Stormy mondays and apache sound great for me !

[roland_rat]

Going back a while I got a Feline RG.  It came with Nailbombs in the bridge and neck with a slowhand in the middle.  The guitar sounded superb when  it was not plugged in. However for me I never got quite got on with the nailbombs and the slowhand.  The nailbombs I found just too modern sounding for me (for classic rock).  The slowhand for me was just a little too dark sounding.  Anyway after much debating and a bit of advice from Johnathan  I decided to go for a set of stormy mondays with an apache in the middle.  For me all I can say is WOW.  The pickup change has really worked for me. 

I now have a superb clean tone in all 5 positions and with use of a couple of pedals I am geting some lovely overdriven rock tones.   It is still early days on just what tones I can get from the guitar I will give more details when I lived with the pickups a little more.

[Telerocker]

Congrats, that's good to hear. It is quite a dramatic change of output & character/sound (AII and AIII magnets, or do you have an AIV-magnet for the bridge?). My Crawler (A5), which has quite some output, cleans up like a vintage(hot) pickup, so I understand your point. Personally I love low-mediumouput pickups in the vintage(hot) range. With a good tubeamp you can reach the whole spectrum, from warm cleans, biting crunch to heavy rock. That's all I need. When money comes in I will upgrade some guitars. Mules, VHII and Rebel Yells are on my list. And I would love to have an Apache-filled strat.
I'm eager to hear your Stormy Mondays. Maybe you could post a clip.

[FELINEGUITARS]

The Stormy Mondays were alnico 2 on that one
They did sound great in the alder body/maple neck with rosewood board combo of that guitar, and I was sad that I couldnt play it well enough to get the full benefit out of it as it's a leftie

[roland_rat]

Your quite right quite a change in the pickup choice. For a time I knew that for me Nailbombs and Slowhand middle was not quite for me. I knew that I wanted something different that would not sound quite so modern and full on.  After pondering on a set of emeralds, mississipi queens and mules I decided on the stormy mondays.  The middle pickup was a toss up between an aphache or a sultan. I went for the aphache. That said I am still keen to try a sultan pickup at some point all be it if I get another guitar.
As for VHII and mules you mention in my experience  they are both superb.  The crawlers and rebel yells I would love to try at some point too. All in all I have found no bad Bare Knuckle pickups, just some pickups that  compliment the  guitar, amp and playing style better than others. 
I am afraid I have no recording kit. So no clips any  time soon im afraid.

[AndyR]

Nice one :D

I love the Apache middle pickup. Actually, I love the Sultan middle as well.

I've had them both in the same guitar. To my ears, and the way I use them, the Apaches have a bit more body to them, a subtle sort of "oink" that I am very fond of. The Sultan does a slightly different job, I'm hunting for words here... I think it's almost like it's smoother and brighter at the same time.

You're starting to get me interested in Stormy Mondays though :lol:.

[kevinr]

For tone the SMs are a hard act to follow!

[FELINEGUITARS]

Stormy Mondays are THE humbucker tone - the starting point for it all

[gwEm]

they call it stormy monday, but tuesdays just as bad

[AndyR]

Wednesday's somehow worse
And thursday's mighty sad...

[gordiji]

sounds like a good choice to me rat, i've just got an sm neck and just love the clean sounds it makes.(and dirty ones!)

[Telerocker]

Your quite right quite a change in the pickup choice. For a time I knew that for me Nailbombs and Slowhand middle was not quite for me. I knew that I wanted something different that would not sound quite so modern and full on.  After pondering on a set of emeralds, mississipi queens and mules I decided on the stormy mondays.  The middle pickup was a toss up between an aphache or a sultan. I went for the aphache. That said I am still keen to try a sultan pickup at some point all be it if I get another guitar.
As for VHII and mules you mention in my experience  they are both superb.  The crawlers and rebel yells I would love to try at some point too. All in all I have found no bad Bare Knuckle pickups, just some pickups that  compliment the  guitar, amp and playing style better than others.  
I am afraid I have no recording kit. So no clips any  time soon im afraid.

The Crawler in my custom MXG-strat (swampash. ebony fretboard) is fantastic. Fat, warm, growling,  yet clear, sounds like a  very good vintagehot pickup. Cleans up very well and pairs beautiful with my IT's. The RY is more agressive, from what I heard and read.