Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: octavio_amzer on October 07, 2006, 12:39:01 PM
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discuss :)
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Yes, there is nothing better. Period. Thread over :P
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I think sex and octopuses are better much better than anybodys guitar pickups (obviously not at the same time though).
Though MKPs do rate much higher than either Birmingham or oven ready chips.
That really was a silly question.
Rob...
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I think sex and octopuses are better much better than anybodys guitar pickups (obviously not at the same time though).
wow. *police siren*
:lol:
I'm guessing the elixir of life would be better too.
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As far as guitar pickups go (c'mon guys!)
Its a matter of taste.
I like BKPs the best of what I've tried. As will pretty much everyone here. I think thats testement to the fact that Tim just makes pickups sound as good as he possibly can, and thats that.
However, lets just say that were there WCR, Wolfetone, lollar, fralin, bill lawrence or kinman forums and you posted this there you'd get a lot of "I like them, but they arent as good as ______"
You can go over to the duncan boards and ask them there, if you like. You'll get some yes's and some no's.
It really is just opnion.
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In the two guitars I have BKPs, they sound great and better than the stock pups - that's why I have a thrid on the way. I've not tried others in the same guitars, so to say they're better for me than anything else would be a guess. However, I'm very happy with the tone so I see no reason to investigate further ;)
There was a thread a while back entitled "guitars that don't need BKPs" (or something similar). There are people here on the board who in particular guitars are happy with another brand. It's all about what's best for a certain application.
(Yes, I myself do have a non-BKP guitar that will stay that way. Sorry Tim :oops:)
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Well it was such an open question it was literally the only way I could answer it.
Iv'e only played other peoples BKP equipped guitars (atm) and there seems to be a better sound from them, but I can only say that I prefer them not that they are the best.
Sometimes I get a little picky about semantics, but only when they are likely to lead people into trouble (as is often the case on other guitar pickup forums)
Rob...
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I think sex and octopuses are better much better than anybodys guitar pickups (obviously not at the same time though).
Rob...
Am I the only one who read that as 'Sex With Octopuses'? :?
And since I got my first BK (Bridge Miracle Man) installed , I'm finding it hard to believe there is anyone who could make something better sounding than these
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Best/Better?
The best is always 'yet to be discovered'. Would Jeff Beck sound better playing BKP's? NO, he would sound like, hmmmm, Jeff Beck :)
I own and ADORE my BKP's, and in measure due to Tim's service, ethos and skill.
However, in a parrallel universe should I become a famous guitarist would I want to be known to be a BKP player? or Myself?
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my opinnion..
best sounding pickups i ever had the pleasure playing through
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Would Jeff Beck sound better playing BKP's? NO, he would sound like, hmmmm, Jeff Beck :)
I know exactly what you mean, but he still might sound better to his own ears.
I can listen to other people's sound clips all day long, but I can never really get a feel for what a pickup (or guitar, or amp) actually sounds like until I play it myself. Even if my playing is 100 times worse than theirs.
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Would Jeff Beck sound better playing BKP's? NO, he would sound like, hmmmm, Jeff Beck :)
I know exactly what you mean, but he still might sound better to his own ears.
I can listen to other people's sound clips all day long, but I can never really get a feel for what a pickup (or guitar, or amp) actually sounds like until I play it myself. Even if my playing is 100 times worse than theirs.
spot on Philly..
thats why online sound clips and stuff are no real guide... just as online reviews no matter how techincally accurate they might be are no subsitute for the real thing.
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I think sex and octopuses are better much better than anybodys guitar pickups (obviously not at the same time though).
Rob...
Am I the only one who read that as 'Sex With Octopuses'? :?
Apparently not but unfortunitely I didn't (wish I had now (no not really))
Ad for the pickup business Davey sums it up as far as I am concerned.
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I think old Marshalls are better than BKPs, and so are select Ibanez, Gibson, ESP, Jackson and Carvin guitars as well... pickup wise, I don't think there is though.
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I think BKP pickups are, at the least, some of the best I've heard and I think that the level of customer support (particularly the personal recommendations from Tim) is superior. I'm sure other people also make very good pickups, but one feels confident from the start that BKP is doing their best to get you pickups that will do all that pickups can do to get you closer to the tone in your head. They're a tough act to beat! :)
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They're very very good. Best means nothing for me. There is other great PU makers, as interesting as BKP. Nothing wrong with that!
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Do i think BKP are the highest quality of construction and use the best parts they can get?.. yes!
do I think they are the best pickups in the world, well no! I think the Cold Sweat neck can get a bit bassy, the Nailbomb Bridge doesnt do cleans tones too well imo, the Miracle Man Bridge can be a bit overpowering with the bass frequencies on some amps..
The VHII is absolutly perfect!!! imho, nothing better i've ever heard.. I think the VHII is the best pickup in the world..
if that makes any sense, it's all down to opinion.. they're the best pickups i've tried as of yet and I think the VHII is absolutely perfect in every way, so yea i'll always be BKP user and will happily try other pickups by tim, im going for a Mule and Mothers Milk HSS combo for a strat next year which I think will be amazing I hope ;)
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I think BKP pickups are, at the least, some of the best I've heard and I think that the level of customer support (particularly the personal recommendations from Tim) is superior. I'm sure other people also make very good pickups, but one feels confident from the start that BKP is doing their best to get you pickups that will do all that pickups can do to get you closer to the tone in your head. They're a tough act to beat! :)
Agreed, although sex with octopusses is kinda appealing. Just thinking about all those tentacles lovingly carressing your...ahem...Yeah, BKP's are nice. :oops:
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My old bicycle is better than nothing and nothing is better than a BKP(except maybe 2 or 3), therefore my old bike is better than a BKP????
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My old bicycle is better than nothing and nothing is better than a BKP(except maybe 2 or 3), therefore my old bike is better than a BKP????
Interesting point. Logically you're right but I think that's just related to a flawed English expression.
I mean this is becoming quite philosophical now, which is the right level to discuss pickup issues, but let's just say your rusty bike is NOT better than a BKP. So maybe we should say:
BKPs are better than anything.
Does this work?
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I think we should distinguish between different types of pickups. Actives and passives, hi and low impedance designs, etc. I wouldn't compare a BK humbucker to a Q-tuner for instance. Both are 'perfect' in certain ways - you need to know what you want to achieve with a pickup, right? - yet very very different.
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these days there a few of very good P/u manufacturers. BKPs are truly special but I can count at least another 3 or 4 really special P/u winders out there.
Tim has always been good to me and I've had 3 sets already. Loved them all. Many other pickups out there are sweet as well.
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Threadnocmancy is a crime!
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At the end of the day, it's the playing that counts, not the pickups.
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I think BKP pickups are, at the least, some of the best I've heard and I think that the level of customer support (particularly the personal recommendations from Tim) is superior. I'm sure other people also make very good pickups, but one feels confident from the start that BKP is doing their best to get you pickups that will do all that pickups can do to get you closer to the tone in your head. They're a tough act to beat! :)
Agreed. When my friend had reported how Tim personally suggested models and allowed anyone to email him, that's when I seriously considered getting some for myself. I was pretty sure I wanted diMarzios, seen as that's what most of my heroes play and they are easy and cheap to get. But several clips and testimonies turned me around.
I do have a guitar where I'll keep the pickups stock. But that's mostly because it doesn't have a backplate so getting a soldering iron in there would be close to impossible. Plus the no-brander pickups are good enough.
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Yeah, thats another thing: tone asside for a moment, the service you get from BKP is so far beyond any other pickup company I've used/dealt with they're dots on the horizon, including other hand-winding operations.
Thats a huge reason I keep buying them: Tim is absurdly knowledgable, very open with that information (unlike some others I've dealt with: I dont like cageyness; makes me wonder what they're hiding!) and sticks by his customers after the sale and is generally a great guy to deal with.
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Threadnocmancy is a crime!
Or is it threadnophilia? :? :wink:
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My old bicycle is better than nothing and nothing is better than a BKP(except maybe 2 or 3), therefore my old bike is better than a BKP????
Interesting point. Logically you're right but I think that's just related to a flawed English expression.
I mean this is becoming quite philosophical now, which is the right level to discuss pickup issues, but let's just say your rusty bike is NOT better than a BKP. So maybe we should say:
BKPs are better than anything.
Does this work?
actually, the flaw in his logic was the saying nothing is better than a BKP. although a commonly used phrase (nothing is better than a ...) it actually is used wrong. this implies that since nothing is better than a BKP, literally "nothing" > BKP, or technically speaking it means it would be better to have nothing than a BKP. (why do we use this phrase, it should be opposite!)
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it actually is used wrong. this implies that since nothing is better than a BKP, literally "nothing" > BKP, or technically speaking it means it would be better to have nothing than a BKP. (why do we use this phrase, it should be opposite!)
I think you meant to say "wrongly used" or "used wrongly", sort it out or nobody will listen to a word you say ever again. :wink: :roll:
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I personally think any piece of gear is as good as the one using it. Therefore BKP's are just a tool to create, nothing more and nothing less. There is nothing better about the brushes used by a master painter, they are just brushes. Still a master painter will adapt to certain flaws a brush has, he will use different techniques while painting with certain brushes and along comes true craftmanship. A good guitar player with bad gear will outplay any starting player with top notch stuff.
This discussion makes me think about the tools i have now, and how my preferences have evolved. One thing im sure of though, when i buy BKP pickups i will be hopeing for something unique that will make me want to master its characteristics, hopefully make me work them so hard ill end up with bare nuckles.
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POKER 8)
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I can't honestly answer the question of this thread. I haven't tried all pickup brands on the planet. There are several small pickup winders that use scatterwinding and high grade parts. Also, there are plenty of pickups that BKP doesn't offer. Filtertrons, Dyna's, lipstick tubes, Jag and jazzmaster style pickups to name but a few. So it's unfair to compare my TV Jones pickups to BKP's.
The BKP's I have are excellent. They match me and my guitars, they're not muddy or harsh or anything that would compromise the tone.
When it comes to humbuckers, tele/strat single coils or P90's, BKP can prvide you with the tone YOU want. Add to that the excellent customer service. I think THAT is what it's all about.
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When it comes to humbuckers, tele/strat single coils or P90's, BKP can prvide you with the tone YOU want. Add to that the excellent customer service. I think THAT is what it's all about.
Yeah, but the quality of amplified tone is the most important thing for an electric guitar.
For example: if you want to play like Angus Young, you need a vintage Marshall amp and cranking the thing up. With BAD pickups, you can't get that sound.
BKP's let you use the tone/volume knobs without losing clarity. That's a great thing for a serious guitarist.
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I think they are awesome and customer service is one of the main factors that sets them apart from other manufacturers. Also bareknuckles have very good clarity. Fralin P90's do look awesome though. BKP ftw!!
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No pickups are better than BKP's. There are no pickups in my classical and I like it more than my electric guitar, haha.
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it actually is used wrong. this implies that since nothing is better than a BKP, literally "nothing" > BKP, or technically speaking it means it would be better to have nothing than a BKP. (why do we use this phrase, it should be opposite!)
I think you meant to say "wrongly used" or "used wrongly", sort it out or nobody will listen to a word you say ever again. :wink: :roll:
actually, i think what i said was correct. it's weird, although wrongly is the adverb of wrong, wrong can also be used as an adverb.
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it actually is used wrong. this implies that since nothing is better than a BKP, literally "nothing" > BKP, or technically speaking it means it would be better to have nothing than a BKP. (why do we use this phrase, it should be opposite!)
I think you meant to say "wrongly used" or "used wrongly", sort it out or nobody will listen to a word you say ever again. :wink: :roll:
actually, i think what i said was correct. it's weird, although wrongly is the adverb of wrong, wrong can also be used as an adverb.
...but it just can't. lol
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it actually is used wrong. this implies that since nothing is better than a BKP, literally "nothing" > BKP, or technically speaking it means it would be better to have nothing than a BKP. (why do we use this phrase, it should be opposite!)
I think you meant to say "wrongly used" or "used wrongly", sort it out or nobody will listen to a word you say ever again. :wink: :roll:
actually, i think what i said was correct. it's weird, although wrongly is the adverb of wrong, wrong can also be used as an adverb.
...but it just can't. lol
now i'm confused. what can't. i double checked the dictionary. wrong can be used as an adverb. what is this, english class?
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I think I said enough on the Ultimate Guitar forum, hahahahaha :D
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As far as hot humbuckers go, I've not tried anything that outshines BKPs - the Nailbomb, Crawler, Miracle Man and Warpigs I've had have all been excellent at high-gain tones. In the end I settled on the Nailbomb as it's the most versatile (imo).
For PAF-types, I have Mules in my LP and they're great but I also have a Duncan '59 neck humbucker in my Explorer that is fantastic. I've also had PAF-types from other manufacturers that were just as good as Mules, but had their own slant on the PAF thing. I'm currently very interested in hearing the Peter Green set that Shed Pickups offer.
:twisted:
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i guess this thread may not need another opinion, but i'll give mine anyway ;) ;)
i think other pickups /could/ be better than a bkp. i will not buy any new non-scatterwound pickups anymore at least.
the handwinding process does give that extra bit of complexity and life to the sound, and i think its very noticeable when recording.
so yes, i'm convinced about handwinding and using the best materials. now i think other pickup manufacturers could be as good at doing what bkp does. but in practise, the service that tim offers (old fashioned customer service, with specialist expertise, lots of research, genuine love of electric guitars) and his range of products makes them more effective as company.
bkps are more expensive than some handwinders, and cheaper than others. i dont know what a fair price is considering the materials and labour, but in the market place for boutique pickups bkp is in the middle.
regarding non-handwound pickups (seymour duncan, dimarzio)... with experimentation, i think its possible to get quality balanced tones which fit to the situation. that may mean going through a few sets though unless you get lucky. with bkps suggested by tim, i got the tone i wanted straightaway... when i've tried to experiment on my own i got it wrong though ;)
even the cheapest, £5 on ebay nastiest chinese made pickup will actually make a noise. so in that respect bkps are actually really bad value ;)
different price points, different performance
edit (some more):
i brought pickups from two other handwinders.... quality items every one of them. but even if they were suggested by the experts of that company, they weren't exactly what i wanted tonewise. tim's experience, research, and i guess his skill at understanding what his customers are asking for does mean if you listen to him you have every chance of getting it right first time.
i will probably try other companies again as experiments (and why not?), but i'll always come back to bkp.
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BKP's provide great tone and stuff it's already been said.
IMO it's just down to what works in the guitar, if you buy a BKP and it's not completely what you wanted in that guitar then you may go and have a look to see what Seymour Duncan or DiMarzio have to offer.
Having said that in all the guitars i have had BKP's in, they have worked great and you'll have a hard time finding a BKP that doesn't work very well in a guitar.
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nescau is better than BKPs
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The best pickup is the one that makes your guitar sound more like you want it. For my part, I haven't yet found a pickup that makes my guitar sound more like I want than the BKPs it's currently got! :)