Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Caleb on January 21, 2015, 09:30:20 AM
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Hi!
I just got a new Gibson Les Paul Standard 2013 (with a modern weight relief) and didn't like the Gibson pickups at all. They were too vintage, bright and they didn't have enough body. I play through Marshall JVM410 head and 4x12 cab with Celestion G12-75's. It's a high gain amp and I use the lead overdrive channels so I get modern voicing, but I use my gain pretty low for clear and punchy hard-rock sounds.
I'm looking for modern rock/hard-rock sounds: not metal, not too aggressive and not ice picky high end. I'm playing lead guitar and I like sweet top end for solos and punchy palm-muted rhythm sound. I like the sounds of the Metallica, Nickelback, Gary Moore and new Guns n' Roses.
From BKP pickups I've been thinking of the Holydiver and Black Dog pickups. The Holydiver sounds smooth on lead playing and rhythm is punchy enough with overdrive. I'm just worried if it's too muddy in Les Paul? The Black Dog sounds clearer, but I think it's too vintage sounding for what I'm looking for.
Which one do you recommend for a Les Paul with high gain amp and styles I'm looking for? Thanks! :)
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That's a pretty broad range of sounds you are looking for.
Cold Sweat or Miracle Man would be good for Metallica but then again you say you don't want it to sound metal. Also some people have found the highs of those pickups to be 'ice picky' (I haven't).
I would tend to recommend the Holy Diver, it is reputed to do well in Les Pauls but then again I've never had one.
Rebel Yell is another one to think about, as is the alnico variant of the Nailbomb. Crawler might not be tight enough
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Rebel Yell or the Holy Diver. Most of the other pickups in the contemporary range might be to metal-esque for you. The Crawler is very good pickup, but a little tricky for Les Pauls. It can be a hit or total miss.
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I would say Black Dog. I'm very happy with mine and use it basically for the same sounds you are looking for. I have mine in an ESP Eclipse, which is not chambered.
It is not a very vintage sounding pickup IMO, I think that is a misconception. The pickup to go if you wanted a more vintage sound would be the VHII.
I had the HD a long time ago, so don't remember too much. I did not get on with it though, hence I got rid of it.
Obviously the other big choices for a LesPaul would be Mule or Rebel Yell. The Miracle Man, unfortunately, will 100% NOT do Guns'n'Roses sounds ;-)
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sounds like a nailbomb job
maybe a rebel yell
I just installed an emerald in my 73 lpc and I'm quite surprised with how hot and balanced it sounds
I was expecting a much cleaner, thinner and brighter sound
EDIT:
just found out it is actually a ceramic nailbomb and not an emerald
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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Yeah, but the Nailbomb doesn't do Gary Moore or Slash. I think the challenge for the OP is trying to find a pickup that covers his tonal bases. I feel the "rock/blues pickups" are more convincing doing "metal" than the actual "metal-pickups" doing rock and blues.
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Yeah, but the Nailbomb doesn't do Gary Moore or Slash. I think the challenge for the OP is trying to find a pickup that covers his tonal bases. I feel the "rock/blues pickups" are more convincing doing "metal" than the actual "metal-pickups" doing rock and blues.
This!
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I suspect that the Rebel Yell is probably the best answer
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Yeah, but the Nailbomb doesn't do Gary Moore or Slash. I think the challenge for the OP is trying to find a pickup that covers his tonal bases. I feel the "rock/blues pickups" are more convincing doing "metal" than the actual "metal-pickups" doing rock and blues.
This!
Agree, but surprisingly my CBomb in Lp style Dean Caddy copes with rock/hard rock really well. I like the way it plays with slight overdrive for more classic rock/hard rock tones. Yes, it adds aggression and a little bit of modern twist, but that`s the beauty of it. Although it won`t be suitable for Gary Moore, no doubt about that. Other than that I find it extremely suitable for classic rock/hard rock rhythm if you want to add up some balls and horns into it.
on the downside it`s not the best option for leads anyway, it`s just ok for me in that aspect.
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I would recommend you alnico nailbomb it'll do everything especially on a les paul , i had one on my les paul and never regret it.
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alnico nailbomb does everything especially on a les paul . trust me :)
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The OP wants something not TOO agressive. A Nailbomb is one of the most agressive pickups in the contemporary line.
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I think Rebel Yell is modern enough sounding but could also go into Emerald territory if needed.
A RY bridge & Emerald neck might be a very good combo here if a new neck pickup is wanted. I would just try the bridge first though
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I've never played a JVM but at my rehearsal place I use a variety of older Marshalls - 900, Jubilee, old type DSL. I'm not a big fan of these amps but they love my RYs. I only use the 'clean' channels with the gain up high for an older style crunch and kick in a Boss OD3 for screaming leads. Get some great tones. I think any of the higher output BK buckers would be too metal for me. I would also think about the Abraxas.
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sounds like a nailbomb job
maybe a rebel yell
I just installed an emerald in my 73 lpc and I'm quite surprised with how hot and balanced it sounds
I was expecting a much cleaner, thinner and brighter sound
I was suspicious about it being hot and having over 15k dc reading and asked the seller to check his other pups, so he just found out his ceramic nailbomb was reading 13k :laugh: :laugh:
bad news is I'm still emerald virgin
good news is that I got a c-bomb and it sounds much more versatile than I would expect
I remember the alnico nailbomb being much edgier in this same guitar (that was 5 years ago, though, so my memory might be tricking me)
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What about a Holy Diver bridge and a VHII neck? That would be dark, warm, phat and smooth.
The Rebel Yell is good too, but that's a bright and upper mid focused pickup with a beautiful harmonic sheen. I have a Rebel Yell B / VHII Neck combo in a solid mahogany axe and it's positively wonderful.
I have an Alnico Nailbomb bridge with a Rebel Yell neck in m LP. Great for hard rock and many other things, but it's more of a raunchy and uncouth tone. The question is how polite or pissed off are you wanting?
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Id agree with how polite or pissed off you wanna be statement which make me say Rebel Yells. Ive had them about a year now and I can positively say you can play with polished seduction or in your face shred. Its all how you play the guitar !! I do understand my opinion here is biased cause its the only BKP I currently use but the RY's are continuing to force my commitment to how I play. The volume knob roll back vibe along with your playing touch really covers a lot of tonal ground. These are not pups where you sit back and play, they are asking for a players commitment in technic and soul. Brutally honest are the RY's and should be for a polished discriminating player like Steve Stevens.
Im sure theres some other possibilities for your situation thus others suggestions stated here. IMO Yellowjacket's statement about how polite or pissed off is really what what Ive experienced with the RY's, its been exactly both ! I don't mess with my amp settings much anymore its all volume knob, my playing and RY's telling me if Im whimpy or getting real with it. If you don't go with a RY Im sure another BKP will work cause from what Ive read here in the past couple years it seems the whole BKP line has that "You better play better" gig going for them. I recall a Steve Stevens interview where he called it "Mojo" and made the comment to a point that "Theres something going on in there" about his experience with BKP's. Heck yeah Steve a swift kick up my butt on how I was playing LOL !!
Im itching to get a 2nd set of BKP's and experience the same with a different flavor :cool:
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I now have a handful more BKPs, as my signature notes, and I still agree with your sentiment. All BKPs do it more than most of the commonly used alternatives, but the RY still sticks out. I recon it is the combination of the clear and present high end, combined with the super fast and punchy low end, finished off with the output, which gets you there, but only goes as far as it needs to get metal. That open restraint in compression and output together with the rest gives it thas feel you talk about.
It punishes you when you screw up, but when you hit the notes right...oh my, it is something else. No other BKP has that like the RY does. The next closest things are the P90s. So maybe look at them for the next round Wayne_S, good chance youŽd love them the way you say you play.
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:Modern weight relief: is Gibson Code for : Almost Chambered:
http://club.topguitars.ru/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/A3030023.jpg
Given that it is a lighter, brighter instrument, I can't help but think a darker and phatter bridge / neck pickup combo will be better. This is why I mentioned the Holy Diver bridge and VHII neck.