Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: nickcoumbe on January 01, 2011, 06:36:23 PM
-
Ok,
I am in the process of finishing a custom build and need some help with pickups.
The guitar is a solid one piece walnut Ibanez RG shape with a bolt on maple/rosewood neck. The neck may change to ebony/maple in the near future. Tunomatic bridge and sperzels with ebanol non locking nut will handle the tuning etc.
It is an H-S configuration with volume, no tone and a 2 position (push-push) switch to give a choice of neck or bridge pickup only.
I like a pickup with a tight bottom end, and nice open harmonics. I am looking to play blues and rock, with a bit of metal.
I have pretty much decided on a Holy Diver for the bridge. What single coil works well in the neck with those and is good for soloing without becoming too shrill.
-
Hi!
Personally, I enjoy pairing a Trilogy Suite neck with the Holy Diver bridge - should ensure a fluid lead tone without any shrillness.
-
Hi!
Personally, I enjoy pairing a Trilogy Suite neck with the Holy Diver bridge - should ensure a fluid lead tone without any shrillness.
I have to admit that I already have a trilogy suite and I am not all that keen on it for this guitar. Principally because of the volume.
I have Sultans in another axe which I probably wouldn't want to use for this project.
Any thoughts on Mother's Milk?
-
Ah, interesting to hear.
The Mother's Milks give a very traditional strat tone - hollow and bright, with a percussive low end response. If you're after that kind of sound they are hard to beat, though arguably the Irish Tour would provide a similar voicing with more output that give a closer match to the Holy Diver in the bridge.
-
Ah, interesting to hear.
The Mother's Milks give a very traditional strat tone - hollow and bright, with a percussive low end response. If you're after that kind of sound they are hard to beat, though arguably the Irish Tour would provide a similar voicing with more output that give a closer match to the Holy Diver in the bridge.
Funnily enough I am just revisiting the clips thread and the ourIrish T and Sultans sound great. Irish Tour has it at the moment, but I am concerned that it will be a bit too bright.
-
Hmm, I'm not sure I'd describe the Irish Tours as much brighter than Sultans, and even so with the fuller bass and mid they definitely put out a thicker sound.
I'm assuming you will be using a 500kΩ pot in the guitar?
-
Hmm, I'm not sure I'd describe the Irish Tours as much brighter than Sultans, and even so with the fuller bass and mid they definitely put out a thicker sound.
I'm assuming you will be using a 500kΩ pot in the guitar?
Yep, 500K push-push with a skull knob :)
I think I'll go with the Irish Tours. I am really impressed by the sound clips and BKP's always seem to translate well from demos to the actual guitar. What you hear is what you get.
As I have two of the other options in other guitars I can always swao around if I don't like.
Thanks for all the advice, and here is a picture as of the progress last night.
-
Go sinner and ceramic warpig. take no prisoners ;D
-
Go sinner and ceramic warpig. take no prisoners ;D
Sorry, I thought about it and chickened out and went with my original line up of the Irish Tour/Holy Diver.
-
You will love the IT-neck and it is not thin or too bright, at least not in my customstrat. It does fluid leads very well.
-
Well it is finished.
Pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52686097@N08/5421326570/in/set-72157625598908129/
To be honest I haven't had a chance to give it a full work out, but the initial signs are positive.
-
Congrats! Hope you like the combi HD/IT
-
Nice!
-
Well,
It has been a while since I installed the pickups, and I have some thoughts:
Holy Diver (Bridge) - Excellent bridge pickup. Reasonably tight and melodic when over driven and cleans up well. For a guitar with focused highs this pickup works very well. This guitar is thin bodied and I feel the HD conveys enough of the natural bite of the wood without becoming too nasal. I might try it in padauk next.
Cleans up well. TBH all Bare Knuckles seem to do that, which is what makes them great.
Some Clips:
HD Clean
http://www.youtube.com/user/nickcoumbe#p/u/6/tRZgS_DX3gw
HD Dirty
http://www.youtube.com/user/nickcoumbe#p/u/4/tbcFUKpNfgc
Irish Tour (Neck)
To be honest, I fond it difficult to assess this pickup as the wood is probably slightly too thin sounding to show it off well. I think it is OK when over driven but really comes into it's own with the volume rolled back. In a bright guitar it still manages to give a glassy, almost bell-like shimmer without becoming too shrill. I like it a lot in that regard.
Again with the clips
IT Dirty
http://www.youtube.com/user/nickcoumbe#p/u/5/ydsBvGl6HIY
IT Clean
http://www.youtube.com/user/nickcoumbe#p/u/7/hIi60kZZa0I