Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: BigBassBob on December 28, 2006, 02:06:16 AM
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Hi guys, have been looking at the forums for a while but only just bothered to make an account lol. BTW, guitar isn't my first instrument, I primarily play bass so lay off the bass jokes please :shock: :lol:
I recently bought a Gibson '67 reissue V and despite how much i love the look and feel of the guitar, I find the stock pups very dissapointing. I play a mix of clean, low gain and high gain along with classic and modern rock covers. I play alot of Rush, Michael Schenker/UFO and other 70's/80's rock with some modern covers by the likes of Coheed and Cambria and Avenged Sevenfold.
Basically I'm looking for a calibrated set of pickups that can cover modern, higher gain stuff but still have a vintage vibe. I was thinking about a set of Rebel Yells and Tim from BKP said they should cover what I'm looking for but he also suggested looking at the VHII pups. Any advice from you BKP veterans is highly appreciated :D
Cheers!
BOB
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i'm not one to contradict Tim, but from your description i would suggest Mules. although, possibly overall you want more modern tones, but i think the mule is a phenomanal general purpose humbucker! but i've never used a v, and apparently they sound quite different from other guitars, so fmneh, i don't care, i'm drunk, i'm away to drink too much with inappropriate people, (i'll tell y9u about them later), a Polish girl just invited me back to her house, so goodight!!!
oh yeah, i seem to recall, v's by there nature have a mid-range hump, so do a lot of medium powered humbuckers, so again i'm going to recommend Mules, or possibly even Stormy Mondays, as < lets face it, these days we can get pretty much all the gain we want from our amps!!!
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i apologise profusely for the spelling mistakes in the preceding post, but i hav ebeen drinking for two days, so gimme some slack, baby! there are myriad other reasons for this sudden surge of alchoholism, but i think you need to get a little closer before i tell you!! in other news, why has Hussein been sentenced to death and not the other mass murderer Bush ??? surely he's killed enough iraqis to qualify?
(by the way, on principal i oppose the death penalty.) think of it this way, when some one kills them selves( which a close friend of mine did about two months ago) people say they took the easy way out, surely Saddam would more dread a lifetime in a cell than the possibillity of becoming an (however unlikely) islamic martyr? like so many others (bush?) he is using religion as a truly evil excuse for their obnoxious ploys
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that was "slightly" off topic, sorry!!
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Hi Bob, I think Blue may be "tired and emotional". I can't help regarding the pickups as I play Strats and Teles but as a bass player, I say welcome aboard.
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i'm not tired and emotional, i'm loaded!!
anyway, somewhere in there i think i did talk about pickups, i stand my suggestion of mules. although it seems that Rebel Yells are kinda like mules on steroids, so maybe Tim's right. (which wouldn't be a surprise, after all he is the guru)
and hey, mr beatle, happy between christmas and new year!
(the reason for tonight's inebriation is a family party, we've had two sudden bereavements in recent months so tonight was a bit of a blowout)
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My Korina V has a pair of VH2s in & they sound great
Slightly less aggressive than the RY - has more of a Van Halen vibe to it so no lack of anything really
They are surprisingly warm and balances but have a great attack
I myself love UFO/MSG and the guitar does work well for that
If I put RYs in it would still stay great- maybe a little more focussed in the mids and a touch hotter too.
Because of the higher gain stuff that you do I am tempted to suggest the RYs whilst the VH2s may indeed be a touch more suited to the clean stuff
I guess either set will work well
The Vh2 would be my own first choice as it works so well for me and is maybe a touch more versatile
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Thanks very much for your replies guys, but I'm still stuck on this problem. Felineguitars, I'm curious as to how your guitar sounds with the VHIIs cause I was told that Korina is alot like Mahogany except a bit lighter and has more mids so would the VHIIs sound a bit dark in my V? I'm mainly concerned about getting the best tone while having a fair bit of power. The V is my main axe atm so what pickups would you recommend if you could only use that guitar? (I'm at uni = 1bass+1guitar lol)
Cheers
BOB
P.S. HAPPY NEW YEARS!
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Oh btw, how do you think it would turn out if I ordered a VHII for the neck and a Rebel Yell for the bridge and possibly put in a coil splitter? I mostly use a mix of the two pups or the neck for cleans anyway.
Cheers!
BOB
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VHIIs, Rebel Yells and maybe even Emeralds?
Rebel Yells may be a little loud and bright for you, but I have a set in my Les Paul and that guitar is the best sounding guitar I have ever played without competition... just a perfect match!
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Interested in this one as I'm starting to think about pickups for my Edwards V.
Surprised Tim mentioned VHIIs, I'd have thought he'd say to avoid medium-output pickups, the same as with SGs :? (OK, a V is a different shape but it's still all-mahogany). From previous comments on the forum, and some of my own questions, I believe the VHIIs have more bass than the "vintage" models SM, Mule and Riff Raff - and I thought this might make them a bit bass-boomy in mahogany.
It's difficult choosing though - the "vintage-hot" models do appeal, so I'm thinking maybe use one in the bridge position (where mudding out is less of a problem) and stick to vintage in the neck position.
The RY is great (and is bright enough to work fine in mahog), but sounds quite "modern" to me. Maybe VHII bridge plus Mule neck? Or (this is what I'm considering for my own V... ) Black Dog bridge plus (AIV) Stormy Monday neck?
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Interested in this one as I'm starting to think about pickups for my Edwards V.
Surprised Tim mentioned VHIIs, I'd have thought he'd say to avoid medium-output pickups, the same as with SGs :? (OK, a V is a different shape but it's still all-mahogany). From previous comments on the forum, and some of my own questions, I believe the VHIIs have more bass than the "vintage" models SM, Mule and Riff Raff - and I thought this might make them a bit bass-boomy in mahogany.
It's difficult choosing though - the "vintage-hot" models do appeal, so I'm thinking maybe use one in the bridge position (where mudding out is less of a problem) and stick to vintage in the neck position.
The RY is great (and is bright enough to work fine in mahog), but sounds quite "modern" to me. Maybe VHII bridge plus Mule neck? Or (this is what I'm considering for my own V... ) Black Dog bridge plus (AIV) Stormy Monday neck?
PhillyQ what model V is your Edwards and whats your opinion on the quality
cheers
keith Sorry for the hijack BTW
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Seems theres a few V owners checking out possible upgrades! Just to put my opinion in the stock pickups are Gibson's highest output ones & are also ceramic and a bit compressed (& maybe even a bit harsh). What sound are you going for?
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i'm not tired and emotional, i'm loaded!!
:lol:
A man after my own heart, keep up the good work!
*Salutes*
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PhillyQ what model V is your Edwards and whats your opinion on the quality
cheers
keith Sorry for the hijack BTW
Quickest answer is see this (http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6300) thread!
Seems theres a few V owners checking out possible upgrades! Just to put my opinion in the stock pickups are Gibson's highest output ones & are also ceramic and a bit compressed (& maybe even a bit harsh). What sound are you going for?
Me or BigBassBob? For me, 70s/80s hard rock, nothing too metal (well, I'd call it metal, but these youngsters wouldn't! :wink: ). Schenker/Scorpions basically. Riff Raffs would be the nearest equivalent of the 70s Gibson pickups, but I want a bit more midrange grunt from the bridge.
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Me or BigBassBob?
You BigBassBob & Me!!!
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Musically i am going in a similar direction. i have a black dog loaded Les Paul for the classic sound, I am going to put P90's in my SG for the vintage stuff so this was going to also be a bit hotter for the 80's bit.
i've heard that the wings on a v make a huge difference to the sound & either emphasis or cut certain frequencies but i cant find the thread now where i read it!!
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lol, I'm kinda going for that same sorta MSG/classic rock sound, but I need something that is a bit vintagey and can cover clean and more modern higher gain stuff too. Hmmm, I need a pickup that can do Rush, then MSG/Scorpions and Coheed and Cambria. I really am starting to think that either the RY set or a lower gain set would work, but still am stuck in my choice.
BOB
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i've heard that the wings on a v make a huge difference to the sound & either emphasis or cut certain frequencies but i cant find the thread now where i read it!!
Was it this (http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=78714#78714) thread? See Tim's comment, he mentions the body wings robbing the guitar of high end (although my own V is fairly bright, I'd say).
Tim pretty much recommends the same pickups as for an SG - either low-output or high-output, nothing inbetween. Having said that, I'm sure the RYs would be fine in a V - despite being medium-output they have lots of presence and they're tight enough not to get mushy.
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Thanks for that PhillyQ ive been looking at the Edwards stuff especially a black les paul with P90's and an Explorer. To get back to the thread I have a set of Crawlers in my Faded V and it sounds great to me they will cover a lot of ground but thats just my 2 bobs worth, I am not an expert like a lot of the guys in here I just like the sound, having said that I may sell the V to finance the Edwards.
cheers
keith
Thats a nice V you got btw
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i've heard that the wings on a v make a huge difference to the sound & either emphasis or cut certain frequencies but i cant find the thread now where i read it!!
Was it this (http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=78714#78714) thread? See Tim's comment, he mentions the body wings robbing the guitar of high end (although my own V is fairly bright, I'd say).
Tim pretty much recommends the same pickups as for an SG - either low-output or high-output, nothing inbetween. Having said that, I'm sure the RYs would be fine in a V - despite being medium-output they have lots of presence and they're tight enough not to get mushy.
that was the one. he also give a few ball park pups. although for some reason i'm drawn to the nailbomb! it does have good highs so should work with the wood.
It isn't my only guitar so i have a bit of luxury to have it as a bit of a 1 trick pony personally.
BigBassBob as long as you don't go ceramic surely the more vintage stuff can be played with a touch of gain rolled off with a high output pickup??
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i apologise profusely for the spelling mistakes in the preceding post, but i hav ebeen drinking for two days, so gimme some slack, baby! there are myriad other reasons for this sudden surge of alchoholism, but i think you need to get a little closer before i tell you!! in other news, why has Hussein been sentenced to death and not the other mass murderer Bush ??? surely he's killed enough iraqis to qualify?
(by the way, on principal i oppose the death penalty.) think of it this way, when some one kills them selves( which a close friend of mine did about two months ago) people say they took the easy way out, surely Saddam would more dread a lifetime in a cell than the possibillity of becoming an (however unlikely) islamic martyr? like so many others (bush?) he is using religion as a truly evil excuse for their obnoxious ploys
You're drunk but you're also an ass hat. Saddam murdered millions of his own people along with neighboring countries. The US went to war with Iraq, WMA's or not a brutal dictator is no longer in power, which is a good thing. And while we're on the subject of people murdering their own countrymen you Irish have been blowing each other up over minor religious differences for years just like the Iraqi's so I wouldn't even go there.
Bob I'd go with a Painkiller or Rebel Yell in the bridge and a Mule in the Neck. Good luck.
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Thanks for your replies guys :)
Ordered a calibrated RY set with nickel covers today over the phone. Tim was very friendly and helpful. Nice to be able to talk to a friendly voice, especially when it comes to something they make themselves :D
I'll post pics and maybe soundclips if I feel confident :lol: After all, i am just a bass player >.<
Cheers
BOB
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Ok guys, small update. First off, not long after I ordered my set, I rang up Tim and asked if i could change the covers and he was very friendly and he happily changed my order from nickel to chrome.
now, i'm in uni, and just got a call from home saying the pickups have just turned up... i'm dying to hear them:( going home this weekend and hopefully i'll have some results by next monday :D
BOB
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UPDATE!
Got my V back last week... what a difference! The tone is literally what I asked for and it's what I got :D
The bridge pickup is bright and clear without getting harsh, but certainly has enough presence to make itself known. The neck pickup is amazingly clear and articulate... I can actually play big chords on it with gain (which was just pure mush with the stock Gibbo ceramics). They're not as hot as I thought they would be, but that's not necessarily a bad thing :)
Also, gotta give the customer support a huge thumbs up. It's rare to deal with a company as friendly as BKP :D
Might post some soundclips sometime if I feel confident but I left some eye candy in the pic thread 8)
Cheers!
BOB
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guitar isn't my first instrument, I primarily play bass so lay off the bass jokes please :shock: :lol:
Apologies in advance (hehehe..)
Q) A drummer and a bassist get into a taxi. Which is the musician?
A) the driver
I'm so sorry, bass players are cool 8)
Don't hate me!