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Author Topic: Brand comparisons  (Read 9814 times)

ericsabbath

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Re: Brand comparisons
« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2010, 07:10:13 PM »
Wow... Talk about getting in over your head... I'm no where near to your level of expertise at all, but thanks for the clarification on the pick up designs. As to a JB being close to a Nailbomb I wouldn't have even ventured to guess. Just happened to own a SH-4 and noticed its stats and description were fairly close to Coldsweat and I knew from reading other postings that a good portion of your tone come from the type of magnet and output. Being stateside most people I talk to either play only Duncans (and country) or active EMGs in teenage metal bands. The only point I was trying to make, unwisely apparently, was that if you were desperate to make a comparison, magnetic type and output might be a place to start.

best thing, if you can't try one, is joining this forum, which you already did, and then e-mailing Tim  :D
it's hard to make comparisons based on output and gain, since most BKPs don't really feel "high output" like Duncans or Dimarzios
they're clean even under monster amounts of gain, so some people might be disappointed with some models that read high DC resistance, but don't get compressed at all
BKPs are all about clarity
a Duncan Distortion or Gibson 500t will feel A LOT more "high output" than a miracle man or painkiller if you consider saturation as an output sign
Riff Raff, Mules, Black Dog, VHII's, Cold Sweat

AJM

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Re: Brand comparisons
« Reply #16 on: September 17, 2010, 07:45:07 PM »
I'm actually really happy to hear that about BK's. I don't care about output much, I just want good tone and balance. I emailed Tim about a set and he recommended the Mississippi Queen (neck) and Nailbomb (bridge) - When he recommended the Nailbomb as best match to the MQ I was a little worried based on the description (chaos in a pickup) that it would be too high out put for the sound I was going for: like the equivalent of a Duncan Blackout or something. Right now I'm really trying for a classic rock sound (Gibson SG through a Marshall Plexi) Though I'd love to be a bit more progressive than purely vintage but that'd kind of the ball park sound. I know Matt Bellamy uses the MQ/NB set but he also uses so many effects and cr@p its hard to get a good sense of the pickup's tone. Based on what you've said so far I'll definitely be getting the MQ/NB set. Now just to scr@pe together $350.

Thanks again for the advice!
"Earth first, make Mars our bitch." - Dale Gribble

MDV

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Re: Brand comparisons
« Reply #17 on: September 17, 2010, 09:27:48 PM »
The Warpig and Miracle man are 45 awg, the diver is 44 awg. Not sure about the duncan custom being plain enamel, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere it was 43 awg poly.

miracle man is 45
I'm almost sure I've read the warpig is 44 somewhere in this forum (although 45 would make more sense)
but I might be wrong
my point is: dc resistance won't tell you the wire gauge/type

And correspondingly (plus a bunch of other factors; magnet type and size, resonant frequency, overall apparent EQ, including the influence of the guitar) DC doesnt tell you output or how hot youre going to hear the pickup to be.

Oh, +1 to everything philly said; BKs have their own sound, they arent copies of anything else, there are no 'equivelents'.

Everything starts somewhere, as a guide and stepping stone, but BKs lineup have it seems to me evolved down quite an isolated line of descent through Tim building on his own work and development. What the starting point was I couldnt tell you for sure, but I know that Tim has put a lot of time into researching OLD, original PAF design, or rather the best thereof (not all PAFs were created equal! But thats another story...) so that would be a sensible guess, but I cant be sure of it, since I'm not a telepath (I'm just making educated guesses from chats about pickups with Tim).

i.e. BKs are best compared to other BKs ;)

Oh, I think the pig is 44 too, and I know its polysol.

HairyChris

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Re: Brand comparisons
« Reply #18 on: September 17, 2010, 09:30:35 PM »
As far as PRS is concerned, HFS is like an overwound & very flabby Cold Sweat...
A-Pig 7s, Miracle Man & Mule, Cold Sweats... Expensive kit and no talent posse.

Excruciator

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Re: Brand comparisons
« Reply #19 on: September 17, 2010, 10:14:42 PM »
Not that it matters, but unless Tim misinformed me, the Warpig is definitely 45 awg.  I'm pedantic - sue me.  :D

MDV

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Re: Brand comparisons
« Reply #20 on: September 17, 2010, 11:09:11 PM »
Fair enough - it was only a hazy memory that it was 44.

ratspeak

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Re: Brand comparisons
« Reply #21 on: September 19, 2010, 07:49:34 AM »
active EMGs in teenage metal bands.

I resent being associated with EMGs.  :lol: