Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: big steve on July 19, 2005, 12:10:13 AM
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hi all,
i have an SG standard at present, with the stock gibson pickups. i like the crunchy rhythm chunk i can get from them, but they seem a little lacking and thin when playing single note lines.
i'm looking to maybe get a set of bareknuckles, if/when the funds improve. i'm overwhelmed by the plethora of descriptions, all of which sound excellent. i'm NOT looking for a gain set to 11, pinch harmonics, divebombing kind of vibe. just something with a good thick, cruncchy tone. i've seen the Emerald, which sounds like a thin lizzt reference, the riff raff would correlate to acdc and the black dog would seem to imply a zeppelin type of vibe. i would list all of these groups as influences, so i'm pretty much at a loss for what to choose. who has these pickups? what do you all think? should i cast the net a little wider?
cheers
steve
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Hi StevO. I have a set of Emeralds on my SG Std. Just yesterday i started playing with the git. I have so far 4 sets of BKP and once i start to play a particular guitar with a particular set of pickups it is hard to put it down. There are lots of wise gents on this forum ready to answer, and help you out. I'll get in touch later I have to milk the cow :)
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Emeralds are the hottest output of the three, great harmonics and can really give your amp an extra kick PDT_007
Black Dogs have lots of mid, and slightly less treble, classic page tone but work very well as all rounders.
I haven't got a Riff Raff in a guitar, and it's been a while since I played one!
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does the emerald clean up well?
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oh, i was looking at the Mule too, they look like they would fit what i'm looking for too. how would they match up to an Emerald?
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The Emerald sounds great clean, but not as open as a Mule. The Mule is a touch more dynamic and open sounding, doesn't drive your amp as hard.
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how does mule a4 neck, emerald bridge sound? or would i be better using two of the same in the guitar?
this is the problem with BKP, too much great stuff to choose between...
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I used to mix and match, now I go for sets....but the Emerald/mule combo will sound great!
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Had a chap just recently put a set of Mules in a LP Std, and I have to say it sounded awesome! so can recomend them from a tone point of view!
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I built a crazy guitar and got a blog dog bucker for the bridge and it really wails!!!!! Its nice n thnk and crunchy. I havent played the other bukers you mentioned but there are some cool sound clips on the players page of this forum. I think all the pups you mentioned are on there.
Joe
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I have Emerald/Mule AIV in a Les Paul and the combo is great. I also have a Riff Raff with Stormy Monday AIV in another LP. The difference is that the Emerald/Mule is more rocky, the Riff Raff/Stormy Monday is cleaner, but can still drive really well too. If you think Gary Moore/Eric Clapton vs Paul Kossoff/Peter Green, perhaps a subtle difference, but that is how I hear it. Both the Riff Raff and the Emerald produce great harmonics. Also all of these clean up without losing tone (just like all my BK pickups).
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sounds good then, i'll probably go for an emerald bridge and mule AIV neck. when i have the money....
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If I had a Gibson SG, I'd go for the Riff Raff, but then, I am a bit of an AC/DC nut. However, like all BKP's, they'll do more than the name implies.
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i like ac/dc too, but the thing is that i don't see myself staying with the SG indefinitely - i'll probably switch to an LP standard or a jap tokai Love Rock (apparently they play very well, and they'll sound good with bareknuckles in) and use the same set of pickups i'm asking about in this thread. I'm not too keen on the skinny, flat neck of the SG either - seems to be aimed more towards shred stuff, of which i'm not a fan.
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Hi StevO. A mix match seems proper for you because they can cover different styles. I do like sets and little by little I intend to have more BKPs. This Emerald set won't be coming out of my SG any time soon, it's just perfect for the guitar. The tonality, harmonics, clarity, focus is excellent. :)
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If you're gonna switch to a Les Paul, you can't go wrong with a set of Mules.
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I used to mix and match, now I go for sets...
I'd go for sets if I had more guitars! With only one guitar at my disposal, I'm looking to tweak the neck and bridge in just that way (because, well, I can! :))
A year or so from now, long after the P and J bass BKPs are officially released and my dreamt-of Rick bass BKPs come out, I'll order a calibrated set of the "Ace of Spades" ones ;)
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Hi StevO. A mix match seems proper for you because they can cover different styles. I do like sets and little by little I intend to have more BKPs. This Emerald set won't be coming out of my SG any time soon, it's just perfect for the guitar. The tonality, harmonics, clarity, focus is excellent. :)
what kind of stuff are you playing? like, rhythm or lead? both? do you play a lot of cleans or is it mostly ordriven/dist stuff?
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If you're gonna switch to a Les Paul, you can't go wrong with a set of Mules.
No doubt! Check the sample MP3s of Tim and HJM, and also _tom_, playing Mule-loaded LPs. They're getting the classic LP tones right there! But if you want something slightly hotter in the bridge, I'd think the Emerald would do a good job of taking you there without sacrificing the vintage vibe. I haven't heard as many clips of people using Emeralds, and none in LPs I think, but if HJM says it will sound good, I believe 'im! :)
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seems weird that (nobody using emeralds in LPs) since they're based on Thin Lizzy, and they used LPs. hmm... i'll dig the sound clips. thanks for the input everyone, i appreciate it.
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seems weird that (nobody using emeralds in LPs) since they're based on Thin Lizzy, and they used LPs. hmm... i'll dig the sound clips. thanks for the input everyone, i appreciate it.
For what it's worth, I am thinking very serisously of going for the Emeralds as my next Bare Knuckle set for my LP Std.
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im probably going to get a tokai love rock now (very good les paul copy) - it plays much nicer than my SG. i was digging the SD 59s in (sacrelige, i know)... so it should sound even better with Mules :D
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Hi StevO. I do a little of both according to the moment, just for pure sonic pleasure. No dateline. Mostly I play a Fender Twin Rev. 65' clean channel without effects to appreciate the guitar/wood/handwoundpickup/pots nuances. I do have effects but after I got my first set of pickups I seem to enjoy the unadultered tone on these instruments, it was totally unspected. I did have SD59N on my SG nice sound. The Emeralds are far superior, the harmonics, and ringing tone are something else. :)
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does anyone have both a mule bridge and an emerald bridge? could you explain they compare/contrast? 'twould be much appreciated...
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I have a Nailbomb on my Ibanez Roadstar , and it rocks. It's very powerful yet very very precise.
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yeah I'd go for a set of Mules, or at least a bridge Mule. Thats what I have and its great for loads of styles :D
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AHHHHHH... i was just about decided on the bridge emerald and neck mule...
can you get a good, thick, powerful lead tone from the bridge mule?
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ahh right haha sorry! Well I dont think it really does a "thick, powerful lead tone" its more of a vintage thing.. saying that I still play all kinds of metal with it no problem :lol:
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hmm... would it be possible to get some sort of emerald/mule hybrid for the bridge? like, a pickup wound like an emerald but with an a4 magnet?