Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: screamingdaisy on April 01, 2006, 09:39:32 AM
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I recently bought a Les Paul that came with some 80s Gibson pickup and a Duncan JB. I'm not thrilled about the Gibson pup, and I hate JBs.
I play through a Boogie MkIII and Laney GH100TI, so I have plenty of gain and thus no need to push the amp. I play primarily doom/sludge metal with a good helping of Grunge, Stoner, and Punk. I don't want compressed pickups. I spend alot of time in C#.
In the neck I'm looking for something that's low output yet smooth. I guess you could say that I'm after a blues rock tone that's sort of Santana-ish, but with more top end. I'd like the treble strings to sound more solid/piano-ish rather than thin/raspy.
In the bridge I'd like enough output to balance the neck. When overdriven I'd like a pickup that chunks rather than crunches, yet has a fast/articulate attack.
Just for reference, I have and like a Duncan 59/Custom 5 set in another LP, but I find them to have a somewhat harsh/scratchy top end. My favorite neck pickup is an EMG 85.....I would love that sound in a low output passive. I have a DiMz Super Distortion in one guitar and find it a bit too bassy for what I'm going for, and way too compressed.
Thanks.
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I'd go for a Mule. Its the classic LP sound. I have a pair in my Epi LP and they sound amazing.
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I think you just despcribed the Crawler set. They're very good with lower tunings. There's a very nice clip of that in Player section.
http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2988
The neck Crawler does an excellent Santana and certainly isn't raspy.
These pickups have plenty of chunk. They're not crunchy like the VHII, for example.
Crawlers were designed as a bluesrock pickup but there's so much more to them.
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That's a tough one... I'd e-mail Tim with this just to be sure. He knows his stuff perfectly.
There's an exchange warranty (maybe 14 days, but I'm not sure), if you don't like the pickups, so you can be sure to find the ones that suit your style.
Finally, welcome to the forum. :)
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Hmmm.
The Mule is the set I'm looking most seriously at. I was also interested in possibly using a Crawler in the bridge.....not too sure what I'd think of that one in the neck.
I'm assuming that the Mule more or less sound like an early Gibson PAF?
How open is the Crawler? Is it very compressed sounding? Is it a scooped or middy sounding pickup?
I'll shoot Tim an email later, but I figured I'd get the easy questions answered here first.
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P.S. - They'll be going in this bad boy ('69 Les Paul Deluxe (modified));
(http://home.cogeco.ca/~screamingdaisy2/69_lp_gold.jpg)
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Nailbombs might be your thing? Best ask the man himself!
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The Mules are very open and articulate. They're designed to give you less mud in the neck and less harshness in the bridge than many of the Les Paul pickups made by Gibson. What's impressive is that they don't go too far - the neck is still rounded and fruity; the bridge still has plenty of bite.
In my Eggle (which is a 24 fret guitar, so the pickups are closer together than on a 22-fretter) the tonal range between the two Mules is just massive - you really have a great palette of tones just by using your three-way toggle switch.
When I e-mailed Tim he said the Crawlers sounded like a higher output version of the Mules. I'm guessing they're a little more compressed as a result, but others may prove me wrong.
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For the stoner/sludge/doom type sound, I would HIGHLY recommend a set of Black Dog's (mid city) or Emerald's (brighter but punchy) in an LP type guitar...
But then again, I would say that... ;)
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wow AWESOME guitar dude
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For the stoner/sludge/doom type sound, I would HIGHLY recommend a set of Black Dog's (mid city) or Emerald's (brighter but punchy) in an LP type guitar...
But then again, I would say that... ;)
Those Black Dogs seem kinda interesting.....probably not as compressed as the Crawlers. I'll have to find some soundclips on them.
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one of the most recent ones was black dogs in the players section... - 'hunter' did em.... if you keep looking through the thread theres like 4 more clips after the initial one... all excellent tone
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I'd go for a Mule. Its the classic LP sound. I have a pair in my Epi LP and they sound amazing.
Those clips in your acidplanet account;
http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=357940&T=5312
Were they all done with Mules?
I was checking out this thread;
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=873
And that's exactly the sort of clean I'm looking for. I'm assuming those were done with your neck pickup?
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I'd go for a Mule. Its the classic LP sound. I have a pair in my Epi LP and they sound amazing.
Those clips in your acidplanet account;
http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=357940&T=5312
Were they all done with Mules?
I was checking out this thread;
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=873
And that's exactly the sort of clean I'm looking for. I'm assuming those were done with your neck pickup?
Yeah, they were all done with Mules, and yeah the Tool one was done on the neck pickup for cleans, and bridge for the distorted bit. Trust me they sound much better through a real amp :D Also got some newer clips on my soundclick: www.soundclick.com/tomrogersuk
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Yup.....that's exactly what I want.
Though I'm thinking about putting a Black Dog or Crawler in one of my Strats now, but I can only afford so much at a time. :? :)
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Hi Daisy,
Your initial description is very precise and telling, why don't you send this to Tim by email (sales@bareknucklepickups.co.uk), I'm sure he knows exactly which pair/combination is right for you.
Nice guitar!!
CJ
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I just did, thanks.
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Hmmm.
How open is the Crawler? Is it very compressed sounding? Is it a scooped or middy sounding pickup?
The Crawler is more compressed than a Mule but I find them open enough to do a reasonable AC/DC impression. They have a very strong midrange but isn't muddy at all.
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Hi Screaming I have a set of zebra Mules in my Les Paul and a set of Crawlers in my Flying V check out http://photos.wanadoo.co.uk/album/2324601.
The Mules I find do have a more classic tone and are lower output than the Crawlers.Both pups are versatile with a good range and will cover your stuff no problem imho but the guys in here will give you a better idea.
cheers
keith
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Hi Screaming I have a set of zebra Mules in my Les Paul and a set of Crawlers in my Flying V check out http://photos.wanadoo.co.uk/album/2324601.
The Mules I find do have a more classic tone and are lower output than the Crawlers.Both pups are versatile with a good range and will cover your stuff no problem imho but the guys in here will give you a better idea.
cheers
keith
I notice you're rocking a TSL.
Do you find that with the Mules you're still able to hit heavy metal levels of gain (Sabbath, Deep Purple), or do you find you need the extra oomph of the Crawlers?
I'm starting to wonder....I spent today messing around with my other LP (Duncan 59/Custom 5) and the bridge was hitting the perfect level of crunch/chunk for what I want. I think I might go for a Mule in the neck and something with more kick in the bridge.
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How much bottom end would you say the Black Dogs and Crawlers have? It's pretty important to me that my bridge sounds fat but not boomy.
For instance, the Duncan Custom is too middy, the Custom 5 is perfect but a little harsh on the top end, and the DiMarzio Super Distortion is too boomy.
Although the Custom 5 run through about 30 feet of decent cable bleeds off enough top end that it sounds about perfect.
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After talking to Tim via email;
Mule neck, Rebel Yell bridge.
Clip (http://home.cogeco.ca/~screamingdaisy2/S.S.%20B.K%20Heavy.mp3) = F*ck ya!
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After talking to Tim via email;
Mule neck, Rebel Yell bridge.
Clip (http://home.cogeco.ca/~screamingdaisy2/S.S.%20B.K%20Heavy.mp3) = F*ck ya!
That sounds awesome. You allready got your BK's?
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Wicked sounding clip man!!
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You allready got your BK's?
I wish!
The clip was given to me by Tim.....listening to it sold me on the spot as that is the exact tone I was after. That agressive grind right in between crunch and chunk.
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Oh right cool. The tone was awesome in that clip.
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Smokin'. I would have joined in recommending something in the Mule>Black Dog>Abraxas/Crawler range, but then I haven't heard many Rebel Yell clips. But as you now know, talking to Tim will generally sort you out! :)
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That clip was awesome.
Good luck selecting the right set. I'm about to install my Crawlers into my Tokai and hoping for similar results :)
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After talking to Tim via email;
Mule neck, Rebel Yell bridge.
Clip (http://home.cogeco.ca/~screamingdaisy2/S.S.%20B.K%20Heavy.mp3) = F*ck ya!
THAT CLIP $%&#ING ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEED THOSE PUPS.