Nailbombs in Heavy Mahogony

[Infliktor]

How will these sound in a heavy 10.2 pound Mahogony Single cut...Ive heard they are too dark for a Mahogony guitar

[Antag]

Well, my Les Paul goldtop weighs around 11lbs (OK, some of that is the maple top) & Nailbombs sound good in it.  I first installed a Holy Diver set & it was just too thick sounding - huge booming bass was almost all you could hear from it.  But the Nailbombs give that guitar much more brightness & upper mid/high end definition.

[MDV]

I wouldnt, personally.

That may well be to do with the fact that I'm a clarity-freak and play in drop A#, but I think youre walking a line there. It might work, it might not.

Oh, its not that they're dark, its that they arent all that powerfull and dont cut through the wood (if the wood is a slab of mahogany). lower powered and higher powered pickups are fine, but that middle ground, that the NB is on the top end of, doesnt work too well apparently.

What sound are you going for?

[Infliktor]

What do Nailbombs do well in?

[MDV]

Pretty much anything but big slabs of mahogany. And even then, I think its on the cusp - it can work, I'm told it might not, depends on the guitar and how heavy and dark it is I suppose.

[ericsabbath]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKUEaDk0juU

I bet that lefty guitar isn't lightweight  :P

[Dr. Vic]

Here you have a Nailbomb combo tested on a Les Paul. :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKkMxJiCjTU


As in all the NB clips I've heard at the moment the overall tone is rather smooth to my ears, and not really cutting thru...But maybe my opinion will change...(haven't tried it yet).  I understand the high mids as being closely linked to the « presence AND « cut » of a guitar in a mix, and as for the NB, I don't find it is the case (A mystery to me, as many people say punchy high mids are in there !)   :wallbash:

Also look at this topic : http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6920.0
Tim speaks of a Marshall JCM 800 KK  tested with a custom LP fitted with NB :twisted:. I didn't find any video of that (is that the one you posted Eric, no LP on video here !???) But there will certainly be a clue here ... 


THAT SAID, imo, in the same range of output, if you want an Alnico V bridge pickup with real presence, and a growly midrange, that can cut thru a LP or saw a sequoia, have a look at the Rebell Yell clip of Steve Stevens (recorded with a LP too) : To me that's the first choice for some straight-talking-and-cutting-sound, with some REAL punchy mids and upper mids !  (otherwise I also suspect the Riff Raff to do the job no problem...)
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3433.0

[Will]

The KK Marshall video EH linked was Chris George with NBs in his Les Paul.

I don't quite know how the RY stands next to the NB, but the high mids of the Rebel felt a bit stiff, I think they would sit well in a band mix though

[Dr. Vic]

Cheers, Didn't saw this demo of Chris George before, but yes this sounds great !

As the discussion was more about the ability of the NB to cut the mix (without any consideration about music style), I just concentrate on that particular quality, while comparing it with some other pickups (that REALLY cut), just to help to build a constructive opinion (some relativity might help, imo). 

But even if they both are Alnico V, same outputwise, you're right NB and RY have anything else in common..  (Or maybe that S Stevens started at BKP, as far as I know, with some Mule and NB and worked after that with Tim to build his own combo, while still playing about the same kind of music, I suppose....) 

[Adam.M]

If you've got a big thick maple cap on the guitar it could work and i've heard it work really well on les pauls

But on an SG or Mira or anything thats just mahogany without that maple cap... forget it, no chance.

I had a Nailbomb in a Ibanez SA1260, that was a mahogany only body, and it didnt work massively well, but wasnt that far off...