HELP, newbie here...Nailbomb or Warpig...Confussion :(

[Clive]

Hey guys

Thanks for all the feedback, it's hugely appreciated...

I gotta say though I'm no closer to my conclusion there are quite a few varying opinions.

One thing I notice is that not many of you are familiar with the music I'm playing.

If any of you have the time please YouTube Go With The Flow by Queens of the Stone Age and Black Rain by Soundgarden.

Both of these are very close to the tone I'm looking for. As I said in my original post I took a loan of my friends 76 Les Paul Black Beauty and it sounds great Dark, Heavy and not fizzy but very defined with a murderous warm crunchy bass :) ....Someone suggested above that the Soundgarden sound isn't achieved with high out put pick up's..so that go me thinking am I even on the wrong path looking at Nailbomb's and Warpigs? I'm using a high gain amp (Blackstar series 1 200) so maybe a not so high output pick up through that is the key...I really don't know..maybe I was on the right track?????!!!!!!

I noticed that Josh Homme from Queens of the Stoneage uses Seymour Duncan SH1's and SH11's again I'm not to familiar with these but how do the stack up against the Bare Knuckle range ( and I mean equivalent picks up's in the range not quality etc, I'm already sold on getting a Bare Knuckle)

Listen guys again thanks a lot for all your help, I'll be laying down the cash very soon. I never changed out the pick up's in a guitar before and I'm learning by the minute...

Any more suggestions now that you hear the tone's I'm aiming for would be great....

Clive

[Doadman]

The SH-11 uses an Alnico II magnet so is very different to either a Nailbomb or a Warpig. BKP also do Alnico II pickups but none of them are as hot as the SH-11. Basically you're looking at either the Stormy Monday or PG Blues, however, an Alnico IV magnet will give you many of the same characteristics with a bit more cut so I'd look at those first. The Mule is a hugely popular pickup and is capable of an astonishing range of styles from Blues to Rock despite its low power. If you want a similar pickup with the kind of output you get in an SH-11 then you should like the Abraxas, which is equally versatile and should serve you well. The SH-1 is Alnico V but I wouldn't worry about that too much. Your choice of neck pickup will, to a degree, be driven by the bridge pickup you choose.

[Nolly]

I think the Abraxas would be certainly be an interesting choice for you - with the AIV magnet it has a balanced and smooth response that will sound beautifully thick with zero fizz. It's a very under-represented pickup in the range, but hopefully once people hear the clips on the new site it might start becoming a more popular option.
For the sounds you've mentioned perhaps it would be interesting to pair an Abraxas bridge with a Mississippi Queen neck. P90-style pickups are particularly good at giving a fat and throaty tone that still retains a lot of clarity and definition when most humbuckers would be descending into muddiness.

Josh Homme has had several pickups rewound by BKP, perhaps if you ask the lads they can give you some insight into what he has.

[Doadman]

I was thinking of either an Abraxas set or a Mule for the neck but the idea of a MQ in there to go with an Abraxas bridge pup is fascinating. You'd have a great range of tones available and it would certainly cope with the styles you're after. Without a doubt I think the Abraxas bridge is a far better option for you than something like a Warpig. I'm never sure why it's so under-represented here because every clip I've heard is impressive regardless of the style it's used for. I'm a great fan of Santana's early tone though, when he was using a Yamaha SG, so I may be biased. Even so, it's a hugely versatile sound. Orianthi is clearly heavily influenced by the Santana tone and her guitars share that richness and versatility so she can play anything from Blues to shred equally convincingly. I'm damn sure it's a pickup that I will get eventually for a guitar. I was thinking of getting it for my Yamaha Pacifica and something like a Nailbomb for my SL3 but now I'm starting to think of how an Abraxas will sound in an SL3  :lol: So many great pups to choose from!

[ericsabbath]

I wouldn't go hotter than a black dog, unless you had a stock unboosted JCM 800

soundgarden used mostly guilds and gibsons with low output pickups
most of QOTSA's stuff sound like low output pups too