Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: GuitarIv on May 29, 2012, 02:04:28 PM
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So, basically the title says it all. Since a new month is arriving, meaning it's payday, I'm getting myself a bridge pickup for my Strat. I wanted initially to order the Nailbomb, but also heard very good things about the Rebel Yell. I need opinions on the difference between those two, overall sound, clarity, dynamics, harmonics and so on. Going straight into a poplar body, maple neck and maple fretboard Strat. I play mostly metal, Melodeath, Thrash, Metalcore and Death. I need a clear and transparent sound (ringing chords with every string balanced), defined palm muted notes, rich pinch harmonics and clear tone for sweeping and legato runs. I'm also the ocasional Blues, Rock and Hard Rock player. I already started a thread and for all this the Nailbomb was suggested, and don't get me wrong, I love the sound and the pickup, just with the Rebel Yell I see an alternative that might suit me better so I need to know where the main differences are. :)
Thanks and cheers!
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Rebel Yells are much to bright for strats.
The Nailbomb also suits your style much better.
If you want to compromise between metal and hard rock/blues then you should take a look at the Holy Diver. It does blues and rock just as well as the RY and better than the NB and will be pretty good for metal but the nailbomb would be better for metal. If you have a suffiecient amp then will easily do metal just as well worth the use of a tubescreamer though.
Out of the RY or the NB I would Definately take the nailbomb though (the alnico nailbomb).
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Thanks for the opinion :)
Wanted to got with the Alnico Nailbomb anyway and I guess it will stay the way it is, with me mostly playing metal. I've got a Peavey Valveking which really does the trick for me, used some simple mods and a tubescreamer to get a decent tone, but you're right, the Strat does sound really bright already
cheers
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rebel yell: tight bass, tons of upper mids and treble, very bright, medium output
nailbomb: tight but thick low end, lots of low mids, quite flat center and upper mids, cutting top, high output
they're not that similar as the charts and specs might imply
I'd probably pick a holy diver over both for your guitar and styles
it's flawless for stuff like arch enemy, KsE, trivium and some of metallica, megadeth, testament and anthrax phases
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The Holydiver has been suggested to me pretty often. What would the main differences compared to the nailbomb be?
cheers
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The Holydiver has been suggested to me pretty often. What would the main differences compared to the nailbomb be?
cheers
nailbomb is louder and a bit punchier on the low end... it's a more grunty pickup
it has more top end cut, but the diver sounds somewhat brighter, as it has a lot more center and upper mids
the diver delivers easier and thicker sounding pinch harmonics and leads get quite fluid
I personally liked it much better for most rock/metal styles in the same guitar than the nailbomb
I always had had the impression that the nailbomb made everything sound like 90's crossover/post-grunge/NY hardcore bands (helmet, biohazard, porcupine tree, silverchair, madball, early tool, offspring, smashing pumpkins........)
of course it does much more, but it had that toneprint, at least in my guitar and amps
the diver also has a quite strong character, but fitted better the stuff I played and my personal tastes
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Hmm... I see. Well I will just compare more soundclips and decide then. Thanks, you've been a great help :)
Cheers
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I actually think HD would be a better choice for you as well
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What do you tune to? It would make a difference.
I had a Rebel Yell in an Alder/Maple soloist style body, with a Maple neck. Granted I do like brighter tones, but my guitar was tuned to B (baritone) standard and I thought it sounded awesome. I did, however; swap the Rebel Yell, and VHII out with two aftermaths that I found and I am seriously digging that sound, now!
I haven't tried a Holydiver yet, but if I would have done it over I probably would have taken the Alnico Nailbomb instead of the RY.
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The two tunings I use are Drop C and Standard E (yes, on the same guitar), so Drop C is the lowest I will go. How much does that affect the sound?
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The two tunings I use are Drop C and Standard E (yes, on the same guitar), so Drop C is the lowest I will go. How much does that affect the sound?
Go for the Holy Diver.
I use it in all sort of tunings distorted all the time in my Mahogany Body/Mahogany Neck/Rosewood fingerboard Les Paul all the time and it stays really clear. It'll only be clearer in a Strat.
Remember that lots of factors contribute to the sound in clips and they should not be relied on because they are usually misleading in many ways because of the number of factors that contribute to an individuals tone.
It's best to rely on the people who know which pickups will compliment the woods/guitars and amps that you have best for the sound that you want.
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here's a drop C cr@ppy clip with a les paul
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1RafxMYU5w
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One thing that I have noticed is that a lot of people on this board recommend the HolyDiver a lot, and I have been considering one for quite some time now because of all of the recommendations. It might be worth a shot to try one out.
Also keep in mind that if you end up not liking it as much as another pickup the re-sale value on bareknuckles are great, and you will have no problem unloading it.
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Maybe Painkiller would suit your guitar, here from 3:05 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cECru2W24w4 - This guitar has Alder body (which is similar to poplar) and ebony fretboard (similar to maple).
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Ok, so you guys are all recommending the Holydiver. Is the pickup really going to stay balanced and clear on every string? Because that's what's most important to me. Just like Misha shows here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izVxaVVZrd0
Starting with 1:30 where he plays the chords. I know those are Aftermaths, but in the end if you can guarantee that the Holydiver has at least the same or even better clarity than the Nailbomb, then I'm sold. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for the "Djent" tone, I just love crystal clear chords)
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I'm pretty sure it'll do what you want it to do
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Ok, so you guys are all recommending the Holydiver. Is the pickup really going to stay balanced and clear on every string? Because that's what's most important to me. Just like Misha shows here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izVxaVVZrd0
Starting with 1:30 where he plays the chords. I know those are Aftermaths, but in the end if you can guarantee that the Holydiver has at least the same or even better clarity than the Nailbomb, then I'm sold. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for the "Djent" tone, I just love crystal clear chords)
It wont be as clear as the aftermath but it will be more lively than the aftermath. It will also be more clear than the nailbomb. This is because:
1) Lower output generally contributes to more clarity.
2) The richer and slightly more present top end (as Eric mentioned) will make it slightly clearer but it will retain a strong midrange and similar Low end to the Nailbomb. Maybe slightly more open (that also contributes to clarity).
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Ok. So it will be the Holydiver. Thanks guys. Fun fact: after their show in my town Josh Middleton from Sylosis himself told me he's using Holydivers in his Les Paul. And I love Sylosis ^^
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having straight swapped from the aftermath to the holy diver in my les paul custom, I could tell they are pretty similar in voicing
main difference is that the aftermath is louder and much more metallic sounding
the diver has a softer picking response, but it's still pretty clear
string separation is even more evident, as it's not as high output and a little less aggressive in the mids
the diver also sounds thicker on leadwork
Sylosis is on my top 10 modern metal bands easily :D
Josh soloing style really makes me jealous and amazed
hard to find true creative guys on their style these days
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Well then I shall have fun with the Diver :D
Josh as person is really shy actually and not really outgoing. Bailey is the complete crazy nut in the band xD
They stayed at my place after their show in Vienna, at their merch table was a paper written saying "need a place to stay the night, will pay with merch and booze" and luckily I was the first one to approach them. It was fun, next day me and some friends showed them around the city before they left heading to Poland, unfortunately I couldn't ask Josh for a lesson since he was the first one who fell asleep in bed after we arrived at home :/
Still one of the best days in my life and a hell of a band, can't wait for the new record :D
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Well then I shall have fun with the Diver :D
Josh as person is really shy actually and not really outgoing. Bailey is the complete crazy nut in the band xD
They stayed at my place after their show in Vienna, at their merch table was a paper written saying "need a place to stay the night, will pay with merch and booze" and luckily I was the first one to approach them. It was fun, next day me and some friends showed them around the city before they left heading to Poland, unfortunately I couldn't ask Josh for a lesson since he was the first one who fell asleep in bed after we arrived at home :/
Still one of the best days in my life and a hell of a band, can't wait for the new record :D
Never heard of them before today and I'm really not much of a metal fan. Only metal I listen to is Dio, Black Sabbath, Dream Theater and Alter Bridge (If you can call them metal).
Nonetheless I looked up Sylosis and listened to a few songs.
Reaction:... THAT... WAS... $%&#ING AWESOME!!
Josh's playing (He's the guitarist... right?) is stunning and everything was composed so well. I'm not a big fan of screaming but the singer really was excellent.
I have no doubt that I'll be listening to them more from now on (and maybe learning a few of their songs)!
Oh, and of course, you wont have any problem recreating his tone with the HDs seeing as he uses them and it's pretty evident in their sound too. Very big thick and creamy but still aggressive. That pretty much sums up the HDs for you.
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Awesome! Glad to welcome you to the club of Sylosis fans :)
The first record they made (Conclusion of an Age) is with their old singer Jamie Graham. It was untill the second album (Edge of the Earth) when Josh decided to do vocals on his own. So he is the genius riffing while screaming and soloing like a god. Check out "Reflections through Fire" and "Last remaining light" (unbelievable lydian solo in the style of Steve Vai beginning with the fourth minute) from Conclusion of an Age and "Empyreal" and "Eclipsed" from Edge of the Earth. Some of the best songs. New record is on the way. Those guys play in E-Standard btw, the ultimate proof that you don't need to tune down to sound heavy :)
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Awesome! Glad to welcome you to the club of Sylosis fans :)
The first record they made (Conclusion of an Age) is with their old singer Jamie Graham. It was untill the second album (Edge of the Earth) when Josh decided to do vocals on his own. So he is the genius riffing while screaming and soloing like a god. Check out "Reflections through Fire" and "Last remaining light" (unbelievable lydian solo in the style of Steve Vai beginning with the fourth minute) from Conclusion of an Age and "Empyreal" and "Eclipsed" from Edge of the Earth. Some of the best songs. New record is on the way. Those guys play in E-Standard btw, the ultimate proof that you don't need to tune down to sound heavy :)
Thanks!
And about the tuning...
I was absolutely shocked when I looked up the tabs for one of their songs and saw that it was in standard tuning!
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Awesome! Glad to welcome you to the club of Sylosis fans :)
The first record they made (Conclusion of an Age) is with their old singer Jamie Graham. It was untill the second album (Edge of the Earth) when Josh decided to do vocals on his own. So he is the genius riffing while screaming and soloing like a god. Check out "Reflections through Fire" and "Last remaining light" (unbelievable lydian solo in the style of Steve Vai beginning with the fourth minute) from Conclusion of an Age and "Empyreal" and "Eclipsed" from Edge of the Earth. Some of the best songs. New record is on the way. Those guys play in E-Standard btw, the ultimate proof that you don't need to tune down to sound heavy :)
Thanks!
And about the tuning...
I was absolutely shocked when I looked up the tabs for one of their songs and saw that it was in standard tuning!
Jup, also talked to Josh about it. He said he's more the fan of old school metal and old school gear, and he said that's the reason why they use Gibson Guitars, Marshall and Orange Amps and Standard Tuning. With Sylosis you will never find an Axe FX, any fancy modern guitar or digital stuff. That's also a thing that really fascinates me about this band :)
Check out this amazing video by Josh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waszqgxsEBU
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Btw the video is old, that was before he used the Holydiver
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I remember he had an esp eclipse with emgs 4 years ago, then a painkiller or something
this and peavey amps
his rig changed quite a bit
he is actually a BKP forum member, but I haven't seen him here for years
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As said he displays everything he uses in the video I posted, except that he's now using Holydivers in the Les Paul. That's at least what he told me and the show was in March :)
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+1 for holy divers in les paul, and Sylosis too
This Rebel Yell vs Nailbomb thread is great lol