OK, so I've got the pickups installed now!
I took a few shots while I replaced the pickups, unfortunately it got dark halfway through, so the great reveal will have to be done tomorrow when i get some pics in the light:




First impressions: I love them! The Rebel Yell is smoother than the old Cold Sweat with slightly less low-end, which makes it seem tighter (in this case alnico beats ceramic it would seem!). With my current recording tones, the CS cuts through a little bit better since it is much brighter, but some EQing will sort that. The RY definitely keeps up with the CS for clarity, which is a surprise since the CS has always been my benchmark for that.
I've spent less time with the VHII, but I'm hearing all the things that I love about the VHII in my Kramer. It's juicy and warm, but at the same time very clear and defined.
I'm looking forward to properly auditioning them when I can really crank the volume and put in some playing hours.
I've just done a very quick couple of clips.
First you'll hear the new Rebel Yell, then the old Cold Sweat (it's quite obvious when it changes):
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/790683/RY%20vs%20CS%20%28Recovery%20riff%29.mp3Note that the tone was dialled in with the CSs, so the RYs might sound a bit dark in comparison. I prefer the sound of the palm mutes with the RYs, and I reckon that with a bit of extra presence on the amp I'd get the best of both worlds.
An interesting one is the B2 with the new pickups versus my other Blackmachine, the B6, which has a ceramic Nailbomb in the bridge. The riff is from Architects
Early Grave, and is played badly, so apologies for that. The guitar changes are much quicker. Just once around the riff with the B2 then once with the B6, then the same deal, but with drums and bass:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/790683/Early%20graves%20B2%20vs%20B6.mp3More clips to come tomorrow!