Looking for some pickup advice or ideas...

[Dr.Pain]

I have an entry level BC Rich Warbeast One which is nothing special as a guitar, firewood to most people, but to me it has such a great neck feel and I really enjoy playing it.  It's been tuned to C for about the past year and it's held tune all the time.  But it needs some better pick ups, needs to sound better.  I use this guitar at home with a Boss heavy metal pedal into a 30 watt amp a lot and I want the chainsaw to sound friggin' sweet.

I have contacted the guys at BKP about this saying I wanted something to cover tones from Arch Enemy to the classic Swedish chainsaw and they said an Aftermath would do it.  The guitar is basswood body, maple neck and rosewood fret board.  I know Entombed used Gibson's to get that fat sound but I don't have one so trying to make use of what I have.  I have looked at an Epiphone Les Paul studio gothic but unsure if I should get one.

Do you think it's worth trying an Aftermath in an entry level basswood guitar?  I'm kind of stuck in making a decision about it.

[Slartibartfarst42]

Horses for courses I guess. Personally, I wouldn't because the guitar simply isn't good enough to warrant such expense but then, I wouldn't have an Epiphone LP either. If you like the guitar that much and have the money to spend then by all means go for it but I don't think Aftermaths going into a cheap BC Rich, a Boss Metal distortion pedal and a 30w amp of unknown quality is going to massively improve your tone and certainly won't make it sound like a Gibson.

Could you tell us more about your gear and what you want? First off, what amp are you using? What features do you like in a guitar? What sounds are you hoping to achieve?

[TheyCallMeVolume]

An AftermatH would do it, but I don't tHink putting a BK in tHere would be tHe best idea. Maybe it Could use a piCkup upgrade, say a SD or Dimarzio, but I'd saVe a BKP for a better guitar wHere it will definitely improVe your sound.

[richard]

If you want to try a different pickup I'd suggest going for something a lot cheaper than a BK. Have a look at these. I haven't tried them but a friend has a few and says they're very good. And only £25 or so. Putting a top of the range pickup in a cheap guitar seems a bit of a waste.

http://www.irongear.co.uk/irongear_018.htm

[Dr.Pain]

The amp I use with the HM-2 is a 30 watt Marshall DFX.  I have a 60 watt Peavey Vypyr but it's too hard to make the pedal sound good through it.  Not that it need's it really.  I play around with Peaveys' revalver software too. As someone who just plays at home these are enough for what I do.

My other guitars are mahogany bodied with maple tops but they have active pups in them.  I do like mahogany hence why I mentioned an Epiphone LP.  I know I will never get a Gibson sound from a basswood body or my other guitars.  It does bother me to put a BKP in a cheap guitar so throwing up the idea here can get some idea's going for me and it has.  I didn't know about Irongear.

I like metal (death metal, grindcore, industrial) and I have EMG & SD actives for that.  I'm after something to get the nice Stockholm chainsaw sound that Entombed and Dismember used, but also to be able to get some nice Arch Enemy style tones going.  The BDSM pups in the BC Rich are muddy, I know a BKP will fix that.  I had a Warpig and it was soooo much clearer, but it's a 7 string pup. 

But the reply's have been great and given me idea's like I said.  Thank you  :)  I might be better off to buy something better.  A Warbeast WMD would do it but it's really stretching the budget.  An Epiphone LP fits the budget a bit better.  More thinking to do and see what floats my boat best.

[ericsabbath]

nailbomb

[James_B_K_P]

Honestly dude, the cost / build quality of the guitar make no difference if it feels right in your hands. I own a Warbeast that I bought a good few years back, didn't play for a couple of years and played it for the first time again a week ago. It needs new strings and new pickups but I actually love the feel of it. The fact that the guitar is basswood makes no difference, I see plenty of people putting BKP's into basswood guitars such as Ibanez's. If it's a guitar that you love and feels great to you then stick some BKP's in it, they can only improve it! If you do end up putting a BKP in the bridge you'll end up buying one for the neck too as the difference in quality between the BKP and Bc rich pickups will be massive. As for the pickup it's self, I'd go with the aftermath! Hope this helps :)

[Dr.Pain]

Thanks for the replys.  But all I can say is... result!

I remembered I had EMG 81/85's spare from another guitar when I installed an EMG Het set and had a spare wiring kit too.  The guitar is now just an 81 and a volume pot as the solderless kit wouldn't reach all the controls.  I was trying to keep it passive but hasn't work out that way for the moment.  It's made a shite load of difference.

Still it's interesting to hear opinions and it expands my knowledge.  I'd still like to hear an Aftermath in basswood body and I might get one later down the track but for now I'm happy.