Please Contrast And Compare WCR SRs with the most similar BKP singles!

[UndeadMonkey]

Anyone here ever try the WCR SRs?  They are no longer available.  They are not nececarrily a pickup that I would want to purchase as I hear that they are not very hot.  But, people rave about the woodiness and the attack.

So, for those on the know, please compare and contrast.

Note:  I am not asking which pickup is better.  Those kinds of threads go in bad directions.  Just trying to get a sense of the overlap and the differences.

Thanks!

[UndeadMonkey]

Bump! :)

[MDV]

The only thing I can tell you is there is a reasonable chance that the WCRs will be microphonic: Jims 'special potting technique' is in fact hardly potting at all.

I dont think there has ever been a microphonic BK.

Tonally, I have absolutely no idea about the WCRs, but if you dont like that these arent very hot, and you do want woodiness and attack, then a sinner bridge, trillogy neck and middle and zinc coated steel base plates all round will get you there with bells on :D

[Emperor]

BAN HIM ;p

[UndeadMonkey]

 :lol:

Lets make one thing clear.  Bare Knuckle Slow Hands are at the top of the list.  I have found a few WCR SR owners who have tried a million pickups, and discussed the pickups with them since starting this thread.

I am totally obsessive.

They seems to be a trend.  They say that the Bare Knuckle Irish Tours and The Van Zandt Hot sets are the best for what I want.  And what I want are the more aggressive strat tones.

Not many people seem to even know that the Slow Hands exist which really leaves me scratching my head.  I don't want to drop $300 + on pups with only a sound clip or two floating about but I want the most aggressive vintage style single coils that I can get my hands on.

Right now, Bare Knuckle pups are at the top of the list and I will almost certainly order some.  So, think of the title as, which Bare Knuckle vintage style single coil set is for me!

[MDV]

GAH! Newbies having at each other  :lol:

AAAAAAAAAND relax.
 8)

We arent going to give anyone sh!t for mentioning other brands. We often compare BKs to other stuff out there, and talk pickups of all kinds and colours.

The pickups room is traditionally for bare knuckle recommendations, and I for one dont see that undead monkey has gone outside that.

UDM: the ITs will give a hot-strat sound and a glassy clean. They have a strong midrange that sounds a bit hotter than it really is.

My understanding is that the slowhands are a similar power, but darker and warmer (but I've never tried them)

[Philly Q]

UDM: the ITs will give a hot-strat sound and a glassy clean. They have a strong midrange that sounds a bit hotter than it really is.

My understanding is that the slowhands are a similar power, but darker and warmer (but I've never tried them)

That's my understanding too.  I imagine the ITs as having that fiery, raw Rory Gallagher (obviously) kind of tone. 

And the Slowhands as having the fat, warm tone Clapton has on his recent (i.e. last 20 years or so) recordings.  Not the thinner, wiry Blackie tones he had in the 70s.

[38thBeatle]

Comparisons with ITs I cannot do( as I don't have a set) but I wouldn't describe Slowhands as having an aggressive tone.I would say ever so slightly hotter than say Apaches ( the only set I can compare them with ) but with thicker mids.

[AndyR]

UDM: the ITs will give a hot-strat sound and a glassy clean. They have a strong midrange that sounds a bit hotter than it really is.

My understanding is that the slowhands are a similar power, but darker and warmer (but I've never tried them)

That's my understanding too.  I imagine the ITs as having that fiery, raw Rory Gallagher (obviously) kind of tone. 

And the Slowhands as having the fat, warm tone Clapton has on his recent (i.e. last 20 years or so) recordings.  Not the thinner, wiry Blackie tones he had in the 70s.

That's the impression I have as well. Not tried the Slowhands, but the ITs do Rory very nicely. I chose them cos I was looking for "hotter" vintage strat pickups for blues-type stuff first, and then general all-round stratty-ness if I could have it.

And that's what they do for me - I'd say they're vintage with a "harder edge" to them. Like Philly Q I imagine slowhands have a rounder edge to them?? With my ITs, it took some height adjusting over several weeks while I was getting used to them, but they're great, and a lot more versatile than I was actually hoping for when I ordered.

And what I want are the more aggressive strat tones.

I think you want ITs...
I don't think of the EC tones as very aggressive...
What you want is a spot of Rory - wind the vol/tone back a bit, you can play clean, even folky, back off on the pick attack, and it's sweet, even jazzy, wind it all up and dig in, and it screams (EC tone just "wails"  :lol:)
:D

[Philly Q]

I always thought I wanted Slowhands, but you're starting to sell me on the Irish Tours, Andy!  :)

[AndyR]

I wasn't too sure about them when I first got them Philly - I seem to remember someone else trying to describe the same experience a little later and getting in a spot of bother :roll:

They do seem to be like a "blank-canvas" for what you put it in.

Straight off the bat they passed my "Rory" tests that I've been doing on strats for years - intros to Shadow Play and Brute Force and Ignorance, that sort of thing. But then reaching for the actual Irish Tour 74 album tone (as elusive as Ritchie Blackmore's MIJ tone!)... ho hum... they won't do it on their own folks!! They require the input from you.

You have to get warmed up, get your amp (or modeller :roll:) warmed up, pick the right sort of sound and play it like you mean it. Once it's all cooking, the intro and main riffing of Cradle Rock are there easily, Million Miles Away, sigh, it's all there... And once the amp is set right, ALL the tones are on the guitar controls... no boosts, channel switching or pedals are required...

Pick another guitarist, adjust amp and mind-set - they seem to do that as well...

I love 'em! :D