Just bought an LTD EC-256 - Want to go from Bluesbreakers to Slash

[benfscott]

Hi all,

Will be taking delivery of my lovely new guitar tomorrow  :P



Got it really cheap (under £300) so while the pickups aren't too hot on it, it is a very playable guitar for the money. That said, I was hoping to get something that would help me run the gamut of tones from Bluesbreaker era Clapton, through Led Zep - right up to 80s Slash rock sounds - possibly even just touching on some early 90s metal tones. 

I've already got (and love) Mothers Milks in my Strat and so wanted to stay with BKP as in addition to thinking they are a great product, I also believe strongly in supporting UK businesses, especially at times like this - so any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Ben

[syr2012]

I've heard Mules are extremely versatile. From my experience, the Holydiver can deliver a lot of power, but calms down nicely with a twist of the volume knob.

P.S., That guitar is a beaut! Flamed maple top/mahogany body?

[Ratrod]

Another vote for the Mule.

[discofudge]

mulemulemule!

[Henk]

Mule IV unpotted and underwound like i have, but a more obvious choise would be SM, remember guns 'n roses use SM BKPs too. I suppose boosting a SM would be warmer and bluesier then the 'rockin' Mule set i have.

Anyway, either one would blow your mind i think.

ADD:

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6691.0

[kevinr]

I love the sound of SMs in a LP style guitar, I think that Mules would sound great as well, I have just received my sixth set of BKPs (today) this time I have had Tim fit AII magnets to an Abraxas set, this is going to be interesting as I really like the sound of AII!

[dheim]

mules seem an obvious choice, just keep in mind that eclipses (mine is an EC1000, so i'm not sure about yours' acoustic tone) feel and sound very different from les pauls, being a lot thinner and lighter... maybe a custom AII mule or a potted stormy monday will give you a bit more warmth

[benfscott]

Thanks for replies everyone!

The guitar just got delivered today and to be honest as I suspected the stock pickups are pretty poor. But I got it really cheap and knew it was just going to be a cheap basis for some upgrade.

Also, as Dheim mentioned, I was surprised by how light and thin it was too.

Don't want to overpower it, and I guess if I could only pick one tone out of the ones I was aiming for it would the Clapton 'Beano' tone with enough grunt for 70s rocks stuff. Mules seem to be a very popular answer :)

[benfscott]

A little update after  a couple of hours playing it with stock pickups.

Currently suits high gain sounds very well but playig with subtler overdrive or backing of fthe volume quickly turns the sound into mush.

Would the Mules be able to handle those parts of my problem okay, do you think?

[Henk]

Mules can handle uber distortion very well too, the main thing i would advice SM's for is that mules have the tendency to be a bit too thin i a light guitar, at least mine are.

Anyway for superb projective pickups and versatility in styles just take the mules and try them in different guitars.

[AndyR]

Mules can handle uber distortion very well too, the main thing i would advice SM's for is that mules have the tendency to be a bit too thin i a light guitar, at least mine are.

Anyway for superb projective pickups and versatility in styles just take the mules and try them in different guitars.

I've been watching this thread wondering how to say what I need to say - and now Henk's said it :D

I love my Mules now, but they're in a different guitar than they were bought for. They didn't sound quite like I was expecting in the original, an Epi LP. Accoustically, it has a quite a nice bright ringing tone, and the Mules took that and produced something I wasn't looking for. They're in a nice fat sounding Tokai now, and the bite that the Mule bridge has seems to make more sense for me in there.

From the references you're making, I suspect that Stormies is what you want, but I've no actual experience of them.

I even wonder whether Riff Raffs might be another option? They do the late 70s early 80s "rock/blues/early-metal" thing really well, and I've used them jamming along with the Beano... :)

Also, when I first got them, RRs sounded much more like what I imagined a high-end "classic" vintage humbucker ought to sound like. In time I've learnt to love the Mules more than the Riff Raffs, but they took some getting used to for me.

I think it's "listen to your guitar accoustically, and then ask Tim at BKP..." on this one :D

[HTH AMPS]

Nobody ever mentions the Abraxas - it sounds like a PAF, but fatter and hotter, but not so much that you lose any PAF vibe.  I'm a Clapton/Kossoff/Angus type of player and it does all that stuff, but will also handle overdrive very well indeed.  As it stands, I'm not even tempted to put my Mules back in.

[benfscott]

haha so after the last two posts - in conclusion - ALL of the BK humbuckers :)

I guess due to the lightness/thinness of the body I'd like something to help beef it out out, like the more weighty resonance you get with a full-on LP. 

But I still want to be able to roll off the volume and still have a nice articulated just breaking up sound. Tricky....

[Henk]

It seems to me you have a pretty clear idea what you want, i guess Tim will know what to put in that guitar of yours. Kind of funny that i ordered a mule set even though Tim adviced a Mule/Riffraff set for my SG and after putting the mule set in my SG i found the bridge to be too thin........ :oops:

The mules in my fat old custom work perfectly though!

[benfscott]

Interesting.... Well this LTD is about the thickness of an SG, plus the maple cap so that might well be something to think about.

Thanks for the info.