Good day everyone! I recently purchased an Old Guard neck and Black Dog bridge set for my 2009 Les Paul Traditional Pro. While I have absolutely no qualms with the Old Guard (you can check my review at
https://forum.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/index.php?topic=37551.0), there’s a big disparity in warmth and sweetness when I switch over to the Black Dog.
Don’t get me wrong; the Black Dog is made to the highest standards and probably aces the job it was meant to do. I just don't think it's for me given its sound profile; I may have outgrown A5s. Here are some things I’m considering:
1. Get to know the pickup more.One thing that I highlighted in my review of the pickup in
https://forum.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/index.php?topic=37545.0 is how responsive the pickups are to picking style, height adjustments, and volume and tone knob changes. Maybe I should play around with the pickup for the next week.
2. Switch out the magnet.I’ve read that that switching to an A2 or an A4 could give me the character I need. This could also help the Black Dog match the Old Guard better. My fear is that I may be messing with the “magic formula” that makes this pickup what it is. In that case, my next move should be to outright...
3. ...Replace the pickupIf I still don’t find myself bonding with this pickup, I can replace it with the Mule bridge in my SG. I am also looking into procuring an Old Guard bridge so that all my troubles with matching the bridge will go away. Of course, the Black Dog is more suited towards harder rock, but I am looking for more sweetness and warmth in my bridge.
Any thoughts? Thank you everyone!