New BKPs pt2 - Blackguard flat 50 set

[99_not_out]

Well, where to start ...

I have treated my Baja Tele to a Blackguard flat 50 set and a new bridge plate (a 6 saddle one). The wiring was a bit of a fiddle due to the 4-way S1 switching apparatus in there but the end results have been worth it!

These pickups sound very different to what I was expecting, but I should mention that I asked Tim for the classic Tele tone without really knowing what it was! So it was a bit of a shock to start with but now I have explored them a bit more ...

The bridge is far superior to the stock, clear and open and far less "scratchy" sounding. The BG bridge is very well rounded, bringing out the twang of the guitar whilst also giving a lovely clear bottom end to the bridge. Reacts immpecably to the tone control, its probably the most "musical" pickup I have ever played. It chimes, twangs and bites in reaction to pick attack perfectly and sounds great from cleans to blues to rock.

The neck was where my initial shock was really - the BG neck is clean, and sounds very different to the stock fender "twisted" neck pickup I had in there previously which I did quite like. The BG neck is less powerful than the stock, and it took a bit of height tweaking to balance the volume between the bridge (I still feel the neck is a bit quiet - would be interested to hear from other BG owners incase I wired the neck in wrong). That said, the nub of my initial concerns turned out to be that fact that the BG neck is BRUTAL at exposing my shoddy noodling techniques! However, it has grown on me considerably over the last few weeks. It does the whole jangly single coil neck marvelously, and when I do concentrate properly on my playing technique this pickup can sing! I feel that the BG neck has many hidden depths of character I am just beginning to discover, and I am most definitely looking forwards to exploring them - and becoming a better player as a result!

So a pickup set that sounds superb and improves my playing. Great stuff!

[Ratrod]

Congrats with your BG's.

Did you get a six saddle aluminium bridge or the vintage style? The aluminium ones sound fine but I prefer the three saddle brass ones.

BG's are very well balanced and natural sounding, you can't hide behind them. On low volume and a clean setting I almost find them generic but a soon as you play them loud or a little add dirt or add echo they really come to life and it all makes sense.

If the neck pickup sounds full bodied, you wired it right and you probably need to raise it a bit more.

[99_not_out]

Ta :)

Hmmm, well my issue with the neck was that it has three wires for the 4-way switch, but two of them were black ... I think I wired the right ones up to the switch but maybe I didn't. I should perhaps try reversing them to see if makes a difference? Not sure if it will or not as my understanding of the three wires is its to do with the seiries / parallel in phase / out of phase malarky.

The bridge has aluminium saddles, the one the guitar came with had the three brass ones but it was a bit bent. The new one sounds a bit brighter ... would be interested to hear what you prefer about the brass ones incase I am missing out :) You may be able to tell I'm a bit of a Tele Noob!

Agree with the dirt and echo though - the BGs sound sweet with a little delay and reverb in the mix! I even got a superb cranked rock lead tone out of them last night whilst twiddling-ze-knobs :)

[Ratrod]

Brass is less bright than aliminium but has great twang and good sustain.

[Tim]

The Blackguard neck coil is quite a special coil and is based on a '52 neck coil belonging to a friend of mine. Historically Tele necks have always been wound with 43 AWG plain enamel but for a very brief period, @ 6 months in '52 ,they wound the Tele necks with 42 AWG plain enamel. Being a heavier wire gauge you're limited to how much you can wind onto the coil especially as they're covered coils but the tone is so much cleaner and defined. So long as you get the neck coil set correctly for height you shouldn't experience any volume imbalance at all, just a very unique Tele neck tone with superb clarity and dynamics!
Just incase, I've attached the pdf for the 4 way Tele neck mod so you can check your wiring.

[99_not_out]

Thanks for the info and diagram Tim :) The neck has really grown on me, and will continue to do so - I think my initial shock was just how different it is from the stock pickup - but definitely in a very good way now I am getting the hang of its nuances and subtleties (and concentrating on my technique a bit more!). Interesting to know that its such a special coil too - explains my surprise! And I must say with the 4-way switch the series position is also superb with the BGs - previously a muddy mess but now is just fatter, whilst retaining clarity and "chang".

I will double check the wiring and pickup heights just to be sure though!
Edit --
  Hmmmm: "original connection from cover to black ground wire must be disconnected"
  Didn't do that ...
--

And thanks Ratrod for the note on the bridge plate :)

[tomjackson]

The BG neck is clear and stratty to me, I always thought a Tele neck pup was just a bonus to the bridge rather than a great sound in its own right.  But I really like the neck pickup here, it's great for blues and has some spamk, which I like.

The bridge pup is great also but I think the bridge it is in has as much affect on the tone as the pickup itself.  I had mine cranked the other day, Glendale Steel plate and saddles and it was the fattest cutting twang I've ever heard through an amp, cutting but never shrill.  I love these pickups, my favorite BK set so far  :D

[99_not_out]

Right ... altered the pickup heights and all good now :) Popped the original brass saddle bridge plate back in too, and indeed the sustain is better. The 6 saddle experiment was probably not for me, and I perhaps should have not changed the pickups and bridge plate at the same time ... because I am loving the Blackguards now I have them at the right height and the brass saddles back! The bridge is just what I always had in my head when I thought Tele Sound, and the BG neck is ... well a great surprise to me. Clear, warm and now I have the heights set right the 4 way switch really makes my Tele a flexible guitar. Top stuff from BKP once again!!

[AndyR]

Welcome to the BG-50 club :D

(we ought to get a badge made up or something :lol:)

[99_not_out]

Its a club that gets better every day! Definitely my purchase of the year so far :)

[gooch]

Hi guys, it been a while since your last post on this thread

as a potential buyer of blackguard 50s could you just tell me how they're working out for you to date?

cheers!!

[tomjackson]

Still Great.  They still sound great and I have no desire to change them.

Thinking of lowering my neck though, I initially had it a bit lower and it was quieter than the bridge but a little rounder and more spongier.  Higher up it seems more balanced but brighter and more cutting.

Other than that, nothing to report :D

[gooch]

Great stuff

now i'm just deciding whether to have RWRP neck or not.

does it make it sound any better to leave it stock on a tele?

or should i be sensible and have some form of hum cancelling?

[AndyR]

Mine are still great, both sets... I occasionally fiddle with the pickup heights as well actually (thinking about it, I do that to all my guitars).

I'd personally leave it stock (I think that's the default on BKP tele sets anyway?) rather than go for RWRP. That's purely based on I'm not that fond of RWRP on strat pickups, seems to lose something that I like (not sure what that is, mind you), and the hum cancelling only works when two pickups are selected anyway - has no effect on bridge only or neck only on a tele.

[gooch]

shweet, thanks for confirming my supicions. I know of the "something" you talk of, so i'll go for stock i think

just need the money.  sooo close i can taste it...... yummy :)

then i'll be a BKP user, yay, watch out Matt Bellamy lol

jokes, he's a legend