Need an honest opinion

[manana12]

I am looking to replace my d-activators on my xiphos. It has a mahogany body with a maple,walnut neck. Tim recommended i get a painkiller but its going to be over 100 dollars so i found the d-activator X and heard good things about it.

How does it compare to a regular d-activator and it is honestly worth spending more money on the painkiller? I play bulby inspired music(im shiteety though) Is it really worth almost 100 dollars more for a BKP? If yes, explain why. Thanks

[Antag]

At the risk of sounding blunt, you are highly unlikely to get anyone on the Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum recommend any brand/model over a BKP.

Are BKPs worth it?  In our opinion, Yes, definitely.  In fact, for what they are, they represent good value for money (although possibly not such great value if you live outside UK).  I wouldn't have them in all my guitars & post on this forum if I didn't think it.

Why are they so good?  In short, tone, clarity, build quality, the ability to buy exactly the pickup you want & know that it's been made just for you, outstanding service & fast delivery times.

[FELINEGUITARS]

+1 on what Antag said

I agree in certain countries other brands will be cheaper and they are good pickups, but we all love that extra something that the BKPs give us

[Copperhead]

LOLLL!!!!111!!  :lol:

[ericsabbath]

Why are they so good?  In short, tone, clarity, build quality, the ability to buy exactly the pickup you want & know that it's been made just for you, outstanding service & fast delivery times.

[Dr. Vic]

Eric, you have great drawing skills  :P

[WhiteRam]

At the risk of sounding blunt, you are highly unlikely to get anyone on the Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum recommend any brand/model over a BKP.

Are BKPs worth it?  In our opinion, Yes, definitely.  In fact, for what they are, they represent good value for money (although possibly not such great value if you live outside UK).  I wouldn't have them in all my guitars & post on this forum if I didn't think it.

Why are they so good?  In short, tone, clarity, build quality, the ability to buy exactly the pickup you want & know that it's been made just for you, outstanding service & fast delivery times.

+1, well spoken.

WR

Ps- I live in the States and BPK's are by far the best deal on the Planet for me, everytime I receive my order, look at the content, the professional construction, and then plug into my amp. . . I always ask myself how does Tim do this and make a profit?  I usually follow with a letter of appreciation. 

I too used to look at the prices and think what?, then I bought my first one. . . and realized I got more than my money's worth.  It all depends on how much you appreciate great tone and have the gift to hear & feel.  If I was offered any pickups in the world for free, I would refuse them and pay handsomely for BKP's.

[dave_mc]

to add a bit of balance to this (and I have BKPs, and they're excellent pickups), if you really can't stretch to BKPs' prices, duncans and dimarzios aren't your only option. there are a bunch of smaller handwinder in the states who would probably be worth a try.

[Frank]

Why are they so good?  In short, tone, clarity, build quality, the ability to buy exactly the pickup you want & know that it's been made just for you, outstanding service & fast delivery times.

[Philly Q]

to add a bit of balance to this (and I have BKPs, and they're excellent pickups), if you really can't stretch to BKPs' prices, duncans and dimarzios aren't your only option. there are a bunch of smaller handwinder in the states who would probably be worth a try.

Also bear in mind that the "expensive import" situation might be a novelty to you chaps in the States, it's what we (in the UK and Europe) have had to put up with for decades!

Nice to see the shoe on the other foot for a change! 

 

[diagrammatiks]

at 250 to 300 for a set bkps aren't anymore expensive then any of the american boutique winders.

[manana12]

Also bear in mind that the "expensive import" situation might be a novelty to you chaps in the States, it's what we (in the UK and Europe) have had to put up with for decades!

Nice to see the shoe on the other foot for a change! 

 

Good point thats very true. Thanks for all the replies guys. I appreciate it. And im just curious, how does one acquire a work of art such as a blackmachine? I contacted them for a price on the b6 but they never answered....

[dave_mc]

Also bear in mind that the "expensive import" situation might be a novelty to you chaps in the States, it's what we (in the UK and Europe) have had to put up with for decades!

Nice to see the shoe on the other foot for a change! 

 

yep. :lol:

at 250 to 300 for a set bkps aren't anymore expensive then any of the american boutique winders.

that might be true for things like wcr etc., but things like high order, bg pickups, guitarforce etc. are quite a bit cheaper (or at least they were the last time I checked), I haven't tried them, so that's not a recommendation, but it's worth bearing in mind.

I'm not saying that you should buy them instead of BKPs (as this is the BKP forum), but I'm saying that if you've definitely decided that BKPs are too dear (and they're out of the picture), I'd personally be looking into those before looking into the standard, mass-produced duncan and dimarzio models.

[WhiteRam]

Also bear in mind that the "expensive import" situation might be a novelty to you chaps in the States, it's what we (in the UK and Europe) have had to put up with for decades!

Nice to see the shoe on the other foot for a change! 

 

I've been buying Marshall and Celestion for decades, and many products from England, Holland, Sweden, etc., so no change or anything different for me.  I've always thought and believed we should have fair trade between each other paying only cost of post, it's a shame the governments have to dip their hands into our money. 

I've also thought it terrible over the years what my fellow European mates have to pay for guitars such as Fenders and Gibsons.  I hope to see a better future of this coming to an end for all of us. . . wonder if the officials would call me a rebel? 

WR

[ericsabbath]

whiners

in brazil, we have a 60% import tax plus 18% VAT over the 160% total value   :(

on brazilian stores, we have to pay about US$150-200 for a new duncan or gibson pickup, US$2500 for a new marshall 1960 lead cab, US$350 for a new chinese celestion vintage 30, US$2500 for a new peavey 6505, US$4000 for a new gibson les paul standard, over US$6000 for a les paul custom