Putting BKPs in Carvin Guitars

[metalmaniac93]

I own a few Carvin's and while they a good guitars, their pick-ups are not and worst of all their guitar bodies are routed for the smaller Carvin pick-ups.  I was looking into putting a set of Holy Divers in my Carvin Bolt T-Plus, but I am afraid I will have to have the pick-up cavities routed out some more so the BKPs or any other after market pick-ups will fit.  Anyone have experience with putting BKPs in Carvin's especially the Bolt-T Plus (Pickups Mounted to Body)

[metalmaniac93]

No Responses?   I wish someone on this forum has experienced this?

[Transcend]

I believe your best bet on this would be to measure the cavity length and width and give Tim a call in regards to it.

I think in the worst case scenario that other pickups wont fit Tim could wind your current pickups & change the magnets to the equivalent BKP that you are interested in

[Telerocker]

Yes, a rewind is the easiest option here.

[metalmaniac93]

Well, I already ordered the HDs.  I hope they fit.

[Nolly]

Even if they don't, it should only be a minor routing job to get them in.

A rewind wouldn't be an ideal answer anyway - Bare Knuckles are made from the highest quality parts from the ground up, simply rewinding and putting a different magnet in doesn't turn a pickup into a BKP :)

[Kyle]

In a bolt plus you will have to do a lot of work to get BKP's in. 

To get them in my contour I had to widen the cavities slightly (they were too narrow neck to bridge),  grind a large radii onto the corners of the BKP's, slip the triangular tabs (didn't know that was standard as the schema I had seen showed squares), drill out the ring mount holes to be direct mount, and maybe drill a center hole on the bass side, can't remember if it was already there or not. 

I did most of this with a rotary tool and a grinding tip (like a barrel of grinding stone).

This was all for open coil pickups too, I skipped covers for obvious reasons.  By my measurements I should have had enough space but alas something funny happened and my 1mm of place didn't.  Well it did, but it was too tight for adjustment purposes (very snug), the winding exceeded the edges of the baseplate with tape on was the issue there (Rebel Yells). 

[visitorQ]

ask this dude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVDLXQ60_oI

[Kyle]

ask this dude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVDLXQ60_oI

that is a DC neck through ,with ring mount pickups having slihgtly larger routes to accompany carvins coverred pickups nowadays.  Different animal entirely.  


The issue pretty much stands with Carvi ndirect mounts if you are not prepared to doa  lot of work/ aren't comfortable modifying pickups and/or routes (I did minor to both instead of a lot of routing) I would go with the rewind option.

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/9420/glamourshot.jpg

This is the end result of my work, I think I did a damn fine job. (Changed to a link as the full image doesn't get scaled down here and is too large). 

[metalmaniac93]

Thank for the tips.  I already ordered the pickups and I will have a local luthier do it, if possible.   Would Tim actually do a rewind of the current Carvin PUs?  If not, them I am SOL and they will have too go into another guitar.

[metalmaniac93]

Kyle, that looks damn good to me.  I will pay to have someone do this work since if I screw it up, I could not forgive myself.  What BKPs did you put in there?  I have two other Carvin NT that I will be selling also.  Need to purge some of my guitar stock and the Carvins must go eventually.

[Kyle]

Kyle, that looks damn good to me.  I will pay to have someone do this work since if I screw it up, I could not forgive myself.  What BKPs did you put in there?  I have two other Carvin NT that I will be selling also.  Need to purge some of my guitar stock and the Carvins must go eventually.

I sold a NT this year also, when I got a G&L.    I agree though, Carvins while great can be beat (you just have to pay a fair bit to do so),  my G&L outplays the carvin for sure. I really didn't get along with the neckthrough


Those pickups are Rebel Yells.  I really like them.  They play very nice with my mesa.  I was a little apprehensive at first but I have a lot of wood working experience.  Not that I have many tools around currently... I did that freehand.   :lol: (More balls than brains some days.) 

Compared to the C22s that were in there, a lot more presence, the highs are smooth and usable, not harsh like they were.  Sustain actually increased, output is slightly hotter.  I think the sustain is due to Carvins pole piece design ,the 11 poles weaves a different field pattern which I think may have been causing more magnetic damping on the strings.  The pickups are more open, but have body.  They are not transparent like the carvins.  They lack the clean jangle carvins had in series, but play much nicer with the distortion channels.  I overcome the jangle for the bridge by using a parallel mode. 

[metalmaniac93]

Kyle,  what kind of wood is the body?   So, the RY sound good.  I would thing they would be a little bright in your type of guitar?  My Bolt-T plus is an Alder body with a Wilkinson trem, which I love more than the floyd.   I have an all Koa NY and all Mahogany NT both with Wilkinsons.  They are not bad, but there is something about them I cannot put my finger on.  I do have two G&Ls and they are great guitars.  A Legacy with Fralins and a semi-hollow ASAT with G&Ls PUs.  I love my G&Ls, but do not play them as much as I should.

[Kyle]

Mahogany body, maple neck.  


The Rebel Yells fit the bill for what I wanted, smooth leads, very tight bottom, great amount of attitude/balls.  Can't wait til the 7 with Nailbombs is done, but that will be a while. 

[metalmaniac93]

Sounds like a great guitar.  I already have a bolt syle guitar with a Mahogany Body and Maple Top (Ibanez RG), but they have Dimarzios (Tone Zone and Air Norton).  So, the RY are not too bright?   I was thinking of going with them in the RG?    So, you have a Carvin 7 String?