Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Dave_M on April 01, 2008, 09:20:06 PM
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Finally I have installed my new set of apaches into my custom made strat assembled specifically for them! I wanted to share my impressions after a few mins setting it up messing with them (can't play it properly, the frets are still covered in lacquer from the neck finish!).
First in my hands they had a non perfect hand made sort of feel, but decent quality. I love the wax cloth wire. The tone... unspectacular BUT it didn't take long to realize how 'just right' these things are. The cleans are very clean. Exactly what I originaly wanted. The bridge is a little bright, I may wish I ordered it with the bass plate later on. I like POS 2 and 4 a lot, they will be getting some more use (I went with stock winding on all pickups). Over all very nice I would buy again.
Now I can really concentrate on improving my playing!
BTW I was wondering which BKP are closest to Frusciante's tone? I think he uses a '62 strat now. It's very vintage sounding, not clean like appaches or mothers milk, but doesn't sound like a hot pickup like irish tours not sure :S
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I have to say I disagree with you - first, that the tone of Apaches is unspectacular - I put mine in a semi-problem strat (great resonance but bassy and quite when amplified) - and it turned it the Strat into a classic toned instrument. No I have used Fralins, GFS Vintage Alnicos, Fender 57/62s, SD SSL6s, BKPs Mother's Milks and Dimarzios HS2s in this very instrument and the Apaches are very special indeed in tone.
As to Frusciante again I disagree - his classic tone is between Apaches and Mother's Milks and no hotter. The latest album were recorded with Duncans, so perhaps Irish Tours go there, but for his classic tone its Mother's Milks and a Marshall.
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he also uses an English Muff'n so that adds fatness.
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Like Elliott, I am surprised Dave that you say the sound is unspectacular but then again possibly you may mean that they are exactly what Strat pickups should be and indeed that would not be spectacular it would be exactly what you'd expect the best ( imho) Strat pickups to be like. I love mine because they give me exactly what I wanted- pure rich and warm Strat tone. Ther in between tones are a treat as you say. I'll be interesting to hear what you think when you give the guitar a good going over.
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Well i've heard clips of say Fender vintage noiseless pickups. And what they try and do is turn up the 'tone' and they almost become a parody of real vintage pickups. Apaches on the other hand, sound great like normal single coils. That's why I call them unspectacular because they dont hit you with that 'tone' on the first note. It just takes a few sec of playing to realize that they are balanced and more or less free from imperfection.
Compare it to hifi systems. BKP would be like expensive audiophile setup (unspectacular but close to perfection). Lesser pickups would be like the sort of sound systems people put in there cars with a boot full of subwoofers.
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Well that is how I would describe them in my own words. I think I have a good ear for sound quality. I just mean to say that the Apaches are not "hey look at me I sound great!". They are what they are which is very, very good. I get a feeling they are not trying hard to impress if that makes sence. They do not need to try hard it is more effortless.
What about Frusciante's intro to Can't Stop? That's some serious strat quack on clean channel.
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Hey Dave :)
I'm thinking about getting a set of BKP singles for my strat, and I was just wondering how the hum is with the apaches? I have a SD SSL1, and it's a liiiittle annoying buzz-wise. I'm waiting on a new amp, which might make some difference. I love the single-coil tone, but I'm just trying to figure out how I feel about singles generally, and BKPs in particular, if that makes sense.
Also, if you have a rwrp middle coil, how effective is the humbucking in the 2 and 4 position? Is it just like a humbucker?
Thanks in advance!
-Liam
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Hum isn't a problem for me. I get more buzzing from the amp. I don't have RWRP middle either it seemed more like a comprimise to me. No it's not like a humbucker at all. You say you have a strat you should know how it sounds already ;)
BTW I wanted to add I'm usually hard to please. I think Apaches are great I plan to keep them forever (good thing they've got lifetime warrenty ;)). I never said they were not special! They've got to be one of the best single coils you can get, which is why I bought them in the first place.
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hey were not attacking you - just a bit of debate dude.
I'll listen to that Frusciante track and come back!
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hey were not attacking you - just a bit of debate dude
Yeah but I seem to have a way of explaining things in a way that only I understand lol. I didnt want it to sound like I was saying the apaches were nothing special.
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I kinda see where Dave is coming from, my Country Boys in my number 1 tele aren't jaw dropping. Though they are tonally very balanced, and sound awesome, they aren't flashy. Which is great! I want pickups that sound clear and don't have bells and whistles, hence my love for tonally neutral pickups that don't push an amp into overdrive.
Phew I rambled there, I apologise :P
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That's why I call them unspectacular because they dont hit you with that 'tone' on the first note.
I dunno, I was a bit surprised to read this. Sorry to hear thats how you feel.
Everytime I plug my strat with apaches or play my bro's strat with irish tours, I think "this is how a strat should sound".
I love my strat with apaches as it sounds so right. I'd be amazed if it could sound better!
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Hey Dave :)
I'm thinking about getting a set of BKP singles for my strat, and I was just wondering how the hum is with the apaches? I have a SD SSL1, and it's a liiiittle annoying buzz-wise. I'm waiting on a new amp, which might make some difference. I love the single-coil tone, but I'm just trying to figure out how I feel about singles generally, and BKPs in particular, if that makes sense.
Also, if you have a rwrp middle coil, how effective is the humbucking in the 2 and 4 position? Is it just like a humbucker?
Thanks in advance!
-Liam
Mine are very quiet.
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That's why I call them unspectacular because they dont hit you with that 'tone' on the first note.
I dunno, I was a bit surprised to read this. Sorry to hear thats how you feel.
Dont be sorry! I love them! I would say it takes a few strumed chords to fully realize the capabilities of the pickups... maybe finger pick some and you can hear all the notes ring through clearly... yes just as a strat should sound! I would call the tone sweet, clear, fantastic, just right, sublime! But still i think they are unspectacular.
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These are great pickups in the way that they don't color, but rather maintain the natural quality and built of the guitar. We are , I think, being offered a pickup design that does not cater to the masses but away from the mainstream. It seems strange that something done to sound simple is rather a rarity nowdays. Peace amigos!!
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Hey Dave :)
I'm thinking about getting a set of BKP singles for my strat, and I was just wondering how the hum is with the apaches? I have a SD SSL1, and it's a liiiittle annoying buzz-wise. I'm waiting on a new amp, which might make some difference. I love the single-coil tone, but I'm just trying to figure out how I feel about singles generally, and BKPs in particular, if that makes sense.
Also, if you have a rwrp middle coil, how effective is the humbucking in the 2 and 4 position? Is it just like a humbucker?
Thanks in advance!
-Liam
My advice is to go with true single coils since anyting else is a compromise tonally. If noise is a problem for you, get the Suhr noise cancellation system. It really does work!
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Thanks guys, I appreciate it :D I make such a meal out of choosing pickups!
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If noise is a problem for you, get the Suhr noise cancellation system. It really does work!
The only problem with the Suhr system is that part of it is built into the tremolo spring cavity cover plate - and both my Strats are hardtails!
I wish they'd come up with a way of building it into the pickup or control cavities.
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It's only the aerial part that's on the backplate. I believe if you ask, it can be attached to the underside of the pickguard around the pickups instead for hardtail models. It only works for standard Strat pickups though, not with the reverse middle pickup.
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Interesting, thanks for that info! :)
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If single-coil hum is bothering you, proper shielding will help a lot; either an aluminum plate under the scratchplate or one of those gold-anodized aluminum pickguards that some vintage Fenders had.
The gold-anodized setup is dead-quiet.
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my apaches turned my strat into an spectular instrument.. but unfortunately the pickups and guitar are having to go due to financial reasons.. (bought a gibson and a marshall)
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It's only the aerial part that's on the backplate. I believe if you ask, it can be attached to the underside of the pickguard around the pickups instead for hardtail models. It only works for standard Strat pickups though, not with the reverse middle pickup.
And in a hardtailed Strat with no pickguard? :D
I'm always going for the hard way :(
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It's only the aerial part that's on the backplate. I believe if you ask, it can be attached to the underside of the pickguard around the pickups instead for hardtail models. It only works for standard Strat pickups though, not with the reverse middle pickup.
my understanding of the backplate is that it is similar to a built in dummy coil. there fore it wont work with the middle RWRP pickup... but surely if you revese the phase of the back plate coil it will work the same way it works for the bridge and neck, ok not at the same time but it wont need to since those settings are hum cancelling anyway.
just pondering really but wouldnt it be possible to wire up a superswitch so that the dummy coils phase was reversed in the middle position.. and if that wasnt possible at least a normal phase switch could be added to flip it round when in the middle position and needing hum cancelling
i may be wrong!!
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It's only the aerial part that's on the backplate. I believe if you ask, it can be attached to the underside of the pickguard around the pickups instead for hardtail models. It only works for standard Strat pickups though, not with the reverse middle pickup.
And in a hardtailed Strat with no pickguard? :D
I'm always going for the hard way :(
Then you could fit the aerial into the front of your shirt, although I suspect you also play nude, in which case I won't make any more suggestions.