BKPs for my guitars

[I am Incinerator]

Greetings!  long time lurker here…I may have made some posts before hand, but it must have been years ago!

I had a curious question about which BKPs would work best for my guitars and my playing/musical tastes.

First guitar would be a Gibson ES-335 1959 RI:  This guitar is pretty well balanced across the spectrum as far as lows, mids, and highs.  It's fairly loud plugged in and unplugged…it is also pretty clear…which is probably the reason I reach for it when I sit and play on the couch!  It came with the 57 classic set which sound pretty great but was pretty lifeless as far as dynamic response goes. The guitar is pretty resonant.  The neck vibrates in your hand after a couple good strums if it hash;t been played in a while

Second guitar is a 95 Gibson Les Paul Studio:  This guitar sounds great, but it isn't too loud unplugged, which may make it seem as if it's missing some of the Les Paul bulk.  It's pretty chimey for a Les Paul, but can still rock when wound up.  It's pretty heavy and feels pretty resonant after a few minutes of playing.

Third guitar is a Fender American Series deluxe Telecaster:  This is currently the only tele and single coil guitar that I own.  I have slowly turned this into a late 50's/early 60's wannabe tele.  I have a lightweight steel plate bridge with the there brass saddles.  It is a rocking and twangy machine.  the notes jump and on this guy (especially after I put on the new bridge).  Fun strummer quite like the 335.

For my humbucker tones.  I love Eric Clapton in Cream…especially the live part of Wheels of Fire.  Maybe a little bit of his Bluesbreakers tone…but mostly Cream.  I also dig later Noel Gallagher tones, stuff off of the last couple Oasis records and his solo record, and the live acoustic stuff he did a few years back that Gem played the 355 on.  Johnny Marr's work with LPs and Gibson ES guitars.  John Squire on Love Spreads, etc.  The Black Crowes also come to my mind a bit  I was leaning towards a Riff Raff set, or a Mules set or a combo of the two…or two out of those three options

For my tele tones.  I love a nice rocking and clear/stingy/springy tone more so than the twangy tones that most people associate tells with.  Pretty much the same cast of characters that I listed in the hum bucker tones part.  Except maybe replace Eric Clapton with Keef, and Page and/or Beck (in the Yardbirds)…which make me think the Yardbirds

My main amp is an amp heavily based off of a vintage JMI era Vox AC15 that has been tuned to a "bass spec" amp that has a more full frequency response, but is still very much Vox at it's heart.  It kind of turned it into a baby AC-30/4.  I also play into a pedal board with a Treble/Rangemaster type boost, fuzz, OD, delay and tremolo.  I plan on adding a Princeton Reverb and something similar to a Supro 1624T someday, but my main amp/tone is based off of the Vox type amp.

I figured since I'm still thinking about and saving up, I'd ask the general consensus, and when I'm ready to buy, I'd e-mail Tim and the BKP guys!

[Telerocker]

Hi, that's quite a story.  :D

For the ES-335 I would go either Stormy Monday's (AII-magnets) or Mules (AIV). Both will be an improvement over the 57 classics iin terms of dynamics, clarity and complex tonespectrum.

When the LP Studio has already quite some chime, I would take Mules over the brighter RiffRaffs. You can't go wrong with Mules anyway. They are one the best 59 PAF-replica's around.

For the tele either the Yardbirds or the Boss, which is a good allrounder. Personally I am a fan of the Blackguards. You might want to check out the BG52-set too.

[Kiichi]

Hi, that's quite a story.  :D

For the ES-335 I would go either Stormy Monday's (AII-magnets) or Mules (AIV). Both will be an improvement over the 57 classics iin terms of dynamics, clarity and complex tonespectrum.

When the LP Studio has already quite some chime, I would take Mules over the brighter RiffRaffs. You can't go wrong with Mules anyway. They are one the best 59 PAF-replica's around.

For the tele either the Yardbirds or the Boss, which is a good allrounder. Personally I am a fan of the Blackguards. You might want to check out the BG52-set too.

+1 pretty much what I thought too. While 2 sets of Mules would work (since the guitars are different enough) I think I would advice towards the Stormy Monday for the ES-335 to get a bit of variation and that extra sweet sound for that one. As Telerocker said you can´t go wrong with Mules, especially in a Les Paul.

Don´t know about the tele though, no experience there.

[I am Incinerator]

Thanks for the input!

I was definitely leaning towards the Mules for my LP, since the guitar is naturally chimey for a Les Paul (killer Teenage Fanclub sounds).  Plus I checked out a Youtube video of a guy playing an Edwards LPC copy with Mules and those things are clear!!!  I think the guy was tuned to C or C# playing with delay and high gain...crazy!

I heard somewhere that a few of Noel Gallagher's semi-hollows and maybe his main 355 had Riff Raff sets in them.   While his live and recorded sounds are great, IMO, I really dig the sounds that Gem ARcher was getting with Noel's main 355 during the acoustic shows he did with Noel circa 2006.  Just a good bite to it, but when backed off was jangly and chimey...good stuff!

I'll have to find some clips and post links...

I've been curious about the Stormy Mondays, but haven't looked too much into them.  The Mules and Riff Raffs seem to sit in the area that I like as far as tones go so I've focused on those the most!

[Telerocker]

Thanks for the input!

I was definitely leaning towards the Mules for my LP, since the guitar is naturally chimey for a Les Paul (killer Teenage Fanclub sounds).  Plus I checked out a Youtube video of a guy playing an Edwards LPC copy with Mules and those things are clear!!!  I think the guy was tuned to C or C# playing with delay and high gain...crazy!

I heard somewhere that a few of Noel Gallagher's semi-hollows and maybe his main 355 had Riff Raff sets in them.   While his live and recorded sounds are great, IMO, I really dig the sounds that Gem ARcher was getting with Noel's main 355 during the acoustic shows he did with Noel circa 2006.  Just a good bite to it, but when backed off was jangly and chimey...good stuff!

I'll have to find some clips and post links...

I've been curious about the Stormy Mondays, but haven't looked too much into them.  The Mules and Riff Raffs seem to sit in the area that I like as far as tones go so I've focused on those the most!

Clarity is a BKP-trademark, you will find that in every pickup. That's why BKP's seems to 'eat a little gain' because they don't get muddy and preserve noteseparation with highgain.

RiffRaffs in an ES is also an option, but beware, ES's are often already snappy and chimey.

[I am Incinerator]

Clarity is a BKP-trademark, you will find that in every pickup. That's why BKP's seems to 'eat a little gain' because they don't get muddy and preserve noteseparation with highgain.

RiffRaffs in an ES is also an option, but beware, ES's are often already snappy and chimey.

I agree about ES semi-hollows being having some decent chime and snap. Which made me think Mules would be the go-to-pickups for all my Gibson Humbucker needs.  Then I heard the rumor that Noel Gallagher uses Riff Raffs in his ES semi-hollows.

My 335 to my ears is noticeably louder than my LP, plugged in, not to mention bigger and fuller sounding across the spectrum.  It could be bright/chimey/snappy to other players though, or maybe I unkowingly like a brighter/chimey/snappy tone? :)  I always figured I liked a fuller tone with sweet smoother highs and a dollop of punchy low mids...or I like both??

[metale]

Being a guitar so responsive, and from my experience with the ES, I wouldn't recommend a Riff Raff for it. Mules, with a neck Stormy Monday as a second option.

For the Les Paul I would go with something slightly more punchy like a Riff Raff with a neck Mule.

For the tele, you answered yourself :)

[Telerocker]

Maybe RiffRaffs will do fine in your ES. I think you can judge best, since you know the guitars vibe. I'm just careful recommending RR's for hollowbodies. Mules would be a safer bet, but sometimes we have to take a little risk.  :)

For an already chimey LP I would stick to Mules, or if you want it a little hotter, middier and a tad more compressed, the Abraxas could do. It's less open and airy then Mules though.

[I am Incinerator]

Maybe RiffRaffs will do fine in your ES. I think you can judge best, since you know the guitars vibe. I'm just careful recommending RR's for hollowbodies. Mules would be a safer bet, but sometimes we have to take a little risk.  :)

For an already chimey LP I would stick to Mules, or if you want it a little hotter, middier and a tad more compressed, the Abraxas could do. It's less open and airy then Mules though.

I can appreciate that!  Maybe I'll save up a little longer and sell some pedals that aren't being utilized and get Mules and Riff Raffs to try out, and whatever set works best will go in there.  I'm guessing that Mules in my LP would probably be the best bet…it could be the other way around.  I imagine at least one of the sets will work in one of them? :)  Then I could sell/trade/exchange for another set.   

I think I'm well set with my plans for the tele set. 

[Dave Sloven]

I put an Emerald set in my friend's early '90s Les Paul Studio and they worked really well.

Definitely give that Brian Robertson sound

[Telerocker]

Maybe RiffRaffs will do fine in your ES. I think you can judge best, since you know the guitars vibe. I'm just careful recommending RR's for hollowbodies. Mules would be a safer bet, but sometimes we have to take a little risk.  :)

For an already chimey LP I would stick to Mules, or if you want it a little hotter, middier and a tad more compressed, the Abraxas could do. It's less open and airy then Mules though.

I can appreciate that!  Maybe I'll save up a little longer and sell some pedals that aren't being utilized and get Mules and Riff Raffs to try out, and whatever set works best will go in there.  I'm guessing that Mules in my LP would probably be the best bet…it could be the other way around.  I imagine at least one of the sets will work in one of them? :)  Then I could sell/trade/exchange for another set.   

I think I'm well set with my plans for the tele set.

Swapping pickups in an ES is something you don't want to do every week, since it's such a hassle. If you want to have extra chime, get the RR's and experiment with the height. That can give very different results with scatterwound pickups. And get 550K pots.

[I am Incinerator]

Maybe RiffRaffs will do fine in your ES. I think you can judge best, since you know the guitars vibe. I'm just careful recommending RR's for hollowbodies. Mules would be a safer bet, but sometimes we have to take a little risk.  :)

For an already chimey LP I would stick to Mules, or if you want it a little hotter, middier and a tad more compressed, the Abraxas could do. It's less open and airy then Mules though.

I can appreciate that!  Maybe I'll save up a little longer and sell some pedals that aren't being utilized and get Mules and Riff Raffs to try out, and whatever set works best will go in there.  I'm guessing that Mules in my LP would probably be the best bet…it could be the other way around.  I imagine at least one of the sets will work in one of them? :)  Then I could sell/trade/exchange for another set.   

I think I'm well set with my plans for the tele set.

Swapping pickups in an ES is something you don't want to do every week, since it's such a hassle. If you want to have extra chime, get the RR's and experiment with the height. That can give very different results with scatterwound pickups. And get 550K pots.

I hear you on that.  I had a tech swap out the harness for a 550k rated harness with PIO caps (22's for the neck and bridge), as well as pigtail extension leads that go into the pup cavity.  So hopefully that takes some of the pain out for a pup swap in the future.

I also have the same harness in my LP...just no lead extensions.  Just 550k rated pots and 22 PIO caps on the neck and bridge tone controls.

My tele also has a new upgraded harness, except I have a 22 Orange drop cap on the tone.  I may change this to a 47 tone cap for vintage flavor and to get more pronounceable "wah swells" on the tone control.