I've had it a couple of weeks, but my neighbours have moved out and the new ones haven't moved in yet so... It didn't take me long to think of turning my Marshall up to 10 and playing all my guitars.
Anyway, I wasn't happy with the sound of my Les Paul '54 Custom (a reissue). It's got a P90 in the bridge and an Alnico V staple pickup in the neck. The bridge pickup was honky as hell, with a big upper mid peak that made everything sound harsh and unmusical.
I told Tim I wanted something a bit like a Mule, but retaining that P90 character. He suggested a BKP-91 with an Alnico IV magnet. I was really unsure, but I decided to trust him. It's wound to just under 8k, and Bare Knuckle nailed the tone I wanted. I don't know what the DC on the old pickup was, but the new pickup seems to push the amp harder while still having a more musical sound. I can switch from my Les Paul Classic (with Mules) to the Custom without having to change the amp settings, and the perceived gain and volume are about the same.
The P91 doesn't have the depth or warmth of the Mule humbucker, and instead it's more focused and has that P90 rip. Plus when you back off the volume control you can really tell it's a single coil. If anything, it has a little more presence than the old pickup, but it's still usable with the volume and tone controls on 10. Backing off the tone control makes it sound really fat without getting muddy.
It's awesome. I'm very happy. I'd wanted one of these guitars for about five years when I got it, and I was gutted when it didn't sound as good as I'd hoped. Now I've got the guitar I was hoping for in the first place.
