Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: AnnunakiMassacr on September 22, 2012, 05:13:06 PM
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I'm about to order myself some new equipment: Guitar, Pickups, Amp, Pedals; and I'm really going out of my comfort zone here. I'm used to playing in a metal band with dual guitars and fast double bass. Now I'm looking to start a single guitar rock/metal band in the vein of Michael Schenker as I've really fallen in love with that style of music. More the modern Schenker (Temple Of Rock).
Has anyone got any good advice on what equipment would provide a stable gigging rig to cut through in a pub when there's only one guitar to make a massive wall of sound? I'm about the buy a new guitar from Warmoth so I'm interested in people's opinions on woods which will make the sound even huge.
Apart from the guitar; pickup, amp and pedal advice would be great to give myself some firm grounding and a shortlist of what to try.
Danke
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Mahogany Guitar, Rebel Yells and a JCM800
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For very recent Schenker stuff :
mahogany body, mahogany neck , rosewood or ebony board , maple front (thin - maybe 6mm)
Cold sweat pickups
Dunlop CFH wah (not my fave but it's what Michael is using of late)
digital delay, chorus
Marshall JCM800 2205 model (slpit channel)
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Yh I've seen he uses that equipment. I'm not trying to replicate his tone entirely, just looking for a wall of sound like his :D
The Marshall 2205 is a pain in the ass to find. Anything closer for that sound? You have to remember I'll only be doing pub gigs; and I hear Marshall's take some cranking to sound good?
I've never thought of the Cold Sweat. I've played the neck, but how would you describe the bridge? I was thinking something that scooped and bright may get lost in the mix - seeing as there's only one guitar? I could be wrong, though?
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Yh I've seen he uses that equipment. I'm not trying to replicate his tone entirely, just looking for a wall of sound like his :D
The Marshall 2205 is a pain in the ass to find. Anything closer for that sound? You have to remember I'll only be doing pub gigs; and I hear Marshall's take some cranking to sound good?
I've never thought of the Cold Sweat. I've played the neck, but how would you describe the bridge? I was thinking something that scooped and bright may get lost in the mix - seeing as there's only one guitar? I could be wrong, though?
How could bright get lost in the mix??? Especially with only one guitar...
Since it's rather scooped I don't think you'll have enough midrange for that "Wall of Sound" but the brightness certainly won't get lost in the mix.
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I meant more scooped. Ignore the bright bit :/ What would you say yourself?
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I meant more scooped. Ignore the bright bit :/ What would you say yourself?
I stick to my original post.
All Mahogany Guitar (could have a maple top), Rebel Yells and a JCM800.
If you can't find a JCM800 an Orange TH30 is an amazing amp and it gives a really great "wall of sound".
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Flying V + Cold Sweats + Marshall tubeamp (like a Vintage/Modern or a JCM800) + 4x12 cab for that wall of sound.
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I would go JMP over a JCM. Much thicker for that wall of sound and Schenker used them back when his tone was amazing. I don't like the split channel Marshalls he uses.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRZ4t6UVQzo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr-9aFmcRl8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zUX5UOmqq8
that's great
I'd probably pick a rebel yell for the live lead stuff, but I'm pretty sure he used ceramics for over 30 years (duncans and now his dean signature pickup)
the rhythm tone definitely sounds like a hotter and more compressed ceramic pup, like the ceramic nailbomb
the cold sweat also might work with an eq pedal for midrange boosting
his early UFO tone was definitely riff raff's territory
for the neck, a cold sweat or vhII
a marshall 2205 isn't that hard to find
one of my least favorite models, but really works for guys like michael, tom morello, john norum
they don't open up like a classic 50w 2204 or 1987, but they sound pretty dense, focused, saturated and midrangy in an unique way
concept is somewhere close to the overhyped silver jubilee series, but sounds a little better, in my opinion
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So how would you compare the Rebel Yell to the Cold Sweat?
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they are similar, and have very close designs, but the cold sweat has a ceramic magnet instead of the alnico 5 long magnet of the rebel yell
the ceramic magnet gives it a hotter output, harder edge and less midrangy tone
they're both very bright and open sounding
the ceramic nailbomb is basically an overwound version of the cold sweat, so you get more compression and midrange body and a little less top end
this one is actually closer to schenker pickups (duncan custom and the dean lights out)
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Do you mean the Ceramic Nailbomb is closer to the Schenker pickups?
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compared to the other bkp models, it is the closest to the duncan custom
not sure about the dean pickup, but judging from the temple of rock videos I posted, I'd pick the c-bomb as well
miracle man would do the job as well, but it has a slightly more scooped tone in the upper mids
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What would you recommend for the Temple Of Rock tones? I know you said C-Bomb/MM. I just wondered what would provide a more versatile, open, organic tone. The Devil Knows You're Dead is a good example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE0BYvQEO_k
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I like a RY for this to be honest with you.
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Schenker has tended to use a ceramic magnet bridge pickup since the late 1970s in the bridge 9if not both positions)
I have a pair of the Dean Lights Out in one of my guitars (guess I am the resident Schenker fan-boy here to some extent)
So you will find that the Cold Sweat, Ceramic Bomb and Aftermath and maybe the Miracle Man will all work well
The Aftermath has a certain similarity to the Dirty Fingers that MS used in the early 80s
However I tend usually to favour the Cold Sweat in guitars that are a bit dark - Schenkers classic sound is pretty bright!
I was tinkering with a design that Tim did for me that was similar to the Aftermath but with just one row of screw poles to reduce the low mids (was toying with calling it "The Obsession" model).
Listen to this clip for "classic Schenker" - doesn't get much better than this for me in many ways
I saw this clip 30 years ago and was completely bowled over - the whole concert (Live at Rockpalast) is available on DVD
http://youtu.be/22RdpmXWWg8 (http://youtu.be/22RdpmXWWg8)
And here is that same song 30 years later - 2010
http://youtu.be/ZKAV6wsB1-4 (http://youtu.be/ZKAV6wsB1-4)
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I'm actually really looking for the sound in that last clip. What would you recommend for that? Sorry to keep asking, it's just really hard.
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Also, how do you rate the Light's Out pickups?
EDIT: I've just come across the JVM410JS Satriani model. What do people think of this for an amp of sheer versatility?
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The Dean that he uses is a bit beefier than a regular V which helps a lot - has a maple top which focuses the top end a bit more.
I like the Lights Out pickups ok - have them in a strat type guitar at the moment.
They don't have the character that the BKPs have in a way
I would maybe go for either the Aftermath or thinking about it use a Rebel yell as the alnico magnet will keep things warm.
The Satch amp should work pretty well too.
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I pretty much totally agree with Jonathan here.
I would certainly go for a ceramic pickup in the 14-16k range. The miracle man sounds very contemporary in a V, which I don't find too Schenker, though you could make it work.
I can see why people suggest the Rebel Yell, since it has that big sound in a Les Paul. I tried a Rebel Yell once in a Gibson V90 and found it somewhat lacking in bass after the initial honeymoon period. Perhaps the construction of the Dean Schenker models may help here.
The big thing for that Schenker tone is a wah pedal!
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Ordered the Rebel Yell bridge :)
Ordering 3 Warmoth guitars at the end of the week so I'll be doing a post for that. I have bad GAS (that sounded wrong). But want to be ready for Uni so making most of it. I'm going to be after some unique choices. Hopefully you can be as helpful as you have been on this post :)
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I pretty much totally agree with Jonathan here.
I would certainly go for a ceramic pickup in the 14-16k range. The miracle man sounds very contemporary in a V, which I don't find too Schenker, though you could make it work.
I can see why people suggest the Rebel Yell, since it has that big sound in a Les Paul. I tried a Rebel Yell once in a Gibson V90 and found it somewhat lacking in bass after the initial honeymoon period. Perhaps the construction of the Dean Schenker models may help here.
The big thing for that Schenker tone is a wah pedal!
Your V90 surely has a maple neck though and a 25.5" scale - will make a difference!
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I saw this clip 30 years ago and was completely bowled over - the whole concert (Live at Rockpalast) is available on DVD
http://youtu.be/22RdpmXWWg8 (http://youtu.be/22RdpmXWWg8)
And here is that same song 30 years later - 2010
http://youtu.be/ZKAV6wsB1-4 (http://youtu.be/ZKAV6wsB1-4)
2010 sounds like there is a thick blanket over the cab compared to the 80s tone.
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Also, how do you rate the Light's Out pickups?
EDIT: I've just come across the JVM410JS Satriani model. What do people think of this for an amp of sheer versatility?
didn't know there was a signature JVM
suppose that should be at least as good as the non signature version
it's pretty versatile and better than schenker's amp, in my opinion
just be careful with the gain, as it can easily get overkill
moderate gain modes and settings sound really good for that type of tone
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Ordered the Rebel Yell bridge :)
Ordering 3 Warmoth guitars at the end of the week so I'll be doing a post for that. I have bad GAS (that sounded wrong). But want to be ready for Uni so making most of it. I'm going to be after some unique choices. Hopefully you can be as helpful as you have been on this post :)
Great! You'll love it!
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I've actually scr@pped the 3 Warmoth idea. I really don't like the idea of a one-piece neck. So going to just upgrade my Ibanez Sabre - mind it's in pieces at the moment haha. Just about to start a thread on it. Oh and my Rebel Yells are due for today :) Gonna try them in my Epi LP
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the ceramic nailbomb is basically an overwound version of the cold sweat, so you get more compression and midrange body and a little less top end
this one is actually closer to schenker pickups (duncan custom and the dean lights out)
completely agree, i have the cbomb / cs combo in a mahogany v and it sounds closest to the schenker tone amongst my BKPs