Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: djpatb on March 10, 2011, 01:09:27 PM

Title: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: djpatb on March 10, 2011, 01:09:27 PM
Which BKP model would be similar to a Super Distortion? ...for that big fat 70's rock sound...tight bottom, fat mids and crunch.
Thanks.
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: brian_ward on March 10, 2011, 03:30:40 PM
probably the holy diver.
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: darkbluemurder on March 10, 2011, 04:21:19 PM
I own both the BKP Holydiver and the Super Distortion (actually I own two - a zebra original 70s model and a green late 80s model). They may only be similar as regards the midrange colour. Apart from that they are very different in that the SD has lots of extraneous sizzle on top, compresses strongly and does not clean up very well. The Holydiver does not have the sizzle but instead has an open smooth top end, has good compression with the guitar volume turned up full but cleans up quite well.

BTW both SDs were terribly microphonic. I had to wax pot them to be useable.

Cheers Stephan
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: ericsabbath on March 10, 2011, 04:39:23 PM
the first holy diver was supposedly the closest in voicing, but there's no current model that is anything like a super distortion

maybe a ceramic magnet on a crawler or diver would deliver that sizzle and the fatty voicing
the cold sweat, c-bomb and miracle man don't have the fat mids of the super distortion, and the painkiller and aftermath are VERY middy, but way too tight and focused
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: djpatb on March 10, 2011, 05:04:43 PM
Yeah, I'd love the SD if I could keep the sizzle and fat mids...plus have it clean up well, and be a tiny bit less compressed. Oh well.
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: Nolly on March 10, 2011, 05:26:35 PM
the first holy diver was supposedly the closest in voicing, but there's no current model that is anything like a super distortion

What was the first Holy Diver is now the Cold Sweat ;)
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: ericsabbath on March 10, 2011, 05:46:46 PM
the first holy diver was supposedly the closest in voicing, but there's no current model that is anything like a super distortion

What was the first Holy Diver is now the Cold Sweat ;)

I remember it had 13k or something?  :?
my cold sweat reads 15.1k
I know dc resistance isn't exact, but 2k is a huge difference
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: Nolly on March 10, 2011, 05:48:37 PM
That's exactly how Tim explained it to me dude. The CS is listed as 13.7kΩ on the site :)
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: Philly Q on March 10, 2011, 06:04:19 PM
I think mine's 14 point something, so there's obviously a bit of variance.  I wonder if they're wound slightly hotter (or cooler) if they're going to be covered?
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: ericsabbath on March 10, 2011, 06:25:39 PM
Great Nolly,

they were listed as 14.4k before

hmm... I know the old diver was ceramic, offset coils, plain enamel
and that would match the cold sweat specs  :)
so it was nothing like the super distortion as well  :?
I always though it was a whole different model

have you ever asked him about a new diver with a ceramic magnet instead?
some say that would be a painkiller "lite" or something?

Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: Nolly on March 10, 2011, 07:21:07 PM
have you ever asked him about a new diver with a ceramic magnet instead?
some say that would be a painkiller "lite" or something?

If I ever have, I can't remember doing so! I do know however, that the triple magnet configuration is an essential ingredient of the Painkiller's sound.
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: djpatb on March 10, 2011, 08:54:35 PM
Thanks for the info guys. You know what tone I'd really like to nail here? The doom band Trouble. That's why I was asking. Maybe a Cold Sweat set in my SG would work?
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: Alex on March 10, 2011, 11:23:46 PM
It could certainly work, but I seriously doubt it would sound like a Super Distortion.
I had a Super Distortion in a Les Paul copy a long time ago. I sold the guitar with the pickup eventually and didn't miss it.
I think the Nailbomb is probably closer to the Super Distortion than the Cold Sweat or Holy Diver (probably the ceramic Nailbomb is even better). It will be vastly superior though to the - in my humble opinion - rather mediocre and muddy Super Distortion (yep, I wasn't a fan of it). Much more articulate on the upper end.
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: ericsabbath on March 11, 2011, 06:40:14 AM
the nailbomb has a close output, actually a bit hotter, similar low end response, lot of high end sizzle, but still no near as middy as a super distortion
the super distortion is quite nasal

tim could release some sort of "ceramic warpiggy for kids" around 15k  :lol:
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: gwEm on March 11, 2011, 02:20:56 PM
For me its the Miracle Man. Super Distortions were wound with polysol anyway.
Title: Re: Which PU would be similar to a Super Distortion?
Post by: gwEm on March 11, 2011, 02:27:24 PM
Generally as Hellstyle says, the Super Distortions nasally. But I had one once in a maple through neck and it sounded really tasty I have to say. Since then I had Painkillers, Cold Sweats and Miracle Men in the same guitar. The CS and PK weren't as rich as the SD in that axe, but the MM was nicer and in the same direction.