Author Topic: warpig vs. painkiller in les pauls (Read 9483 times)

Orpheo · « **on:** October 28, 2007, 12:06:43 AM »

Hi guys, i've been gone from this forum for a while, but there's something thats bugging me for a while, in a positive way.

I have a les paul custom and a les paul standard, and both need BKP. I want a painkiller set, and a warpig set. What would be the best combination:

custom+warpig
standard+painkiller

or

custom+painkiller
standard+warpig

I think the top one would be the best, but I have NO idea how and why. the custom is by nature more 'compresed' and it has a tigher bassreponse, more screaming highs and more pressing mids, whilst the standard is pushing, but not as much as the standard, and it is more airy in tone than the custom; more organic. THey have to be, both, great metalaxes, but when the volume and tone are rolled down, they have to be equally good in classic rock, bluesy stuff and jazz . both will get, ofcourse (in my case ofcourse :P 8) ) the jimmy page wiring.

by the way. do you BKP players also think that the nailbomb is a pickup with a lot of warmth, and not so much overall grit and 'crunch' as, lets say, the dimarzio EVO, the gibson 498, or even the GFS crunchy pafs?

ericsabbath · « **Reply #1 on:** October 28, 2007, 12:23:18 AM »

i think these sets are too overpowering for les pauls

i liked the warpig in an ibanez rg in mahogany, but sounded like an already boosted and a bit distorted holy diver
the les paul will push it's output even harder
a les paul is already full of resonance and mids and adding the mids of the painkiller could be too much

i'd put a holy diver or nailbomb instead of the warpig and ta miracle man or cold sweat instead of the painkiller

ericsabbath · « **Reply #2 on:** October 28, 2007, 12:28:44 AM »

Quote from: Orpheo

I think the top one would be the best, but I have NO idea how and why. the custom is by nature more 'compresed' and it has a tigher bassreponse, more screaming highs and more pressing mids, whilst the standard is pushing, but not as much as the standard, and it is more airy in tone than the custom; more organic. THey have to be, both, great metalaxes, but when the volume and tone are rolled down, they have to be equally good in classic rock, bluesy stuff and jazz . both will get, ofcourse (in my case ofcourse :P 8) ) the jimmy page wiring.

by the way. do you BKP players also think that the nailbomb is a pickup with a lot of warmth, and not so much overall grit and 'crunch' as, lets say, the dimarzio EVO, the gibson 498, or even the GFS crunchy pafs?

you can turn the custom into a metal monster with a miracle man
or put a holy diver for a true les paul sound with big metal balls :lol:

when i think about crunch, i think of cold sweat
but gibson 498 has no crunch to my ears :?
sounds like a lifeless overwound paf to me

MDV · « **Reply #3 on:** October 28, 2007, 12:37:27 AM »

I think one of the earliest PK sets ever, if not the ealiest: one of Tims own, is in a les paul.

For the blues and jazz as well, go with warpig/cold sweat.

The neck PK is a shred demon, but it doesnt do the lower gain stuff as well as a CS, and I prefer the CS's high gain lead sound anyway. Its got perfect sweet response and a mid peak thats all you ever dreamed of for shreding on. But roll it back and blues and jazz are there easily. You'll get awesome lead sounds out of a PK neck: its a great pickup, but it doesnt back off as well and isnt as versatile.

Bridge wise, go ceramics if you want to keep the tightness, because, really, dont worry about it not cutting it for lower gain stuff: the C-Pig splits really, really well (given its power!) and has a great parrallel sound that'll take you to blues and certainly jazz territory. It will sound a little bit more clinical than the A5 pig at lower gains, but it can hack it.

PK doesnt back off as well: it seems to have a sharper drop off. Maybe its the mids: they always give that bit more illusion of push at even rolled back levels. You'll get 'rock' out of it no problem whatsoever, but its not in the C-Pig and certainly not the Pigs territory for versatilty IMO.

If youre not so fussed about the super-tight, screaming thing then get the A-5 pig.

Nailbombs are also viable for you, I think, but if you want these guitars to be balls-to-the-wall capable, then you may find them tame: they arent all that powerfull (think JB level, maybe just a shade less). Nailbombs are also not as tight as A5 pigs. Really nice, silly-versatile neck pickup, though, so maybe think about pairing that with a pig?

Orpheo · « **Reply #4 on:** October 28, 2007, 12:41:26 AM »

hmm. I had the nailbombs, but they werent crunchy enough, not powerfull enough, not screaming enough, and best of all: the pinch harmonics werent as powerfull and screaming as I liked them. I am still heavily confused about what to buy.

I have a building project running, and that guitar will be loaded with rio grandes, but I think that will be a very big 'nono', because I'm so used to the openness and quality of BKPs....

MDV · « **Reply #5 on:** October 28, 2007, 12:46:34 AM »

Well thats a helpfull calibration of what you want these pickups to sound like. You'll find that the Ceramic Pig bridge will crunch and scream more than a nailbomb.

The painkillers will too, but they're only a little more powerfull than NBs (there isnt much in it anyway: I'm afraid I cant A/B it as I dont have nailbombs any more: I exchanged them for painkillers, which are far more down my super-tight-and-in-your-face street)

Orpheo · « **Reply #6 on:** October 28, 2007, 12:56:03 AM »

that settles it then :) a warpig ceramic for the custom, and a painkiller or a cold sweat for the standard. dont know which one yet.

MDV · « **Reply #7 on:** October 28, 2007, 07:16:51 PM »

Just so I know you understand: When I was talking about the cold sweat, I meant the neck pickup. Its a great pair for a really powerfull metal bridge pickup because, in general, people that use really powerfull bridge pickups want to use the neck for lead and cleans, maybe back off and go to the roots of the heaviest metal and play some blues, or its close relative in technicality; jazz. The clod sweat is perfect for all that for a metal player.

Put that in the neck with your C-Pig!

With the Painkiller, maybe get a crawler neck? Its A4, so its a bit grittier and middier but it can deliver everything from shred to blues/rock/jazz too, but with more of an emphasis on the blues/rock/jazz part. That doesnt hold it back for metal leads at all though: it works brilliantly for them (I had a guitar with crawlers in and it did blues, rock and the like very well indeed, but also kept up with my bandmates EMGs for metal!! I sold it to a guy that needed a guitar for.....yep, metal and blues! oh, and I sold it because, given my other guitars abilities to do cleaner sounds well enough for me I decided I could use the money more than the authentic blues tones).

Orpheo · « **Reply #8 on:** October 28, 2007, 10:39:02 PM »

Ok! that makes me understand it a bit better. I have emaild Tim about my questions, and about the choices for my guitars. I have FOUR guitars that have to be (re)loaded with pickups. I have installed the nailbombs today in a new guitar, and it seems like I have a brand new set of pickups! damn, now they sound spot on! the pinches are a LOT better! the guitar I had them in needs definitly something that has more treble, less mid and equally or less bass, and MORE grith and more crunch then the NB. painkiller of cold sweat for bridge, and for the neck; well, thats not so extremely important, but we'll see.

MDV · « **Reply #9 on:** October 28, 2007, 10:57:17 PM »

Well the PK has quite a bit more mids than the NB.

Maybe a miracle man?

ericsabbath · « **Reply #10 on:** October 28, 2007, 11:01:03 PM »

painkiller
the miracle man is very bassy and it's not middy
i'd personally go with the miracle man again, but when i think of a ceramic version of nailbomb, the closest is the definitely painkiller (like duncan distortion is to duncan jb)

Orpheo · « **Reply #11 on:** October 28, 2007, 11:02:24 PM »

hmm... difficult!! it has to go into a les paul with korina back, maple top and full rosewood neck and fingerboard. perhaps that might help? i want a pickup what screams, squeels, is agressive, but gets more open when volume is turned down. Neck should match, but has to be more smooth, but not 'nasal' (like the gibson BBpro). perhaps the cold sweat? I dont know why, but i dont think the miracle man will be good in my guitar. I believe it is extremely mid scooped. I dont mind mid, but I don mind, if it has no great pinch harmonics. as said, in this guitar, the nailbomb delivered no good pinches what soever. damn, this is hard... sorry for all the trouble.

ericsabbath · « **Reply #12 on:** October 28, 2007, 11:06:31 PM »

the miracle man is not middy, but not extremely mid scooped :lol:
actually it's not even scooped, but it has a lot more bass and treble than mids
the low mids sound very natural and growly and the sound opens a lot the louder you play it
the pinch harmonics are awesome!
but if you want MIDS and power, order a painkiller and don't look back

Orpheo · « **Reply #13 on:** October 28, 2007, 11:09:37 PM »

Quote from: Eric Hellstyle

the miracle man is not middy, but not extremely mid scooped :lol:
actually it's not even scooped, but it has a lot more bass and treble than mids
the low mids sound very natural and growly and the sound opens a lot the louder you play it
the pinch harmonics are awesome!
but if you want MIDS and power, order a painkiller and don't look back

I will order the miracleman first, I think, and the painkiller aswell. if the painkiller is great, I will keep it for that guitar (and a testdrive in my old custom). if the miracleman isn't better than the painkiller, i will send it back, and change if for the painkiller. but: lets wait what tim has to say! thanks anyway for all the advice!

ericsabbath · « **Reply #14 on:** October 28, 2007, 11:12:31 PM »

nice :D
btw, what amp are you using?