need something blackmore-esque...

[robharries13]

been getting into deep purple recently, and am floored by the sheer raw, grinding tone of ritchie blackmore on albums such as made in japan. thinking of throwing some BKP's in my strat to indulge in my new passion.
what single coils can everyone here recommend? pickups, pots, baseplates, etc.
thanks :)

[gwEm]

i reckon slowhands with baseplates sound pretty damn blackmore. others may disagree :)

[kevincurtis]

When I was after a single coil, this was one of the sounds I was after (amongst many, so I was lookin for flexibility). Tim recommended the Apache with a baseplate, and it does get the tone...but depending on amp setup you might need some more grunt, so maybe a slowhand would take you there a little more easily as gwEm suggests.

[robharries13]

what would you guys think of irish tours? not as close as the other suggestions?

[38thBeatle]

Well I'd agree with gwEm in that the Slowhands would certainly get you close.  Blackmore would have used a Strat and presumably ( I don't know for sure) the pickups would have been stock. The point being that youwould not need to have anything with too high output. I am afraid I cannot comment on Irish Tours as I don't have them.

[AndyR]

Hi.

Funnily enough, I have Irish Tours, just been listening to Made In Japan, and just been setting up a "blackmore" patch in my modeller.

I've been watching this thread with interest, to see what response you get, because I might be considering more BKPs for a second strat, and the Blackmore MIJ tone is one of the things I might be after (along with Steve Gaines in Lynyrd Skynyrd, slightly higher priority than the MIJ tone).

I agree with 38th, I suspect that you don't want too high output. I'm currently wondering about Apaches or Mothers Milks myself, and I don't want to get into baseplates etc. Also, I don't think I'd want an RWRP middle for this set.

All this was stopping me recommending ITs to you. But, with a new modeller only a week old (switched from PODXT to VOX Tonelab LE), I'm finding the ITs are even more versatile than I had thought. Yesterday I got very close to the Steve Gaines sound I'm lusting after, and this morning I got the closest to RB's MIJ tone that I've ever managed (note, however, I reckon a lot of that tone is in the maple finger board and Mr Blackmore's fingers - none of which I have!)

So, I'd say the ITs can do this tone (through the right amp and settings), but for me it's not their strongest area. It depends what else you want the pups to do - ITs have that slight extra that is really good for stratty-type bluesers like me. When I'm after some other strat tones, they do it well, but it's a slight compromise, not a big one, but enough for me to think "I have another strat, let's stick Apaches in for the other end of the spectrum".

Hope that helps  :D

[Elliot]

If Blackmore's strat was late 60s early 70s surely Mother's Milk are the correct pickup style - Alnico V, wound to 5.9k and plain enamel wire describes pickups from that era.

[Philly Q]

If Blackmore's strat was late 60s early 70s surely Mother's Milk are the correct pickup style - Alnico V, wound to 5.9k and plain enamel wire describes pickups from that era.

Blackmore would have used a Strat and presumably ( I don't know for sure) the pickups would have been stock. The point being that youwould not need to have anything with too high output.

I suppose there's a bit of a conflict here between replicating the actual gear Blackmore would have used and choosing a pickup which will give you a "shortcut" to that type of sound.  If you go the route of trying to copy his gear, you'd also need to invest in modified 200W Marshalls, a JHS treble booster and an Aiwa reel-to-reel tape deck as a preamp (depending on what period you're going for).  And probably some curly leads.  

After all, Fender never made overwound Strat pickups like the Trilogy Suite or Sinner, but BKP make 'em for people who want that Yngwie or KK Downing sound.  As far as I know, Fender never made Strat pickups with baseplates either.

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the Trilogies actually, since Yngwie basically started out as Ritchie Blackmore Junior.

[robharries13]

yeah. my first thoughts were either the irish tours or trilogy suites

[HTH AMPS]

I'm with Philly Q on this one - I know Blackmore used stock Strat pickups of the era, but with the extra (Almbelic afaik) preamp he had in the signal path, the treble booster and the Marshall Major I think you'd be hard pushed to get that tone with lower output BKPs.

If you're going straight into the amp and playing mostly at bedroom levels, one of the higher output BKPs has got to be the way to go imo - Trilogy bridge all the way.

[38thBeatle]

Fair points Philly & HTH. It has made me dig out Made In Japan to remind myself.

[Philly Q]

Fair points Philly & HTH. It has made me dig out Made In Japan to remind myself.

Certainly a positive outcome from the debate!  I shall do the same myself.  :)

[AndyR]

That's exactly what happened to me the other night ... I can thoroughly recommend it...  :D

[robharries13]

thanks for all the help guys. i think trilogy suites are probably on the cards atm.
and im also glad that my thread has led to some of you digging out made in japan. it really is a magnificent live experience  :D