Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: sambo on February 02, 2008, 06:06:02 PM
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I was very close to buying a telecaster, but decided I really don't need to rush into buying another guitar (as I have done in the past). So, I'm gonna save up long-term for my next axe.
However, in the mean time, I'm gonna stick a set of BKs in my Burny LP.
Basically, after seeing a recent thread with a guy who had purple-zebra coils, I was wondering just how custom it is possible to go. For instance could I get blue-zebra coils?
A blue/Zebra set of Black Dogs with double Allen-bolt polepieces would be a dream come true. Will that cost extra? Best to ask Tim I know, but just doing a preliminary scout for info first. :)
Cheers for any info guys,
Sam.
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The purple bobbins are available due to the Rebel Yell pups.
I don't know if Tim has blue bobbins.
If not, you will have to purchase a pickup in the colour you want and then Tim will dismantle/reassemble the pup as a BK. Technically, this is a rebuild/rewind not a custom pup as he is using some off-the-shelf components.
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Ah. Hmmm.
So is there any way I could purchase blue bobbins and send them to Tim? Or pay for Tim to outsource them? Or more accurately; do blue bobbins exist? :lol:
Might have to e-mail Tim
Cheers TO.
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Sure blue bobbins exist.
You would have to buy a Dunan, however, because DMZ uses an unusual bobbin size and Tim's magnets won't fit. Or something like that. :)
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Okay kokay, thanks. :D
Shall browse for some cheap blue-bobbin'ed Duncans!
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Yeah, DiMarzio's "standard" and "F" spacing are both are bit narrower than the BKP equivalents. I think Duncan's standard humbuckers are closer to BKP spacing, but a bobbin might still not fit a BKP. And their Trembuckers actually have longer bobbins.
When I asked about getting a green pickup built, I think the answer was that BKP would need to order (then, of course, be able to sell) at least 100 bobbins to make it worthwhile. Getting another brand of pickup rewound is probably the best bet.
What about Swineshead? They have a choice of loads of colours, so you wouldn't have to wait ages for a special order like you probably would with a Duncan. And they're relatively cheap, so a pickup plus rewind would probably be less than £90.
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You can get so many colors with Swineshead, and even glow in the dark, etc. and also wood choices too.
Example:
(http://www.swinesheadpickups.co.uk/frontpage/lotsofpickups.jpg)
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Ah excellent, cheers guys.
Might go ahead and do exactly that in the next couple of days!!!
:D
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Ah excellent, cheers guys.
Might go ahead and do exactly that in the next couple of days!!!
:D
Shame about the bulk-buy thing Phil. I think I had a similar answer from Tim for something else I asked for ages ago. Unfortunate, but just the way it is I guess.
Anyone know if the Swineshead pups are close(r) to BK size-wize then?
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Anyone know if the Swineshead pups are close(r) to BK size-wize then?
I think the pickups themselves are standard sized (in the sense that they'll fit a standard humbucker rout and mounting ring). They have a choice of 50 or 52mm spacing.
Doesn't really matter if they're exactly the same size as BKPs, unless you try to use one BKP bobbin and one SH bobbin - but it would be best to get the entire SH pickup rebuilt/rewound.
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I have a couple of sets of SH's: they're a fair bit bigger than BKs.
They are especially very thick. I think he (Jon Bell) uses huge magnets.
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I have a couple of sets of SH's: they're a fair bit bigger than BKs.
They are especially very thick. I think he (Jon Bell) uses huge magnets.
Oops, could be a spanner in the works! :? But are the bobbins themselves any bigger Mark?
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Wait a sec while I dig out a ruler....
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Hmmm.
I see...
Will definitely have to have a word with Tim before I go buying a set of SHs then. Make sure it all adds up.
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BK: 66mm / 16.5mm
SH: 67mm / 18.5mm
Also the bobbins are completely flat, without the curved edges.
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Thanks for that mate.
Hmmm. See I don't know how close the match would have to be for it to work. That's where Tim comes in.
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No problem pal
Another thing to look out for: no doubt most of the sound is in the wind, but the overall structure of SH's is different to BKs. He uses all his own machined-from-scratch parts, but they arent to the exacting specs of BKs. Material differences may make it 'Not BK' in sound in the final analysis.
But, yeah, tims the man to ask on that one.
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Yeah that crossed my mind, just how much of the sound comes from components and the general construction.
I'll e-mail Tim tomorrow and report back.
:)
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Hmm yeah, I guess the best idea is to check with Tim and see if he recommends any other brand as a good "base" for a rewind.
Sorry Sam, the Swineys might have been a bad suggestion. Mea culpa. :(
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No worries Phil. If they are suitable, then I would have had no idea about them anyway if you hadn't have told me. :)
Getting excited already about BKs! :o!
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Ok reporting back,
Tim sayeth:
"none of our suppliers offer blue bobbins and we'd have to commit to a
large run with our own plastic moulders to get blue.
We can rewind pretty much most things...................Duncans are
better quality than Dimarzio when it comes to parts and they offer blue
bobins I believe.Rewinds are £64 per humbucker and allow £5 for magnet
swaps if necessary."
Hmmmm. That would be £138 without even purchasing the original pickups in the first place right?... Now unless I can get a set for under or around £60, me thinks this is too expensive just for a colour variation, and I might just go with a normal BK set...?
What do you chaps think?
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Ah, I thought rewinds were only about £35.
I've seen some blue Duncans on eBay for about £40 (each), but it's all starting to look a bit pricey. I'd go with BKPs.
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Yeh I think probably the best way to go.
So in that case, what colour do I go for?! The same gold? Zebra?
Aghhhh!
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Zebra would look good. Or covers to match the hardware (if you're still changing it).
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OK having had mates that where sad enough to be into modding their PCs there is a another possible solution.
Tis called Vinyl Die and is used to recolouring plastics (used in car & PC customising) I did a quick search and found this http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/modding/46 no doubt some search time may turn up some more useful info.
If you find a UK supplier then I'd suggest getting (buying) some white bobbins from Tim and seeing how the dye gets on with the bobbins.
If the dye looks good then send them to Tim for your custom pickups.
Rob...
PS Theres other methods that RC car freaks have which use ordinary clothes dyes, but in hotter water & stronger stronger solutions. I can't see why the bobbins couldn't survive that considering they withstand wax potting
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Hmmmmm very, very interesting Rob.
I'll have a search for a supplier. If it isn't too expensive, (and if I can get some bobbins for a decent price too), that looks like it could do the job perfectly! :D
And yeh Phil, I think Zebra (whether it's with a blue coil or not in the end), is a safe bet, as it would look good no matter what the hardware colour was...
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http://www.usautomotive.co.uk/store/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=359
For UK.
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Ah, I thought rewinds were only about £35.
I've seen some blue Duncans on eBay for about £40 (each), but it's all starting to look a bit pricey. I'd go with BKPs.
Rewinds are £32 per coil - 2 coils in a humbucker - £64.
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Ah, I thought rewinds were only about £35.
I've seen some blue Duncans on eBay for about £40 (each), but it's all starting to look a bit pricey. I'd go with BKPs.
Rewinds are £32 per coil - 2 coils in a humbucker - £64.
Aha! :lol: That makes sense. Cheers Phil.
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http://www.usautomotive.co.uk/store/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=359
For UK.
There you go Sam £8.50 for the dye and whatever Tim charges for a few bobbins (I would suggest trying a couple of different bobbins as they will probably end up with different tones).
It also unfortunitely opens the doors for the 80s colour schemes to return (Hmmm thinks of the pair of Floral Jems in a local guitar shop)
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It also unfortunitely opens the doors for the 80s colour schemes to return (Hmmm thinks of the pair of Floral Jems in a local guitar shop)
The blue one and the greeny/pinky one? Never wanted a Jem, but I did like those designs.
I think the whole '80s superstrat/funny shapes/Floyd thing is already back, but judging by the reviews in recent issues of Guitarist there's another retro revival too. It's like fashion, the "cycles" seem to get shorter and shorter.
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It also unfortunitely opens the doors for the 80s colour schemes to return (Hmmm thinks of the pair of Floral Jems in a local guitar shop)
The blue one and the greeny/pinky one? Never wanted a Jem, but I did like those designs.
I think the whole '80s superstrat/funny shapes/Floyd thing is already back, but judging by the reviews in recent issues of Guitarist there's another retro revival too. It's like fashion, the "cycles" seem to get shorter and shorter.
A pair of these http://www.ibanezregister.com/images/images-jems/77fp/fp3.jpg in the Belfast Guitar Emporium.
Funny thing is though I only ever saw 1 Jem played live and it was the same design (way back in 1990 (or 91)) and it wasn't Vai. For such a famous guitar nobody seems to play them
I wouldn't mind the who retro ting if it brought back the sound of thr Wal bass
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http://www.usautomotive.co.uk/store/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=359
For UK.
There you go Sam £8.50 for the dye and whatever Tim charges for a few bobbins (I would suggest trying a couple of different bobbins as they will probably end up with different tones).
It also unfortunitely opens the doors for the 80s colour schemes to return (Hmmm thinks of the pair of Floral Jems in a local guitar shop)
Marvellous. Cheers Jonny.
Thanks for tip-off Rob. :D