Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: TheyCallMeVolume on March 27, 2012, 10:48:52 PM
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Hey guys
I have a few questions about BKP.
Is there any way to know who made a pickup, whether it was Tim or someone else? Are there any markings or signatures on the pups that would tell you who wound them?
Also, I wanted to know why more well-known and "famous" guitarists don't use Bare Knuckle! I know there are a few of them out there, but these things are so good and these guys always claim they're looking for the "best tone." Just wanted to know, thanks.
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I guess that a lot of pro-prayers have acces to the customshops of the big brands and can order anything they want.
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No, there are not any external pickup markings to know the winder.
In the recent newsletter received from BKP, there was a surprising number of well known guitarists added to the list of users, it's what caught my attention the most in the news update.
I've owned 8 BKP humbuckers and 6 single coils, I bought 70% of them direct from BKP and the other 30% from dealers in the States. They all have the trademark BKP sonic signature and craftsmanship, none of them measured differently in these aspects.
The most beautiful pickup I've ever heard and owned in the world is the Apache neck, at the time I ordered mine Tim was on Holiday. Sorted. :)
When one understands who Tim is as a man and a pickup creator, there is no need to worry who wound it...Tim selected and trained the winder. 8)
As a last note on this subject, quite often when I call or email BKP or Tim directly...he's busy winding pickups.
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I think that it has been said before, like everything else in life we all have different tastes! I have let very good guitarists play my guitars, some have and have not liked BKPs.
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There's also the aspect that big-name players get endorsement deals with big-name manufacturers - so they end up playing and advertising equipment that wouldn't necessarily be their own personal choice if they had total freedom.
I'm not saying those players would be choosing BKP if they weren't tied into deals, but BKP certainly can't match the likes of Duncan, DiMarzio or EMG financially.
Also, at the end of the day, BKP is a small British company so lots of players have probably still not heard of it! These things take time. :)
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There's also the aspect that big-name players get endorsement deals with big-name manufacturers - so they end up playing and advertising equipment that wouldn't necessarily be their own personal choice if they had total freedom.
Zakk Wylde and his relentless endorsement of the MG Marshall amp range leaps to mind. I notice a distinctly superior tone in BKP but if I was a major artist who had a top quality rig in every other respect, I suppose I'd be less bothered about using BKP and if someone like DiMarzio were actually paying me to use their pickups, I think I'd even change myself!
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I notice a distinctly superior tone in BKP but if I was a major artist who had a top quality rig in every other respect, I suppose I'd be less bothered about using BKP and if someone like DiMarzio were actually paying me to use their pickups, I think I'd even change myself!
The classic example of that (which springs to mind) is Chris Broderick switching to from BKP to DiMarzio when he joined Megadeth.
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I notice a distinctly superior tone in BKP but if I was a major artist who had a top quality rig in every other respect, I suppose I'd be less bothered about using BKP and if someone like DiMarzio were actually paying me to use their pickups, I think I'd even change myself!
The classic example of that (which springs to mind) is Chris Broderick switching to from BKP to DiMarzio when he joined Megadeth.
Do you happen to know which BKPs he used? Would be interresting to know.
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I notice a distinctly superior tone in BKP but if I was a major artist who had a top quality rig in every other respect, I suppose I'd be less bothered about using BKP and if someone like DiMarzio were actually paying me to use their pickups, I think I'd even change myself!
The classic example of that (which springs to mind) is Chris Broderick switching to from BKP to DiMarzio when he joined Megadeth.
Do you happen to know which BKPs he used? Would be interresting to know.
If I remember right, he was definitely using an A-Bomb bridge and Cold Sweat neck. And, I think, Cold Sweat sets. Probably some other things too. All in seven-strings.
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Well in sports a lot of the players get products from their favorite brand and skin them for endorsement purposes, is there chance that some guitarists use higher-end pups and just brand and endorse them from the more commercial brands?