New Custom 62 Single Coils Demo Available on YouTube

[southpaw]

Hi - my first post.

Just got some fantastic Custom 62's in the post from the nice people at Bare Knuckle Pickups(Thanks Tim and Ben)

I thought I might share with you the sound I managed to achieve with my guitar in all 5 positions - recorded as soon as I put her back together. Random choice of tunes I could come up with off the top of my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo4exGD9T40

Details of setup are in the video and/or description.

Enjoy! :D

[Nolly]

Lovely stuff, they're an absolutely blindingly good set! I believe they are called the '63 Veneer Boards ;)

[38thBeatle]

Very nice indeed. They do sound sweet. Welcome to the forum too.

[hunter]

you sound great with those PUs!

However next to yours I found this A/B Comparison and I actually preferred the stock Fenders. Am I weird?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO6lJ3vRefc

[southpaw]

However next to yours I found this A/B Comparison and I actually preferred the stock Fenders. Am I weird?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO6lJ3vRefc

I did listen to that other clip before I bought the 62s. Now I've had the chance to get my hands on them I can see one of the reasons the BKPs perhaps don't sound quite as full. They are rated at 5.15k neck to 5.75k bridge ( at least mine are) therefore a straight back to back with stock might drive the amp a little less removing some of the compression, as a suspect stock Fender are higher output.

Compared to the SCNs I had in before, standard MIM and MIJ 1986, the BKPs definitely have a more complex tonal character which sounds appealing to my ears - especially so through a good Fender-like tube amp - like the Mesa Express I have. Although my clip is purely software amp so doesn't bring out quite the interactive nature when playing pickup direct to tube

[Nolly]

They are rated at 5.15k neck to 5.75k bridge

Apologies, in that case I was wrong to tell you they are the '63 Veneer Board set - those are rated hotter at 6.3kΩ bridge, 5.8kΩ middle/neck.

[hunter]

I never heard of those sets, they are not in the official list of BKP Singles. Have I missed something, again?

[Nolly]

They're another "off-the-menu" set that will be officially included in the range on the new website :)

[southpaw]

I've never heard of the '63 veneer set either, which means there are probably even more "secret" sets. The  custom '62 are special request not generally available directly through the shop; however I have seen a set at guitarguitar.

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/pickups_detail.asp?stock=09110614445018

Difference to Mother's Milk (which also aim for 60's sound) seem to be use of formvar (early 60s) on the 62's rather than enamel wire (late 60s) on the MMs

My pickups are supposedly rated at 5.5k & 6k but seems to have come out a little lower, which is perfect for what I was looking for. Of course my multimeter could be out

[PhilKing]

I was talking with Tim and he has a few new sets to release soon.  I think the 62 custom set will be renamed as 59 Slab Board (but Nolly might remember this better), as these pickups were used from 59-62 on Strats.  I have had a set for about 18 months now, though mine are 6.2k, 5.5k & 5.5k.   

[Nolly]

I was talking with Tim and he has a few new sets to release soon.  I think the 62 custom set will be renamed as 59 Slab Board (but Nolly might remember this better), as these pickups were used from 59-62 on Strats.  I have had a set for about 18 months now, though mine are 6.2k, 5.5k & 5.5k.   

Ah yes, that makes sense. I have a set of the '59 Slab Boards in my strat, they are absolutely awesome pickups, my favourite traditional strat set alongside the '63 Veneer Boards. (I couldn't really pick a favourite between the two!). Mine are rated very similarly to yours, though I have a 13.5kΩ bridge in there.

[southpaw]

Given one of my references I sent to BKP was a 1960 slabboard I'm even happier with my "59 slabboard" set :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiqW5cTCxlw&feature=fvst

The included '62 spec sheet tells me they should be 5.5k and 6k but I just re-measured my pickups @ 5.25k neck and middle and 5.75k bridge - checked with two different multimeters. But I also just checked a seymour duncan jazz and JB both are also showing under-reading Jazz= 7.15k compared to 7.72k spec, and JB=15.99k compared to 16.4K spec.

I think I am consistently under-reading - what am I doing wrong?

[Nolly]

Have you calibrated the zero point on the multimeter?

[southpaw]

Have you calibrated the zero point on the multimeter?

Er no... Both multimeters are fairly basic with nothing to adjust. It seems that two completely different multimeters give reading within 0.01 of each other but both seem to under-read. Hmmm...

Don't suppose it's really that important as it's the end result that counts, and they sound great  :D

[Nolly]

Hmm, that is a little odd. There's always going to be a bit of variation in DC because they're scatterwound, but you wouldn't expect more than around 0.2k each way between single coils.
Anyway, Tim runs a tight ship when it comes to QC, I'd be surprised if the error was at his end, and as you say - they sound great so it's all a bit academic anyway :)