Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: CJ on March 19, 2007, 10:30:25 PM
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ok, i'm looking for an opinion for a new bridge pickup for my Gibson Faded V. I'm playing through a Marshall 3203 artist with a 4x10 cab. I play with the gain all the way up and tons of mids. i'm thinking either a war pig or a painkiller. but, since i play with so much gain, i'm wondering if i should get one of the lower output pickups. I play a pretty wide variety of music, but i like a lot of gain, it just sounds good on my amp. I like how heavy the war pig is, but i like the nice mids and tightness of the painkiller. And which of these pickups have more singing highs?
i'm thinking more of the war pig. my other guitars an 82 les paul with dirty fingers in it. if i get a painkiller, i think it'd sound similar to the les paul, but if i get a war pig, it'll give me a whole nother weapon. basically i want a reason to own two different guitars.
also, i just listened to rammstein du hast for the first time in a little while, and it inspired me to get something heavy as shite. the warpig would definitely get me closest right?
i don't know, just give your opinions.
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oh, and if it makes a difference, its the preamp distortion that i have fully cranked. if i could compare it to anything, i'd say something like EVH's brown sound.
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please if anyone just has an opinion on which they like better, let me know. i need to make a quick decision. this will be for my birthday next monday and i'm in the u.s. which brings me to another question... do they have to make the pickup or will they ship like next day? say my parents get like 2-3 day delivery or something, how long before they actually ship? and since they have to air it overseas anyway, would they airmail it to my house and it would only take 2-3 days anyway? i'm in pennsylvania.
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warpig will sound closer to rammstein sound
but... i'd go with a holy diver! :D
painkiller will be closer to a gibson 500t or duncan distortion (never played the dirty fingers)
i've writen a little HD review on HC
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Guitar+Pickup/product/Bare+Knuckle+Pickups/Holy+Diver/10/1
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someone correct this guy if he's wrong, because i'm not getting a painkiller if its similar to the pickup i already have. i want something as different from my pickups as possible while still suiting my whole setup. I see no point in having two similar guitars.
Actually, someone help me out with this... I have a zw overdrive pedal that i kick in front of my dirty channel when i want some massive gain, but, i don't like the tone too much and its way too noisy. Could i actually use my current neck pickup for regular distortion and then switch to the warpig to get my ultra distorted tones? or is there enough of a difference between a 496R and a warpig?
and my next question... if i went with a warpig, what are the differences between a custom ceramic and the regular one?
oh, and correct me if i'm wrong, but the warpig is the heaviest of the high output pickups right??
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ughh... another question. in the product description it says the warpig is available in all shades of black, which i would assume to mean black only. but when i go to buy, it says i can pick the open poled white?
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my other guitars an 82 les paul with dirty fingers in it. if i get a painkiller, i think it'd sound similar to the les paul
Fwiw, the Coldsweat is supposed to have been inspired by the DirtyFinger
(at least the ones in John Sykes LP Custom) so it should sound less tight than the Painkiller.
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my other guitars an 82 les paul with dirty fingers in it. if i get a painkiller, i think it'd sound similar to the les paul
Fwiw, the Coldsweat is supposed to have been inspired by the DirtyFinger
(at least the ones in John Sykes LP Custom) so it should sound less tight than the Painkiller.
well i want something completely different. i don't want something that just play sounds better than my LP, or else i'd have no reason to play it. i figure if i get a pickup thats nice and heavy, i could use that for some pantera/ metallica type stuff and the LP for everything else.
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ok i'm pretty decided i want the warpig. i just need to know if a high output pickup is a good choice for a high gain amp... and the warpig is the best pickup for some heavy metallica, pantera type stuff right?
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Just a quick thought on the Warpigs - if you're going for the Pantera style sound, you might want to think about Ceramic Pigs, rather than the standard Alnico model. From what I've picked up from other threads here, the ceramic offers a tighter bass response than the alnico.
I can however vouch for the fact the alnico pigs aren't exactly shabby in the bass dept! Just depends how tight you want it. I've never felt the need for tighter bass with my Warpig set, but I don't play Pantera stuff because I'm not good enough!
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Just a quick thought on the Warpigs - if you're going for the Pantera style sound, you might want to think about Ceramic Pigs, rather than the standard Alnico model. From what I've picked up from other threads here, the ceramic offers a tighter bass response than the alnico.
I can however vouch for the fact the alnico pigs aren't exactly shabby in the bass dept! Just depends how tight you want it. I've never felt the need for tighter bass with my Warpig set, but I don't play Pantera stuff because I'm not good enough!
well if the ceramics have a tighter bass response, what are the pros of the alnico's? and how do i order a ceramic? does it cost more?
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heh, in my rush i forgot to use the search feature. it seems the ceramics are much brighter, and sometimes rather harsh. I also realized that my pickups are currently ceramic, and i hate them. i'm thinking the regular old warpigs are the best choice for me. any comments?
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i think CWP is too powerful and middy to Dimebag tone
he used a 11.2k scooped pickup
maybe a miracle man...
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i gave my mom the link for the regular alnico warpig already. anyway, keep giving me some opinions in case she doesn't get it in time. who would you compare the miracle man pickup to (musicians tone)?
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also, i just listened to rammstein du hast for the first time in a little while, and it inspired me to get something heavy as shitee.
12" speakers will get you closer to that sound as well!
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well the other guitarist in my band emailed tim for some advice, I think he mentioned dimebag as a major influence and he said the recommendations he got were miracle man for the bridge and cold sweat for the neck
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hey man if your looking for something thats completely different, the rebel yells or the VHII are amazing pickups that clean up well, have great character to them and hold up under any amount of gain and are lower measured output than the painkiller or other pickups that people have mentioned, im in the US too and honestly if you email Tim and give him a pretty detialed idea of what your looking for, he nails it everytime...
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If the WP is too powerful and you don't like the ceramics then I'd go back to the first suggestion made and look at a Holydiver. I've just been through this myself on the forum and had some contact with Tim. He suggested that the Warpig would be more power than I required and I find the ceramic Miracle Man to be a little too clinical and artificial in it's tone. I was told that the Holydiver was very similar to a Miracle Man but the Alnico V magnet would give it a warmer tone and more versatility. Sounds like a good compromise to me and I am inclined to trust Tim's judgement though I admit that in terms of soundclips, the HD is seriously under-represented on this forum.
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i guess i should specify a little more. the guitar i'm putting this in won't be my main guitar. i'm going to use my les paul to play all my usual stuff, because it does it perfectly. the only reason i'm getting a different pickup in my other guitar is so i can have something nice and heavy on the occasions when i would like it. i've thought about the miracle man, but i would think it is fairly similar to the pickup that is already in my guitar right now, and i don't like it. Even if its much better quality, i don't like that ceramic sound all that much.
When i mentioned pantera, i don't really want dimebag's overall tone-i don't like it. What i do like is how heavy his lows are.
also, tim suggested warpigs, miracle mans, or painkillers. the miracle mans are tempting, but i think the warpigs would be better. i wouldn't have to downtune any guitars!
hmm... but then again i've always wanted some more killer pinch harmonics and screaming highs. Am i correct in assuming that warpig is heaviest, miracle man has best p.h.'s, and the painkiller has the most screaming highs? what a decision...
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hmm... but then again i've always wanted some more killer pinch harmonics and screaming highs. Am i correct in assuming that warpig is heaviest, miracle man has best p.h.'s, and the painkiller has the most screaming highs? what a decision...
you must need the holy diver clarity too
ask Tim if he could wind a HOLY MIRACULOUS PIGKILLER
i'd buy 10 of it!
:lol:
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I sympathise with the problem. I was thinking of a MM but felt that it sounded too clinical. In search of a warmer tone and more versatility I switched to the WP. Tim thought that might be a bit too hot so suggested a HD. Sounded great and I was set on it but ideally I'd like it to have more of the balls of a MM. I've started wondering if I could get a MM on an Alnico V to give me the power and a warmer tone. The HOLY MIRACULOUS PIGKILLER sounds like a winner to me :D
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what are the advantages/disadvantages of the miracle man/warpig. And i'm really looking for a hotter pickup so i'm not sure about the holy diver...
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I had the same concerns and Antag on this forum was a great help. My concern was that it would do Classic Rock but wouldn't have the balls for modern high gain Metal. Antag explained that I shouldn't get hung up on the DC resistance and due the the Holydiver's midrange punch it ended up only a shade less powerful than the MM. I love the MM but it can sound a little artificial whereas the HD has a more organic tone to it. Antag reckoned it was slightly hotter than a Duncan Distortion and that's certainly a hot pup. When I mentioned putting a MM on an A5 magnet he reckoned it would just take away the MM strengths but still not give it what the HD had. I guess it's always a compromise but it seems to me that a ceramic magnet always ends up a little limited so it makes sense to go A5 and if you want hot that means it's the HD or WP. If the WP is too hot, as Tim suggested to me, that leaves the HD as the best compromise and unless you are fortunate enough to have a different guitar for each sound you want then a compromise of some description is the best solution. Having said that, I've heard loads of HD clips and it does seem very good at a hell of a lot.
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after listening to some clips i'm just more confused. I really like the painkiller from what i heard, but i could only find two clips. I also couldn't find the warpig doing too many soloing or anything besides heavy riffing. Which one of these do you think has the best highs? most sustain? I'm still thinking since i already have a LP to do most of my stuff i should get a warpig in my V to play some real heavy stuff. But then again it'd be nice to have some killer harmonics from the MM or screaming highs from the painkiller.
Sorry for the repeating questions and stuff, but i just can't decide.
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well i just realized that i don't really play anything all too heavy. and i don't know how well a warpig would sound through a 4x10, so i'm thinking more of a painkiller or a miracle man. i'm eliminated the HD because tim didn't recommend it for a V. So what are the adv/disadv. of a miracle man vs. painkiller? which will get me closer to iron maidens version of sabbath bloody sabbath? painkiller?
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i gave my mom the link for the regular alnico warpig already. anyway, keep giving me some opinions in case she doesn't get it in time. who would you compare the miracle man pickup to (musicians tone)?
I can't speak for the Warpig but that pickup rocks! since i have heard a few clips.
I have the Miracle Man and the nailbomb in neckthrujacksons straight into an Engl Savage 120.
The Miracle Man is buy far the best pickup i have ever tried and trust me here i have tried 10-12 pickups through the years. I play heavy stuff real heavy fast speed picking down toMetallica thrash riffing. I does the Zakk Wylde tone well but can do early maiden metal to fast Black detah metal like the bands Dawn and Dissection with no problem.
E
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i'd like to note that i cannot play fast.
well, i can play pretty fast if i need to, but i generally don't. i'm by no means a shredder. i figure if my solos are going to be more on the slow side, i should really have a killer high end to really bring out those notes. i'm not really sure how the mm and pk compare in that department-or at all really...
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Heres a little advice, you'll never sound like anyone no matter what kind of gear you have (even if you have their own actual set up), "Tone" comes from your fingers. My advice to you is to walk away from trying to sound like someone else and sound like yourself :wink:. As far as you and which pickup to get, i'd try and figure out what you're trying to acheive out of your over all EQ. Going that route helped me a bunch instead of guessing around.
Good luck.
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Heres a little advice, you'll never sound like anyone no matter what kind of gear you have (even if you have their own actual set up), "Tone" comes from your fingers. My advice to you is to walk away from trying to sound like someone else and sound like yourself :wink:. As far as you and which pickup to get, i'd try and figure out what you're trying to acheive out of your over all EQ. Going that route helped me a bunch instead of guessing around.
Good luck.
very good advice. i know i should just try to get my own sound. the reason i'm asking how what pickup sounds more like which band is because i know their tone and i want to start from somewhere around that point. basically i just want a reference point of where to look.
ok, so here's the tone i want, in order of most important:
-very smooth mid range. iron maiden iced earthish (iron maiden's version of sabbath bloody sabbath is a good reference)
-screaming yet smooth highs with a whole bunch of sustain. i don't shred so the notes really need to stand out.
-some heavy lows, nice and tight. metallicaish
-some squealing pinch harmonics
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that's pretty much exactly what I'm going for as well... I'm pretty much settled on the holydiver for the bridge, and now I just need to decide whether to get a calibrated set or go for the abraxas in the neck
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Heres a little advice, you'll never sound like anyone no matter what kind of gear you have (even if you have their own actual set up), "Tone" comes from your fingers. My advice to you is to walk away from trying to sound like someone else and sound like yourself :wink:. As far as you and which pickup to get, i'd try and figure out what you're trying to acheive out of your over all EQ. Going that route helped me a bunch instead of guessing around.
Good luck.
very good advice. i know i should just try to get my own sound. the reason i'm asking how what pickup sounds more like which band is because i know their tone and i want to start from somewhere around that point. basically i just want a reference point of where to look.
ok, so here's the tone i want, in order of most important:
-very smooth mid range. iron maiden iced earthish (iron maiden's version of sabbath bloody sabbath is a good reference)
-screaming yet smooth highs with a whole bunch of sustain. i don't shred so the notes really need to stand out.
-some heavy lows, nice and tight. metallicaish
-some squealing pinch harmonics
I know whatcha mean bro, i've been there before and I think everyone here has too. It takes time, learning and those accasional mile stones you run into :lol:.
I understand what you want, but what you need to do is sit down with your guitar and it through your amp on the EQ setting you like the most. Now decide what you THINK needs to change as far as your actual sound. An example would be say, you like the EQ set on your amp now but you think it's muddy and not cutting through so you need more mids. Unfortunately you lose that amp EQ you like so much if you try turning the mids up, so what can I do? Get a pickup that has more mids to it and possibly less bass also.
It's hard to explain but I think/hope that helps you. It's all mix and match with sitting down and figuring out what you want out of your overall set up.
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that's pretty much exactly what I'm going for as well... I'm pretty much settled on the holydiver for the bridge, and now I just need to decide whether to get a calibrated set or go for the abraxas in the neck
cold sweat neck is the perfect match to holy diver
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i'd get the holy diver, but i don't think tim reccomends them for a flying v. what is the difference between the warpig, and the custom ceramic?
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Ceramic magnet instead of Alnico 5, means tighter bass.
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Ceramic magnet instead of Alnico 5, means tighter bass.
is it really only tighter bass? then why wouldn't you not get the ceramic? whats better about the alnico version?
I know whatcha mean bro, i've been there before and I think everyone here has too. It takes time, learning and those accasional mile stones you run into Laughing.
I understand what you want, but what you need to do is sit down with your guitar and it through your amp on the EQ setting you like the most. Now decide what you THINK needs to change as far as your actual sound. An example would be say, you like the EQ set on your amp now but you think it's muddy and not cutting through so you need more mids. Unfortunately you lose that amp EQ you like so much if you try turning the mids up, so what can I do? Get a pickup that has more mids to it and possibly less bass also.
It's hard to explain but I think/hope that helps you. It's all mix and match with sitting down and figuring out what you want out of your overall set up.
what am i lacking in my current setup? not much sustain, highs are incredibly harsh, and although i have a good bass response, it could be a little heavier.
if it helps, once i get my amp back from the shop i'll post some type of clip.
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Ceramic magnet instead of Alnico 5, means tighter bass.
is it really only tighter bass? then why wouldn't you not get the ceramic? whats better about the alnico version?
I know whatcha mean bro, i've been there before and I think everyone here has too. It takes time, learning and those accasional mile stones you run into Laughing.
I understand what you want, but what you need to do is sit down with your guitar and it through your amp on the EQ setting you like the most. Now decide what you THINK needs to change as far as your actual sound. An example would be say, you like the EQ set on your amp now but you think it's muddy and not cutting through so you need more mids. Unfortunately you lose that amp EQ you like so much if you try turning the mids up, so what can I do? Get a pickup that has more mids to it and possibly less bass also.
It's hard to explain but I think/hope that helps you. It's all mix and match with sitting down and figuring out what you want out of your overall set up.
what am i lacking in my current setup? not much sustain, highs are incredibly harsh, and although i have a good bass response, it could be a little heavier.
if it helps, once i get my amp back from the shop i'll post some type of clip.
Well, my opinion on what I think sounds good shouldn't mean much to you. Cause everyone has their own perspective on what they think sounds "good" to them. If you think you have too much highs and want a better bass response, then you just anwsered a lot of questions about what you like. Now, the whole reason I joined this forum in the first place was cause BK doesn't really describe what the EQ is like on each pickup :D. So just keep an eye out and use process of elimination to figure out what you think will suit you the best.
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Ceramic magnet instead of Alnico 5, means tighter bass.
is it really only tighter bass? then why wouldn't you not get the ceramic? whats better about the alnico version?
I know whatcha mean bro, i've been there before and I think everyone here has too. It takes time, learning and those accasional mile stones you run into Laughing.
I understand what you want, but what you need to do is sit down with your guitar and it through your amp on the EQ setting you like the most. Now decide what you THINK needs to change as far as your actual sound. An example would be say, you like the EQ set on your amp now but you think it's muddy and not cutting through so you need more mids. Unfortunately you lose that amp EQ you like so much if you try turning the mids up, so what can I do? Get a pickup that has more mids to it and possibly less bass also.
It's hard to explain but I think/hope that helps you. It's all mix and match with sitting down and figuring out what you want out of your overall set up.
what am i lacking in my current setup? not much sustain, highs are incredibly harsh, and although i have a good bass response, it could be a little heavier.
if it helps, once i get my amp back from the shop i'll post some type of clip.
Well, my opinion on what I think sounds good shouldn't mean much to you. Cause everyone has their own perspective on what they think sounds "good" to them. If you think you have too much highs and want a better bass response, then you just anwsered a lot of questions about what you like. Now, the whole reason I joined this forum in the first place was cause BK doesn't really describe what the EQ is like on each pickup :D. So just keep an eye out and use process of elimination to figure out what you think will suit you the best.
yeah, i already know what i like. i want to know what pickup will suit the sound i'm looking for.
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putting a ceramic magnet in the WP gives it a tighter bass end but the mids fall back a bit compared to the alnico version.
I personally don't like what ceramic magnets do to the midrange of pickups - AIV all the way for me.
:twisted:
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ok can anyone record me a warpig clip? i'd really like to have a heavy as hell pickup, but i've yet to hear that pickup playing anything besides just some heavy palm muting. i want to hear it solo, i want to hear it play chords. i want to hear it play some classic rock. i just want to hear what it can do besides palm mutes.
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or if anyone here who has a painkiller would be so willing as to record me a better clip...
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alright i've limited my picks to either a painkiller or a miracle man. i still like the warpig, but i think that'll be a good choice for a neck pickup later on. I think the holy diver also might be a little bassy in a V- tim also didn't recommend it for a V. So for now, it comes down to a painkiller or a miracle man. which one of these would give me more of a smoother, vintage hard rock tone?
oh yeah, and which one will just plain sound better through my setup?
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ok forget anything i've said so far. I might buy a MM off of MDV and i'm wondering if its right for me. I want something with a heavy low end. Capable of playing pantera, metallica, slayer stuff. Smooth, yet aggressive midrange - think of the intro to Iron maidens version of sabbath bloody sabbath or iced earth's version of god of thunder. For the highs, i don't know, just has to be good for soloing, tapping, and pinch harmonics. As i've said before, as of now i'm not the fastest player, so i want my notes to really stand out.
Is the miracle man right for me, or should i look for something else?
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^^^anyone have any insight to my previous post? i know you know the answer, you just don't feel like coming to this three page long thread... :lol:
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^^^anyone have any insight to my previous post? i know you know the answer, you just don't feel like coming to this three page long thread... :lol:
May I respectfully suggest you use the SEARCH function and do a little research.
Everything you need is here if you look for it.
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Afghan, thats not really fair. If a person has a question about what pickup will suit their requirements then they're perfectly within rights to post and ask. Otherwise everyone may as well just log in, use search and leave.
May I respectfully suggest that this is a forum, not a database ;)
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Afghan, thats not really fair. If a person has a question about what pickup will suit their requirements then they're perfectly within rights to post and ask. Otherwise everyone may as well just log in, use search and leave.
May I respectfully suggest that this is a forum, not a database ;)
No problem...
But could you tell me what the current question is and how it would be possible to help callme.nasty answer it?
This thread could go on forever if nobody has a clue and that's not the most helpful situation now is it :? :wink:
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But could you tell me what the current question is and how it would be possible to help callme.nasty answer it?
This thread could go on forever if nobody has a clue and that's not the most helpful situation now is it :? :wink:
I want something with a heavy low end. Capable of playing pantera, metallica, slayer stuff. Smooth, yet aggressive midrange - think of the intro to Iron maidens version of sabbath bloody sabbath or iced earth's version of god of thunder. For the highs, i don't know, just has to be good for soloing, tapping, and pinch harmonics. As i've said before, as of now i'm not the fastest player, so i want my notes to really stand out.
Is the miracle man right for me, or should i look for something else?
Its a pretty clear question.
I'm not selling mine overseas (hassle) but the man could still do with an answer (if he wants it)
P.S. I think a miracle man would do the job well. But it wont be mine, sorry pal.
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Its a pretty clear question.
I'm not selling mine overseas (hassle) but the man could still do with an answer (if he wants it)
P.S. I think a miracle man would do the job well. But it wont be mine, sorry pal.
yeah well because of you i can also now get a brand new BKP instead. I had no clue that there was somewhat of a discount for US residents. It went through part of the checkout process and it came out to $175 rather than $200 like i thought it'd be. Anddd... i just got my report card and it was so good that my parents will chip in some money. So now i just have to find the right pickup.
And Afgan Dave, you probably saw about 3 pages of posts and decided that it would never end because i kept changing what i wanted. But, if you look at my last post, i have decided the sound i'm looking for.
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Cool. Choose wisely my son, and my The Tone be with you!
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Cool. Choose wisely my son, and my The Tone be with you!
oo i'm so nervous! getting a BKP and all. better be worth it is all i've gotta say...
oh, and i better not break my guitar trying to put it in...
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yeah tim also said miracle man would be just what i was looking for. he also said a painkiller would be good, but said the miracle man would be a bit better in this situation.
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yeah tim also said miracle man would be just what i was looking for. he also said a painkiller would be good, but said the miracle man would be a bit better in this situation.
about how long will it take once i place the order? i live in the us if anyone would have a clue...
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Ask Tim. It will vary with their workload at the time, but the fastest for me was the crawlers I just got: called wed afternoon, waiting for me on friday! This is inside the UK, though.
A few days is normal, plus a little shipping time for the US.
Plus, if you ask, I cant imagine it taking longer than they say it will. A world where Tim et al fail to meet a date they've agreed with you is, frankly, a world gone topsy-turvy.
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yeah so i'm planning on going with a uncovered white pickup in a faded v with white tone knobs. what do you think? I think it'd look pretty cool with all white.
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^ That's what I said about the Buckethead Lp (It's all white), but everyone said 'ewww, it's gross!', etc.
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i like his lp. its different. but mine V's all red. by all white i meant the pickguard, tone knobs, and pickups rather than the white pickguard, black tone knobs, and black pickups.
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ok now i'm not sure what spacing i need. If i measure the center E to center e strings right above the pole pieces, its 50mm. but center to center of the actual poles look more like 53mm. What the hell is gibson doing here? or am i measuring the wrong poles? i was measuring the poles closest to the bridge itself, is it the other row that i should be measuring? should i get 53 mm spacing to keep it how it was or 50 mm spacing so it matches up?
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Get whatever cover you think looks cool!
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Get whatever cover you think looks cool!
ah but thats not my problem!! read my post above yours. i already decided i'm going with the white open coiled pickup.
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50mm.
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just ordered :twisted: .
i think i accidentally hit the process button twice, because i got two confirmation emails. I pmed tim though, i'm sure he can fix it.
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ok, got the pickup installed. tested it out today. i have to say, i'm a bit disappointed. It's not that its not a great pickup, but it just barely sounds any different from my old pickup. And, its really not nearly as heavy as i had expected. Maybe the Gibson 500T and the Miracle Man aren't too different.
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oMaybe the Gibson 500T and the Miracle Man aren't too different.
Both are high output ceramics, but one's scatter wound - one isn't.
Your definition should be better on the MM I'd think, and I'd expect it to be alot tighter, while it should properly be louder aswell - although I'm not aware of the 500T's DC resistance..
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it has a bit more definition, not much tighter at all. Maybe its because i had 11's on before and now i'm using those 10's that came with it. but that shouldn't make too big a difference.
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also, what really surprised me is that the highs aren't much different at all. Also, i'm having a problem with pinch harmonics. They're all fine except on the b and high e strings. Every time i hit a pinch harmonic on those strings i get an ear piercing squeal thats wayy louder than pinch harmonics on any other string. Maybe i just need to adjust the pickup height? how far away from the strings should they be?
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500t has 4 ceramic magnet bars, so you shouldn't expect MM to be louder or more powerful then a 500t
MM has a different voicing that would probably make it sound thinner than a 500t, it's not supposed to be fuller or tighter
the similar voicing BK version is the Painkiller
i swapped a 500t for a holy diver and couldn't be more satisfied
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500t has 4 ceramic magnet bars, so you shouldn't expect MM to be louder or more powerful then a 500t
MM has a different voicing that would probably make it sound thinner than a 500t, it's not supposed to be fuller or tighter
the similar voicing BK version is the Painkiller
i swapped a 500t for a holy diver and couldn't be more satisfied
so than whats better about it
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holy diver is not as tight as the 500t, but it sounds fatter and a lot better than 500t
tons of tone and more definition in every way
a friend of mine has a brazilian custom made M. Laghus (http://www.mlaghus.com) (the best luthier in my state) soloist style guitar in brazilian mahogany w/ set neck and fixed bridge and loaded with Gibson 500t and 496R pickups
he always said he would never swap his pickups for nothing (he's a very experienced player)
we played our guitars in the same amp (a single rectifier and a peavey rockmaster preamp) and his pickups sounded fizzy, crispy, thin and toneless compared to my les paul with HD/CS
he went home and announced his pickups for selling to order a pair of BK for his M Laghus and another pair for his 7-string Ibanez with custom M Laghus 1 piece mahogany body
i never played a miracle man, but if everyone here swears by it, i doubt it's not a lot better than a 500t as my holy diver does
i think you must try to do a side by side comparison with a stock gibson v
if you do not change your idea, just sell it to me! :D
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the more i play it, the more i see how its better than the stock pickup. but, it still doesn't seem quite what i expected. Maybe its because i always played the neck pickup in it. I can see myself getting a warpig neck in there...