pickups are not designed to sound "vintage".

Lastly, do you have any specific budget?

 

[Brad737]

I hate to say it, but your options are endless. IMHO, the D2 is one of my least favorite PRS pickups. The only one I've liked less is the #6. If you want fat, try a Dragon 1 or a 59/09. For an awesome vintage flavor, the 57/08 or 53/10 would be great.

 

[rabidhamster]

If you like the Dragon 2s, you'll absolutely FLIP for Dragon 1s. If you want 3rd party and inexpensive, the seymour duncan JB is a nice choice, its less creamy and compressed but it might be slightly too bright for you in comparison. The super distortion is a great pickup too

 

[JerEvil]

LOVE my 57/08's! With that said, my all time other fav's are the Duncan JB and Suhr Aldrich. The Aldrich is what i call a more "polite" JB.