NEW HERE: BKPs For 2 Of My Guitars

[ESPImperium]

In new here, and would like some advice on what BKPs i should get for my ESP LTD EC-1000VHB and my Fender Highway 1 Strat, i have looked at other manufacturers for what i amy want, but i think i may be wanting BKPs for both axes.

Firstly, my EC-1000VHB, i would like to replace the stock JB in the bridge as i now hate it, i dont want to replace the 59' in the neck as i do really like it tho. I have concidered 4 BKPs for the bridge; Warpig, Nailbomb, Painkiller and the Mirical Man. Basically i would like a EMG 81 style sound, but with a tad more warmth and versitility, im not wanting it to be EMG 85 fat, enough to cover 80s style metal and rock all the way thru to modren styles of metal, but as i do like a good clean id also like it to be able to keep a clean tone coming from it as well.

As for my Highway 1 Strat, i am on the hunt for a new middle and neck pairing, i was thinking abou either the Apache or Irish Tour for them, but have also came up against the Seymour Duncan Antiquity mid and neck pair for my strat. Im wanting a good versitile pair of pickups for my strat as well, basically a P90 tone in the middle and what id like to call a PAF sounding single coil for the neck, good for most styles of music. i could do this with the Seymour Duncans but i feel that BKPs will make there way into my strat.

As for the bridge of my strat im looking for a pickup that will sound very Iron Maiden-ish, like Adrian Smiths mail strat tone with a little of Dave Murray as well, a good all round humbucker i feel will be the option here, about vintage hot or a hot vintage tone id recon will be the best sound here.

Ive tried other forums, the only one of the 3 or 4 ive tried for narrowing down my options is the ESP Guitars forum, the Seymour Duncan, HCEG forum have all drawn blanks.

Thanks again.

[hhcave]

Well the Miracle Man set is supposed to be the BKP equivalent of the EMG 81/85 set... The bridge is very hot and a lot more dynamic than the 81...i think the neck is pretty different to the 85 though, it sounds really quite vintage and extremely clear! And you get pretty good cleans out of the neck Miracle Man; sorry i cant comment on the other pickups as i only have a Miracle Man in a les paul myself  :shock:

[MDV]

Painkiller. Or miracle man. But I like the painkillers cleans better, and you asked for cleans.

[ESPImperium]

I downloaded some of the sound samples on the Players section last night, and from what ive heard im down to theese:

EC-1000VHB: BKP Nailbomb/Seymour Duncan 59'
H1 Strat: BKP Miracle Man/

The reasoning, the Nailbomb sounded probably the best all round for what i would like, with a little compression, harmonacally rich and powerful, each note running clear with no mush. The Miracle Man because it sounded warm and dynamic, almost fluid whits is what id like there.

Im now looking for a middle and neck for my Strat, altho i think a more vintage sound in those posisions would be good for versitility.

[Antag]

Im now looking for a middle and neck for my Strat, altho i think a more vintage sound in those posisions would be good for versitility.

Be careful - I put a pair of Sultans with a Miracle Man bridge & it was a stupid idea.  There's an absolutely HUGE jump in volume when the bridge gets switched in - it absolutely buries the singles.  Miracle Man is a powerful bridge pickup - the HSS set comes with Trilogies for a very good reason :)

If anything, I'd do the opposite of what you are thinking & put a Nailbomb/Irish Tour set in the strat & MM in the EC:
The MM will give you a smooth, tight, powerful sound in the bridge.
The NB in the strat will be very versatile & probably more Maiden-like than a MM.

Hope this helps, YMMV etc...

[hhcave]

Yeah i'd say the Miracle Man suits the Les Paul style guitar better (mahogany body/neck - larger body etc.)

[ESPImperium]

I hear you there.

The only thing id rather avoid in my EC is getting a Zakk Wylde style tone, as i do like the EMG 85, but only in Alder and Basswood. Altho id probably get a custom electronics job done on my Strat, id get a seprate volume for the bridge and have the tone just run to the middle and neck with another seprate volume.

What about the Warpig in my EC, altho the MM and NB are the leaders for that axe now.

[hhcave]

I think the warpig is supposed to be a sort of ultra high gain/saturated sound type pickup which is very different from the Miracle Man... Think more slipknot as oppose to lamb of god...

[Transcend]

Well the Miracle Man set is supposed to be the BKP equivalent of the EMG 81/85 set:

I have owned all of the pickups mentioned and i dont think the MM sounds anything like the emgs at all

it is alive and less steriel

the only emg i like is the 85 in the bridge of a basswood guitar

[ESPImperium]

I think i may just get the Miracle Man for my EC, it sounds like the best option for what i want, looking for, about 3 parts EMG 81 to 2 parts EMG 81 with a little extra something.

As for the strat, i think the Nailbomb/Trillogy/Irish Tour may be the way to go if i can get the single coils in individuals, if not i think i may get seymour Duncans for the neck and middle.

[BigK]

Ive got a Miracle Man set in my EC-1000 (i replaced the EMG's in it). They are absolutely brilliant pickups, and should cover the styles you want very well. but having said that im thinking of getting a painkiller for the bridge (the miracle man is going into a different guitar) to open up the mids a little more.i think either would be a wise choice.

[Antag]

I think i may just get the Miracle Man for my EC, it sounds like the best option for what i want, looking for, about 3 parts EMG 81 to 2 parts EMG 81 with a little extra something.

As for the strat, i think the Nailbomb/Trillogy/Irish Tour may be the way to go if i can get the single coils in individuals, if not i think i may get seymour Duncans for the neck and middle.

MM is an EMG-killer.  It doesn't sound "like" an EMG at all, but has a lot of the things we like about EMGs (tightness, power, clarity) with an extra "something".

Yes you can get the singles individually (£59 each in the online shop), but if you buy the NB/IT HSS set you save a few £s (£190 for the whole set, or £199 if you want a covered Nailbomb).

[badgermark]

For the strat I'd recommend the Holydiver or the Crawler. Both work really well, with the Crawler being more 'vintage' sounding while the HD is more modern. I loved my strat with a Holydiver (now resting in a tele...)

[ESPImperium]

I think im gonna get a Miracle Man or a Painkiller, for my EC-1K. If i see one of them forsale at a couple of shops i go to i will buy one and like it.

And i think for my strat, i think a Nailbomb with a set of Seymour Duncan SSL-1 or 2s for the middle and neck as well, as i want to have something diffrent there as i feel that the BKP singles arnt to my liking from clips ive heard.