Humbuckers · Designed for metal
Metal Machine
IronGear’s most powerful passive humbucker. Gut-churning bottom end, mid-range roar, smooth highs — the Metal Machine cuts through high-gain settings with surgical clarity. Wound to 21 kΩ with a Ceramic Y30 magnet, it works brilliantly for both standard and drop tunings.
Hot Ceramic Humbucker
The Metal Machine is the first pickup from IronGear that has been specifically designed for metal. From the gut-churning bottom end, through the mid-range roar, to the smooth highs — it screams with precision, clarity and power, and cuts through high-gain settings with amazing definition.
Featuring a Ceramic Y30 magnet and a bridge pickup wound to 21 kΩ, the Metal Machine really packs a punch. This is our most powerful passive pickup and works brilliantly for both standard and drop tunings.
We make the Metal Machine with a choice of black or white open coils and black or chrome hex polepieces.
Soundclips
Four soundclips by Aidan Roker — clean and dirty, bridge and neck. Hit play below.
Specifications
| Format | Humbucker |
|---|---|
| DC resistance | Bridge 21 kΩ · Neck 17 kΩ |
| Magnet | Ceramic Y30 |
| Coil wire | 44 AWG enamel |
| Conductors | 4-conductor (coil-tap capable) |
| Pole spacing | Bridge 52 mm · Neck 50 mm |
| Baseplate | Custom-etched nickel silver |
| Dimensions | 70 mm L × 38 mm W × 24 mm H (incl. lugs) |
| Cover options | Black or White open coils · Black or Chrome hex polepieces |
| Recommended components | 500 kΩ pots, 0.022µF tone capacitor(s) |
| Included | Screws and springs |
| Applications | Metal in all its forms — standard tunings, drop tunings, modern and classic |
What customers are saying
Ten unedited reviews from real Metal Machine owners.
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Tried a Hot Slag a couple of years ago in another guitar, so figured I'd try another of your models in my current Jackson Rhoads. Stock pickups were the EMG 81/85 set, which just weren't giving me what I wanted. Dropped the Metal Machine set in and was instantly in high-gain nirvana. All the punch and definition I was looking for in the low end, with brightness, clarity and aggression in the top end — minus the harshness and fizz that's common in other high-output pickups. The only downside? The stock Duncans in my other guitar suddenly seem flaccid and lifeless by comparison. You guys could be charging BKP prices and it would still be worth the money.
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I decided to upgrade my Maverick Chaos 1 guitar — bought the Metal Machine bridge and neck pickups, white with black pole pieces. On a metallic blue body it makes these monster pickups stand out. Absolutely love these pickups. Have been a Seymour Duncan fan for years, now I'm converted to IronGear. Very powerful and ideal for metal. In all positions you get a great selection of tones, clean and distortion from all 5 positions on the 5-way switch. Highly recommended. Don't be scared to try them even if they're high output pickups — these are quality and you will not be disappointed.
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Wow. The Metal Machines sound amazing and made me realise how dull-sounding the stock pickups on the guitar were — it's like night and day. I actually had to take a step back from my amplifier when using the lead, brown and crunch channels — it was like being slapped in the face, they sounded huge and aggressive. Despite this they also have good clarity and dynamics. They even sound amazing clean. Thanks.
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Well, if God played a low-cost, high-performance pickup, it would be the Metal Machine! I sat on the fence about buying such an affordable pickup for the longest while — if other high-end pickups cost £££, why doesn't this one? Ah heck it, I bought it anyway. I am so glad I did. I spent about a third of the cost and I am getting all the tone — a massive, full sound whilst retaining clarity even when under bucket loads of distortion. If you yourself are sat on the fence when it comes to buying this pickup, absolutely do it. You will not be disappointed.
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Absolutely astounded, words genuinely fail me at the quality and price of the pickups. I bought them after reading the testimonials on the site and, as usual with online things, took them with a pinch of salt — I'm more than happy to say I was wrong to. Installed a Hammer Head / Metal Machine combo in my project guitar and a set of Hot Slags in a friend's long-neglected, underperforming SG. I immediately grabbed a guitar with EMG Hot 70 actives loaded and they were completely on par. Astounded. Literally the only complaints I have are that what was meant to be a project guitar to slowly build up had every piece of electronics replaced in one day for the price of one rival pickup — and that the output is so high that on the amp settings from the stock pickups they caused a glass to fall off a shelf from sheer power. Whether it's a sub-£200 guitar or a grand-up custom build, these will be the best investment you'll ever make. Genuinely, thank you guys.
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I've just installed my new set of IronGear Metal Machines in my Fernandes Vulcan — a high-spec Japanese-made instrument that originally came equipped with active EMGs. Since I'm not big on active pickups I've tried plenty of passives in it, from budget-friendly Alan Entwistles to boutique Bare Knuckles, and now the Metal Machines. I'm very impressed with the tone these pickups deliver — thick, crisp and precise, everything that's needed for modern prog / metal sounds. They sound at least on par with the Duncans, DiMarzios and even Bare Knuckles that I've previously had in this guitar, and compared to my other high-end guitars equipped with BK Warpigs and BK Ragnaroks, my Metal Machine-equipped guitar has its own character and sounds at least as good as them. If only IronGear pickups had been reviewed and demonstrated by plenty of YouTube influencers like the big brands are — they'd surely get more appreciation since they definitely deserve a spot with the top brands on the market. I'd definitely recommend trying these to anyone looking to upgrade or modify their guitar.
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The Metal Machine pickups are a revelation. I've judged them against the alternatives that were removed — 2 Seymour Duncans. The Seymour Duncans, in my view, are not even close. The Metal Machines do all that appears in the description and a great deal more — the guitar is brutal and precise when I want it to be and sings when required. The standout feature of these immensely powerful pickups is the detail. My repair man took the view that they cover much of the sonic territory that an active pickup would cover.
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Wanted to beef up my Jackson Kelly. Was originally going to install some Seymour Duncan Black Winters, but they were more than I could afford. I'm glad I couldn't afford the Seymour Duncans. The Metal Machines are fantastic pickups. They sound utterly annihilating with a modern metal tone, and with a more old-school Maiden/Priest sound they don't sound overpowering or too compressed. DEFINITELY consider these — they're well worth the (tiny, for such high-output pickups) cost.
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I am a guitar player, composer and guitar luthier. I acquired Metal Machine pickups for my last new build. Man, your new pickups are brutal — so excellent! High gain, so expressive, great clearness even in the wildest riff, and brutal definition. IronGear, you have gained me like a guitar player and luthier!
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Just bought a Metal Machine bridge pickup. First thing I noticed is the quality on these is fantastic. The build looks like Gibsons — even the maple spacers. Sound-wise WOW. These are not fantastic pickups for the price — these are fantastic pickups at ANY price. So much clarity, definition and balls. Keep up the good work guys!