Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: TheyCallMeVolume on April 03, 2012, 02:00:37 PM
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Hey guys, I'm all set for pups now but my lead guitarist has got pretty jealous of my BKP's and now he wants a set. It's spreading like wildfire! I've already convinced 5 of my buddies to go get BKP's!
Anyway, like I said before, we do stuff in the vein of GNR, Ozzy, etc. In his words, he wants " a vintagey sounding pickup that can definitely bark too, will still push the amp well, sounds nice and fluid for leads on the bridge or neck, keeps its clarity. He's planning on already getting an HD for his V, so he wants something a little less hot than that to handle less gainy stuff, but like I said can still bring the heat. They're for an Epi LP, and he runs through a Marshall Silver Jubilee. Anybody got any suggestions?
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the holy diver can definitely "bark at the moon" :D
if his V is a gibson type, maybe he should pick a VHII and leave the diver for the les paul
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I think he has his heart set on an HD for his V, cuz he wants that to be his "hot" guitar. He asked about the RR, how would that be for this application, especially for ripping off some leads?
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Emerald should sit in a Les Paul well, it has a vintage character more than the Holydiver and will turn on the heat when required and rip solos.
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Thanks, sounds good! Anyone else have thoughts on the Emerald or any others?
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My first thought was Black Dogs but since the Jubilee is a rather smooth amp (at least by Marshall standards) I would go with something brighter - VHII or Emerald come to mind.
Cheers Stephan
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I think because of his amp's characteristics he's looking for a set less focused on mids. I haven't done much reseach on the BD or VHII, but if they are based on their guitarist's tone, then I don't know if that's what he's looking for. I think the pups he's most interested in right now are Riff Raff, Mule, Emerald, Abraxas, Cold Sweat, and Nailbomb. I know the last two are pretty hot but he likes them for this, so I'll roll with it :D Anybody else with info on these babies for his applications?
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Maybe he should try a riff raff neck and an emerald bridge. Or even the rebel yell bridge. It might to the heavier stuff better.
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I have heard the RY's aren't exceptional at lead work, and I wouldn't know. Anybody feel different?
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Consensus round here seems to be that the RY "sings" for lead work.
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So, so far I'm thinking RY/ Emerald set, anyone agree or disagree? Also, since I already have a RY set, would it be overkill to have 2 guitars going with them at the same time, or do they mesh enough with the amps where it wouldn't be a problem. Voice some concerns!
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I can testify that the VHII is a wicked hot PAF that delivers the tones for screaming solo's. Cleans up to a nearly singlecoil vocal quality. Very touchsensitive too. A winner.
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I think his worry is that the VHII will give off too much of Eddie's "brown sound" vibe. Is this pickup geared towards an actual VH tone?
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I think his worry is that the VHII will give off too much of Eddie's "brown sound" vibe. Is this pickup geared towards an actual VH tone?
I'm interested in knowing this
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that's a common misconception with BKPs
a miracle man won't make you sound like zakk wylde
a warpig won't make you sound like tony iommi
a holy diver won't make you sound like vivian campbell
these are just tonal references of what you could sound like if you have the proper equipment, settings and HANDS
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that's a common misconception with BKPs
a miracle man won't make you sound like zakk wylde
a warpig won't make you sound like tony iommi
a holy diver won't make you sound like vivian campbell
these are just tonal references of what you could sound like if you have the proper equipment, settings and HANDS
This
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Ahh ok thanks for clearing that up. So then should he probably reconsider the VHII for what he wants to be done?
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yeah, it's one of BKP's greatest lead pickups
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He says he's worried about the VHII being too compressed, he likes a nice open sound. He says he's also a bit worried that the Emerald won't be aggressive or punchy enough. Thoughts?
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I don't think the VHII is too compressed at all
maybe he would prefer the riff raff, then?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArxQRfsETM0
"whats your opinion of the vhii over lets say, the riff raff if you have any experience with those"
"I had/have them both. They are pretty similar. VHII is hotter than the RiffRaff, the RR is a bit more edgy, the VHII a tad more balanced, yet still bright. Love em both, I particularly like the combination of RR bridge with VHII neck (and wire the VHII so it can be split)."
the cold sweat neck model sounds really good at the bridge position, by the way
bright like the riff raff, but more articulate and upper mid heavy
reminds me of some of Paul Gilbert's tones
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I think the RR is one of the favorites with the RY and the Emerald. Can those bring the heat though?
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The Rebel Yell bridge has definitely enough heat for me. Great hard rockin' pickup - love it.
Cheers Stephan
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Yeah I LOVE the RY's. Anyone on the power and punch of Emeralds?
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I don't own an Enerald but from The clips that I've heard of it it doesn't seem thick and ballsy enough for hard rock and metal :/ there's word going round that the neck sounds amazing though.
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Well i don't think he would get an Emerald bridge, just a neck and a different bridge. So what he's looking for from the Em's is the liquidy lead tone and rich cleans, especially since his amp's cleans don't shine. He just wants a ballsy neck tone, not too soft. Thoughts?
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I don't think the VHII is too compressed at all
True! It's a very dynamic, touchsensitive, open pickup actual.
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Well despite everyone's affection for the VHII's he's told me they're definitely out of the picture. I guess demos didn't wow him. I think he's narrowed it down to RR/RY bridge and Emerald neck, as long as the Emerald is punchy and aggressive enough. Still need some clarification on the Em neck. Anyone on his choices and thoughts?
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Well despite everyone's affection for the VHII's he's told me they're definitely out of the picture. I guess demos didn't wow him. I think he's narrowed it down to RR/RY bridge and Emerald neck, as long as the Emerald is punchy and aggressive enough. Still need some clarification on the Em neck. Anyone on his choices and thoughts?
Emerald Neck is fantastic. Although you'll have to match it with something slightly hotter.
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But I guess he wants to know if it's "hot enough" for what he wants to do with it.
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But I guess he wants to know if it's "hot enough" for what he wants to do with it.
The emerald neck is one of them rare pickups that provide absolutley stunning clean tones, as well as overdriven/distorted tones that stay clear and musical under whatever amount of gain you use. Fav neck pickup for me :)
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The emerald neck is one of them rare pickups that provide absolutley stunning clean tones, as well as overdriven/distorted tones that stay clear and musical under whatever amount of gain you use. Fav neck pickup for me :)
ABSOLUTELY TRUE!
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Cool to know! I think he's made his decision, Riff Raff bridge/Emerald Neck. Objections? Thoughts? Concerns?
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Sort of an objection but it's really just to make sure that you're aware of this:
The Emerald neck is higher output than the riff raff bridge. I've never really tried that but it seems a bit "out of place" cos it should be te other way round.
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Sort of an objection but it's really just to make sure that you're aware of this:
The Emerald neck is higher output than the riff raff bridge. I've never really tried that but it seems a bit "out of place" cos it should be te other way round.
Yh that's what I was thinking. How about the Emerald Calib. or the Abraxas? I have the Abraxas/Emerald and it's very very versatile and great for the music you described, but the Emerald may "bark" more. I also have the Holy Diver/Emerald combo and like people said at the beginning, that is a great combo
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Not thought of the Abraxas/ Emerald combo before but it sounds like a great mix of pickups and I've certainly heard the Holydiver/Emerald is a good mix so that's what I'll be getting next. However, as a change to the Riff Raff/ Emerald set, I'd say calibrated Emeralds instead.
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Not thought of the Abraxas/ Emerald combo before but it sounds like a great mix of pickups and I've certainly heard the Holydiver/Emerald is a good mix so that's what I'll be getting next. However, as a change to the Riff Raff/ Emerald set, I'd say calibrated Emeralds instead.
Whilst the Emerald and Abraxas can both do rock very well, the Emerald is slightly more agressive in the upper registers, whilst being slightly smoother in lows. This makes it good for heavier rock styles and even metal. The Abraxas is more suitable to instrumental styles like Andy Timmons, which the Abraxas has become a favourite to nail his tone. The Abraxas has a less aggresive top end, whilst having a bit more lows than the Emerald. I really want an Emerald Bridge again whilst thinking of it haha.
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What about a rebel yell in the bridge and an emerald the the neck? The rebel yell has always been the better sounding bridge pipckup of the two IMHO but it is still similar sounding to the emerald and will match well with the Emerald neck. It'll also be slightly better at high gain cos it's a tighter pickup and won't get as messy under high gain.
What amp does he have?
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What are the woods btw? Is it a Gibson style V or jackson style? Just rebel yell's can have a lot of high end presence so in a bright guitar it may be a bit too much. And regarding the Abraxas; an Emerald or Rebel Yell would be better in a Mahogany kind. Thing with Rebel Yell, it's far from vintagey sounding, which he says he was looking for
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Well he's putting these pups in his Epi LP, not the V.
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Hey guys,
I am allstar's lead guitarist and I decided to just join the forum and post directly instead of just going through him. So anyways, I've been looking at this post for a while now, and I think I'm set on a few choices. The pickups will go into an epiphone les paul standard. Its a great piece and I would like to upgrade it to make it a nice guitar for a much lower price than a Gibson les paul. I am looking for pickups for mainly 80's hard rock/metal (gnr, vh, ozzy, aerosmith, metallica, etc.), and I would like the pickups to be able to have that warm vintage sound, but be able to handle some good gain (for the metallica stuff) and be very punchy and reactive. I would also like for it to be a great solo pickup that can really shine on the solos.
so now, I have a few choices im deciding between and a few questions for each pickup:
The Riff Raff- I really like it because ive heard it has a really punchy and reactive feel, and nice vintage tones. I was wondering if it is a good pickup for solos and if it is versatile enough. Also, would I need to boost it with an OD pedal for solos or does it cut through enough so that I can just use a clean boost?
I am also thinking of mixing the riff raff bridge with a PG blues neck for a smooth solo sound. would that be good? (And i have the same questions for the PG neck too)
Emerald- A lot of people on here have suggested the emerald. I guess it has a very high reputation, but from the videos and from what I hear, I feel like it is not punchy enough and isnt too good for solos, although a versatile pickup. Same thing for the rebel yells.
As for the VH and Black Dog, I really like them but they are too middy and compressed for me, and I would like more of an open tone, with a decent amount of mids though for cutting through and for a vintage tone.
Any other suggestions?
Sorry for the long post lol but thats basically the summary of my questions and what im looking for right now.
Thanks,
rjtm
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Hey guys,
I am allstar's lead guitarist and I decided to just join the forum and post directly instead of just going through him. So anyways, I've been looking at this post for a while now, and I think I'm set on a few choices. The pickups will go into an epiphone les paul standard. Its a great piece and I would like to upgrade it to make it a nice guitar for a much lower price than a Gibson les paul. I am looking for pickups for mainly 80's hard rock/metal (gnr, vh, ozzy, aerosmith, metallica, etc.), and I would like the pickups to be able to have that warm vintage sound, but be able to handle some good gain (for the metallica stuff) and be very punchy and reactive. I would also like for it to be a great solo pickup that can really shine on the solos.
so now, I have a few choices im deciding between and a few questions for each pickup:
The Riff Raff- I really like it because ive heard it has a really punchy and reactive feel, and nice vintage tones. I was wondering if it is a good pickup for solos and if it is versatile enough. Also, would I need to boost it with an OD pedal for solos or does it cut through enough so that I can just use a clean boost?
I am also thinking of mixing the riff raff bridge with a PG blues neck for a smooth solo sound. would that be good? (And i have the same questions for the PG neck too)
Emerald- A lot of people on here have suggested the emerald. I guess it has a very high reputation, but from the videos and from what I hear, I feel like it is not punchy enough and isnt too good for solos, although a versatile pickup. Same thing for the rebel yells.
As for the VH and Black Dog, I really like them but they are too middy and compressed for me, and I would like more of an open tone, with a decent amount of mids though for cutting through and for a vintage tone.
Any other suggestions?
Sorry for the long post lol but thats basically the summary of my questions and what im looking for right now.
Thanks,
rjtm
If you don't think the VHII won't have an open tone, then you are very wrong. It is an extremely open pickup, as well as very touch sensitive. And don't be worried about the Brown Sound description. I was about this at first, but it is far from a one trick pony. Regarding the Black Dog, I think the Mids would over power the Highs in your guitar for what you want.
And again, don't realy on the clips on the website as I don't find them helful at all. They start losing meaning after listening to 5 in a row haha. I'd prefer clips that showed the pickups in guitars that they really shine in, as a few are done in guitars that don't really suit the pickup.
I'm saying this as I think you've described the Emerald through and through. Very versatile set. The neck is absolutely fantastic.
If you want to go for a set that's the most "open and vocal", then there's the mules which I've just been recommended off Tim. But I think the Emeralds will do metal better :)
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For the neck, you described the Emerald to me because when I asked Tim about a very versatile neck pickup in a mahogany guitar for good cleans and great solos, specifically mentioning the Dave Murray neck tone, he had no hesitation in suggesting the Emerald as his favourite. It will do everything you want in spades.
For the styles you mentioned, the obvious bridge pickup is the Holydiver as it's made for that style but is also VERY versatile. If you want something tighter and brighter, I honestly think that for your styles your best options would be either Cold Sweat or Emerald. Reading your post makes me think that Holydiver, Cold Sweat and Emerald are the stand out choices.
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For the neck, you described the Emerald to me because when I asked Tim about a very versatile neck pickup in a mahogany guitar for good cleans and great solos, specifically mentioning the Dave Murray neck tone, he had no hesitation in suggesting the Emerald as his favourite. It will do everything you want in spades.
For the styles you mentioned, the obvious bridge pickup is the Holydiver as it's made for that style but is also VERY versatile. If you want something tighter and brighter, I honestly think that for your styles your best options would be either Cold Sweat or Emerald. Reading your post makes me think that Holydiver, Cold Sweat and Emerald are the stand out choices.
+1 about the Emerald
But he said he wants an open tone and the HD is a bit too compressed. Still a great pickup, but will sound a bit dark and compressed in his Les Paul. That's why I thought Emerald. Its hot enough to do styles from soft to heavy, but the calib set also has a great versatile aspect to it. But I do think the HD/Emerald is a great match up :)
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Ok thanks for the quick responses. The reason I like the riff raff a lot is because its very punchy and reactive. My worry with the emerald is that it is not punchy enough and isnt reactive. Is the emerald a punchy pickup?
And also, so are the riff raff and PG's out of the picture?
thanks,
rjtm
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In answer to your question on the Emerald - YES. It's exactly what you describe. It's vintage enough to have the openness you want while being hot enough to do the higher gain stuff you want and bright and tight enough cut through in a Les Paul while still being very versatile. I'm certainly not saying the Riff Raff won't work, it's just that what you describe suggests an Emerald more strongly to me.
As for the PG Blues; the alnico II magnet will make it very smooth but I'm not at all convinced it's the best fit for the range of tones you mentioned. If you really don't want an alnico V in the neck, I would suggest you look at alnico IV instead as then you'll get the smoothness of an alnico II with a lot of the cut of an alnico V. The Abraxas and maybe the Mule would be good choices here. As for the Emerald neck, the reason I mentioned it was exactly because you mentioned ' a smooth solo sound' and when I asked Tim about a pickup for the Dave Murray neck tone, I was specifically referring to the early albums when he was using a PAF humbucker and in that era, neck solo tones don't come much smoother or creamier than Dave Murray's. When thinking of that really smooth solo tone, Tim suggested the Emerald neck above all others as his favourite and he should know his own pickups. It's obviously a very popular neck pickup here and I assume it's that way for a reason.
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The Emerald neck actually is Alnico IV whilst the bridge is Alnico V. If he wants Alnico IV then the emerald is still in the picture.
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Of course it is, what was I saying!!! Too much wine on a Saturday night before typing. Anyway, the point is that the Emerald neck would be gteat for what he wants, as would the Emerald bridge.
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Ok guys I am heavily considering the emeralds after watching this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRuqqena_E0
(I have a silver Jubilee and this sounds great for such a low volume). My only question is the punchiness and reactiveness of the Emerald compared to the riff raff as well as how it performs solos. Its between those two. (sorry for the repetitive questions, I just wanna get the perfect pickup :) )
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Ok guys I am heavily considering the emeralds after watching this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRuqqena_E0
(I have a silver Jubilee and this sounds great for such a low volume). My only question is the punchiness and reactiveness of the Emerald compared to the riff raff as well as how it performs solos. Its between those two. (sorry for the repetitive questions, I just wanna get the perfect pickup :) )
Ha, no problem. I actually recently made a new thread regarding new BKPs that has just hit around 65 comments. :D
I ended up choosing the Holy Diver Bridge and the Emerald Neck and I play very similar music to you (Ozzy, GnR, Alter Bridge, VH, Ect.). I understand that you currently use a holy diver. How do you like it?
Anyway, I haven't played either of the pickups but as far as I can tell from descriptions and videos they are both very reactive (the emerald might be slightly more reactive because it's Alnico IV) but the Riff Raff is slightly more "edgy" because it's Alnico IV. For smooth lead work and cleans I'd get the Emerald and TBH if you want aggressive rhythm tones then you should be using your bridge pickup anyway, not the neck pickup but I believe that the Emerald can get quite aggressive anyway.
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Oh ok thanks :) I dont currently have a holydiver, but I already know that I am getting that in my Gibson Flying V. That is next though. It already sounds ok, compared to the horrible epiphone pickups. I am a lead guitarist, so I am looking mainly for the leads. So your saying the riff raff is more rhythm and the emerald is more soloing? And what is the difference between "reactive" and "edgy" :) ?
thanks,
rjtm
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By "edgy" I mean that the Riff Raff has a bit more bite than the Emerald neck. Reactive is how well the pickups responds to picking dynamics and how well it cleans up.
The Emerald neck can good GnR tones and maybe some VH but It's not as aggressive as a Riff Raff but TBH if you want an aggressive tone you might as well use the bridge pickup and as far as can tell the bridge pickup on the emerald is plenty aggressive.
This is a video that compares some of the pickups that we're recommending and a few more. I can't remember if there's a riff raff being used but in the first guitar there's an emerald bridge and a rebel yell neck (that he doesn't use) and you'll see that the emerald is quite aggressive. He also compares VHIIs and black dogs in the video so you can see a whole load of tone that you might want.
Take into account that this guy set up his tone extremely badly for all pickups and they all sound very thin plus he didn't play too well either but you can get the general idea and their characteristics. I really liked the VHII but I'm not sure whether it would suit you too well. It's a bit "soft" and "creamy" but you decide after all. I liked it because it sounded full and aggressive at the same time even when he started of with very bad and thin amp settings. The Emerald comes as a close second and would probably suit you better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO4WsjX6YCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYAgbIgjnVw&feature=channel
Ah, better tone in this video (Emerald bridge):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUZ5g92CXlQ
And here is a video of the Riff Raff bridge with slightly better settings (probably a better amp and some reverb). I'd say that the riff raff and emerald bridges sound much more similar than the necks because this time they're both Alnico V and they share a similar EQ. The Emerald is just slightly hotter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXhbd72FuFc&feature=channel
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I would not divide the different models strictly in rhythm- and solopickups. I have great solotones with Mules and I'll bet I will with RR's too. It's all a combi of guitar, gear and fingers.
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By "edgy" I mean that the Riff Raff has a bit more bite than the Emerald neck. Reactive is how well the pickups responds to picking dynamics and how well it cleans up.
The Emerald neck can good GnR tones and maybe some VH but It's not as aggressive as a Riff Raff but TBH if you want an aggressive tone you might as well use the bridge pickup and as far as can tell the bridge pickup on the emerald is plenty aggressive.
This is a video that compares some of the pickups that we're recommending and a few more. I can't remember if there's a riff raff being used but in the first guitar there's an emerald bridge and a rebel yell neck (that he doesn't use) and you'll see that the emerald is quite aggressive. He also compares VHIIs and black dogs in the video so you can see a whole load of tone that you might want.
Take into account that this guy set up his tone extremely badly for all pickups and they all sound very thin plus he didn't play too well either but you can get the general idea and their characteristics. I really liked the VHII but I'm not sure whether it would suit you too well. It's a bit "soft" and "creamy" but you decide after all. I liked it because it sounded full and aggressive at the same time even when he started of with very bad and thin amp settings. The Emerald comes as a close second and would probably suit you better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO4WsjX6YCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYAgbIgjnVw&feature=channel
Ah, better tone in this video (Emerald bridge):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUZ5g92CXlQ
And here is a video of the Riff Raff bridge with slightly better settings (probably a better amp and some reverb). I'd say that the riff raff and emerald bridges sound much more similar than the necks because this time they're both Alnico V and they share a similar EQ. The Emerald is just slightly hotter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXhbd72FuFc&feature=channel
wow thank you so much! Those videos really helped. So to clear up for the neck, I would like a thick, smooth and creamy tone but not a high gain kind, more like a Gary Moore on still got the blues/Slash's tone on sweet child o mine (except thicker than slash's tone and less trebly, which can be adjusted by the eq).
And does the same idea go for the bridge? (that the riff raff is more edgy and the emerald is more reactive) or is it more even on the bridge?
Thanks
rjtm
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By the way I started a new post specifically for Emeralds vs. Riff raffs. Thanks so much for your help guys! I really appreciate it