Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: jesperbc on March 03, 2015, 10:56:46 PM
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I have an ESP LTD Deluxe MH-1000 with mahogany body, set-through maple neck and rosewood fretboard, equipped with a set of Nailbombs, alnico in the bridge. This guitar mainly hangs in my living room, and I want to use it more. The reason why it's just hanging, is that I've switched to playing a Strat and a Tele for the past year and a half, and I'm absolutely in love with those bright tones from the single coils. So much so, that I find the Nailbombs in my MH-1000 to be too dark for my taste. I can gather the funds for a pickup exchange, but not for a Gibson Les Paul or similar quality HH equipped instrument, besides what I already have.
What would be a good set of pickups to replace the Nailbombs, if I want a brighter humbucker sound?
I've been looking at the following:
- Supermassive HSP90: These seem quite dark, so I looked at...
- Mississippi Queen HSP90: These sound pretty good, given that they are essentially fat/overwound single coils(?), but I'm worried I might go to far, installing P90's in a guitar that screams hard rock/metal, so I've also been looking at...
- Black Dog: These have more focus in the high end, which is the sound I'm kind of going for, I guess, and have great mid range and well defined bottom, but I've heard the rule of thumb that the higher output, the darker the tone(!?), so I've also considered...
- Riff Raff: My brother has these in an ESP LTD EC-1000, and they sound spectacular, and they have more midrange than The Mule.
What would you guys recommend? My Tele has Piledrivers installed, my Strat has Custom Shop Fat '50s, both with maple necks. I use dirt pedals for all my overdriven tones, and I play rock in the widest definition of the genre, ranging from funky riffs to heavily distorted leads.
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Well I would also look at the Rebel Yell and Emerald sets, as being intermediate points between the Nailbomb and Riff Raff.
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Well I'm selling a covered Riff Riff if you decide on that. And I'm also selling a Rebel Yell set
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- Black Dog: These have more focus in the high end...
Not at all. They have the most focus in low mids, mid mids, on up to the high mids, before slowly tapering off in the highs. While i wouldn't call this a 'dark' pickup, i certainly would not call it bright. Call it 'smooth' in the highs, and very far from bright. If that's what you're going for then the riff raff is far better suited for a brighter, extended top end sound.
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- Black Dog: These have more focus in the high end...
Not at all. They have the most focus in low mids, mid mids, on up to the high mids, before slowly tapering off in the highs. While i wouldn't call this a 'dark' pickup, i certainly would not call it bright. Call it 'smooth' in the highs, and very far from bright. If that's what you're going for then the riff raff is far better suited for a brighter, extended top end sound.
yeah, the dog is all about the mids
TONS of it
in some guitars, it sounds almost like having a half c--ked wah or an overdrive pedal with the gain and tone controls rolled off
the nailbomb does have an overall darker voicing, but has a stronger treble response
the emerald is probably a safe bet
have you considered coil splitting?
the miracle man sounds AMAZING splitted
bet the nailbomb does too
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Rebel Yell Bridge!? Definitely a brighter pickup than an A-Bomb, and with lots of harmonics. Just a warning, it can become strident when coil tapped.
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RY or Emeralds
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Rebel Yell Bridge!? Definitely a brighter pickup than an A-Bomb, and with lots of harmonics. Just a warning, it can become strident when coil tapped.
Yeah, Iīd say RY too. Brighter, underwound version of the A-bomb. Series/Parallel over coilsplit on that one though if you donīt use HSH 5way with autosplit in 2 and 4.
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Rebel Yell Bridge!? Definitely a brighter pickup than an A-Bomb, and with lots of harmonics. Just a warning, it can become strident when coil tapped.
Yeah, Iīd say RY too. Brighter, underwound version of the A-bomb. Series/Parallel over coilsplit on that one though if you donīt use HSH 5way with autosplit in 2 and 4.
Yes, the A-Bomb has more of a sizzle or cut in the treble but they sound thicker, phatter, and more compressed with more 'hair' in the sound. The harmonics are somewhat blunted by comparison.
The Rebel Yell bridge is clearer and more 'consonant' sounding. It's not quite as powerful and it doesn't have that pronounced treble cut or sizzle, but it has more of a high mid focus with this brilliant harmonic sheen over top. The harmonics are very even and it definitely gives the perception that the pickup is considerably brighter. It's a really awesome pickup and as an up side, it tends to excel more at lead playing than the A-Bomb does. Of course it if really 5% either way.
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The Black Dog is def. not brighter, as others have said.
The Juggernaut is IMO an excellent choice. It is overall brighter than the Nailbomb and a bit less middy, but overall very comparable.
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For the bridge Rebel Yell.
For the neck it's more difficult as I don't have experience with the Nailbomb neck. But the Holydiver neck would fit the bill.
RY bridge/HD neck is the current combination I have in my LP Custom.
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I'm curious. Have you thought about the painkiller. The rhythm guitarist in my band had a very dark schecter that he bought and he put a painkiller in the bridge to great effect: Much clearer sounding. It's a surprisingly organic pickup for the amount of punch it packs.
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Yeah I would think that Painkillers would be good in mahogany ESPs and Schecters that are designed for EMGs, as EMGs are very bright.
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Emerald set- no doubt!
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I just put a Rebel Yell (bridge)/Cold Sweat (neck) in my PRS SE Tremonti and really like the clarity and punchiness of that Rebel Yell.
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Abraxas - Bridge splits for Tele tones, too. Has an amazing lead voice.
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Run it by BKP but might it be worth trying the c-bomb as its meant to be a bit brighter?
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Thanks for all the replies. I somehow didn't get the notifications when you guys replied to my topic.
I'm not much closer to finding a replacement set for the Nailbombs, but I'll definitely look closer at both the Riff Raff and Rebel Yell sets. At the same time, I'm considering the HSP90 Mississippi Queen set.
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Rebel Yell or Emerald for me. The Rebel Yell is similar to the Nailbomb but more open and brighter while the Emerald is more vintage. The Emerald is certainly bright and can be very versatile. Lovely sweet vintage tones but tight enough to handle loads of gain if needed.
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Thanks for all the replies. I somehow didn't get the notifications when you guys replied to my topic.
I'm not much closer to finding a replacement set for the Nailbombs, but I'll definitely look closer at both the Riff Raff and Rebel Yell sets. At the same time, I'm considering the HSP90 Mississippi Queen set.
Have you disconnected the tone pot? That would brighten it up a little bit.
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TBX Tone control pot in place of the 500k pot would make it brighter
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I'm starting to lean towards an Emerald in the bridge, maybe a Rebel Yell, and I want to put a HSP90 in the neck. I'm thinking Mississippi Queen or Nantucket in the neck. Would those be similar in output?
Also, I haven't taken out the tone pot - I have coil split on the tone pot, which I'm disabling when I swap out the pickups.
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If you want a nailbomb but some thing slightly brighter etc the rebel yell is the logical step.
By all means go for the emerald if you fancy it but is had absolutely nothing in common with the nailbomb and would be a complete departure rather than tweaking the nailbomb sound a little.
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I'm not really liking the Nailbomb bridge - it has a bit to much '90s metal sound to it. The neck pickup just doesn't sound good with overdrive/distoriton - I've messed with the pickup heigth 'til I was blue in the face. Emerald might be the thing I'm looking for. Top-end clarity is my thing, I think...
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I'm not really liking the Nailbomb bridge - it has a bit to much '90s metal sound to it. The neck pickup just doesn't sound good with overdrive/distoriton - I've messed with the pickup heigth 'til I was blue in the face. Emerald might be the thing I'm looking for. Top-end clarity is my thing, I think...
Fair enough. I did like the emerald for its clarity and awesome top end but it does lack bottom end IMO.
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I'm not really liking the Nailbomb bridge - it has a bit to much '90s metal sound to it. The neck pickup just doesn't sound good with overdrive/distoriton - I've messed with the pickup heigth 'til I was blue in the face. Emerald might be the thing I'm looking for. Top-end clarity is my thing, I think...
Fair enough. I did like the emerald for its clarity and awesome top end but it does lack bottom end IMO.
So does BKP make a pickup that's moderate in output, has great top end clarity while retaining bottom?
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You want Modern or Vintage tone?
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You want Modern or Vintage tone?
I'm leaning more towards a vintage tone, but suggest me one of each, if you can. :D
The thing is... I'm GAS'ing for an ESP LTD EC-1000VB w. Duncans, and want to modify it with BKP for a vintage tone (probably Riff Raffs), so in the end the MH-1000 would be the modern axe.
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So does BKP make a pickup that's moderate in output, has great top end clarity while retaining bottom?
Cold Sweat.
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So does BKP make a pickup that's moderate in output, has great top end clarity while retaining bottom?
Cold Sweat.
Thats what I was thinking. It would work well in an esp mh1000.
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I've been playing around with my MH-1000 lately, both on my POD HD500X and at band practice on my Orange TH100, and I've realized that I actually kind of like the bridge A-bomb, because it's so responsive and has a lot of bite, I've started contemplating just replacing the neck pickup.
Would the Cold Sweat neck pickup be a good match for the A-bomb in the bridge? Would an Emerald match in output as well? The lack of bottom in the Emerald might be the solution, as the neck Nailbomb is very boomy, no matter how I adjust the height.
Would a HSP90 like the Nantucket or the Mississippi Queen be a good match for the A-bomb?
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Would the Cold Sweat neck pickup be a good match for the A-bomb in the bridge? Would an Emerald match in output as well? The lack of bottom in the Emerald might be the solution, as the neck Nailbomb is very boomy, no matter how I adjust the height.
Would a HSP90 like the Nantucket or the Mississippi Queen be a good match for the A-bomb?
It depends what you`re after. Keep in mind that CS neck has quite a lot of bass and lacks a bit of cut as well. I have one in Dean Caddy and to me if it would have a bit more overall cut it would be a perfect neck pup.
Apparently Emerald neck is more something in between vintage and modern voicing and I presume has more defined, cutting sound while CS to me is more fired up PAF
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Lol, the Nailbomb has never been desribed as boomy before. :smiley:
It does cut through though. I have an A Bomb paired with a Cold Sweat neck in a Les Paul and they match out nicely
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You should also consider the Rebel Yell neck.
Like the CS neck, but a bit brighter.
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Lol, the Nailbomb has never been desribed as boomy before. :smiley:
It does cut through though. I have an A Bomb paired with a Cold Sweat neck in a Les Paul and they match out nicely
The bridge isn't boomy, it's super tight, but the neck is all over the place. I can't seem to adjust it properly. Add to that, it sounds weak when I use overdrive and distortion. I have a Tele with a Piledriver set and a Strat, and both sound awesome when played on the neck pickup with any amount of gain, but the Nailbomb neck just leaves me disappointed.
Nobody has commented on my search for a HSP90. Has noone tried these?
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Ben French of BKP sales support just recommended the VHII neck PU to match the A-bomb bridge. I guess that's it. I hadn't considered it and noone suggested it, but what do you think of this suggestion?
Regards.
Hi Jesper,
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You ask for three things - a PAF tone, something that balances the bridge best, and you are not sure whether you want a humbucker or a P90.
If you want a PAF type tone then you will need a humbucker for sure as they are smoother and more mid focused compared to P90s.
I often recommend the VHII with a Nailbomb bridge. It's not too dark or wallowy, it is very smooth and clean and uses the same wire type and gauge as the Mule and Stormy Monday (so giving it a PAF-like edge). Alnico v magnet will give it the punch and attack. Great in a warmer-bodied guitar such as yours.
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Kind Regards,
Ben French
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In the mh1000 id go for a cold sweat neck. Cold sweat neck sounds ace in mahogony.
EDIT - It matches up perfectly with the nailbomb.
VHii would work but I think the cold sweat is betteer in mahog....vhii for alder etc IMO Cant comment on rebel yell neck.
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In the mh1000 id go for a cold sweat neck. Cold sweat neck sounds ace in mahogony
is it only me, or CS neck might get a bit too dark on lower notes in all mahogany guitar?
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In the mh1000 id go for a cold sweat neck. Cold sweat neck sounds ace in mahogony
is it only me, or CS neck might get a bit too dark on lower notes in all mahogany guitar?
Not only you - I had the same result in a mahogany body/maple cap guitar w/ mahogany neck. The Holydiver neck worked better for me.
Cheers Stephan
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In the mh1000 id go for a cold sweat neck. Cold sweat neck sounds ace in mahogony
is it only me, or CS neck might get a bit too dark on lower notes in all mahogany guitar?
Not only you - I had the same result in a mahogany body/maple cap guitar w/ mahogany neck. The Holydiver neck worked better for me.
Cheers Stephan
That issue is especially highlighted with distortion, for instance starting some solos on lower strings around first 5 frets results in a bassy and dark mush, on the higher registers that pickup shines but still lacks a bit of cut to me. A tiny bit.
I`ve also found that it`s quite loud pickup which:
1. is louder that CBomb bridge and
2. overpowers tonally the bridge pickup in the middle position (which in my case is not a bad thing at all)
On the other hand, cleans are wonderful indeed.
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I can see what you mean but having had a cold sweat neck in several guitars and having owned an mh1000 I think it'd be a good fit.
EDIT - I my self have found the cold sweat neck can lack cut but it depends on the guitar. I'm sure with the John Sykes link BKP intended for it to fit in Les Pauls etc but we all have different ears and tastes.
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I just thought I'd chime in here. I have the Rebel Yell neck in an ESP Eclipse and it is fantastic. I've heard many people say it's like a Cold Sweat neck, but brighter. I can't comment on that as I've never played the CS neck. But the Rebel Yell neck is great for shred. I find when shredding on it, it is tremendous fun. My only downfall is that I now play my Eclipse a lot more than my other guitar which I use for solo work. The downfall being it's harder to play on the higher frets haha. But I discovered these qualities when playing Vinnie Moore style music, as well as Synyster Gates style shred solos. The notes are just super articulate. The strange thing with these pickups is that it makes you play better. But not in a "it makes you work harder" kind of way. I just found, when I was learning the solo to Lifeforce by Vinnie Moore (check it out if you want to know what I mean), I started off at a lower speed and built up. And now when I play the solo, it sounds so smooth, articulate, and clear. I originally thought it must have made me a better player as I originally just thought because they were so clear, it made me aware of my mistakes, so I learnt to play it properly. But then I went to play the solo on my SD Jazz, and it sounded really muddy, and almost like my playing was sloppy. I can't explain it, but I just love the Rebel Yell neck. The thing that's an added bonus is that it has a great feel to it as well for more emotional guitar playing. I just thought I'd add this in anyways :)