I need some help to choose my new humbuckers!!!

[Panos_Stargazer]

Hello guys!!! I'm a new member of the forum and as my nickname says I'm from Greece and I'm a big Ritchie Blackmore's fan!!!

I have an Ibanez S-470 guitar and I want to replace the stock humbuckers...a friend back in Greece told me about the Bare Knuckle pickups and when I visited the site I was impressed by both the quality of the pickups and the prices (especially when we're talking about hand-wired pickups...)

So my favourite guitarists are: Ritchie Blackmore, Ed Van Halen, John Sykes, Vivian Campbell, Jeff Loomis, Adrian Smith and John Petrucci...I play pure hard rock, pure new wave of british heavy metal, 80s hair metal and progressive metal

I need a bridge and a neck humbucker to play at least the 3 first music genres I mentioned (that's because I'm planning to buy another guitar for progressive sounds maybe a Schecter C-1...)

My amp is an ENGL Raider and at that time I do not use any effects...

So nice to meet you all!!! Greetings from Greece!!!

[Telerocker]

Welcome here. Well, Blackmore plays strats with singlecoils, so no humbuckers. Your favorite guitarists do have different guitars and gear. Since the S470 has I think a basswoodbody, you need a humbucker with enough clarity in the top end, otherwise it may get too dark. Probably the alnico V Holydiver will do the trick, or the ceramic Cold Sweat which will cut through at the top end and, as I read, will provide fluid sustain.

[Doadman]

The S470 is mahogany and I'd also suggest a set of Cold Sweats as the worked beautifully in my mahogany bodied RG and are inspired by the Gibson Dirty Fingers pickups favoured by John Sykes in that period with Thin Lizzy.

[Telerocker]

Doadman, you are rigth. I'm not an Ibanez-expert. The Ibanezzes I had were all basswood (Jem's), but most S are mahagony.

[ericsabbath]

I'd probably pickup the nailbomb for that particular guitar

[Panos_Stargazer]

Hey guys firtst of all thank you all for your replies!!!

Telerocker: It's an S Series so no it's not basswood it's mahogany...and I have some plans to buy a Stratocaster (if I earn some money) for Blackmore-like sound

Doadman: I'll listen to the Cold Sweat Pickups 'cause as I can figure out from what you say they are great for pure heavy metal aren't they? If you can offer a bit more information about rhat pickup it will help me a lot

Eric Hellstyle: Well I'm gonna ask you pretty much the same things...a bit more information about the Νailbomb...

Once again thank you all guys!!! see ya!!!

[gwEm]

mahogany? maybe a vh2, vintagey and bright enough for blackmore, but enough push for the heavier styles

[Panos_Stargazer]

mahogany? maybe a vh2, vintagey and bright enough for blackmore, but enough push for the heavier styles

Well I have heard very good words about the VHII but as you said it may not be able to carry out heavier styles...so I may use the VHII as a neck pickup along with a bit more "heavy" bridge pickup...Which one would you recommend (I am talking only about Bare Knuckle Pickups)

Thanxxx a lot man!!

[Telerocker]

Ritchie, I already admitted (see above) I was to hasty on the wood of the S-series. They are mahagony indeed. I suggested the Cold Sweat (ceramic) and Holy Diver (alnico V, warmer), but based on the former comment the VHII might do the trick as well, depending on the amp. I found that highgain-amps do very well with vintage-hot-pickups (like the popular VHII). Sure enough oomph for Blackmore-stuff. But you can always ask Tim for advice. Maybe he comes up with the CS.
( I intend to buy a Les Paul or a Heritage H150 and there will be VHII's or Mules in it.)

[Panos_Stargazer]

Depending on the amp...it's an ENGL Raider...do ya think that the VHIIs will be fine for the kind of music I've mentioned?

[Telerocker]

I never played Engls except the Classic, which has a very moderate overdrive/distortion. The other Engls in the range have a quite modern highgain-sound, I read, so there should not be a problem with the VHII. This pickup will provide enough power and highend to cut through. Maybe an option is to go for a VHII for the neck and something hotter in bridge, like Emerald or Holy Diver. But anyway, ask Tim if you have doubts about the VHII.

[Panos_Stargazer]

OK guys thanks a lot just one last question 'cause my English is not very good...I was reading about the VHII specs on the Bare Knuckle Site and I have some queries...what difference has a calibrated and a non-calibrated pickup? Does it affect the sound or it only has to do with the manufacturing? Also what does it mean "poled pickup?

Thank you once again  :D

[dheim]

geia sou!
personally i'd go for nailbombs... the S has got a shallow sound, although being mahogany bodied, and has a quite wild midrange that needs to be led in the right direction... well, for loomis i'd rather get a ceramic bridge, but for the rest the ordinary nailbombs should be perfect. cold sweats should sound quite thin in there.
here are a couple of embarassingly old things i recorded with my nailbomb equipped S...

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=15092.0
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15145.0;attach=5055