Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Ivan on May 01, 2009, 04:52:14 PM
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So I had some Painkillers in my Gibson Explorer (a naturally dark sounding guitar) and I thought they were too dark.
After coming to the forum for help I realized that the Painkillers weren't dark, I just disliked the pronounced low mids.
I was after a Dave Mustaine type riffing sound. So I wanted something which would give me a great crunch, keep the bass super tight, mids smooth, and generally articulate. With the exception of the mids, The Painkillers did that.
I asked Tim for suggestions (but only mentioned that I wanted something for the Mustaine sound in a dark Explorer), he recommended the Cold Sweats.
I just got the Cold Sweats and I have to say they are great!
There are no bad points, but Im not sure if I prefer them over the Painkillers for my needs... the tightness has gone.
I see the Cold Sweats as amazing pickups for playing anything up to old heavy metal.... but not for machine gun style riffs.
I've been adjusting pickup height and amp settings all day and Im not sure what I should do.
The choice is whether I should go back to the Painkillers or just forget about trying to make the Cold Sweats something they're not.
I'd love to hear people's experiences of both the Cold Sweats and the Painkillers. I really can't make up my mind and need a push...
Note: Im talking about the bridge pickup in both cases. The Cold Sweat neck wins and will stay in the guitar no matter what.
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The other pickups in the machine-gun tightness race are the miracle man and the c-pig. Neither are terribly good if you just want megadeth, but both will work well in an explorer.
Maybe try a C-Bomb?
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Maybe try a C-Bomb?
+1
in the regular model options, the closest one the painkiller bass response is still the cold sweat
the miracle man and ceramic are so much bassier and less "tchank tchank" sounding
or maybe extra side magnet bars would fix what you're missing in the cold sweat
it's an easy mod
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I found the cold sweat to be very tight?
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I found the cold sweat to be very tight?
It actually is.
But Im comparing it to the Painkillers.
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I found the cold sweat to be very tight?
It actually is.
But Im comparing it to the Painkillers.
:lol::lol::lol:
Well put!
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the extra magnets (replacing the side spacers/shims) will probably give that extra sizzle on the fast pickings
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Eric, is this something i could do easily or do i need to send them back to Tim?
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Eric, is this something i could do easily or do i need to send them back to Tim?
Its really easy to do
BUT
I would ask tim about it first. Only he really knows what its gonna do to his pickup. Or he'll have the most educated guess.
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Well if it helps every thread ive joined in on has pointed me more and more towards a painkiller for my next guitar
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if you're in UK, you better send it to him
but that's something I wouldn't do here from brazil, for example
the shipping would be hella expensive (like 3x the GB->BRA shipping, plus another shipping to get it back and the risk of being charged in a 60% import tax again)
but yes, it's a very easy mod, but you'll probably lose the warranty
you just need to unscrew the baseplate, then remove the side spacers (they may be plastic or wood), then you put the thin ceramic magnets there
don't remember where you can buy those bars, but if you still have the stock 500t pickup, its side magnets will probably fit well
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Hi,
I'm gonna give another possible solution. Well, try anyway 8) I have the CS set, but have never tried the Painkillers. But based on the clips and what I've read, they have more mids when compared to Cold Sweats, a similar(ish) bottom. My view is that a big part of their tightness is the ceramic magnet AND the fact that they push a lot of mids, the mids get more distorted than the bass.
Here it comes. If you really like the Cold Sweats for many applications, BUT need more tightness for certain applications, consider an overdrive pedal such as a tube screamer. This will boost the mids, cut the lows a little and up the output. Very generally speaking, make the output and frequency response closer to the painkillers. But it probably won't boost the low mids, which you said you didn't like.
My 0.02 dollaaaas
-Zaned
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Maybe try a C-Bomb?
+1 !
Yeah, I think that is the best advice here.
you'll find lot of info on this forum about the C-bomb. One on the most recent topic is this one :
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=16628.0
It is said here that it's a darker muscular CS. Rather attracting, isn't it ?
I wouldn't go to modify yourself your CS because I think Tim designed his range at its best. And unless you are looking for something very very particular (which is not the case here) this range can match all the needs.
Indeed I rembember him telling me that there is so MANY customers wanting to join BKP especially to nail the Megadeth sound. And this mainly because one of the particularities of this sound is it's clarity, which is also one of the main BKP's features. As a result I think there should be the answer for you in the modern range, without making particular extra custom work.
Yes, if you are in between the CS and the PK for your guitar, I think the C-NB would be the clever choice !
PDT_003
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mustaine used to have a handwound duncan distortion "juarez" in his classic black jackson kv1, which is less tight than a lot of ALNICO pickups, and no near as tight as a cold sweat
then he swapped it for a JB, that is not tight at all
then his active model, that is not really tight neither
I think he's looking for alder tone on mahogany and that will (happily) never happen :lol:
I don't think a ceramic nailbomb or an overwound cold sweat would sound really less middy than a painkiller
actually, I think they would be VERY middy
I only think he got used to the extra CLEAN midrange hump of the painkiller, not extra midrange distortion like Zaned suggested
that's why the painkiller sounds tighter than the other models
it's got a huge clean push
like more headroom or something
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Ok so here's an update on my situation.
I read up on the C-Bomb but wasn't too convinced it was for me.
I thought about doing the extra side magnet mod on the CS, but at the same time I don't really want to do anything like that because they're brilliant pickups in their own right.
Zaned, I was thinking along the same lines as you!
Its funny you talked about using a pedal like a tubescreamer because I borrowed one today. Im using a Maxon OD9 and its getting me closer! With some tweaking of the amp, I prefer the mid hump of the tubescreamer than the mids of the painkiller; however the overall sound is a bit to thin and bright now. Getting close with the CS though!
Im also hoping to get a MXR 10 band eq to see what it can do with both the CS and Painkillers.... I've come to the conclusion that as great as BKP are, I shouldn't expect them to do EVERYTHING!
Oh and at the end of the day either the CS or Painkiller won't be used in a guitar... but selling them is not an option!
This tone quest has made me more of a BKP fan! I've decided to never sell a BKP because they may come in handy one day in another guitar!
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what's the amp, btw? :D
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what's the amp, btw? :D
ENGL!
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the 10-band graphic EQ is a great idea, as is the OD pedal to cut out some of the bass.
I'd have gone with a Miracle Man for Megadeth myself.
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eq is a very good idea
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mustaine used to have a handwound duncan distortion "juarez" in his classic black jackson kv1, which is less tight than a lot of ALNICO pickups, and no near as tight as a cold sweat
then he swapped it for a JB, that is not tight at all
then his active model, that is not really tight neither
I think he's looking for alder tone on mahogany and that will (happily) never happen :lol:
Not sure to really get what is said here....
As far as I know, Mustaine's favorite KV1 is fitted with a L-500 L Neck and a SH-5 bridge. Maybe he had an handwound SH6, but he prefered the SH5 for its clarity over the standard SH6 so that the US KV models were the only one Jackson to come with a SH5. At that time the KV1, was made with poplar, that Mustaine used a lot, as well as Korina and of course Mahogany.
Then Jackson stopped dealing with B. Lawrence, and stopped using so different pickups and woods for their guitars as soon as Fender put his hands on the brand. :(
The SH4 / SH2 combo became the new Jackson standard as well as alder wood, which is now used on almost every model from the Soloist right down to the Rhoads...Even if since that the King V Mustaine signature model was sold with thoses features, it's quite a shortcut to say you need Alder and a muddy SH4 in your life to sound like Mustaine, imho... :lol:
For instance, if the SH4 was THE Mustaine pickup, then Tim would advise the holydiver (which is the BKP most similar to the SH4) to ALL customers who want Deth tones....But everybody knows this would be a VERY poor choice...
Indeed BKP highly recommend the PK for Megadeth, (or the MM, or the CS or even sometimes the (C-)NB depending on guitar designs, rigs, etc), so what is the explanation here ? :wallbash:
To me all this has more things to do with money agrements and endorsements than anything else.
There are so many example around, and we have the same story here with Broderick leaving BKP for Di Marzio... Of course he will keep some BKP's in his personal guitars. And even if Di Marzio is his endorser now, I'm not sure he will say one day that he prefers Di Marzio over Bare Knuckle's.... :roll:
Anyway....BACK TO TOPIC :shock:
Im also hoping to get a MXR 10 band eq to see what it can do with both the CS and Painkillers.... I've come to the conclusion that as great as BKP are, I shouldn't expect them to do EVERYTHING!
If you are positive the C-NB cannot be an option for you, then Yes the 10 band EQ should work with the PK.
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As far as I know, Mustaine's favorite KV1 is fitted with a L-500 L Neck and a SH-5 bridge. Maybe he had an handwound SH6, but he prefered the SH5 for its clarity over the standard SH6 so that the US KV models were the only one Jackson to come with a SH5. At that time the KV1, was made with poplar, that Mustaine used a lot, as well as Korina and of course Mahogany.
http://www.jacksonguitarpalace.com/J2713/index.htm
Indeed BKP highly recommend the PK for Megadeth, (or the MM, or the CS or even sometimes the (C-)NB depending on guitar designs, rigs, etc), so what is the explanation here ? :wallbash:
those still have the closest voicings to the duncan distortion, except the MM
Im also hoping to get a MXR 10 band eq to see what it can do with both the CS and Painkillers.... I've come to the conclusion that as great as BKP are, I shouldn't expect them to do EVERYTHING!
If you are positive the C-NB cannot be an option for you, then Yes the 10 band EQ should work with the PK.
his guitar had a mid boost
I use a vintage 6-band maxon eq (from the first ts808 line 1979-1982) with the cold sweat
just a very slight boost between 400 and 1.6Khz and voilá :D
a bit noisy, but it's awesome
just make sure you have some kind of noise gate after it (I use a HUSH) :lol:
a wylde overdrive or tube screamer will do the job anyway
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mustaine used to have a handwound duncan distortion "juarez" in his classic black jackson kv1, which is less tight than a lot of ALNICO pickups, and no near as tight as a cold sweat
then he swapped it for a JB, that is not tight at all
then his active model, that is not really tight neither
I think he's looking for alder tone on mahogany and that will (happily) never happen :lol:
In fact when I read you here....what I thought is that... I was wondering if Mustaine was dumb-to-deth-enough to achieve his sound with so inapropriate gears or if he needed to replace his guitar tech ! :lol:
http://www.jacksonguitarpalace.com/J2713/index.htm
This page is interesting to know Mustaine's personnal phone call 8) and to (only) learn deeply on the specifications of ONE particular guitar (one of his first Jackson custom order actually). However the related website to your link shows all the evolution of the KV models which is pretty close my previous thoughts. :wink:
Indeed BKP highly recommend the PK for Megadeth, (or the MM, or the CS or even sometimes the (C-)NB depending on guitar designs, rigs, etc), so what is the explanation here ? :wallbash:
those still have the closest voicings to the duncan distortion, except the MM
And also those Ceramics are very tight too, right ? So we agree, we are VERY far away from the JB and also the SH5 / SH6 on this point !
his guitar had a mid boost
I use a vintage 6-band maxon eq (from the first ts808 line 1979-1982) with the cold sweat
just a very slight boost between 400 and 1.6Khz and voilá :D
a bit noisy, but it's awesome
just make sure you have some kind of noise gate after it (I use a HUSH) :lol:
a wylde overdrive or tube screamer will do the job anyway
This J-1200 Active electronics and J-50N/J-80 combo were used a lot by Jackson at that time (but hopefully this didn't last too long). I remember my first Rhoads to be fitted with that as standard, and trust me this mid boost is pure shitee and not very reliable...
The more I think of it, the more I still think the C-NB would have been one stunning option here anyway... :roll: