Author Topic: Mother Milk or Irish Tour? (Or another Single Coil?) (Read 7873 times)

Floyd Pepper · « **on:** November 20, 2005, 09:38:15 PM »

I've got a Fender Highway 1 strat and a Cornford Harlequin 6W amp. With my Gibson LP or Epiphone Sheraton 335 the amp sounds great clean, just breaking up or overdriven . The Fender sounds great clean but too thin once the gain starts to get turned up.

I'm after some new pickups and want Bare Knuckles. I was leaning towards Irish Tours but of after listening to the sound clips of Apache, Tour and Mothers Milk I prefered the clean of the Milks. Overdriven I didn't think there was much to choose between the Tours and the Milks

My question is which way should I jump? Are the Tours good clean as well as driven? What's the difference between Milks and Tours.

I play classic rock, classic blues and play both clean and overdriven. I dig Gallagher/SRV and the Chillis.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

HJM · « **Reply #1 on:** November 20, 2005, 09:45:19 PM »

There's a big difference in the midrange. The Tours have more mid and more output, so they drive the amp a bit harder. Cleans are still good, they sound slightly more 'pushed' than the Milks. The tours aren't a super hot pickup, more on the hot side of vintage!!

Cattivo Ragazzo · « **Reply #2 on:** November 20, 2005, 10:48:09 PM »

HJM, do you know why I cannot post in the seconds out section? btw, I am selling a tour if you are interested, I was just about to advertise in the section below, but it says I need special access.

willo · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2005, 12:58:33 AM »

Quote from: Cattivo Ragazzo

HJM, do you know why I cannot post in the seconds out section? btw, I am selling a tour if you are interested, I was just about to advertise in the section below, but it says I need special access.

yeah, i think you have to make 100 posts or something; or get in touch with Ol to ask for access. I think its meant to be a privelidge to stop the forum descending into a marketplace.

Floyd Pepper · « **Reply #4 on:** November 25, 2005, 10:45:16 AM »

My Mother's Milks have arrived!

Just want to check something before I wire them in. The box says Stock Polarity and Black covers. I wanted a Reverse Wound middle and White.

Well they're White alright and my handy fridge magnet tells me the middle pup's magnets are reversed. This means it's reversed wound. Right? Looks like the box label is wrong. (Want to check before wiring them in.)

Thanks

HJM · « **Reply #5 on:** November 25, 2005, 11:44:47 AM »

Looks like the wrong box - just to make extra sure when you look at the pickups the middle should have the white and black wire reversed.

Floyd Pepper · « **Reply #6 on:** November 25, 2005, 11:58:34 AM »

Quote

pickups the middle should have the white and black wire reversed

Yep. They're reversed. Thanks. Didn't think to check the wires. Doh.

Off to warm up the soldering iron. Good thing I'm "working from home" today. :)

willo · « **Reply #7 on:** November 25, 2005, 12:07:13 PM »

Quote from: Floyd Pepper

I've got a Fender Highway 1 strat and a Cornford Harlequin 6W amp. With my Gibson LP or Epiphone Sheraton 335 the amp sounds great clean, just breaking up or overdriven . The Fender sounds great clean but too thin once the gain starts to get turned up.

I'm after some new pickups and want Bare Knuckles. I was leaning towards Irish Tours but of after listening to the sound clips of Apache, Tour and Mothers Milk I prefered the clean of the Milks. Overdriven I didn't think there was much to choose between the Tours and the Milks

My question is which way should I jump? Are the Tours good clean as well as driven? What's the difference between Milks and Tours.

I play classic rock, classic blues and play both clean and overdriven. I dig Gallagher/SRV and the Chillis.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hey, do you still live in Newcastle? I've just been speaking to my luthier guy, and my guitar is approaching the finishing and installation stages...point is, it should be ready soon, and is loading with Mothers Milk pickups. If you're still around this way, you're more than welcome to have a try on it! :P

Floyd Pepper · « **Reply #8 on:** November 25, 2005, 01:37:56 PM »

Quote

...you're more than welcome to have a try on it!

Willo, Thanks for the offer. I'm still living around near Newcastle. My Mother Milks came through the letter box this morning. :)

willo · « **Reply #9 on:** November 25, 2005, 01:42:56 PM »

Quote from: Floyd Pepper

Quote
...you're more than welcome to have a try on it!

Willo, Thanks for the offer. I'm still living around near Newcastle. My Mother Milks came through the letter box this morning. :)

ha ha! oh well... :lol:

How do you find them?

Elliot · « **Reply #10 on:** November 25, 2005, 05:33:45 PM »

Floyd how do you find them - I have em in one of my strats and I think they rate as my favourite pups. The MQ is second, Apache 3rd, Mule 4th and then the Duncans and Stock Fenders - last is that Dimarzio HS2 which sounds like mud :shock:

Floyd Pepper · « **Reply #11 on:** November 26, 2005, 12:22:32 AM »

The Mother's Milks are in and the strat's re-strung. Thing I need a bigger soldering iron as my 12w couldn't melt Fender's solder.

I know I'm going to be told "I told you so" but....

I expected more of a different rather than a better sound with the new pups. I've changed pups, valves, amps, guitars before and the change has been there but it's often more of a different sound rather than anything else.

In fact I thought my strat sounded great before. The cleans were fab but when overdriven it sounded too thin. I wanted to try some BK's as I'd heard they were good and I like tinkering.

I have to say I'm blown away by the sound of the Mother's Milks. I now know why it sounded thin when overdriven. It was just thin sounding. Even when clean.

The MMs have a very rich, full, woody tone that has to be the best tone I've ever had from a strat. It's a shame I didn't get them in until gone 11pm as I can't crank up the gain too much until tomorrow. From a quick bust with the valves sweating they sound just as awesome with the amp driven.

When I 1st put the Mullards in my Cornford I had an I've seen the light moment. I've just had another. These are truly fantastic pickups.

For those that are interested, the pups that came out of my Fender Highway 1 strat were neck 6K, mid 5.9K bridge 6.1K. Doesn't seem like they bother to overwind the bridge.

One thing that is strange, the screws that came with the MMs were flat bottomed not countersunk. Any ideas why? It just means they'll stick out more. And I love the silicon spacers must easier than springs which always end up flying across the room.

PhilKing · « **Reply #12 on:** November 26, 2005, 10:41:13 PM »

Hi, The flat bottom screws are for the 50's pickguards (the single ply ones). Fender changed to the countersunk in the 60's. I am looking at another set of BK strat pickups, I already have Apaches, Irish Tours and Trilogy's and one Slowhand! Ialso have a 1960 strat, and Tim rewound one pickup that had shorted, of course now the others don't sound as good!

I loved the sound of the Apaches in my maple neck strat, but had found the Irish Tours a bit bright with maple until I put them in a semi hollow strat. I am thinking of the mother's milk's for my hardtail, but it has a Hank Marvin maple neck (I think it is the biggest neck fender make!).
It was interesting to see that you really liked the mother's milks, but do you have a rosewood or maple fingerboard?

Elliot · « **Reply #13 on:** November 26, 2005, 11:56:34 PM »

Phil The mothers are awesome pups - I'm surprised they dont get much of a mention around here !

Floyd Pepper · « **Reply #14 on:** November 27, 2005, 07:34:57 PM »

Quote

but do you have a rosewood or maple fingerboard

My strat's got a rosewood fingerboard and I believe an body alder.

When I spoke to Tim on the phone he said the Mother's Milk could be too bright with a maple neck which worried me as I don't like too bright a sound. They sound fine in my strat. Very well balanced and less bright then the original pups.