I'm baffled !!

[unheimlich]

Hi there ! This is my first post in the forum and i have to warn you...this is one of those "which one to choose" posts !  :) Some of you might say "take a look in the forum and you'll find all the info you need"...well...that's why i'm baffled ! I found waaaaay too much information.

So let me cut to the chase...i own an Epiphone Lp Custom which i tune down to C# and drop the low E further down to B.I use 11-58 string sets.For the last five or six years i had Emg pickups installed in my guitar.85-bridge,81-neck.I wasn't always downtuning my guitar so i was satisfied with the sound i was getting but since i started using heavy string gauges the sound just comes out muddy and kind of muffled...there's no tone coming out of them and the notes are not very clear.So i decided to replace them with a pair of BKP(of course  8)).

After taking a look at the forums i realised that it's not that simple to choose the right pickups for me...so i emailed Tim.I told him that i'm currently playing in two very diverse bands(post-metal and indie rock)and so i need both a crushing tone for the post-metal act(think of Neurosis,Isis,Omega Massif) and something a bit more versatile for the indie rock(Kaiser Chiefs,Interpol,etc...).He recommended getting Nailbombs but i then realised i forgot to tell him about my low tuning...so instead of bombarding him with another email packed with stupid questions i thought i'd take it to you guys !!!!  :P So...i'm quite baffled cause i can't decide between choosing a calibrated set of Warpigs or getting a Warpig for bridge and a Nailbomb for neck...and furthermore if either of these should be ceramic or not ! I know that the Warpig is the way to go for the kind of riffage and tone i need for the post-metal band but i also know that it cleans up very well and sounds great in the neck position...Tim said that it might be bass heavy in an Lp but i'm using a parametric eq so i can dial out any unwanted frequencies and besides i kind of want it to be bass heavy(to a certain degree of course).

And then comes the first dilemma...if i choose Warpigs for both positions should i get Alnicos or get a ceramic and Alnico instead ? And in which position should i install each ? If i follow Tim's advice and get a Nailbomb should i get it ceramic ? From what i've read in the forum i think that the best way to go for the kind of tone i want is Warpig Alnico-bridge and Nailbomb-ceramic neck...but i'd greatly appreciate your advice too guys cause there are no BKP dealers in Greece so i can't really try any of the pickups before buying them...so your advice and knowledge(and Tim's of course)is all i got ! Can anyone help ? :)

P.s.Forgot to mention that i'm thinking about installing 500k CTS pots...do you think they will make a difference in the sound used with BKPs ?

[Will]

Phwoar, long read!
Can't say I know much about the type of music, but you would struggle to get all those types of music in one pickup.
BKP neck and bridge pickups are different pickups all together, so sets are generally a good idea, and ceramic necks aren't too common.
Personally I think you would want a CS or Nailbomb set, depending on whether you want ceramic or not.

Don't get a Warpig just to dial the sound out with an EQ! It may sound ok, but well, its just not the same. There will be a pickup that will suit already.

Try emailing Tim again?
and remember... clear paragraphs :P

[MrBump]

I'd stick with the Nailbomb answer - very versitile pickup.

Welcome, by the way.

Mark.

[unheimlich]

Thank you guys ! So you think i should stick with the Nailbombs,huh ? :roll: After spending the whole afternoon listening to as many clips as i could i was thinking about getting a Warpig for bridge and a Nailbomb for the neck...both Alnicos.But the Nailbomb set sounds tempting too...i don't know ! I just love the looks and sheer power of the Pig so i guess that in the bridge position it'll be just fine for uber-distorted riffs.And the Nailbomb in the neck will provide clean tones(although i believe the Pig has some very sweet clean tones too)and the crunchier stuff.That's how i thought i'd get the best of both worlds.But now since you both agree in getting Nailbombs i'm really not so sure about my choice.

What about the CTS hardware ? Does it have any impact on the sound ?

[FernandoDuarte]

Try emailing Tim again?
and remember... clear paragraphs :P

+1
These 30 lines topics usually go to nowhere... feel people has patience to read all this... I suffered this on Warmoth forum (my 1st experience on foruns)...

Just answer his email quoting his answer with this: (cut and glue, if you want)

"Forgot to tell you, I tune my guitar in C#, does it change your answer or it's still Nailbomb"

That easy...:D
Ah! follow what he says, he is The Guy who makes the magic, he know his stuff...

Welcome to the forum :drink:

[FernandoDuarte]

What about the CTS hardware ? Does it have any impact on the sound ?

As far as I know, good pots, jacks and electric hardware don't change the tone... They only are more trustfull: work better and last longer than cheap stuff

[CJ]

What about the CTS hardware ? Does it have any impact on the sound ?

As far as I know, good pots, jacks and electric hardware don't change the tone... They only are more trustfull: work better and last longer than cheap stuff

also depends whether or not the pots you have in there already are 500's or not.

[unheimlich]

That's why i asked.I know that even pots that are sold as 500k many times are actually NOT 500k.Mine are supposed to be 500k but i've never tested them with an ohm meter.So that's why i was wondering whether the cts set on the BKP store is worth buying or not.Has anyone tried it ? Anyway,that's not that big a deal,i'll just grab a set and replace the existing ones just to be sure ! ;)

FernandoEsteves i emailed Tim a couple of minutes ago and asked for his advice.We'll see what he has to say !!  :D

[Emperor]

DUDE, don't go crazy...  I mean, any BKP are going to give you an AWESOME TONE none the less.  if tim said Nailbomb, then do it.  All BKPups stays clear with super low tuning.

If something's wrong, you can switch for something else later, anyway versatility is hard to get, but with an external EQ it'll do magic.

Just my 2 cents.