Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Joeri on October 17, 2005, 12:05:04 PM
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Hi, I'm new here. I'm about to get a guitar custom build. It's basically gonna be an all maple guitar (maple body, neck & fretboard), routed for HSS, Original Floyd Rose tremolo.
I'm looking for pickups to play 80's style metal hard rock. Think: Bon Jovi, Dokken, Def Leppard, Van Halen, etc. I'm a big fan of Richie Sambora on the early Bon Jovi albums (up to These Days), so I would like to get a sound similar to his.
I'm thinking of the following pickups:
- Bridge: either a VH II or a Holydiver
- Middle & neck: Irish tours
If someone has an idea on which pickups would be best, please give me some advice.
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Welcome to the forum!Im a big Sambora fan as well,i have the Fender American Sambora Strat with the floyd rose.I have the BKP's Mule humbucker in the bridge it gives a great Sambora style tone.Richie uses quite low output pickups and matches them with high gain amps and a booster pedal.The Mule is the most versatile pickup i have tried so far and it will do a cool VH tone as well.
Check out my Mule Metal demo in the players room,its got a very fat warm tone.Hope this helps.
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Thanks for the welcome and the reply. Can't check the sound file right now :cry: (at work), but will do when I get home.
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In my ESP Kamikaze 4 body, I put in a Miracle Man/Irish Tour combo. That gives me that Under Lock and Key/Back For the Attack tone to the T!
I have a VHII in the bridge of my Strat. The tone is more raw. I wouldn't say it gives the same Lynch vibe as the Miracle Man. For a more old school tone, you could go with the VHII, however; it's a terrific pickup. The VHII is great for getting NWOBHM type tones, too (Think Stained Class era Priest) when you push it.
The Holy Diver has a mid spike that will get you closer to the Tooth and Nail era Dokken, as well as old LA metal style sounds.
I'm sure I will be corrected if I'm wrong, lol.
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Twilight Odyssey is the '80's metal authority on this forum. As well as BKP's most imporant bench and field tester of '80's style metal pups.
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Thanks for all the replys so far. So for the bridge position I have the following suggestions so far:
- The Mule: Richie Sambora tone
- VH II: NWOBHM tone
- Holy Diver: early LA metal tone
- Miracle Man: Dokken Under Lock And Key/Back For The Attack
Right now I'm thinkin' The Mule would be best for me as I'm mainly going for the Richie Sambora tone. But will it be able to do some other 80's metal, like Dokken, Def Leppard, Van Halen, etc.
And what pickups would you suggest for the middle & neck position.
[edit]Still at work so can't listen to some audio clips right now, will do when I get home[/edit]
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In my search for a Sambora like tone i have found the Mule is the nearest.He always uses PAFs and the Mule is in PAF territory.Im not disagreeing with the other pickups mentioned,but the high gain pickups dont really have the Sambo vibe going on.
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In my search for a Sambora like tone i have found the Mule is the nearest.He always uses PAFs and the Mule is in PAF territory.Im not disagreeing with the other pickups mentioned,but the high gain pickups dont really have the Sambo vibe going on.
I agree 100%. Of course, I'm not going for Sambora, lol
My playing is a bit more ... pinch harmonic laden!
And that's not to say that the Mule *won't* do high gain; it will react differently, is all. You may need to dig in deeper to get the tone totally nailed, however, and in the end of the day, all BKPs are extremely versatile, not just one-trick ponies.
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Twilight Odyssey is the '80's metal authority on this forum. As well as BKP's most imporant bench and field tester of '80's style metal pups.
LOL, I don't know about all that! :oops:
One day I will have a Mule, Emerald, or Blag Dog loaded guitar for my Badlands-inspired stuff!
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Back from work and listened to some audio clips. I must say I kinda like all of the pickups mentioned so far. But I don't think the Miracle Man can give me a good Richie Sambora sound.
I also read that he used a DM PAF Pro in his Fender Signature Strat, so that would lead me to either a Mule or a VH II (same output & magnet). But I also read that on his Kramer Signature (which he used in the 80's) he used to have a SD JB, and that would lead me to a Holy Diver. So I'm still confused on what to get.
And does anyone have some suggestions on the middle & neck pickups??
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You know...how about a Crawler, vintage tone but more balls...
http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/sound/ZH-crawler/bridge_od.mp3
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It just got harder to pick one :(
Love the Crawler sound clip 8)
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A Mule with two Irish Tours would be the most versitile setup.
Another option could be a Crawler with Mother's Milks. The Crawler is like a super hot rodded Mule with a little more midrange. This might get the PAF pro with the mid boost on type of sound and it will do the JB thing too.
I think the VHII might be too bright in your maple guitar.
I think we need Tim in here to make the call.
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Twilight Odyssey is the '80's metal authority on this forum. As well as BKP's most imporant bench and field tester of '80's style metal pups.
I dont know about that!
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Twilight Odyssey is the '80's metal authority on this forum. As well as BKP's most imporant bench and field tester of '80's style metal pups.
I dont know about that!
Me, either! Tho Mr Pig takes special pleasure in disagreeing with me. ;)
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Twilight Odyssey is the '80's metal authority on this forum. As well as BKP's most imporant bench and field tester of '80's style metal pups.
I dont know about that!
Me, either! Tho Mr Pig takes special pleasure in disagreeing with me. ;)
Don’t take it the wrong way TO, That’s what I hate about posting, you can never read things the way they are meant to be read!
Im not insulting you or your knowledge.... it's just Tim's the one who voiced the pickups and field tested them.
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Just listened to some Savatage and I also like that guitar sound. Will either the Mule or the Crawler give me something like that sound??
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Don’t take it the wrong way TO, That’s what I hate about posting, you can never read things the way they are meant to be read!
Im not insulting you or your knowledge.... it's just Tim's the one who voiced the pickups and field tested them.
None taken!
It's all in good fun, my man.
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Just listened to some Savatage and I also like that guitar sound. Will either the Mule or the Crawler give me something like that sound??
Savatage ... one of my favourite bands, but totally different tone. What era? Which guitar player? Sava's had about 7 different guitarists, all with different rigs.
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Just listened to some Savatage and I also like that guitar sound. Will either the Mule or the Crawler give me something like that sound??
Savatage ... one of my favourite bands, but totally different tone. What era? Which guitar player? Sava's had about 7 different guitarists, all with different rigs.
Just listened to the album Ghost in the Ruins - a tribute to Criss Oliva which has Criss Oliva on guitar. Great player btw :guitar4:
I kinda want the best of both worlds. From Bon Jovi right up to Savatage and everything in between.
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Chriss Oliva had a very typical metal setup: Charvel guitars and Marshall amps. For that sound, I would think Holy Diver. And scoop the mids.
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But will the Holy Diver do a good enough Richie Sambora tone?? So will either a Mule or a Crawler do a good enough Criss Oliva tone?? Doesn't have to be his exact tone, just something in that direction...
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Back from work and listened to some audio clips. I must say I kinda like all of the pickups mentioned so far. But I don't think the Miracle Man can give me a good Richie Sambora sound.
I also read that he used a DM PAF Pro in his Fender Signature Strat, so that would lead me to either a Mule or a VH II (same output & magnet). But I also read that on his Kramer Signature (which he used in the 80's) he used to have a SD JB, and that would lead me to a Holy Diver. So I'm still confused on what to get.
And does anyone have some suggestions on the middle & neck pickups??
Sambora's Sig model Kramer's came with Duncan JB's BUT he has said that he used Dimarzio's in his own guitars. Which I always assumed were PAF pros. Kramer had had some deal with Duncan back in the day. A lot of Kramers came stock with Duncan pickups. Anyway my point is that the Jb or anything like a Jb would be the wrong pickup for Sambora tone.
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Sambora's Sig model Kramer's came with Duncan JB's BUT he has said that he used Dimarzio's in his own guitars. Which I always assumed were PAF pros. Kramer had had some deal with Duncan back in the day. A lot of Kramers came stock with Duncan pickups. Anyway my point is that the Jb or anything like a Jb would be the wrong pickup for Sambora tone.
So I could better go with a Mule or a Crawler instead of the Holy Diver??? The Richie Sambora tone is still the most important I want, but to get some others (like Savatage, allthough that's not even close to Sambora) wouldn't hurt 8).
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IMO the Mule would be the right choice for Sambora.
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Yes, go with the pup that will work better in the lower gain setting, and then you can work up. It's much harder in the reverse.
You have to remember, most metal guys don't even HAVE a low gain or clean setting. And of the ones that do, most of those are pure cr@p.
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Ok, thanks everyone for the replies so far. I guess my choice is narrowed down to the following HSS sets:
- Mule + Irish Tours
- Crawler + Mothers Milk
Which one of these 2 sets can give me the best Sambora sound but also something close to bands like Dokken and Savatage??
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Ok, thanks everyone for the replies so far. I guess my choice is narrowed down to the following HSS sets:
- Mule + Irish Tours
- Crawler + Mothers Milk
Which one of these 2 sets can give me the best Sambora sound but also something close to bands like Dokken and Savatage??
I tried the Crawler in my Sambora strat,it was cool but not the tone Richie would use.I still say the Mule is the closest thing,trust me i have searched for his live tone for ages and this is the nearest.Very warm,very round with alot of attack and no muddiness.It will do a great blues tone and wind up the gain it will really sing.Maybe with the Irish Tours (better than Texas specials).
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Looks like I'm going for the Mule/Irish Tours set then. Just have to wait (hopefully) less than a month to order my custom guitar fitted with BKP's.
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Still have one concern: will the Mule be able to do Dokken, Motley Crue, etc. (I guess that Savatage is not possible with a Mule??)
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I play live in a Rock band covering Jovi,Van Halen,Gotthard,Crue,Billy Idol,Alice Cooper etc, i use my strat with the Mule most of the gig and it does them all.Ive said it before the Mule is very versatile, and will do the blues to screaming high gain.
Or PM Tim and ask his advise,he actually recommended the Mule for my needs.