Which BKP in Jackson RR24?

[IAMBR00TALZ]

How would the miracle man be for me?  It's descriptions sound like the HD, only more toght and crunchy, which I love.

[Zaned]

How would the miracle man be for me?  It's descriptions sound like the HD, only more toght and crunchy, which I love.

They're completely different. Completely.

MM is ceramic, HD is alnico. MM has a big and tight bottom and a sharp top, with slightly subdues mids. HD has a warmer top, less lows and a hefty, pronounced midrange.

[Zaned]

I haven't heard much good about the bridge PK's cleans.

You're lucky, I haven't heard about them at all 

[syr2012]

I haven't heard much good about the bridge PK's cleans.

You're lucky, I haven't heard about them at all 

I was just referring to a wall post by dheim I saw a while back where he said that they weren't too... clean.

[Antag]

I'd say the PK bridge is useable on the clean channel.  It's certainly nicer than the MM, but clean tones aren't really it's forte.  It's quite a punchy "hard" clean tone - you can certainly tell it's a ceramic magnet in there :)

The CS has by far the nicest clean sound of the stock ceramic BKP bridge models, though the old-spec HD is very nice too.  Can't comment on CWP or C'bomb because I have neither...

[Antag]

& FWIW, I think a Miracle Man would not be a good match for an RR24.  You need a much fuller upper-midrange in that combination of woods.  I'd be looking at HD, PK, NB or WP for that guitar.

[ShotgunInnocence]

Thought I'd stop in and muddy the waters a bit.....I purchased an alnico HD a few months back for a 100% maple guitar.  Amazing sound, but it was lacking a bit of the tightness I wanted.  Mine came in wound a little cooler than the listed spec (was wound to around 15.1K if I recall).  I took a chance (and voided my warranty in the process) and installed a ceramic magnet I had kicking around.  WA-F@$KING-HOOOOOOO!!!!  Now THAT'S tight baby!  Nice and even grinding mids.  Absolutely singing highs (no ice picks here).  And despite being a ceramic pup, it remains incredibly warm, and cleans up nicely!  Wired it for series or parallel and I can now go from vicious to vintage (cleans up incredibly well when played in parallel).

[Antag]

Thought I'd stop in and muddy the waters a bit.....I purchased an alnico HD a few months back for a 100% maple guitar.  Amazing sound, but it was lacking a bit of the tightness I wanted.  Mine came in wound a little cooler than the listed spec (was wound to around 15.1K if I recall).  I took a chance (and voided my warranty in the process) and installed a ceramic magnet I had kicking around.  WA-F@$KING-HOOOOOOO!!!!  Now THAT'S tight baby!  Nice and even grinding mids.  Absolutely singing highs (no ice picks here).  And despite being a ceramic pup, it remains incredibly warm, and cleans up nicely!  Wired it for series or parallel and I can now go from vicious to vintage (cleans up incredibly well when played in parallel).

Nice.  I'd love to A/B that pickup next to the original/old-spec HD (which is around 13.2k IIRC) - I have it in two guitars & love it nearly as much as I love the alnico HD.

I wonder if Tim recently re-specced the HD & didnt' update the product page?  The first HD I bought was 16.4k, but one of the recent ones was 15.1 as well.  As far as I can tell (given that they are in totally different guitars), they sound pretty much the same - both of them are the HD I know & love.  Perhaps Tim found a different/better way to get to the same end result?

[ShotgunInnocence]

I thought Tim once said that the old ceramic HD was what eventually became the Cold Sweat (difference being the CS is wound with 43 gauge wire and the HD with 44). 

[Antag]

I thought Tim once said that the old ceramic HD was what eventually became the Cold Sweat (difference being the CS is wound with 43 gauge wire and the HD with 44). 

They are certainly NOT the same pickup - the old spec HD is sort of a halfway house between new HD & CS.  Has more mids than CS, a lot of the midrange thickness of the HD, but a little brighter with some ceramic "tightness".  Not sure if changing from 44 to 43 would do that....

[ShotgunInnocence]

I'm thinking the gauge of wire makes a BIG difference in tone (almost as big as the magnet).  In terms of DC ratings and magnets, the HD and NB were almost identical, their biggest difference being the gauge of wire they're wound with (44 vs 43).  Dunno what other pups Tim winds with 44 gauge, but he told me that the NB, CS, RY, and Crawlers were all wound with 43 gauge and that was what contributed to their more organic tone......