Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: darkandrew on December 01, 2019, 05:30:21 PM
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I've recently swapped a Nailbomb set into a different guitar, still an ESP Eclipse but this one is more "middy" and not as bright as my others for some reason, so I'm thinking of changing the Nailbomb's alnico magnet to a ceramic one to counter this "middyness" and give it more bite. However, I'm worried that if I do this I'll also lose some bottom end. Thoughts please.
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I have one of each magnet of the Nailbomb in both my Les Paul's. But I'm switching one of them out as I don't like the lack of mid-range cut.
I would say the Ceramic version has tighter bass, the Alnico one more loose but I like it my other LP for some reason.
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I have one of each magnet of the Nailbomb in both my Les Paul's. But I'm switching one of them out as I don't like the lack of mid-range cut.
I would say the Ceramic version has tighter bass, the Alnico one more loose but I like it my other LP for some reason.
By "tighter" bass, do you mean less bass, and therefore less "chunk" (if you know what I mean)?
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Yeah kinda, palm mutes just don't have that tight "chock-chock" that other ones seem to do.
I thought I'd like it but as I play in drop tunings alot its just not doing it for me atm.
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The ceramic magnet gives more high-end cut and a tighter bottom end chunk but cuts mids and then palm-mutes don't sound as full. Alnico is better for doom metal and leads, and this can also be enough of an advantage in some other styles that the slight tightness advantage of the C8 over the A5 is not worth the loss in other areas or the extra brightness, which can be a bit much and kills lead tone
Nailbomb comparison:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2kvQkpz5sM
The effect of the magnet swap is quite consistent, and can be seen with the Black Hawk as well. I bought the A5 Blackhawk twice and I've always been happy with the A5 Nailbomb, but I am a doom metal player who wanders into death metal or black metal territory now and then.
Black Hawk comparison:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qacdnnbe2k
The acoustic qualities of the guitar will also affect how the pickup sounds. I had the A-Bomb in an Epiphone Explorer (Limba /Maple w rosewood / TOM, 24.75") and the A-Hawks in Schecter superstrats (mahogany body / bolt maple w rosewood / floyd rose & mahogany / mahogany set w ebony / string-through TOM, 25.5"). The only variable that didn't change was string set, D'Addario EXL117 (string tension slightly higher on the Schecters). The A-Hawk bridge is my preference, just because it's less hairy and sits in the mix better with a two guitar band when I'm doing rhythms, and has a very nice lead sound
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Thanks for your input guys. I'm still in two minds about swapping the magnets or not. For now I've bypassed the tone circuit (pot and cap) and that seems to have brightened the top end a bit.
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You could try to raise the pole pieces in the brigde pickup or raise the pick up a little bit it will brighten up, never tryed the ceramics but love the alnico nailbombs