Recent Posts

31

Pickups / Re: Alternatives to Holy Diver set for a Thinline T style guitar

« Last post by timmy_b on April 07, 2025, 02:08:22 PM »

So, I'm assuming that the original design was a 25.5" scale?

The Holydiver certainly still works nicely in a shorter scale length guitar, but it is going to shift you a little bit darker than your original combination would have been.

If you like that darker vibe, then there's no huge reason to not stick with the Holydiver, but, if you wanted to make a small shift brighter in the pickups, to adjust for the warmer instrument, the Black Dog or Peacemaker would both be worth a look.

32

Pickups / Re: Polymath

« Last post by yellow eyez on April 06, 2025, 04:29:30 PM »

Thanks

Basically I was looking for
- BKP
- something unique and different than my usual
- ability for parallel and split coil

Ceramic, scooped, compressed, hi output was my usual bridge sound. I use EMG 81/85 set,Fishman Fluence Carpenter set, and I used to use a Lundgren M7.

For my bridge I wanted a totally different sound, something totally capable of brutal metal but also capable of the sweetest cleans when coil split or parallel split …

and I also wanted to finally buy bare knuckle pickups

….

Knowing all of this, hearing my song and sound, knowing I play mostly Mesa rectifiers and oranges half stacks through a fractal axe Fx iii and atomic clr Neo wedge my luthier advised me to get the polymath set

I never used alnico in the bridge and I only thought alnico 8 would be scooped or hot enough for my desired taste but I was assured the UOA5 in the polymaths are not only capable of djent and amazing dynamics but they have perhaps the best cleans you can find for a pickup capable of such hi gain tones

I wanted BKP, I wanted a unique set within the lineup, and one that could do metal but much more , and the polymaths sound like the most versatile BKP set

These being the ONLY UOA5 bridge I’ve ever seen (besides Polypaf but those are not for metal)

So I hope they turn out to be exactly what I was looking for.

33

Pickups / Alternatives to Holy Diver set for a Thinline T style guitar

« Last post by andrewt on April 04, 2025, 07:16:12 AM »

Hi all,

I am engaged in getting a guitar built. It was originally going to be a dinky Strat style body with 2 point term and using the Holy Diver set to be a rock guitar.

Due to some unforeseen circumstances it has become a thinline T style guitar with hardtail bridge and with 24 3/4" scale neck. Body is mahogany with maple cap, and neck is mahogany with rosewood board.

I am still interested in having a set of pickups that are less bright and towards the rock end of the spectrum. Just wondering whether I should change the Holy Diver set to something else?

34

Pickups / Re: Another Pickup Suggestion Thread

« Last post by b.gandt on April 01, 2025, 03:39:22 PM »

Alder body, Maple neck, right?  You may want to consider a Crawler.  It is hot, but more open than many other hot pickups.  Cleans up well.  I used one in a single H configured basswood MIJ Strat.  I can get a fair amount of sounds out of that single humbucker.

I used Mules in a single cut Korina PRS SE.  great classic sound that can be goosed for heavier sounds, very dynamic.  It may be brighter than you want in your chattel, though.  Only a guess on my part, though.

No experience with the Poly PAR and Rebel Yell.  I have read comments here that the Rebel may be too bright for a Strat.

35

Pickups / Re: Something between a Mule and a Rebel Yell

« Last post by b.gandt on April 01, 2025, 03:25:44 PM »

If you’re open to a humbucker size P90, the humbucker size Supermassive may do the trick.  I use one in  93 Hamer Special, and I’ve used the Mule, which I like, but I can understand your pov on it.

The Supermassive can have good cut without being overly trebly.

36

Pickups / Re: Polymath

« Last post by b.gandt on April 01, 2025, 03:17:33 PM »

Yeah…it has been quiet.  Which is unfortunate, as folks here have good info.

I haven’t used the Polymath, so here’s a bump.

37

Pickups / Polymath

« Last post by yellow eyez on March 25, 2025, 03:30:40 PM »

Man, I thought this place might have some info or feedback but it’s deader than a doornail

I guess Polymaths it is since I won’t be getting a reply

38

Pickups / Something between a Mule and a Rebel Yell

« Last post by fentonwinmill on March 23, 2025, 06:43:57 PM »

I have two guitars one with a Mule (strat style) and one with a Rebel Yell ( Music man Axis style), for an other guitar I'm looking for a pickup set that sits between the two. The mule has a little two much top end that can take your head off, the Rebel Yell not quite enough and can sound a little muddy (although great for high gain 80s power chords).
Any recommendations

39

Pickups / Aftermath 7 output question

« Last post by Ivanickson on March 22, 2025, 05:58:17 PM »

Hello! I just installed a new Aftemath on my 7-string guitar and was a bit confused, it sounds fine for my guitar, I like it, but it's extremely hard to make it saturate, I'm not used to hit at the limit after Black Hawks or any other BKPs. Also, I have Aftermath in my 6-string guitars and it's 10db of volume difference between both guitars, there are some samples and screen. Pickups height is ~1.7mm for 7-strings and ~2.5 mm for 6-strings.
Any ideas or expirience? Is that ok or maybe smth went wrong?
For more context, I have Evertune in my guitar, 74 strings in F#, I set my Babyface gain at 0 for other pickups and it works, and also I'm new at soldering, think I do it ok, but probably I don't know some details.

40

Pickups / Another Pickup Suggestion Thread

« Last post by alex.pinheiro.soares on March 22, 2025, 12:32:02 PM »

Hello everyone!
I am looking for some objective recommendation (within each one personal appreciation) of pickup set for a Charvel Pro Mod Rel.
The guitar comes from factory with Seymour Duncan® JB™ TB-4 on bridge and Seymour Duncan® '59™ SH-1N on neck.

I basically play original (band) songs that flows from 60s rock through 70's Led Zeppelin/Wolfmother to 80/90s (somewhere around Guns N Roses, Motley Crue etc), of course not even near in terms of quality.

I am using a Marshall SH20 (20 Watts plexy) and i play a lot with guitar volume to get clean tones from it (either using a tele with Seymour duncan quarter pound and/or Strat with BK Irish Tour)!

So you may ask, why change pickups on the Charvel, i love the neck and the playability, and i was looking for some pickups that would react better to volume and would be able to get some decent cleans and dynamics (the JB is quite harsh/aggresive some times). I have to do some "intros" wich are heavy on delay/reverb effects and these pickups don't deal really well with it (in my opinion/ignorance).

So. should i drink a glass of water and wait for GAS to disapear or any of the below would fit my purposes and why:
- BK Mules
- BK Rebel Yell
- BK PolyPaf

I also have some Suhr Thronebucker set, but on an Ibanez FR1720 i had they lacked "character", too much HiFi for my taste!

Thanks for reading this!

Best Regards