Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Pierre on March 19, 2007, 01:09:52 PM
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I have a Kramer Stagemaster (maple neck through, alder wings, ebony fingerboard, single slanted bucker and OFR) which is THE best guitar I have ever played.
But finding THE right pickup is tough.
The guitar is surprisingly warm sounding. Really not that bright at all. I have a very high action so sustain is not a problem at all, and it sounds beautiful, with little hints of Les Paul at times. Very smooth too, but not in an overly thin way. REALLY gorgeous tone. I love it for Blues, weirdly enough
It came with a DiMarzio AirZone which was very fat but didn't suit me. For a while it had DiMarzio Megadrive which sounded really good, but a little too bland for me. I was looking for more flavor. Kinda like a gourmet meal which needs more salt
Right now it's got a SD Screaming Deamon, with only hex screws on the bass and screws on the treble (I did this because I felt the bass weren't tight enough and the treble not fat enough)
x x x - - -
x x x - - -
it sounds good but again, not what I'm looking for. Not enough harmonics, not enough output, not enough aggression.
To be honest, output in itself isn't all THAT important. But I don't have mega gain stuff, so it matters. Let's just say the SD isn't powerful enough, but not by that much.
A tight low end is needed but not necessarily Full Shred tight. Something good enough for rythm, but would suit fat leads too.
It needs to have a thick midrange which drives an amp hard, but never, EVER obstructing the sound of the guitar itself.
And the treble need to have a certain aggression to it, to counter the guitar's smoothness and make it brighter.
Any idea, or am I too picky?
Please help and thanks!
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I think Crawlers would be good here.
Excellent blues pickup, plenty of output, more agressive than other PAF inspired pickups, great thick mids.
They will work great as rhythm pickups. The sound breaks through the mix well. Great contrast for a Strat or a great foundation for a Les Paul. As for lead the output and midrange helps single notes stand out.
They're very versitile too. Great cleans. Depending on how much dirt and pick attack you throw in, you can go from vintage blues to modern metal.
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Welcome back, Pierre.
If I recall, you had a Miracle Man at one point and weren't very happy with it.
I think that a Riff Raff bridge and Stormy Monday or Abraxis neck will scratch you where you itch.
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Yeah back in my metal days :lol: It was in a basswood guitar and as a result the midrange was a little too... dull. I don't know. It was a great pickup indeed but I'm also thinking I was just too young to really appreciate it. Thanks TO :) I'm still thankful that you helped me get it!
So basically I should try some of the hotPAFs it seems. Thanks guys!
Mhmm ok I checked out the products and so far I like:
Cold Sweats
HolyDiver
Painkiller
Abraxas
Which of these would offer the best compromise of power and letting the guitar's character through? I'd say since they're BKPs I don't have to worry about clarity :P Would any of them really suck for heavy metal too?
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It's not a law but a guideline. In most cases, the lower the output, the more guitar comes through.
In this case that would be the Abraxas.
Edit: Ben mentioned the Riff Raffs, they're not in your shortlist but those pickups with it's somewhat flat EQ will let alot of the natural guitar tone through.
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Mhmm I do need a somewhat brigth tone I think. That Kramer is a great guitar but lacks the cutting power if you see what I mean.
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all you need is a Holy Diver :good:
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Still interested... If Tim gives me advise I'll follow it this time :lol:
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lol, I SOOOO relate to that. I've spent ages trying to decide on a pup when they're all so good and eventually gave up and told Tim I'd buy whatever he told me to buy :D
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Hehe I made the mistake of not listening the first time :( well Tim has this job (well...started this job hehe) for a darn good reason!
I must say so far I'm tempted by the VHII or the HolyDiver mostly.
Even though I never heard a Dio song hehe...
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I'd say nailbomb in terms of tightness, cutting treble, thick mids - but it might be a bit thin in alder/maple... From what I've heard, the Holy Diver is not too unlike a Nailbomb with slightly less tightness and a more rounded top end. Maybe that's the way to go?
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all you need is a Holy Diver :good:
Eric, I think I've seen at least 10 recos from you all being for the same pickup. We all love DIO, but come onnne, there is more out there than just people being down too long in the midnight sea :twisted:
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Like I said I never heard this song so I don't know its tone, but the website description seemed to fit my needs. Though again every pickup seemed to fit :lol:
Cold Sweats, VHII and Holydiver all seemed to do what I want. I think out of the free it'd have to be the best balance of vintage and modern tone. And which would sound better in a maple neck through axe with Floyd. I really need some brightness too.
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all you need is a Holy Diver :good:
Eric, I think I've seen at least 10 recos from you all being for the same pickup. We all love DIO, but come onnne, there is more out there than just people being down too long in the midnight sea :twisted:
:lol:
don't blame me for having found the best pickup in the world
blame Tim!
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Mhmm I know I got advised RiffRaffs and Abraxas... but if I were to get a smiliar vintagey sound but with a more modern vibe and output..? Where should I head?
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Mhmm I know I got advised RiffRaffs and Abraxas... but if I were to get a smiliar vintagey sound but with a more modern vibe and output..? Where should I head?
The modern vibe comes from your playing.
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Ouch :lol:
Ok then let's focus on the output then hehe...
I know I'm probably looking for something a bit too... perfect. But given BK's reputation I know the next best thing will be just fine.
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Pierre, you could get a pickup that suits your guitar tonally, and then boost it with an on-board circuit when you need more compression and tightness. I do the same with my Mules and couldn't be happier with the results. :)
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Nah it's for a guitar with only one volume pot. Keeping it simple. Hence why I want just the right thing for her ;)