Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: theodorthiele on October 10, 2012, 04:52:13 PM
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Hey all of you
I'm buying a Flying V next week and i'm looking for the right Bridge pickup for it.
I'm playing hard rock / Metal - lead guitar, - crunchy riffs and loads of different solos.
For those of you who has some extra time to hear what i need, here's a link to my bands myspace: http://www.myspace.com/brokenhandcharity
Currently i'm playing an LTD EC-1000 Deluxe - with EMG 81 in bridge and EMG 60 in neck, 0.010 strings - i'm playing on a Ritchie Blackmore Signature ENGL top with Tungsol 6L6 tubes, - and currently have to turn the treble and presence knobs all the way to zero the get the sound i need, so i was looking for a pickup with a lower treble level but still relatively high gain.
I've mainly considered a Holy Diver, since it seems to suit my needs, but i read in a review that it's not very suitable with all mahogany guitars? Besides from that one i looked at the Warpig and the Painkiller, the warpig however got me a bit scared due to the extremely high gain.
Sidenote: I might also want to change the neck-pickup which i use for the clean parts, - i was thinking something rather PAF-sounding (Mule, Riff Raff or maybe Black Dog?), but got scared by the high levels of treble on the EQ charts. Also will it be a problem that there is such great difference in output-levels on the two pickups?
Looking forward to seeing your replies!
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I'm not so well-versed in the high output range so my suggestion should be taken lightly, but I think you should take a look at the Miracle Man. I think others have had good experience with this pup in Vs and explorers (I might be wrong though).
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you don't need a high output model for an engl
it's not even about the amounts of gain
it's already on their amps nature
I suppose you wanna open up your tone, specially coming from a 500t/496r, which can get harsh quite easily
I'd go with a vhII set for extreme clarity while still retaining some bite... if it lacks enough bite for your taste, get a tube screamer
you'll probably miss something at first, which is common, but in a couple weeks, you'll adapt and be happier than ever
I was a die hard high ouput pickup user until I met the riff raff
the mule was a huge surprise as well
if you REALLY want to keep the type of gain you have in your recording, then you need a ceramic nailbomb
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your band is amazing, by the way :D :D :D
edit: damn I have stuff to do and I can't leave the notebook now :lol:
is there a way to download the tracks?
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Thanks for your answers so far!
This brings up a few new questions.
First of all won't the high treble on those pickups be a problem when i consequently have to turn treble all the way down on my amp?
Also if i don't need high gain pickups, why are high gain pickups produced at all ? :P Is that only for low gain amps and / or hardcore death metal?
BTW i read that some Flying Vs are produced with 53mm spacing and not the "regular" 50mm one, does anyone know if that is the case for the regular contemporary Flying Vs?
Sidenote: The recordings on myspace are re-amped through a Peavey 5150 with the same EMG 81 / 60 Pickups.
Hellstyle: I'll post a torrent for you with the 2 EPs (don't worry i own the rights (: )- thanks for the credit!
edit: If you don't have a torrent program, you get buy the EPs on iTunes, however the torrent way is free :)
edit 2: give me your email, and i'll send you a torrent
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I meant you don't NEED those with THAT amp
no problem on preferring the tonal texture of high outputers :D
I've been there for years
now I prefer low outputs with lots of boosting on high gain amps in low gain settings
it's just a huge improvement in clarity and depth that I couldn't get with the high output models (had emgs, duncans, gibson 500t, and almost all of bkp contemporary models)
on a somewhat similar band context, there's Godsized, which a BKP endorsed band
they use black dogs and VHII's
I wouldn't put a darker pup in a V, but if that's your wish, the alnico pig is your guy
still a little lower output than the 500t, although it has a much higher dc resistance
I doubt any bkp would sound bad anyway
my first choice in the high output area would be the c-bomb, then the miracle man
a gibson V might be darker than your LTD
the 500t is f-spaced, so you'll need the 53mm spacing for the bridge
still hearing the myspace :D
how come I've never heard this?
ericsabbath@gmail.com
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Hey again thanks for the answer, and especially the reference to Godsized - those guys are awesome! - Also their sound is somewhat similar to ours.
Do you know if they use VHII in bridge and Black Dog Neck typically, or what setup they use?
You seem to know what you're talking about, defenitely changed my view, i'll look into those two, and some of the others in that category.
Also thanks alot for the 53mm notice, - would have sucked to buy a pickup that wouldn't fit the strings right.
I sent you a mail with a torrent.
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You seem to know what you're talking about
I think he does. I personnaly still prefer mid/high output 'buckers for hi-gain tones, but that might come from good luck (SG / A-Bomb - SLO-inspired amp here) and I have to admit I dont have Eric's experience with pups and amps.
Nice band that you have BTW.
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Hey again thanks for the answer, and especially the reference to Godsized - those guys are awesome! - Also their sound is somewhat similar to ours.
Do you know if they use VHII in bridge and Black Dog Neck typically, or what setup they use?
You seem to know what you're talking about, defenitely changed my view, i'll look into those two, and some of the others in that category.
Also thanks alot for the 53mm notice, - would have sucked to buy a pickup that wouldn't fit the strings right.
I sent you a mail with a torrent.
I believe they use matched sets
singer uses black dogs, other guy uses vhii's
I remember one of them had a miracle man set before and then went low output
the vhII has a lot in common with the alnico nailbomb
it's just uncompressed, but still very punchy
my tech/bandmate had an engl based 100w amp (the first amp he made 5 years ago) and my 73 les paul custom sounded really good plugged straight into it when the guitar had alnico nailbombs
a flying v may sound darker, but that might be a plus for you
couldn't download the EPs with the torrent
no seeds :(
nice video, though :D
what is that white super lead looking amp?
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Hej again
The white amp is the Bass player's Carl Martin :)
I tried seeding the EPs all day yesterday, well set it to seed again today when i get home from work, - i have killer internet, so 1 seeder should be enough for that size.
I just got an answer from Tim recommending the Blackhawk set, - do you or anyone else have any comments on those? Except from on the looks of course ;)
The description sounds somewhat nice, - but i kinda fell in love with Godsized's sound.
Cheers
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"the vhII has a lot in common with the alnico nailbomb
it's just uncompressed, but still very punchy"
That's very interesting that you say that. I also heard that the Riff Raff has a lot in common with the nailbomb. Can you explain further how the vhii and nailbomb are alike? From the descriptions I've read it sounds like the vhii would be midder and less bassy that the nailbomb. Also in the clips I've the nailbomb has a unique dark growl that I don't hear in any of the vhii clips.
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Hej again
The white amp is the Bass player's Carl Martin :)
I tried seeding the EPs all day yesterday, well set it to seed again today when i get home from work, - i have killer internet, so 1 seeder should be enough for that size.
I just got an answer from Tim recommending the Blackhawk set, - do you or anyone else have any comments on those? Except from on the looks of course ;)
The description sounds somewhat nice, - but i kinda fell in love with Godsized's sound.
Cheers
still at 0% :{
can you upload it to 4shared, dropbox or something?
didn't try the hawk yet
it's an interesting pickup for sure
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"the vhII has a lot in common with the alnico nailbomb
it's just uncompressed, but still very punchy"
That's very interesting that you say that. I also heard that the Riff Raff has a lot in common with the nailbomb. Can you explain further how the vhii and nailbomb are alike? From the descriptions I've read it sounds like the vhii would be midder and less bassy that the nailbomb. Also in the clips I've the nailbomb has a unique dark growl that I don't hear in any of the vhii clips.
the riff raff has a lot in common with the vhii :lol:
it's slightly smoother and less dry/punchy
coming from the riff raff, the vhii has more asymetrical and overwound coils and a longer magnet
in fact, the neck vhii in the bridge sounds a lot like the bridge riff raff
the nailbomb is 90% same as the bridge vhii in specs, but with thinner wire
with the thinner wire, comes more turns, higher dc, more low midrange, more compression
still similar voiced controlled upper mids and cutting treble
but don't be fooled by van halen style demos of the vhii
that pickup has a ton of low end punch
in my short experience with it, sounds more like iced earth, maybe airbourne
it's a pretty focused tone, just not compressed in the mids like the nailbomb
by the hair metal clips on the site you can tell the bomb has a lot more low mids
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Hmm seems like it's gonna be VHIIs, - so many options though... Would love if something could make it 100% clear to me which ones to pick..
Another question, - how much difference, and what kind, does it make to change pots, wiring etc aswell, - pots are rather cheap, so might as well order them too, if it makes a positive difference.
Trying to add your email to a dropbox folder, should work if you're using the same one.
Can't decide on if the Blackhawks are looking too fancy for my liking...
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"the riff raff has a lot in common with the vhii
it's slightly smoother and less dry/punchy"
just to clarify, is it the riff raff that is smoother and less punchy?
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Yes
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it's just a huge improvement in clarity and depth that I couldn't get with the high output models (had emgs, duncans, gibson 500t, and almost all of bkp contemporary models)
on a somewhat similar band context, there's Godsized, which a BKP endorsed band
they use black dogs and VHII's
I don't disagree with your pickup choices Eric - but I must point out that Glen from Godsized has Miracle Man pickups in a couple of his Les Pauls ...........I know cos I fitted them (Godsized are a local band to me here in Croydon and I have helped them out lots over the years - even in the pre-Godsized days)
I'm also liking this Broken Hand Charity stuff - catchy!
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So Feline
Do i understand correctly that you think that VHIIs would give me the sound i'm looking for, which is rather close to Godsized, i especially like the sound on Walking Away, - do you know which pups they used for that?
I saw on another post regarding the Floyd Rose V, that you both recommended high output pups, even though he wanted rather versatile pups. ?
Also i'd like to know more about the effect of changing pots, and if recommendable, which ones to pick.
Oh and Feline, do you have experience with Black Hawks? They sound nice from the description, at least for my bridge, and Tim recommended them for me.
Eric - did you get the music through dropbox?
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it's just a huge improvement in clarity and depth that I couldn't get with the high output models (had emgs, duncans, gibson 500t, and almost all of bkp contemporary models)
on a somewhat similar band context, there's Godsized, which a BKP endorsed band
they use black dogs and VHII's
I don't disagree with your pickup choices Eric - but I must point out that Glen from Godsized has Miracle Man pickups in a couple of his Les Pauls ...........I know cos I fitted them (Godsized are a local band to me here in Croydon and I have helped them out lots over the years - even in the pre-Godsized days)
I'm also liking this Broken Hand Charity stuff - catchy!
I did remember he had miracle man sets, but I thought they were replaced later :?
anyway, it's awesome how versatile bkp are and how well can completely different pickups do the same job
my bandmate has a miracle man in a prs mccarty and he gets pretty awesome clean tones from high gain channels
I prefer my lower outputs, though, as I hate messing with the volume knob and I love the extra openness
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So Feline
Do i understand correctly that you think that VHIIs would give me the sound i'm looking for, which is rather close to Godsized, i especially like the sound on Walking Away, - do you know which pups they used for that?
I saw on another post regarding the Floyd Rose V, that you both recommended high output pups, even though he wanted rather versatile pups. ?
Also i'd like to know more about the effect of changing pots, and if recommendable, which ones to pick.
Oh and Feline, do you have experience with Black Hawks? They sound nice from the description, at least for my bridge, and Tim recommended them for me.
Eric - did you get the music through dropbox?
not sure they already had BKPs when they recorded, but maybe feline can answer that one
the floyd rose v guy wanted some specific classic hard rock tones that were mostly made with high output pickups
he ended up with a holy diver, which is a pretty versatile pickup anyway
also, he had a splawn, which is a pretty gainy amp, but not as saturated and focused as an ENGL
I think most alnico 5 or ceramic humbucker models should work which proper use, but you gotta find out which kind of feel, texture and output you prefer
I personally didn't enjoy much the texture of the aftermath and painkiller, for example
they were too sensitive to picking and had that buzz when moving the fingers over the fretboard
I love the compressed midrangy tone of the black dog, but I prefer the sparkly but organic attack of the riff raff
an alnico nailbomb would sound great through your amp, but a VHII could do the same (with your amp), but being more versatile and open sounding
if you had a jcm 2203 or something, I'd defiitely pick something hot, but these aren't rules at all
I still haven't tried the blackhawks, but you'll find some recent detailed reviews on the forum
yeah, downloaded the albums! think I'll make a mp3 cd (arrr!) so I can enjoy them while driving :D :D :D
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Listening to your own album I would say that if you using something like an old Marshall I would go for Miracle Man - but as Eric points out the ENGL has so much more saturation going on so you'd find that a less gainy pickup will work well.
The reason that BKP and other companies still put out high gain pickups is that there are still players using amps with a lower gain structure like an old plexi or JCM800 where the higher output pickups are needed just as they were in the 70s and 80s to get the metal tones.
However there has been so much change in recent years in amp gain - pretty much ever since Soldano, Mesa, Peavey 5150 started putting out their signature products. Many players find that they can get the saturation and grind all too easily but getting a clean tone is the hard thing.
This is why so many players are wising up and going down the more classic PAF type route.
In fact I have fallen in love with the Stormy Monday of late - although I still use Cold Sweat and Miracle Man through Marshalls for my favoured (Lynch, MSG, Queensryche) tones.
I think that VH2 or Black Dog will work well
I would happily also suggest the Blackhawk - it has a LOT of clarity whilst being quite pushy, and if the amp supplies a lot of mid saturation then you might love it.
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After having tried my new V on my amp, i've decided on the Black Dog open coil set, - as i understood they have less "squishy" mids with more low mids coming through, and less treble compared to the VHII, also good bass response as i understood, basicly all i feel i needed in the standard Pups.
Besides i'm getting a 550K pot, to be installed as master-volume, and getting rid af the second volume-knob as well as the tone-knob.
Eric when i told the singer that you liked our band, he felt it would be a great idea to send you a pile of EPs if you'd like it and wanna share it with your friends, so if you're up for it, just give me your adress in Brazil, and you'll get some.
Feline if you'd want it i'm sure we can send some to you aswell.
edit: Oh and thanks alot for all the help! Can't wait to hear my new toy fitted with those beasts!
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After having tried my new V on my amp, i've decided on the Black Dog open coil set, - as i understood they have less "squishy" mids with more low mids coming through, and less treble compared to the VHII, also good bass response as i understood, basicly all i feel i needed in the standard Pups.
The Black Dog has plenty of high mids, more than the VHII. Also, th e BD is not dark either, fair amount of treble too.
Not sure it you have the feel of the BD in your description.
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Good choice. You gonna like the PAF-growl fo the BD's.
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500T + ENGL = Epic win!!!
I do it with my Strat and my Powerball.
I love it!