HSP90 options

[darthphineas]

Hey guys,

While checking out a local builder, I was pleased to find he had BKPs in all his own guitars that he provided for testing. He had a lot of Warpig action going on and while I found the Warpig neck a little to thick for my preference, he also had a HSP90 Stockholm neck that was a pleasant surprise. Given his guitars and amps, I figured the tone profile of the Nantucket or the Mississippi Queen might be better suited for my preference....but....

I thought I'd check with you cats to see who has actually tried those models and what your thoughts are.

To be specific, I'm looking at high gain 80s style hard rock and this would be in a neck position.  A main focus would be a low end that does not get tubby and highs that cut and have a bit of edge. Another focus would be a good dose of output.

Thanks for your input!

[Chris Rowberry]

Hey

From your description I would recommend the Supermassive neck. It's one step (output wise) under the Stockholm neck and will give you a modern edge to the tone still.

[Kiichi]

Both Supermassive and MQ can work imho. Chris noted the reasons for the Supermassive already, though Iīd want to add that it also has less low end than the STHLM neck. If you however do not want a modern core character the MQ can get you there. It too has all the things you look for, but delivers them in a more vintage package.

[darthphineas]

depends on the definition of modern. lol!  I try to be careful when it comes to what I call modern because I see some people consider modern to be de-tuned or nu metal....when I consider modern being just on this side of vintage, in other words, 80s and early 90s hard rock and hair rock and so on.

I did see the Supermassive.  The tone/eq graph on that one sorta turned me away, with the big lows and reduced highs.

[Kiichi]

Yeah, the line between classic and modern is hard one to define. Note that I donīt use the word vintage but rather classic. Pretty much all 80s sounds to me are still in that classic arena, made from pickups which were very much based on the PAF but hotrodded and amps with the same notion. Then, somewhere in the 90s I guess there was a break, when things went so far from that original design that they became something new. Something modern.

This is something that mostly appears in cleans, but in the same way translates to dirty. There is that line, which is slightly different for everyone of course, where you either think that the cleans are classic or modern.

I will try to think of better terms, but to me classic is still very much connected to the PAF. Itīs its brother. The modern sound is the next generation. Derived from the same idea, but distinctly different.

[darthphineas]

One of the things I noticed about the guys Stockholm was that it wasnt really noisy.  Are all the BKP P90 models quiet like that?

[Kiichi]

One of the things I noticed about the guys Stockholm was that it wasnt really noisy.  Are all the BKP P90 models quiet like that?

Shockingly so, yes. However, proper shielding of the guitar can have a lot to do with it too, as P90s are more prone to pick up ambient noise from electrical currents.

[Dave Sloven]

My P-90 version of the Stockholm is prone to noise and had to be thoroughly shielded. I tend to think that the nickel cover of the HSP-90 version might help.  Mine just has a plastic cover