Strat: Should I continue with the BKP search?

[Ivan]

OK this is a stupid dilemma but I know for sure that many gear junkies here will have had it.

My strat is a Fender 62 American Vintage (alder body, rosewood board). I've been using Fender's 57/62 pickups in the neck and middle, and a Seymour Duncan SSL3 in the bridge. This is a combination I'm very happy with.... If it's not broken..... you know...
but problem is I'm a BKP fan! So the search for a BKP alternative has always been in my thoughts.

Last week I fitted a set of Slowhands I had from a previous guitar. They were ok but I found them a bit dark in comparison and the bridge lacked the 'crunch' of the SSL3. So I will be going back to my original set up soon.


I'm now trying to decide if I should try a combination of Mothers Milk  (which I've heard is similar to the Fender 57/62 but with more clarity and woodyness), and the Sinner.

Or should I give up on BKP in this Strat and go with what I'm already happy with?

[Antag]

You already know that people on the BKP forum are hardly likely to advise to you stick with Duncans don't you... :)

Anyway - I agree that the Slowhands are quite dark & not particularly "vintage hot" - although the zinc baseplate seemed to give the neck model noticeably more punch.

I don't own any proper strats, so really can't comment on single coil bridges, but IMHO the Slowhand is the least "stratty" of the single coil range that I've tried (if that makes any sense):

Irish Tour - hotter, brighter, have a real "pop" when you first sound the note & really sizzle on low/mid gain crunch sounds
Trilogy - hotter still, full, punchy yet bright.
Sultans' - gorgeous bright jangly clean tone.

[gwEm]

well, the sinner is meant to be quite dark - a sort of strat pig90.

perhaps i would try irish tours with baseplate bridge

(slowhands work great in an ash bodied strat by the way)

or stick with the duncan if you like it so much!

[Ivan]

I'm not going to apologize for liking the Duncan  :P

So what I'm getting is that the Slowhands just may not be the best BKP Strat set to be introduced to?
(I originally had them in a very bright strat for that mid honky Zappa tone... which they did well).

but as for the Irish Tours... I know the names are just a guideline but I've got it in my head that they're similar to Fender's Texas Specials which I hated.

What I want is a set thats bright, woody and vintage stratty in the neck and middle. While a bridge that compliments the other pu's but sounds thick enough to work well with distortion (Blackmore like).

[gwEm]

I'm not going to apologize for liking the Duncan  :P

and i won't aplogise for liking my slowhands ;) (i don't find they sound honky by the way in my particuar strat)

sounds like you should go for mothers milks indeed, perhaps with a baseplate bridge to give that position a bit more bollocks - give tim a buzz

[Twinfan]

I'd stick with what you have if you're happy with them.......

[Philly Q]

I'd stick with what you have if you're happy with them.......

I agree, I know this is the BKP forum but unless there's something significantly wrong with the existing sound I don't see the point.  And you said you're very happy with them.

Somebody will probably post and say "no matter how good you think your current pickups are, BKPs are better" - which may be true, but only if you find the right set for you.  And it's an expensive business chopping and changing.

I've got a Duncan AII set in my Thinline Tele - they're not 100% perfect but they're close enough.  I've got plenty of other guitars to put BKPs in!  :)

[Twinfan]

Somebody will probably post and say "no matter how good you think your current pickups are, BKPs are better" - which may be true, but only if you find the right set for you.  And it's an expensive business chopping and changing.

I agree with the expense part, but I would say that it's not always true that BKPs are 'better'.  Sorry Tim  :oops:

It's all about the combination of your playing style / guitar / pickups / effects / amp.  For some guitars that combination may be EMGs or Seymour Duncans or whatever.

[Ivan]

yea I am happy with my current Fender/Duncan set.
However I also feel like I want my favourite Strat to be loaded with BKPs; partly due to brand loyalty but also because they did wonders for all my other guitars.
 
It's the search I can't be bothered with (the purchasing of pickups only to find they aren't the "right" ones).

It probably wouldn't work but I would love a rent a pick up system! That is you pay X amount to rent them for say one week, and you also put up a deposit incase you either steal or damage them.

[gingataff]

I'm not going to apologize for liking the Duncan  :P

And I won't apologise for liking my Slowhands ;) (I don't find they sound honky by the way in my particular Strat)

It sounds like you should go for Mothers Milks indeed, perhaps with a baseplate bridge to give that position a bit more bollocks - give Tim a buzz.

+1

This was going to be my advice but gwEm already said it but I think it's important to remember that you do like your current set up and that anything else will be different.
Sometimes 'different' can equal 'disappointing' when our expectations are "the same but better".

[Philly Q]

It probably wouldn't work but I would love a rent a pick up system! That is you pay X amount to rent them for say one week, and you also put up a deposit incase you either steal or damage them.

BKP do have a 14-day refund/exchange policy.  (Not much use to me since it usually takes me 6 months to a year to get round to installing them...  :roll:)

But it would probably be taking the piss to use the policy to try out all the Strat sets one by one. 

[AndyR]

I know how you feel Ivan :)

There's really good advice here on the "if ain't broke..." side, but then there's always the "what if... and I would like my geetars to have BKPs" :lol:

I wasn't going to chip in, but then I realised I can add something on the Irish Tours - I replaced Texas Specials with them :)

I don't dislike the strat Texas Specials (I do the tele version - they just seem lifeless to me), but I wanted ITs - based on the name (big Rory fan here) and all the raving about BKPs on here.

In comparison to the TSs, the ITs seem (to me) to be roughly the same power. Initially they seemed "bland" after playing TSs. But as I got to know them over a few days I found all this stuff I just couldn't do with TSs. I think the TSs have a "sound" that, if you like it, is fine, but they're a one trick pony almost. The ITs have a lot more clarity and are far more versatile. They really let the guitar's sound through, and they really reward your vibrato and varying pick attack. They do "melodic" strat, and they do "biting" strat (and they get as "funky" as I ever do!). They also do my Blackmore impersonations quite well - and I didn't go for any baseplates.

I've not tried any other BKP strat pups, but the IT bridge is the first strat pickup I've ever wanted to use on it's own (got my first strat in 1982). In fact I use it on it's own quite a bit now :D

For me it was a choice between Mothers Milks and ITs, and I went for the "just a bit more power" option - and I've not regretted it. I suspect that MMs would have a slightly "woodier" strat quality to them, but I can get damn close to what I want in that department (eg Steve Gaines strat sounds in Lynyrd Skynyrd), and I can't have two sets in one guitar! :lol:

If you do go for BKPs in this guitar, I think you could go MMs or ITs and not be disappointed.

Good luck :D

[Ivan]

it's common sense versus want!


I think the MMs will be great for the neck and middle... but still undecided about the bridge.

[TheIronBeast]

it's common sense versus want!


I think the MMs will be great for the neck and middle... but still undecided about the bridge.

how about an Irish Tour bridge with a baseplate? I think that combo would work great!

I have an IT set in my American standard and they sound great! Definitely one of the best Strat pickups that I've played.