Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: noCore on May 05, 2012, 10:05:24 PM
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I found a used Riff Raff at a fair price ($80 CAD), and I think it would go nice with my ESP LTD F-200... just to change it up a little.
Could anyone offer a quick summary on what I might be able to expect - difference wise - between the stock EMG-HZ passives compared to the Riff Raff?
Probably going to pick it up in a few hours regardless - so will hear for myself soon enough I suppose - but would be cool to hear other's opinions in the meantime.
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What I read on forums is that they try to emulate the active EMG's in a passive design, using a ceramic magnet. They sound tight in the bass and overall a bit dry, lacking character and sustain, especially in the upper register.
DC-resistance is somewhere between 8-11 k, depending on the type HZ. RiffRaff is around 8k.
RiffRaff has an alnico V-magnet and is will sound warmer, more vintage and cleans up better. I think you'll be amazed, as with all BKP's I have, how much depth and clarity they have.
Here's the description of the RiffRaff on the BKP-website:
Tight and punchy bass response with a smooth bite in the high-end define the voice of early '60s humbucker-driven rock'n'roll.
The Riff Raff humbucker is based on the shorter rough cast Alnico V PAFs of 1960, with a more symmetrical wind of 42 AWG plain enamel wire providing more focus in the upper-mids and brighter highs. While the same build standard and components of the other vintage humbuckers in the range apply, the Riff Raff delivers a more aggressive vintage tone and unmistakable rock voice. The bottom-end is deep but very controlled and coupled with the extra cut in the high-end, allow for plenty of snap and a classic range of organic, clean and driven tones.
Although voiced as a vintage rock humbucker, hard rock and metal players will enjoy the punchy and focused tone when used with hi-gain rigs.
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mediocrity -> greatness
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mediocrity -> greatness
The word mediocrity passes by many times reading about the HZ.
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The HZ probably has a ton more output, the RiffRaff a ton more tone!
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Yeah, and honestly, did you expect a different response on this forum? lol
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Yeah, and honestly, did you expect a different response on this forum? lol
nope! i just wanted to re-affirm my assumption that this would be a good investment.
...while I wait for my SG to arrive, and sort out an order for a set of Warpigs for that :)
turns out the guy has the matching neck RiffRaff as well, so think I'll snag that up as well, n rip those HZ's both out. I figure I should probably upgrade the pots on this thing as well.
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Wouldn't be a terrible idea!
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I cant beleive someone still has a ESP LTD F-200 lol.
If you could tell me how the riff raff sounds in there that'd be awesome =D
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I cant beleive someone still has a ESP LTD F-200 lol.
If you could tell me how the riff raff sounds in there that'd be awesome =D
sure thing.
I bought it off some kid in Estonia many years ago. It's back/headstock is signed by Mike Portnoy (Dream Theatre's drummer)
I pulled out all the floyd rose setup, stuck a block of wood in the gap, and just have the strings going through the individual saddles... not sure yet if this is reliable (ie, will stay in tune) - so considering ripping the whole thing out and rigging up a tune-o-matic type setup... we'll see.
any thoughts on this guitar? would you say it is worth putting the extra work into?
i do love the look of it.. i would have preferred having the strings go thru-body like the F-300 model (or even the F-50,, blech)..
but it feels fine... and i'm sure the RiffRaff's will be an improvement from the stock EMG-HZ's
$150 for a pair of RiffRaff's (neck&bridge) seemed like a good deal not worth passing up, so.. gonna grab them regardless.
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Yeah I'd say for that price, you really can't go wrong.
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i think these RiffRaff's have long legs...
does anyone know if that would be an issue - fitting them into an ESP LTD F-200?
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I don't think it should be...
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hmm... just found a used Painkiller online for $100...
so now I'm thinking of getting the Painkiller for the ESP LTD F-200 (bridge only)
and if I still manage to score that pair of Riff Raff's (still haven't managed to meet up with the guy) - I'll stick those in my Gibson SG (special faded)... until I decide I can afford a set of Ceramic Warpigs, I suppose. Given the many recommendations for Riff Raff's in SG's - I figure this isn't such a bad idea.
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i have a riff raff and painkiller in my musicman JP. PK is perhaps a little too cutting in hindsight but perhaps thats just my changing taste.
Riff raff wise - it was recommended to me for Bonamassa/early petrucci like tones. I like the pickup but i do think i could do with just a tad more punch. Id like to hear it in a Gibson or any guitar thats abit heavier than my musicman.
Someone posted about it being a favourite of hard rock/metal players through hi-gain rigs. It worked for me when i was doing that type of stuff.
If you want to hear it i can give you some links just let me know
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for the ESP I figure the Painkiller's a good choice - only really use the bridge anyhow - surgical metal muted picking, pinch harmonics...
thinking of eventually putting in a sustainer in the neck.. and installing an arcade button kill switch... for fun.
for the Gibson SG - I was planning on getting a set of Ceramic Warpigs - this is my eventual goal - as I want this thing to be a MONSTER. but with the Riff Raff's available at a nice price locally - considering throwing those in for starters... and saving up for a change over to the Warpigs at a later date.
I run my guitar(s) through the following...
gd wizard rock/distortion, zoom tri-metal, rat deucetone, sans-amp tri-ac, ehx small stone, boss dd-3...
into my sun beta lead 212 combo.