Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: downfader on August 19, 2006, 07:47:45 PM

Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: downfader on August 19, 2006, 07:47:45 PM: I know its weird, but have you ever bought a guitar that made you say "this is great, the stock pickups sound fantastic!"

I have and there were only 3 of them. A Korean Epi SG, a Highway 1 Strat and my Palm Bay Typhoon 3. :P

I feel I need to buy a new guitar to butcher for some BKPs to compensate :wink: :D
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Fubar on August 19, 2006, 07:55:39 PM: A JS1000 that I had a few years back but sold (like a dickhead) whilst skint. It was beautiful in every possible respect, look/sound/playability. I still well up when I think about it.

*Stomps off grumbling about parental responsibilty*
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Davey on August 19, 2006, 08:50:00 PM: a candy apple red mexican fender standard sounded PHENOMENAL.

it had everything (but a good pricetag!)

it was realy sweet.

shame that everything is overpriced to hell... which, is slooowly getting rectified. and the good thing about it, ENGLs are on the forefront :D
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: chrisola on August 19, 2006, 11:50:41 PM: Palm Bay

now theres an unusual one!

Love these, NEARLY went for some exotic wood prototype on ebay but didnt...the acoustics are nice aswell.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: _tom_ on August 19, 2006, 11:55:52 PM: My first guitar (Jim Harley strat copy) actually sounds quite nice on the neck and middle pickups, weird to get such a great sound out of such cheap pickups, might even keep em in unless I can be convinced to get BK's :P
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Brow on August 20, 2006, 01:23:28 AM: A 1980s (I think) MIJ 1960s Strat Re-issue had the nicest sounding stock pickups that I've ever heard!

Apart from being a very nice shade of faded Candy Apple Red, it was also only £270! If if've had a job/money at that point, I would've bought it there and then!
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: downfader on August 20, 2006, 12:33:42 PM: Quote from: chrisola
Palm Bay

now theres an unusual one!

Love these, NEARLY went for some exotic wood prototype on ebay but didnt...the acoustics are nice aswell.

I know, though a lot of people have told me to buy genuine brit models, not the korean ones. A Korean company bought the name you see. I have a brit one and it just plays like a dream. I've never been able to track down any others, apart from one on ebay. :?

Quote from: Brow
A 1980s (I think) MIJ 1960s Strat Re-issue had the nicest sounding stock pickups that I've ever heard!

Apart from being a very nice shade of faded Candy Apple Red, it was also only £270! If if've had a job/money at that point, I would've bought it there and then!

Thats cheap! M-Mexican does it? :? Candy Apple has to come with a maple fingerboard, its the law :wink: :lol:
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: gingataff on August 20, 2006, 12:39:04 PM: I heard a guy playing a stock strat today and it was pretty good, actually before I saw it was a strat I honestly thought it was a Gibson semi, it had a beautiful warm neck sound. He played through the other pickups too and they all sounded good. I did notice that they lacked a little harmonic depth and sparkle compared to BKPs though.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: PhilKing on August 20, 2006, 12:54:51 PM: I have a 62 tele and it sounds just the way I want it to with the original pickups. I also have a 60 strat, but Tim did rewind one of the pickups (the windings were loose and the pickup was not working). The other 2 are the originals and they all sound great.

I think that Fender pickups had much more variation than Gibson because they were hand wound for a long time.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Twinfan on August 21, 2006, 08:59:59 AM: My mid 90s Les Paul Junior Special with P-100s sounds great as it is. I know people slate the P-100s for being too treble-y, but this particular slab of mahogany is very midrange-y and it works really well with them.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: blue on August 21, 2006, 02:16:41 PM: people all over the internet slag off gibson pickups, but my gibson MIII sounds fabulous with its stock pickups. of course, i've got exactly the same pickups in a les paul and they sound awful!
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 21, 2006, 02:27:44 PM: i played a JEM555 a couple of weeks back and the Evos in that sounded pretty good, although with the wrong amp settings they sounded very harsh and hurt my ears :(
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: downfader on August 21, 2006, 04:47:58 PM: Quote from: CaffeineJunkie
i played a JEM555 a couple of weeks back and the Evos in that sounded pretty good, although with the wrong amp settings they sounded very harsh and hurt my ears :(

I think Jems are insane. :D They are the devine perversion of what a guitar should be, and I find myself loving them despite the fact I'm more of an SG and strat man. 8)
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 21, 2006, 04:49:30 PM: well, JEMs are the only Ibanez's i like, and thas saying something

...once they've had their middle pickup changed to a sustainer and moved up next to the neck pup :D
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: downfader on August 21, 2006, 05:17:57 PM: I like quite a few Ibanez guitars. Even the Iceman. 8) What I dont like it their need to name almost all the range with silly letters and numbers... just give it a name.. :roll:
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 21, 2006, 05:18:55 PM: you mean something with some kind of meaning??

like the gibson SG??
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Brow on August 21, 2006, 06:13:29 PM: Quote from: CaffeineJunkie
you mean something with some kind of meaning??

like the gibson SG??

Exactly. Gibson Solid Guitar. Seems like a good enough name to me :lol:
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 21, 2006, 06:18:46 PM: that has to be the most ridiculous name on the planet

'solid guitar'

considering the Les Paul was still in production at the time
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: WezV on August 21, 2006, 07:14:00 PM: I thought it was 'standard guitar' but wikipedia and gibsons website seems to agree with you guys.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: downfader on August 21, 2006, 07:29:38 PM: Hmm maybe I should start a thread on pointless guitar names. :lol:

Mind you, "Stratocastor" is pretty weird a name. :lol:
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 21, 2006, 07:32:26 PM: i think the only guitars with decent names are

Les Paul
Broadcaster (now Telecaster)

..... i'm out
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: _tom_ on August 21, 2006, 07:34:17 PM: Dean Razorback? Well it is pointy...
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: downfader on August 21, 2006, 07:35:27 PM: Les Pauls, I have to say, I hate the stereotypical goldtop or '58/'59 mahogany top design. I've really gone off the way they look for some reason. :roll: Maybe its saturation and all that?

Didnt fender or vox do a "teardrop" guitar. Now thats a cool name! 8)
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 21, 2006, 07:36:36 PM: :P
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: OD-Black_Fire on August 21, 2006, 07:43:55 PM: That's hot.

I played a Jimmy page signature Les Paul, it needed no pickup change. It was amazing. Best feeling guitar I've felt. That's amazing considering I like my ESP LTD EC-1000 ($700 guitar) better than most Gibson Les Pauls.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: downfader on August 21, 2006, 10:06:33 PM: Quote from: CaffeineJunkie
:P

Spanish Luthier?

I quite like the work of Neil Morgan of Morgan Custom Guitars :P :P He does LP style, though he's usually asked to keep things traditional from the looks of the website. You wanna see his tele style guitar with a bigsby :wink:
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 21, 2006, 10:07:55 PM: nope

the wonders of warmoth
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: JJretroTONEGOD on August 21, 2006, 11:51:17 PM: My favourite Les Paul tone over them all is Page's. Epecially when you hear live Led Zep stuff aka that box set with the desert pic on the front : ) that live DVD gives me goosepimples evertime I watch it FISHY! COME HERE, LOOK......HOBBITSIS ARE TTTTTRRRAAAAATOOOOOOR! (no seriously)
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 22, 2006, 03:51:59 AM: Page could get that tone out of ANYthing

and he regularly does

disk 2, during Kashmir (i think) he plays a strat, and it still sounds just as good as the Les Paul, and still is pure Page
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Twinfan on August 22, 2006, 08:41:09 AM: Quote from: CaffeineJunkie
that has to be the most ridiculous name on the planet

'solid guitar'

considering the Les Paul was still in production at the time

Wrong. SG replaced the Les Paul name in 1961/62. The original SGs were called Les Pauls as they replaced the LP we know and love. Les didn't like the new design and took his name off it.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: downfader on August 22, 2006, 05:05:34 PM: Quote from: JJretroTONEGOD
My favourite Les Paul tone over them all is Page's. Epecially when you hear live Led Zep stuff aka that box set with the desert pic on the front : ) that live DVD gives me goosepimples evertime I watch it FISHY! COME HERE, LOOK......HOBBITSIS ARE TTTTTRRRAAAAATOOOOOOR! (no seriously)

My fave LP sounds have to be off the GnR stuff. :P Superb! :D
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Bainzy on August 23, 2006, 01:13:38 AM: How about this for a Les Paul? Burled maple top. This is by some guy on the Les Paul Forum, it was the first guitar he ever built by the way. Pretty damn good job if you ask me!

(http://home.comcast.net/~nick.morgan/damaris.jpg)
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 23, 2006, 01:48:52 AM: meh, i'm not a huge fan of sunburst finishes
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: blue on August 23, 2006, 01:49:50 AM: looks more like spalted maple? burled is all mad figuring all over the place, like birdseye+flamed+loony tree builder with a crayon!
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 23, 2006, 01:50:32 AM: nope, other way round, burl is the 'quiet'-er of the two
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: blue on August 23, 2006, 01:57:12 AM: head on over to nathansheppardguitars.com and look in materials, woods, you'll find a picture of burled maple. then go to the gallery and look at the nsg1, that is burled maple, which is kinda like i described above!

(sits back, looks smug...)
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 23, 2006, 02:05:30 AM: i've seen it

see below, spalted maple from my next guitar, much more 'crazy' than the burl maple

*sits back*

*looks more smug*
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: blue on August 23, 2006, 02:40:08 AM: yep, nice. i didn't say spalted wasn't funky, but i wouldn't call burled the quieter one! anyway, i still say that les paul is spalted.

i think flamed, quilted, birdseye and burl all happen in live trees, while spalted is a diseased tree, that's then preserved. i think i read that on either dean or washburn's site.

and no, i don't mean your guitar's diseased! that looks cool, i hope it gets built.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 23, 2006, 02:46:11 AM: Quote from: blue
yep, nice. i didn't say spalted wasn't funky, but i wouldn't call burled the quieter one! anyway, i still say that les paul is spalted.

i think the Les Paul just has less variations than most spalted / burl maple

Quote from: blue
i think flamed, quilted, birdseye and burl all happen in live trees, while spalted is a diseased tree, that's then preserved. i think i read that on either dean or washburn's site.

yeah i know, i think i read the same from the warmoth website

Quote from: blue

and no, i don't mean your guitar's diseased! that looks cool, i hope it gets built.

cheers, need some money first however.....
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Searcher on August 23, 2006, 03:15:59 AM: Looks more like spalted maple to me, too. Just in case we're taking a vote.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Bainzy on August 23, 2006, 11:35:42 AM: Quote from: blue
looks more like spalted maple? burled is all mad figuring all over the place, like birdseye+flamed+loony tree builder with a crayon!

Sorry yeh I meant spalted, no idea why I said burled :?
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: gingataff on August 23, 2006, 03:18:25 PM: It's spalted :wink:
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: JamesHealey on August 29, 2006, 08:07:47 AM: huh???? I like swamp ash :?
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: _tom_ on August 29, 2006, 10:38:36 AM: Quote from: Bainzy
How about this for a Les Paul? Burled maple top. This is by some guy on the Les Paul Forum, it was the first guitar he ever built by the way. Pretty damn good job if you ask me!

(http://home.comcast.net/~nick.morgan/damaris.jpg)

That looks really nice, I prefer LP's with a nice grain rather than quilted/flamed wood.
Title: Re: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Peter Antal on August 29, 2006, 01:04:06 PM: Quote from: downfader
I know its weird, but have you ever bought a guitar that made you say "this is great, the stock pickups sound fantastic!"

Yeah, my '59 LP sounds great with the PAF's. :roll:
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: JJretroTONEGOD on August 29, 2006, 05:15:06 PM: Quote from: CaffeineJunkie
Page could get that tone out of ANYthing

and he regularly does

disk 2, during Kashmir (i think) he plays a strat, and it still sounds just as good as the Les Paul, and still is pure Page

ermmm, not exactly, he uses an original vintage 50's Les Paul, for 95 percent of his stuff, it's more to do with the guitar's natural tone, and also the fact that he used some of the best valve amps ever made, including orange and early vintage marshall plexi heads. It's very very hard to get bad sounds out of them kind of amps, they're tone monsters!

Dont forget he'll use the very best of the best even when he plays on strats, which is very rare. Only ever seen him playing a tele, in 1968, a strat ONCE and a danelectro, oh and a double neck SG for stairway to heaven. He does seem to mainly play a les paul though, which was my original point.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: _tom_ on August 29, 2006, 05:53:59 PM: ^Isnt Zeppelin I all Telecaster though?
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on August 29, 2006, 05:55:03 PM: think so
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: JJretroTONEGOD on August 29, 2006, 08:23:45 PM: Quote from: _tom_
^Isnt Zeppelin I all Telecaster though?

I dont know? you tell me, is it? I know he uses a tele on the recording 'Communication Breakdown' I can tell from the tone. Wouldnt really know about the rest of the album. p.s. I so love the riff in 'Dased and confused' and the SOLO, that's real rock n roll! I'm gonna go listen to it know full blast hehehe ; )
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: _tom_ on August 29, 2006, 08:30:55 PM: haha I dont know either, I think I read somewhere it is though but could be wrong. I think I'll go listen to Dazed and Confused now aswell :P
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: fps_dean on September 05, 2006, 10:10:29 AM: Quote from: Fubar
A JS1000 that I had a few years back but sold (like a dickhead) whilst skint. It was beautiful in every possible respect, look/sound/playability. I still well up when I think about it.

*Stomps off grumbling about parental responsibilty*

I was going to say that. And I have a RG 2550 I'm doing work on with the Satriani pup set (FRED-PAF Pro) that's the same way after the pup swap.

Also my Carvin DC127 with the stock C22 pickups set.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: fps_dean on September 05, 2006, 10:11:26 AM: Quote from: CaffeineJunkie
i played a JEM555 a couple of weeks back and the Evos in that sounded pretty good, although with the wrong amp settings they sounded very harsh and hurt my ears :(

Yeah Evos don't work with everything but when they do, they sound awesome. I really like their sound with older Marshalls myself, from the beginning to the JCM 900s.
Title: Guitars that dont need BKPs *shock*
Post by: Philly Q on September 05, 2006, 11:40:39 AM: Quote from: _tom_
^Isnt Zeppelin I all Telecaster though?

It certainly is. And most interesting of all, the solo on "Stairway" is also Tele. I think Page got rid of the Tele he used on the first album (the psychedelic-patterned '58 ), but he always had a couple of others, including at least one with a Parsons/White B-bender and one which is a weird colour called Botswana Brown.

The Les Paul was his main live guitar, but on record he always used other things too. There's one recording I know is definitely a Strat - the solo on "In The Evening" where he makes a weird and amazing noise with the whammy bar.