need help choosing pickups

I just need some help on choosing pickups on my journey for tone. I really like Steve Vai's and Joe Satriani's tones (steves more), but i also like the sound of gibson '57s. I really want versitility, which i know the gibsons would give me, but i'm not so sure about the dimarzios. I'm looking for a silky smooth distorted sound with lots of sustain. Something to play lots of fast sweeps and arpeggated passages. Opinions? Advice? thanks

Em, I don't know anything about pickups except that I've heard Vai's Evolution pickups are awesome, but I dont know about the price either, hope that helps.

I use gibson classic 57's and i like them very much. Infact, i like them so much, i still havent replaced them with dimarzios or duncans which i have on my other guitars. i have an Epiphone Les Paul ES which has them 57's and i thinks it's one of the better and most versatile pickups out there- you can play just about any style with these pickups whether rockabilly, jazz, blues, or classic rock. It has a nice distorted sound- great for blues and classic rock (just to note, Angus Young uses a 57' classic in his SG) but I wouldnt recommed it for that metal tone because it lacks that rich, thick, tone. It's just a low output pu. When it comes to clean tones, I love the clean tone of this pu- which is the most important part for me because i like to play clean a lot and i crave for that nice paf tone. Just to give you an idea how nice and smooth the clean tone of this pu is, i can do a very good and accurate santana tone just by playing my guitar clean on an old transistor fender amp with these pu's- and it also sounds nice when you play chords! Most of my jazz musician friends use this pu in their guitars. I really think this pu is a very versatile pu and can play just about anything except that rich, thick heavy metal tone. if that's the sound you want, you might want to look for dimarzios or duncans. Personally, although this pu isn't made for the heavy metal sound, i have no problems with it. To get that nice thick metal sound, I just use my korg ax1500g effects processor to beef my tone up a bit. You'll be surprised how my guitar can go from a paf sound to a beefy mesa booger sound using my rectifier patch in my korg- but that's another story. Anyways try it in your local music store and see if you like it. I can only give you my opinion. Certain ES 335's, SG's, and gold top's use the Gibson classic 57's.

Not sure if this is too late for you but I slapped in a Evolution into my strat....best thing I've ever done....ever. Only thing that you have to watch out for are the seeeeeeaaaaring highs which I usually end up turning my treb. down to around 5-6-7 depending on what sound I'm going for and the uber amounts of gain, for a passive pickup it seriously acts like a active. Depends on the wood in your guitar, amp used etc etc. I'd say try both out at a store through equipment that is close to yours.

I have the dimarzio evolution and the fred put into an ibanez and thats a nice sound. It gives you both the heavy and the clean nice sound you want. They are amazing pickups. The evolution is used by steve vai i have mine at he bridge because its great for soloing and the fred has a nice fat sound which is also great. The fred is used by satriana by the way. Dunno, dimarzio has clips which u could use at their site. It helped me.

I can offer dozens of recommendations but none of it will help, the only way you'll find out what's best is to try everything you can for yourself and pass judgement by your own set of ears..

A couple of options that come to mind-

-Most DiMarzio pickups can be used for what you're looking for. The Evolution is an obvious choice but you might also want to take a listen to Petrucci's pickup choices as well.

-Seymour Duncan's Pearly Gates is always a favorite among shredders looking for versatility. I would recommend them over quite a hefty list of alternatives.

-Email various companies (starting with DiMarzio) and ask them for a recommendation based on what you're looking for. It's fast, easy, and most of them give great advice. I can guarantee not many people here are as familiar with pickups as the people who make them.

Try Bare Knuckle Pickups if you feel adventerous. They're rated higher by their customers than any other pickup company I've heard or heard of.