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Author Topic: Need BKP Suggestions for Several Guitars (Nailbomb, Holy Diver, Rebel Yell, etc.  (Read 4262 times)

JJDon

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I'm looking to replace the bridge pickup in my Suhr Classic S and PRS Custom 24 with some Bareknuckle Pickup options. I have a Holy Diver in my other PRS 594 that I love how middy/thick the sound is. I was thinking of replacing the Suhr SSH+ in the bridge of the Suhr, which I find to be a little bright, with a Holy Diver. The neck pickup I have in there right now is a Thornbucker which I like for its clean sounds. And for the PRS Custom 24, I was thinking of the Alnico Nailbomb set for some variety. But since I like the Holy Diver, should I maybe just go with that as well? I've also heard the Nailbomb can be a bit bright. I could also try out the Rebel Yell in the Custom 24 as well which seems to be similar to a JB. Another option I saw is the True Grit as well. The sound I'm going for is 80s rock/hair metal, 90s metal/alt rock, nu-metal type stuff, but also versatility and good cleans if possible. Something that straddles the line between old-school 80s/90s and modern tones. Probably won't be playing much classic rock on these guitars.

Thoughts?


« Last Edit: February 03, 2022, 04:39:15 AM by JJDon »

Chris Rowberry

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Hi,

From your description I would be leaning heavily towards the Holydiver for sure.

If you did want to have something different in there, then the Nailbomb would also be a good choice. It's a hot pickup with a full, rich and organic sounding bottom end, so I really doubt you will find it too bright, going by your tonal description.

RobAbrams84

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I tried a lot of these same pickups in my Mayones Regius and you might want to read my long thread about them.

Anyway I personally love Suhr pickups and can compare them.  The SSH+ is definitely hotter than the Holydiver to me, and perhaps a little tighter in the bass (not that the Holydiver is loose at all).  The Holydiver has more mids for sure, and more low-mids, whereas the SSH+ is a little more even in EQ and has more of those upper mids and highs to cut a bit more.  The Holydiver can still cut on leads though, and the notes are a little fatter and have more weight.  They're both great pickups.

I might suggest trying a Holydiver neck as well if you like the Thornbucker neck.  I personally have not found very many BKP neck humbuckers that I like, because I find most of them a little too warm/dark/bassy (though not muffled).  The Holydiver neck is completely the opposite of that though, it's very bright and jangly for a neck humbucker, it's a very interesting pickup. 

My personal favorite of these is the True Grit, however.  It's a more even EQ than the Holydiver and less hot, less compressed, but still tight.  The True Grit neck is one of the better BKP neck humbuckers I've tried also, if a bit more of a "standard" sounding neck humbucker.

I found the voicing of the Nailbomb to be extremely aggressive, and not in a pleasant way.  I didn't find it versatile at all, but it was good for aggressive, heavy stuff. 

I hope that helps.
« Last Edit: February 28, 2022, 08:02:42 PM by RobAbrams84 »

Dave Sloven

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+1 on the True Grit recommendation.

I used to have the alnico Nailbomb, a nice pickup for more aggressive stuff but nowhere near as versatile as the True Grit.
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