Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: falcon1439 on February 11, 2012, 02:43:02 PM

Title: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: falcon1439 on February 11, 2012, 02:43:02 PM
I'm getting a neck single coil. I like sparkling cleans but also some distortion à là john fruiscante. Which pickup would you recommend?
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Ian Price on February 11, 2012, 02:52:25 PM
I think the John Frusciante bit gives away what you should be looking for  :wink:

I'm a big Frusciante fan but for some reason went for Apaches in my strat. Great pups but in hindsight I should have gone for a Mothers Milk set.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: falcon1439 on February 11, 2012, 03:10:58 PM
Yeah,the apaches seem very weak
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Ian Price on February 11, 2012, 05:39:17 PM
I wouldn't say they are weak at all! Just a little too clean for my liking!
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: falcon1439 on February 11, 2012, 05:42:30 PM
What do you mean by too clean?
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Ian Price on February 11, 2012, 11:57:01 PM
Well, I'm not very technical when it comes to descriptions. I would say they are a little too polite and well defined. By clean I don't mean sterile - they chime very nicely indeed but weren't really what I was looking for. There are clips of the Apaches on the "clips" thread - from a listen to that you'll realise they are great PUPs but maybe not suited as much to the JF sound as a Mothers Milk would be.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Telerocker on February 12, 2012, 12:05:50 AM
I've got Mother's Milks and Irish Tours. The neck-MM really has this Frusciante-tone and -vibe. It's woody, bright and sparkling. It handles gain well. For some meat you could also think about an IT-neck. It has more bass and mids and if you roll the vol.knob a tad back you get in MM-terrority. Not quite as woody as the MM though. With quite some gain I like the IT a bit better, but both are awesome singlecoils.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: falcon1439 on February 12, 2012, 12:14:52 AM
I've got a rockfield mafia in the bridge for heavy stuff :)
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Andrew W on February 12, 2012, 12:53:05 AM
If you have a maple boarded guitar, I'd say Apaches, if it's rosewood then Mothers Milk gets my vote.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: WhiteRam on February 12, 2012, 08:23:15 AM
If you have a maple boarded guitar, I'd say Apaches, if it's rosewood then Mothers Milk gets my vote.

This ^
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: falcon1439 on February 12, 2012, 08:58:17 AM
I have a maple neck guitar but why?
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Andrew W on February 12, 2012, 09:30:58 AM
I have a maple neck guitar but why?

I think that the rounder tone of an Apache works better in a maple boarded guitar whereas the slightly harder tone of the MM works better in rosewood boarded instruments. I have both pickups and like both very much. I personally think the Apache is the best (might even be my joint favourite BKP alongside the BG52) but I wouldn't put it in my rosewood boarded Telemaster, hence the MM.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: falcon1439 on February 12, 2012, 09:33:28 AM
I have a maple neck guitar but why?

I think that the rounder tone of an Apache works better in a maple boarded guitar whereas the slightly harder tone of the MM works better in rosewood boarded instruments. I have both pickups and like both very much. I personally think the Apache is the best (might even be my joint favourite BKP alongside the BG52) but I wouldn't put it in my rosewood boarded Telemaster, hence the MM.

But surely a small difference like that wouldn't effect a big difference in the pickups?
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Andrew W on February 12, 2012, 09:35:16 AM
I have a maple neck guitar but why?

I think that the rounder tone of an Apache works better in a maple boarded guitar whereas the slightly harder tone of the MM works better in rosewood boarded instruments. I have both pickups and like both very much. I personally think the Apache is the best (might even be my joint favourite BKP alongside the BG52) but I wouldn't put it in my rosewood boarded Telemaster, hence the MM.

But surely a small difference like that wouldn't effect a big difference in the pickups?

I think the fretboard material makes a big difference to the tone. You may disagree of course.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: falcon1439 on February 12, 2012, 09:42:45 AM
I have a maple neck guitar but why?

I think that the rounder tone of an Apache works better in a maple boarded guitar whereas the slightly harder tone of the MM works better in rosewood boarded instruments. I have both pickups and like both very much. I personally think the Apache is the best (might even be my joint favourite BKP alongside the BG52) but I wouldn't put it in my rosewood boarded Telemaster, hence the MM.

But surely a small difference like that wouldn't effect a big difference in the pickups?

I think the fretboard material makes a big difference to the tone. You may disagree of course.

I've never really been able to test it I suppose.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Ian Price on February 12, 2012, 09:53:43 AM
I have a maple neck guitar but why?

I think that the rounder tone of an Apache works better in a maple boarded guitar whereas the slightly harder tone of the MM works better in rosewood boarded instruments. I have both pickups and like both very much. I personally think the Apache is the best (might even be my joint favourite BKP alongside the BG52) but I wouldn't put it in my rosewood boarded Telemaster, hence the MM.

But surely a small difference like that wouldn't effect a big difference in the pickups?

I think the fretboard material makes a big difference to the tone. You may disagree of course.

+1 from me. I've owned a maple board and a R'wood board strat. The R'wood board was much warmer and less snappy. As far as strats go I do prefer the feel of maple boards but the sound of rosewood. Not sure what compromise there is there!
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Andrew W on February 12, 2012, 10:17:27 AM
+1 from me. I've owned a maple board and a R'wood board strat. The R'wood board was much warmer and less snappy. As far as strats go I do prefer the feel of maple boards but the sound of rosewood. Not sure what compromise there is there!

Baked maple? :P
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Ian Price on February 12, 2012, 11:12:11 AM
+1 from me. I've owned a maple board and a R'wood board strat. The R'wood board was much warmer and less snappy. As far as strats go I do prefer the feel of maple boards but the sound of rosewood. Not sure what compromise there is there!

Baked maple? :P

 :D

I thought exactly that to start with. It would have the look of Rosewood but maybe not the sound?
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Philly Q on February 12, 2012, 01:47:32 PM
+1 from me. I've owned a maple board and a R'wood board strat. The R'wood board was much warmer and less snappy. As far as strats go I do prefer the feel of maple boards but the sound of rosewood. Not sure what compromise there is there!

Baked maple? :P

 :D

I thought exactly that to start with. It would have the look of Rosewood but maybe not the sound?

I think it pretty much still sounds like maple.  Certainly brighter than rosewood. 

It doesn't really look much like rosewood either, from the examples I saw yesterday - not surprisingly, since the grain is completely different.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Ian Price on February 12, 2012, 05:20:09 PM
+1 from me. I've owned a maple board and a R'wood board strat. The R'wood board was much warmer and less snappy. As far as strats go I do prefer the feel of maple boards but the sound of rosewood. Not sure what compromise there is there!

Baked maple? :P

 :D

I thought exactly that to start with. It would have the look of Rosewood but maybe not the sound?

I think it pretty much still sounds like maple.  Certainly brighter than rosewood. 

It doesn't really look much like rosewood either, from the examples I saw yesterday - not surprisingly, since the grain is completely different.

I'd be amazed if it sounded like anything other than maple!

Which guitars did you see it on yesterday? Gibson by any chance?
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Philly Q on February 12, 2012, 06:00:19 PM
I'd be amazed if it sounded like anything other than maple!

Which guitars did you see it on yesterday? Gibson by any chance?

Well, I suppose there's a possibility the heat treatment might change the tone somewhat!

Yeah, saw a few of the new lower-end Gibsons (the '60s SG Junior, for one) at GuitarGuitar in Epsom.  Nice shop!  I didn't actually try anything though.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Ian Price on February 12, 2012, 11:25:09 PM
Sounds like your philosophy is the same as mine Philly! I hardly ever play in guitar shops and when I do I invariably forget anything that I can play!

Apologies for the thread hijack! Seems like voting is equal for an Apache or Mothers Milk at the moment. I'm sure we haven't helped make your mind up!
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Philly Q on February 13, 2012, 01:37:12 AM
You could consider the '63 Veneer Board set - similar specs to the Mother's Milk but (I believe) slightly warmer-sounding to suit bright, maple board Strats.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Ian Price on February 13, 2012, 07:28:48 PM
Not sure how but I don't think I've ever heard of those. Are they custom orders?
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Philly Q on February 13, 2012, 11:10:29 PM
Just check out the product pages under "PAT Pend Strat® Series", Ian - there are two sets, the '59 Slab Board and '63 Veneer Board.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Telerocker on February 13, 2012, 11:59:33 PM
Good call, especially the 63 veneer board set.
Title: Re: Mothers milk neck vs apache neck
Post by: Ian Price on February 14, 2012, 07:15:19 PM
Just check out the product pages under "PAT Pend Strat® Series", Ian - there are two sets, the '59 Slab Board and '63 Veneer Board.

 :oops: This just proves that I've not been in the buying market for a long time! I'm assuming they've been available for a while and I've been happily going about my business without realising they are there.

Definitely worth a look when (if) I get another strat.