Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Tusko on October 15, 2006, 01:24:28 PM

Title: Which BKP's to choose? Help/Tone advice please!!
Post by: Tusko on October 15, 2006, 01:24:28 PM

Ok, I have narrowed it down to either a Nailbomb or Cold Sweat pickup in the bridge of my Les Paul studio.

I`ll be tuing the guitar to C# and want maximum clarity and 'clunk' for palm mutes and chugging riffs - with liberal doses of pinch harmonics.

Now, Iv'e had a bad experience in the past with the Dimarzio evolution as a ceramic magnet...it had such a brittle tone - and almost put me off ceramic PU's for good. I was leaning towards an Alnico V as I realy do not like a harsh top end, prefering warm, smooth highs.

So I`m not sure out of these two, the Nailbomb seems to perhaps a little bit more of a Metal pickup, whilst the Cold Sweat has a vintage vibe to it - abeit hot-rodded!

Riff-wise I`m very much into bands like High On Fire, Church of Misery, Crowbar,Cathedral, Corrosion of Conformity and Black Sabbath.

and ampwise, I`m running an Orange Rockerverb 100 with matching 4x12 (vintage 30 celestion loaded.)

What can users tell me about tonal differences between the two pickups above?

Title: Which BKP's to choose? Help/Tone advice please!!
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on October 15, 2006, 05:57:42 PM

For downtuned doom/stoner, I would seriously consider the Miracle Man over both the Cold Sweat or the Nailbomb. If you have your heart set on one of those two, however, I would say Cold Sweat.

The Miracle Man will give you a tone closer to Trouble or Candlemass, who I consider two of the best of the doom bands out there.

The Cold Sweat will give you a lot of the same midrange push as the Miracle Man, without as much umph at the frequency extremes.

Edit: Sorry, didn't notice that you wanted a comparison with the Nailbomb, as well. The bass will be a bit fuller with the Nailbomb, without as much of that stop-on-a-dime response you get with a ceramic magnet.

Title: Which BKP's to choose? Help/Tone advice please!!
Post by: Tusko on October 15, 2006, 06:29:38 PM

Thanks, but I have a feeling the MM pickups will be a tad too trebley for my tastes. I`ll get an opinion from Tim in the next few days, and ulitmately place my order!

Title: Which BKP's to choose? Help/Tone advice please!!
Post by: Tim on October 15, 2006, 11:43:44 PM

The Nailbomb is always a good choice for serious detuned riffage as it really keeps the tone clear too.Of course the other choice is a Warpig-Doug at Black Machine guitars, probably the leading authority on extended scale guitars and builder of many axes primarily for detuned playing, swears by Warpigs and Nailbombs.

Title: Which BKP's to choose? Help/Tone advice please!!
Post by: JamesHealey on October 16, 2006, 08:33:12 AM

i'd go with tims, nailbomb suggestion.