Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: explorer76 on September 09, 2013, 02:39:22 PM

Title: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: explorer76 on September 09, 2013, 02:39:22 PM
Hello there,

I would like to try something new in one of my guitars (alder body, ash top, set maple neck with rosewood fretboard).
Currently there is an Emerald neck and a Holydiver Bridge in this particular guitar. While there is no discussion on the Emerald neck, I would love to try something different in the Bridgespot. Originally I had an Emerald Bridge in there before, but it was to thin and trebly for my taste. The HD sounds really big and crushing in there, but I would like to replace it with something more cutting, so let's say a Holydiver with some more treble and presence while keeping the serious balls of the Diver.

So, do you have any recommendations for me?

Many thanks in advance :-).

Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Telerocker on September 09, 2013, 06:38:28 PM
Rebel Yell!
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: explorer76 on September 09, 2013, 06:58:33 PM
seriously... i would have never considered the Rebel Yell, I had that pickup in an LTD Viper and there it seriously kicked ass. But that Viper was quite dark sounding compared to that pretty balanced guitar. I was leaning towards the Black Hawk or aftermath, but I don't know if these two wouldn't be just over the top...
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Telerocker on September 09, 2013, 08:10:52 PM
seriously... i would have never considered the Rebel Yell, I had that pickup in an LTD Viper and there it seriously kicked ass. But that Viper was quite dark sounding compared to that pretty balanced guitar. I was leaning towards the Black Hawk or aftermath, but I don't know if these two wouldn't be just over the top...

The RY has some flavour of the HD, just more pronounced uppermids and cutting topend, but the treble is not shrill or harsh. It does metal-styles quite well.
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: jc986 on September 09, 2013, 08:26:10 PM
From what I understand from my communications with Ben, the Painkiller is wound nearly identical to the Holy Diver, just slightly hotter and of course with the triple ceramic mags.
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Cam_H on September 09, 2013, 09:09:21 PM
I'm waiting for Slarti to chime in here. It sounds like you want a Miracle Man. It apparantly sets off where the Holy Diver ends. It's meant to have the same thickness, but more cut and power.
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Telerocker on September 09, 2013, 09:48:35 PM
Miracle Man has a more scooped voicing and more pronounced topend than the middy and treblerounded Diver.
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: explorer76 on September 09, 2013, 10:11:47 PM
from my experience with the Painkiller it has nothing in common with the Diver... seems to be more difficult than expected, the RY is growing as an option in my mind, while the aftermath after listening to some samples again is just too "dry" for me. What about the Alnico Black Hawk? is anyone here having any experience with it?
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: jc986 on September 10, 2013, 02:00:24 AM
from my experience with the Painkiller it has nothing in common with the Diver...

I've never played a Holy Diver, but the way Ben explained it, it seemed like the relationship of the HD to the PK would be similar to how a Seymour Duncan JB compares to a Seymour Duncan Distortion (very similar wind, but Distortion has a triple ceramic mag vs the JB's A5). 
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Dave Sloven on September 10, 2013, 02:04:55 AM
What about the Alnico Black Hawk? is anyone here having any experience with it?

Not me, but maybe check out this BKP video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qacdnnbe2k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qacdnnbe2k)
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Cam_H on September 10, 2013, 04:20:34 PM
Miracle Man has a more scooped voicing and more pronounced topend than the middy and treblerounded Diver.

I was aware it was indeed sccooped, bit in the upper mids. Whilst retaining huge lo-mids, it gave the sound a very thick rhythm tone? As what I've heard of Slarti's comparisons, the Miracle Man picks up straight up where the Holy Diver left off. Forgive me as I've not had the pleasure of the Miracle Man yet, but it sounds like what you're describing. Check out Slarti's review!
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Brow on September 10, 2013, 05:24:14 PM
I have a Miracle Man in an Alder bodied Superstrat type and I think it'll do what you're looking for.
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Telerocker on September 10, 2013, 06:01:50 PM
Miracle Man has a more scooped voicing and more pronounced topend than the middy and treblerounded Diver.

I was aware it was indeed sccooped, bit in the upper mids. Whilst retaining huge lo-mids, it gave the sound a very thick rhythm tone? As what I've heard of Slarti's comparisons, the Miracle Man picks up straight up where the Holy Diver left off. Forgive me as I've not had the pleasure of the Miracle Man yet, but it sounds like what you're describing. Check out Slarti's review!

I think you can't say where the Diver leaves off. It just depends what your guitars natural voice needs.
MM is different voiced, huge lowend, and pronounced topend, bec of that it seems is has less mids, but still a good deal. Could be in the race for the OP.
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Cam_H on September 10, 2013, 06:09:12 PM
Miracle Man has a more scooped voicing and more pronounced topend than the middy and treblerounded Diver.

I was aware it was indeed sccooped, bit in the upper mids. Whilst retaining huge lo-mids, it gave the sound a very thick rhythm tone? As what I've heard of Slarti's comparisons, the Miracle Man picks up straight up where the Holy Diver left off. Forgive me as I've not had the pleasure of the Miracle Man yet, but it sounds like what you're describing. Check out Slarti's review!

I think you can't say where the Diver leaves off. It just depends what your guitars natural voice needs.
MM is different voiced, huge lowend, and pronounced topend, bec of that it seems is has less mids, but still a good deal. Could be in the race for the OP.

As I said, I was just going off Slarti's review as I'm interested in getting a MM/CS combo. I could be completely wrong, but I guess there's a learning curve to this ha.

How about an alnico Miracle Man?
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: explorer76 on September 10, 2013, 07:54:49 PM
The MM might be an option although it's ceramic ;-). But I think at first I'll play around a little more with the height of the pickup, because nothing really overly convinces me.

BUT: THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR CHIMING IN!
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Dave Sloven on September 10, 2013, 11:10:10 PM
Cold Sweat bridge too bright in the top end?
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: ericsabbath on September 11, 2013, 03:19:09 AM
just get an old ibanez or maxon GE601, or a MXR 6 band equalizer
works like a champ in front of the amp and won't compress the guitars tone like an overdrive
back when I had the holy diver and I played mostly metal, I preferred the maxon equalizer over my overdrive pedals, as it kept all the articulation and I could mold the bass and upper mids however I wanted
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: GuitarIv on September 17, 2013, 11:23:02 AM
I'll chime in and recommend the Miracle Man. Owning both the MM and the Holydiver I can certainly tell you: you will keep the fat and organic saturation the HD gives you with added aggression and the little bit more you expect from the Diver sometimes. You can read Slartis review or mine as a reference:

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=28004

https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=30291.0

Maybe that helps, cheers!
Title: Re: Something new... to replace a Holydiver
Post by: Slartibartfarst42 on September 17, 2013, 06:56:09 PM
Sorry I missed this one before now guys but I recently had quite a significant operation so as I'm in recovery mode, getting online isn't quite as easy. Anyway, it seems to me that if you want a Holydiver with a bit more ooomph then you certainly want a Miracle Man. It is scooped but nothing like as much as it looks on the EQ chart. There's low mids there, just not so much in the way of high mids. The ceramic magnet makes it a bit tighter and a bit more aggressive and the extra power obviously helps to make it a bit more compressed. All of those low mids on top of the bass gives it a really big bottom end while it also has screaming highs. Pinched harmonics are easy. However, like the Holydiver, it's thick, warm, organic and smooth. If you like the Holydiver, you'll like the Miracle Man. Honestly, what you described in your original post is a Miracle Man without a shadow of a doubt.