The Seymour Duncan MortalCoil Active Mount Bridge Pickup is a bit of a game changer for anyone who feels trapped by the one-dimensional nature of traditional active electronics.
We have all encountered bridge pickups that handle high gain well enough but fall completely flat the second you need a bit of nuance or a convincing clean tone. This unit moves away from that clinical, compressed sound by offering three distinct voices that actually sound like three different guitars, rather than just a collection of filtered EQ presets.
The internal design relies on high-density copper coils and a newly developed preamp that uses high-end audio op-amps. This matters because it gives you a much faster transient response.
When you are playing fast, palm-muted riffs, the notes don't bloom or sag; they hit exactly when your pick does. It provides that surgical, modern metal tightness in its primary mode, but without the annoying fizz or the hollow midrange that can make some active sets sound a bit thin in a live mix.
If you decide to dial things back, the second voice taps into the legacy of the JB bridge humbucker. It brings back that familiar passive sag and harmonic richness that has been a studio staple for decades.
For players who need to cover a lot of ground in a single set, the third voice offers a legitimate single-coil sound. It has enough output to remain clear through a complex signal chain, making it perfect for those ambient, layered passages or edge-of-breakup bluesy tones.
Installing this is a relatively painless process since it is a standard active mount. It acts as a drop-in replacement for most existing active setups and comes with all the pots and wiring you need to get it running.
It is essentially a professional-grade tool for the modern guitarist who wants the reliability and low noise of an active system but refuses to compromise on the character and feel of their instrument.
- Bridge position active humbucker
- Standard black finish
- Primary modern metal voice with aggressive attack
- Secondary voice based on the classic JB bridge tone
- Third voice delivering articulate single coil sounds
- Precision wound high-density copper coils
- Advanced audio op amps for low distortion and high headroom
- Improved circuit efficiency
- Includes full wiring kit and pots