Should I get these pickups for my guitar?

[eighteen-0-nine]

Hi all. This is the first forum I've ever actually registered to, so I'm a bit unsure as to how things work atm. I'll get down to my question anyways.


I'm having a guitar designed and built come January and was looking for a set of pickups to compliment it. I'm still unsure about body design as I'm torn between a Les Paul and a Jackson Randy Rhoads. What is definite is the wood choice which will be Maple Neckthru, Alder Wings, Ebony Fretboard, regardless.


For the pickups, I really had my eye on the Holy Diver and wondered how they would work with a guitar featuring these woods? I'm going for that Bullet For My Valentine tone, but again having versatility to explore other genres.

Cheers

[Kiichi]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

For the BFMV tone (I hope more the poison one) I would think (and believe to have heard here before) that the Miracle Man is the best choice. It should also give you more versatility than you would expect.
I do not have handson experience with this PU though, so a ton of salt is recomended.

[Transcend]

I would definitely say the miracle man would be the best choice for those kind of tones and woods.

I also think the painkiller could work very well.

I have no personal experience with the holy diver but it is very popular but i dont think it would be suitable for a modern sound like you are aiming for.

[eighteen-0-nine]

The reason I was asking was because they played SD JBs originally and I liked the tone from the first album. I'm looking for a fat tone, rather than a scooped metal tone. I was lucky enough to actually play a Miracle Man yesterday (which is what got me on to Bare Knuckles) but I didn't find it fat enough for leads. It just didn't have that organic quality I'm looking for. Great pickup for riffing though, it's just the music we play in the band has a lot more lead work, with exception to the odd breakdown  :D

[Transcend]

the fat & smooth is what neck pickups are for imho

Have you tried emailing the guys @ bkp?

[eighteen-0-nine]

the fat & smooth is what neck pickups are for imho

Have you tried emailing the guys @ bkp?

I wouldn't really want to use my neck pickup when playing BFMV style lead lines, when they're combined with powerchords/etc. It would just sound very strange. I only really use my neck pickup for sweeping and playing the actual solos. I just want a fat sound coming from my bridge pickup. I already have EMGs in my Les Paul and Jackson, so I've got the Metal metal tone covered if I need to play stuff like Trivium, Killswitch, etc. The reason I'm trying to base it on early BFMVs is because I like how it doesn't just sound like sheer EMGness. It kind of brings a sort of 80s vibe to it which I really like.

And good idea on messaging them. I didn't even think about doing that :)

['Ash' J. Williams]

I have a HD set in a ESP NT1 wich is basically the same construction.
These woods + Holydivers = 80's sound with a bit more fat.
They'll absolutely work in your guitar.

[eighteen-0-nine]

I have a HD set in a ESP NT1 wich is basically the same construction.
These woods + Holydivers = 80's sound with a bit more fat.
They'll absolutely work in your guitar.

Thanks for that :) Hows the tightness? I know of course Alnico isn't as tight as Ceramic. But I've heard good things about BK with people saying they're extremely tight pickups

['Ash' J. Williams]

A bit less tight than an alnico Nailbomb, but much richer sounding in bright and tight guitar like this IMO.
Definitively more tight than most alnico pup i've tried in other brands, more tight than a JB for sure...
If, one day, you feel it could be a bit more tight, just throw a Tube Screamer in front...

[Telerocker]

A bit less tight than an alnico Nailbomb, but much richer sounding in bright and tight guitar like this IMO.
Definitively more tight than most alnico pup i've tried in other brands, more tight than a JB for sure...
If, one day, you feel it could be a bit more tight, just throw a Tube Screamer in front...

That I was thinking too! Or use an eq-pedal.

[darkbluemurder]

Fat & Smooth on a bridge pickup = Holydiver. To me it is tight enough but I do not play metal.

Cheers Stephan

[eighteen-0-nine]

Yh I use a Tube Screamer anyways, so I guess my decision is sorted. Any idea on what I could match it with in the Neck?

[Kiichi]

If you are settled on the HD bridge (given your further description IŽd say it is a good choice, nevermind my first instinct), maybe also concider the HD neck. It is often overlooked because of the Coldsweat or the likes, but when somebody gets it they only talk in the highest tones of it. It certainly is a underrated neck PU.
But again, no hands on ;)

[darkbluemurder]

As a hands on experience I can only comment on the Cold Sweat neck as a partner to the Holydiver bridge which makes for a great combination. I never played a Holydiver neck. From what I read it is a cleaner and more midscooped pickup compared to the CS and mostly used by players looking for good clean tones from the neck pickup whereas players looking for a fluid smooth lead tone mostly go for the Cold Sweat neck. Another option could be the Nailbomb neck but I only just researched and could not find any comment on the HD bridge/NB neck combination.

Cheers Stephan

[eighteen-0-nine]

I was actually looking at the Cold Sweat neck. I was just a bit worried it may be too bright?