Bare Knuckle noob

[Bubbletonic]

Hi, I've known about BK for a few years now, had some of the sound clips on my computer for years =] Anyway I've decided I need to improve on the guitars I have rather than compulsivly just keep aiming to buy other ones >.<

I'm a Les Paul guy and have most of the bases covered LP tone-wise, I've got an Epi with EMG81+85 and seen as I dont really play much high gain like that anymore I'd be looking for much more vintage sounding BKs, and for my clean stuff I've got a BFG with a sweet p90 =] So what I want to get covered is overdriven blues rock tones.

The LP I'm gonna drop em into currently has 57 classic (and plus)'s, the bridge has roughly the tone I'm looking for but the neck really needs the volume rolling back to get the mud off it which means if I have both pups on the neck needs rolling back to almost unhearable just to keep some clarity, and I don't feel the combination really works too well for me, both pups sound great when separatley EQ'd for each other but suck together.

I want pickups that are designed for blues and broken up blues but then get that crisp roar through a nicely driven tube amp, not the smoothness you get with pickups designed for high gain.

I was also interested in possibly the PG out of phase set due to the added tone possibilities it would bring, so at the moment the only pickups I've looked into are the PGs, so those would be the ones I'd think about pulling the trigger on unless there are some other pickups which are superior for the job, bareing in mind I don't have any real experience of BK pickups.

The tone I'd be looking for gain wise would be Cream / The Who classic bluesy rock tone and maybe more recently Bonamassa.

Cheers all.

[Bubbletonic]

also if I wasn't going for the PGs I'd want them to be splittable to be put into a Jimmy Page style harness - but arent all the BKs 4 wire anyway?  :D

[hunter]

I would go for Mules. The only ones from the vintage/hot buckers I actually don't own (yet). But from what I hear the perfect allrounders, that can surely pull off Cream as well as Bonamassa and hold up well with even more gain.

You can get 2 or 4 wire, I'd always go 4 to keep the options open.

[Plexi Ken]

Hi Welcome to the forum  :)

I have PG Blues in the LP Std, the bridge is similar (same?) as a Stormy Monday and (to me) sounds very 'classic blues rock' like Peter in this clip,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE4HGlmtOcg

The out-of-phase from the middle position 100% nails Peter's sound. The neck is wound with Formvar wire and produces a sound unlike other humbuckers I have heard. It has more 'air' in it, more like a Strat and somewhat acoustic-like.

[Bubbletonic]

I'm now more drawn towards the Black Dogs than the Mules, as I think Mules are quite similar to the 57s I have already, problem I'm having with choosing the PGs is I can't find anyone playing them or the Stormy Mondays with a higher gain, so they sound great for lower gain blues from what I've heard but I'm not sure how they'd sound with a more cranked volume/gain.

[Bubbletonic]

right now I'm back on the ball with pickups, just waiting for a new bridge and TP to arrive before I order but I'd still like some idea of how hot the PG's are, as I've said I don't want metal or hard rock pickups but I do want to be able to go through clean->bluesy breakup->classic PAF flavor rock. I'd be more drawn to the Black Dogs if the PGs don't have enough bite with more gain, but I want permanent out of phase as well, which is why I also haven't looked much into Mules as a sort of middle ground between the BDs and PGs.

I wouldn't be able to order a set of Black Dogs flipped and wound out of phase would I?

[James C]

Hi There and welcome to the forum (belated greetings), Tim can pretty much do anything with magnets and wire that you'd want done but it would be best talking to the man himself as he has always recommended the perfect pickups for what i want.

[Philly Q]

I wouldn't be able to order a set of Black Dogs flipped and wound out of phase would I?

Yeah, you can order any humbucker with a flipped magnet - I believe it's a common mod for people who have a PRS with the rotary switch, to get the combinations to work properly.

I don't think it's an option in the web shop though, you'd have to add it in the "other comments" bit.

[HairyChris]

Yep. When you order put that down. Did so with a pickup order for my PRS. ;)

Can't help with the rest of the thread but Mules are really nice if you want an old-school PAF pickup.

[Alex]

Black Dog is a great pickup, I love it a lot.

If you like Jimmy Page's Les Paul sound yuo should be happy with a Black Dog.

[Bubbletonic]

Black Dog is a great pickup, I love it a lot.

If you like Jimmy Page's Les Paul sound yuo should be happy with a Black Dog.

I think they're what I'm gonna look into but out of phase, I don't think the PGs would have enough bite so I'll compromise a bit and get the hotter BDs, I just think with BDs I'd be able to keep the volumes a little lower and get the out of phase low gain thing I want, while still being able to have the extra bite there if I need it by just rolling in a bit more volume.

[Bubbletonic]

So if I order through the online shop here there's a point where I can add comments to go through with the order about the out of phase or would I need to email ahead first? thought I'd make sure, had a nightmare with internet shopping too many times before, having to spam email sites to correct my orders ^^

[Philly Q]

BKP will certainly take note of what you write in the extra comments box - they're used to us all wanting little customised details, and very accommodating in catering to them.

But if in doubt give 'em a call.  :)