Tom Anderson H3

Tom Anderson is a luthier out of California who builds some of the best guitars in the world. On top of that, he also makes some of the best pickups out there, too. The Tom Anderson H3 is one of his hotter humbuckers that he offers, and I find it’s one hell of a pickup for heavy metal. It features extra tall coils, oversized pole pieces to work in any spacing guitar and four conductor wiring.

The Tom Anderson H3 is a great pickup for those looking for more output. Where the H2+ stops, the H3 takes off. It seems to have all the great qualities of the H2+, but it’s a bit more focused sounding and a good bit hotter. The H3 seems to be suited for those looking to really push the front of their amp but still have everything sound very musical and not overly compressed. The coolest part about this is pickup is that it splits crazy well. Thanks to the extra tall coils, it sounds much more like a real single coil than any other pickup I’ve ever tried.

The H3 seems to have a tight and strong bass attack. It’s tighter than the H2+, so it works great for those triplet runs. The midrange on this pickup is very clear. It pushes the amp into overdrive a bit easier, but it also remains clear sounding and doesn’t get super muddy. The treble seems to be just perfect, too. I found it to be a little rounder sounding than the H2+, so it can help thicken up a guitar that might be too bright.

I found that this pickup works the best in neutral to brighter guitars. When you put it in a guitar that’s dark, it’ll still sound great. However, I just found that the H3 seems to be more suited towards alder and ash than mahogany.

If you’re looking for one of the best metal pickups out there that’s super clear, definitely check this out.