What Pickup For Heavier Rock

[jaketackett93]

I heard a rumor that Four Years Strong used a Epiphone Special II with a Bareknuckle pickup setup alot for the new album. Does anyone know what Bareknuckle pickup setup that was?

I will dropping a BKP in a Gibson Les Paul Standard or an Edwards LPS92SD. So i mean it's pretty standard. Thanks for the help!

[ericsabbath]

these are quite soft sounding bands if you ask me

I wouldn't go hotter than the emerald or abraxas

if you really wanna go heavy, then you might enjoy the nailbomb

[Telerocker]

Any vintage(hot) will get you solid rocktones. You might want to have a look at VHII's too.

[jaketackett93]

Thanks guy! i'm looking into the Black dogs, Emeralds, Abraxas, Rebel Yell and Nailbomb the most right now.
I plan just putting one in the bridge for now.  I want a more compressed dynamic. A really up in your face and thick tone. Does that help? Any thoughts? Thanks guys!

[jaketackett93]

The VH II is looking good too. I'm just looking for a huge, tight, thick, consuming controlled tone. I hope this is coming across good... :ctf:

[Telerocker]

Abraxas, Nailbombs, even Holy Divers fit that description.

[jaketackett93]

Sweet thanks man! Anyone have pro/cons or what one is better at things over the other? Holy Diver and Nailbomb.

[DoomBuggi]

I really like the Black Dog set.  I found them very diverse sounding.  I sold the set I had, but If I get a Les Paul standard in the future, I will definitely get a pair for it.

I would have kept them in my current setup, if tuned to D standard or higher.  They are pretty tight sounding to my ears in those tunings, but going below that it didn't quite cut the mustard in the tightness.  I play pretty fast distorted music so, I need to tidy up a bit on the low end response.  They have a hell of a tone.  One of my favorite pickups I've yet heard. 

[jaketackett93]

So you have used a holy Diver and Black dog in the bridge? Which did you think was tighter, thinker and bigger sounding? I going for a heavy punk rock sound.

[DoomBuggi]

So you have used a holy Diver and Black dog in the bridge? Which did you think was tighter, thinker and bigger sounding? I going for a heavy punk rock sound.

The Holy Diver is hotter, and tighter.  I feel as though the Black dog was thicker sounding, at least in my guitar.  They both can take on a lot of gain.  You are wanting to have a punk rock sound, so I would say that tightness isn't really much of a issue.  Almost any pickup will work for punk rock, in my experience anyway.

 If I was doing anything but metal, I would go for the Black Dog.  Thats my preference.  Doesn't mean its the right answer for you though.

 There are allot of pickups to choose from, and the BK line up so far, in my experience, has been anything but disappointing.

I think you can pretty much do the punk thing with any of the pickups, just depends on what kind of sound you want.  

Seems like any of the vintage outputs would do well.  I don't know about the VHII, never played it.  Though, many people on the forum love it.  

Have you considered the Rebel Yell?  Some have descried it as being between the Holy Diver and the Black Dog.  I can't attest to that, but I can tell you that I am interested in trying the Rebel Yell.    I would say, anything you ended up going with would not disappoint you.  

 In the end, send an email to the BKP team.  State your needs, and the gear you use, including your tuning.  They are very communicative, helpful, and knowledgeable.   I like all kinds of pickups, but I have to say that I really really like all the BKP's I've tried.  Good Luck!!

[jaketackett93]

You're right, tightness isn't really much an issue and i'm not playing hardcore metal. But i do play stuff along the lines of  A Day to Remember and Four Years Strong and that's a pretty huge in-your-face tone.

Man i've been really thinking about the Rebel Yell!

I'm going to send them an email and i'll post what they say back!

[jaketackett93]

This is what they said back:

I would go for the Nailbombs. They have more than enough power on-tap, great bass response, great for crunchy rhythm and sustain on the lead. They are always clear and retain an open, organic feel to the tones. They are neither too bassy nor too bright and are very versatile.

Kind Regards,

Ben
--
Ben French

[DoomBuggi]

This is what they said back:

I would go for the Nailbombs. They have more than enough power on-tap, great bass response, great for crunchy rhythm and sustain on the lead. They are always clear and retain an open, organic feel to the tones. They are neither too bassy nor too bright and are very versatile.

Kind Regards,

Ben
--
Ben French

I communicate with Ben often in the past couple of months.  If he says Nailbomb, I say go for it.  If you transmitted your needs clearly, you could bet chicken eggs that he is most likely right. 

 Even if it doesn't turn out you do like it, you can send it back in exchange for something else.   

 Go for it! :teeth:

[Samth3mancgp]

You're right, tightness isn't really much an issue and i'm not playing hardcore metal. But i do play stuff along the lines of  A Day to Remember and Four Years Strong and that's a pretty huge in-your-face tone.

Man i've been really thinking about the Rebel Yell!

I'm going to send them an email and i'll post what they say back!

These bands may not be as heavy as many other types of music but both ADTR and FYS have very tight, controlled, and huge sounding rhythm guitar tones. I am a good friend of jake, and I am also looking to get a single bare knuckle pickup with no cover on it, 2 conductors just the essentials.  Sorry for re-surfacing an old thread, but I am in the same boat as jake with a few exceptions. All I care about is the sound of the pickup. I am going to try out the "stick a ridiculously nice pup in a cheap guitar" approach.  Most of the tone in a solid body guitar is coming from the strings, pickups, and most of all, the player. Of course the wood can affect the way the strings ring out, but the physical design of a pickup requires metal strings in order to pick up the sound energy and turn it into electricity, not wood right?  If the wood mattered that much, how could FYS have gotten such tones out of a <$150 guitar?  BTW, here is the link to the article where the guitarist from FYS discusses the guitar rig for their new album and mentions the Epi w/ Bare Knuckle. http://www.guitarworld.com/dan-oconnor-four-year-strong-discusses-gear-and-recording-new-album-some-way-shape-or-form

I plan to get an epi special II or even a junior. Paying no more than $50 for the guitar. I may go the whole 9 yards and remove all pots and switches from the circuit so it is just the bridge pickup soldered directly to the output jack on the guitar!  I know this sounds crazy, but I am an engineer/producer, and I am constantly trying to improve every part of my productions.  I want this guitar to be a complete 1 trick pony and that trick is balls-to-the-walls heavier rock/pop-punk, as well as hardcore/metal rhythm guitar tones. I'm looking for a huge/over the top sound that is also controlled, tight, and precise for recording and fitting heavily distorted guitar tones through 2 little speakers ;). 

It's just going to be a guitar for those bands that walk into the studio with a telecaster and want to play metal. I need something to offer in my collection as a 1 stop shop for heavy rhythm guitars in MANY styles.  I wish I could talk to David Bendeth himself about his brilliant little epiphone that sounds larger than life, but it seems there is lots of good advice on this forum too. Jake has me set on a nailbomb, but maybe it isnt the one for me :).

[itamar101]

You're right, tightness isn't really much an issue and i'm not playing hardcore metal. But i do play stuff along the lines of  A Day to Remember and Four Years Strong and that's a pretty huge in-your-face tone.

Man i've been really thinking about the Rebel Yell!

I'm going to send them an email and i'll post what they say back!

These bands may not be as heavy as many other types of music but both ADTR and FYS have very tight, controlled, and huge sounding rhythm guitar tones. I am a good friend of jake, and I am also looking to get a single bare knuckle pickup with no cover on it, 2 conductors just the essentials.  Sorry for re-surfacing an old thread, but I am in the same boat as jake with a few exceptions. All I care about is the sound of the pickup. I am going to try out the "stick a ridiculously nice pup in a cheap guitar" approach.  Most of the tone in a solid body guitar is coming from the strings, pickups, and most of all, the player. Of course the wood can affect the way the strings ring out, but the physical design of a pickup requires metal strings in order to pick up the sound energy and turn it into electricity, not wood right?  If the wood mattered that much, how could FYS have gotten such tones out of a <$150 guitar?  BTW, here is the link to the article where the guitarist from FYS discusses the guitar rig for their new album and mentions the Epi w/ Bare Knuckle. http://www.guitarworld.com/dan-oconnor-four-year-strong-discusses-gear-and-recording-new-album-some-way-shape-or-form

I plan to get an epi special II or even a junior. Paying no more than $50 for the guitar. I may go the whole 9 yards and remove all pots and switches from the circuit so it is just the bridge pickup soldered directly to the output jack on the guitar!  I know this sounds crazy, but I am an engineer/producer, and I am constantly trying to improve every part of my productions.  I want this guitar to be a complete 1 trick pony and that trick is balls-to-the-walls heavier rock/pop-punk, as well as hardcore/metal rhythm guitar tones. I'm looking for a huge/over the top sound that is also controlled, tight, and precise for recording and fitting heavily distorted guitar tones through 2 little speakers ;). 

It's just going to be a guitar for those bands that walk into the studio with a telecaster and want to play metal. I need something to offer in my collection as a 1 stop shop for heavy rhythm guitars in MANY styles.  I wish I could talk to David Bendeth himself about his brilliant little epiphone that sounds larger than life, but it seems there is lots of good advice on this forum too. Jake has me set on a nailbomb, but maybe it isnt the one for me :).

That sounds just like the nailbomb to me... Maybe the painkiller.
BTW, either replace the pots and caps or completely chuck them out because they will make ANY pickup sound like farts.