This is somewhat in rebuttal to the stick thread
Sound Like Your Favorite Guitarists!
But not entirely.
Ultimately its to ask the preferred set up on an amp/guitar preference on gear and sound.
I play metal so I would go with humbucking pickups. I personally prefer the EMG 81 pickups. They have a tendency to maximize output and give you the crunchiest gain you can tend to get but still have an amazing sense of clarity. EMG 81's aren't particularly made for a clean sound, however... but, I can't remember the last time I played on clean. I'll typically play on my bridge pickup which I prefer to be an 81, and the neck pickup to be either an EMG 81 or an EMG 85. EMG 81's have a sharp attack and significant sustain, which helps for solos.
For an amp head sound, the warmer the better. If I could afford something like a Peavey 6505 head, (which is the updated version of the 5150) thats what i'd have. I typically like a very warm tube or tube emulation sound, and something fuckin' LOUD with maxed gain and maxed high end. I'll keep the bass pretty moderate but scoop out my mids. Well at least I did when I used to have a Hughes & Kettner Vortex Head.
And a british sound has a much clearer crunchy distortion sound to me. American distortion sounds (although I'm American, it doesn't mean I wont play American amps in case you dont know what Im talking about) seem too much like peaking out past the max clean sound and pushing it further, like you've taken razors to your speakers and play on a clean channel. British sounds seem so much more like an actual created distortion sound, and not like blown speakers.
My most recent equipment was the following:
LTD EX-400
Hughes & Kettner Vortex Amp Head
Behringer 412 cab
All stolen from me.
Behringer cab isnt a big deal, lol. But the guitar I was very, very fond of. And the head I liked for the price alot, but something i'd use and look into updating.
=/ whatevs.