Advice on New Pickups for Washburn NX6

[kogb21]

Hello,

I am new to the forum and Bare Knuckle pickups. I can't wait to try some of these pickups, but I am unsure which to try.

I have a Washburn NX6 with a strat style body made of paduak wood (which I read is similar to mahogany) and an ebony fingerboard. It is a 2 humbucker set-up with one volume and one tone control. I mainly play 80's metal/hair rock type music. I am thinking a VHII or Holy Diver bridge pickup with a Rebel Yell neck, or a Stormy Monday (Alnico IV) neck with a VHII bridge. I realize this is all preference and there are many factors that go into the tone, but I would like to get some advice.

What are the benefits of getting a matched set of one particular humbucker?

Thanks--

[dheim]

it's up to your needs and taste... personally i find calibrated sets to be the optimum in tonal terms... they match very well. but you could like the character of... let's say, a nailbomb bridge, needing a warm and round neck tone - thus making the nailbomb neck a bad match. if you don't have a real preference sets are the best way to begin.

speaking of nailbombs, i don't think you would dislike them.

[WezV]

i wouldnt describe paduak as similar to mahogany - although obviously wood does vary a lot.  It usually gets compared to maples although my personal experience with it is that its richer than that.  It has a brightness but not an OTT one.

anyway, i made a guitar with paduak body and neck with ebony fretboard and tried a couple of different pickups in it (sadly pre my BKP days).   I think it ended up with some kent armstrong  distortions which are a ceramic pickup at about 18k.   on that experience and your needs i would be tempted to go for the HD's from your selection above, i would go for a matched pair on this

[Denim n Leather]

I think that a VHII set would sound raging in that guitar! And still clean up nice.

[MDV]

Yeah, I heard padauk was much brighter than mahogany.

What does the guitar sound like acoustically?

[kogb21]

Hello--and thank you to everyone giving advice on the forums---I appreciate it!

The guitar is bright sounding and has amazing sustain. Acoustically the guitar has a great sound. It is not tinny like some other guitars I have had. It is a really nice, easy to play guitar, but the stock pickups (Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck / Custom Custom in the bridge) just don't work for me. It has coil-tap, but I am going to get rid of that because I am told that having a push pull for the volume is not good.

I am going to try the Holydiver set.

[MDV]

VHII is the traditional choice for hair metal round here, but given the brightness of the guitar perhaps consider a black dog or emerald?

Disclaimer - I havent played any of the above and am only basing this on reported performances.

[Denim n Leather]

There are ways to tame the high frequencies if you feel you must. I think the VHII is the best-voiced for this application. Certainly better than the CC, which is incredibly harsh sounding, and might be why you think the guitar is bright.

[darkbluemurder]

Hello--and thank you to everyone giving advice on the forums---I appreciate it!

The guitar is bright sounding and has amazing sustain. Acoustically the guitar has a great sound. It is not tinny like some other guitars I have had. It is a really nice, easy to play guitar, but the stock pickups (Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck / Custom Custom in the bridge) just don't work for me. It has coil-tap, but I am going to get rid of that because I am told that having a push pull for the volume is not good.

I am going to try the Holydiver set.

Holydiver would be a good choice, especially for the bridge position. Very warm, thick and yet not muddy in the bass. I have no experience with the Holydiver neck pickup. I use a Cold Sweat neck pickup which I think is a very good match to the Holydiver bridge. I have not played any other BKPs so far.