Schecter Hellraiser with Bare Knuckle pick ups

[Studiostriver]

Hi to all,this is my first post.  :?
I`m going to buy Schecter Hellraiser 7 or 8 FR model (in November)
http://www.schecterguitars.com/International/Products/Guitar/Hellraiser-C-7-FR.aspx
http://www.schecterguitars.com/International/Products/Guitar/Hellraiser-C-8-FR.aspx

I recently found that Bare Knuckle have all their humbuckers in a 7/8 version.
I read all the infos and heard the demos and literally instantly blown away with sound quallity.

I chose these pick ups,just tell me please with your knowledge and experience so far are they gonna fit well with the guitar specification (wood characteristic and that stuff)

Bridge - Nailbomb
Neck - Cold Sweat

Also I`m confused reading the info can these pick ups works as dual coil split or not?

And one more thing,in Hellraiser is solderless EMG pick ups connections.Can I install 3 pin header on pick ups and make switching from EMG`s to Bare Knuckle make more effective?

Cheers and thanks in advance.  :shock:

[Dr.Pain]

The pick ups use different pots.  EMG's are 250K pots where BKP use 500 or 550K pots for the most part.  I own an ESP Ltd that had 81/85's in it and the pick up was, as you said, a 3 pin connection but everything else is soldered.  You go BKP, you have to change pots.

[lyonk55]

So long as you order them with the 4-conductor wiring, you can do coil-splitting, parallel wiring, etc. You'd need new pots though.

As for the pickups themselves, someone else will be able to help you more than me. But what kind of music are you looking to play? A Nailbomb might be good for some heavy rock or melodic death in B, but wouldn't be most people's first choice for Meshuggah type stuff.

[Studiostriver]

So long as you order them with the 4-conductor wiring, you can do coil-splitting, parallel wiring, etc. You'd need new pots though.

As for the pickups themselves, someone else will be able to help you more than me. But what kind of music are you looking to play? A Nailbomb might be good for some heavy rock or melodic death in B, but wouldn't be most people's first choice for Meshuggah type stuff.

Yes I will use 4-conductor wiring.I want neck to have split coil option and bridge to have phase in/out.
I`m far away from Meshuggah type music.
For what I read in infoes and from sound clips these pick ups suits best to music I would like to record/play.
Sorry for this brief explanation know but I do not know how to explain it simplier despite that there are melting pots of genres in my music.

For bridge(Nailbomb) I would like the agressive(in modern thrash metal vibe) as it can be,for rhythm.But at the same time I very like the fact it has a heavy bluesy character,cause I would like to have a certain Marty Friedman/Pantera vibe when I using it for soloing,and also when i turn volume down to try some Pink Floyd phrases.And I`m a big fan of Brian May so phase in/out will help somehow to try to emulate Qeen mood.

As for neck(Cold Sweat) I`m totally into Neoclassic Strat neck sound,I melting when I hear it. :) And coil split would help to achieve even more organic sound for quiet passages.I also like that it has a lot of harmonic content and dynamics as well.I`m also big fan of Adrian Smith/and Hendrix as well.

This was the sounds I`d like to have,but I know it is very hard to have it all in one guitar.
But with Bare Knuckle I feel I finally found what I searched now for years.

Please tell me guys what pots I need?I would like to order it online with pick ups as well from BN.

I do like the modern rhythm sound of Painkiller pick up,but afraid it can just rock and nothing more.

And beside guitar sound,I have various keys,barroque,ethnic,and even electronic instruments mixed all together.

Cheers to all metalheads out there. :shock:
If you have any opinions about these pick ups,or suggestions to consider any other model please tell me.
And thank for all your replies so far,much appreciated.

[darkbluemurder]

I believe Alnico Nailbomb for bridge and Cold Sweat neck will do what you want well. The A-Bomb is very tight on rhythms and has an aggressive vibe to it. Cold Sweat neck does the singing leads really well.

I own both pickups but have never played them together though. The Cold Sweat is paired with a Holydiver bridge in my PRS so I can confirm it does split tones well. I have not tried to split the A-Bomb yet.

Cheers Stephan

[Studiostriver]

I believe Alnico Nailbomb for bridge and Cold Sweat neck will do what you want well. The A-Bomb is very tight on rhythms and has an aggressive vibe to it. Cold Sweat neck does the singing leads really well.

I own both pickups but have never played them together though. The Cold Sweat is paired with a Holydiver bridge in my PRS so I can confirm it does split tones well. I have not tried to split the A-Bomb yet.

Cheers Stephan

Cool,so Cold Sweat works good in split mode.That`s what I want to hear. :P
I considering maybe to get ceramic Nailbomb because it has more cold clean sounds,and rhythm attack little more...Reminds me of active pick ups somehow.Yes,it looses warmth and melow tone,but I guess with Cold Sweat I can achieve that to compensate relation between modern vs. vintage sounds...Hm...But I do not know how NB will work playing heavy blues&Floydish parts then?Hm...

Please someone correct me if I`m wrong,can I with phase in/out change polarities and make sounds like Brian May.On his model he`s talking to achieve his specific solos sound with phase switch.

I`m really into too many music genres,I much like even jazz/fusion vibe of Black Hawk,but have to choose priorities. :( With Bare Knuckle what I heard so far from demos makes me wanna buy 2/3 guitars and in put various pick up combinations in them.They are so full of character that makes certain music genre vibe.
I was looking with DiMarzio/EMG/Seymour Duncan even more exotic like Aluma/Lundgren.They all works well for something,but totally fail in versatility like Bare Knuckle.That`s the reason I fell in love with them at the first hearing. 8)

[darkbluemurder]

I considering maybe to get ceramic Nailbomb because it has more cold clean sounds,and rhythm attack little more...Reminds me of active pick ups somehow.Yes,it looses warmth and melow tone,but I guess with Cold Sweat I can achieve that to compensate relation between modern vs. vintage sounds...Hm...But I do not know how NB will work playing heavy blues&Floydish parts then?Hm...

If versatility is your main focus then I would recommend the A-Bomb over the C-Bomb. On the other hand I have no problem playing blues on my strat which has just a Miracle Man in the bridge so BKP ceramics are versatile as well.

Please someone correct me if I`m wrong,can I with phase in/out change polarities and make sounds like Brian May.On his model he`s talking to achieve his specific solos sound with phase switch.

You can wire the pickups - if you order them as 4-conductor models - out of phase, parallel, split and whatsoever but with only two humbuckers it will be difficult to achieve the Brian May sounds exactly. The typical Brian May lead tones are created with 3 single coils, either two of them in series with the third out of phase to the first two in parallel, or two in series and out of phase. There is a very intersting switching arrangement for a three pickup guitar (like a strat) that shall achieve such sounds (it's called "Franco's Five" and can be found on www.guitarnuts2.com if you are interested). I have not seen a schematic for two humbuckers to achieve the Brian May sounds. Maybe both humbuckers in series and out of phase or in parallel and half out of phase will get you close.

Cheers Stephan

[Studiostriver]

If versatility is your main focus then I would recommend the A-Bomb over the C-Bomb. On the other hand I have no problem playing blues on my strat which has just a Miracle Man in the bridge so BKP ceramics are versatile as well.

Ok,thanks for advice,bro.

You can wire the pickups - if you order them as 4-conductor models - out of phase, parallel, split and whatsoever but with only two humbuckers it will be difficult to achieve the Brian May sounds exactly. The typical Brian May lead tones are created with 3 single coils, either two of them in series with the third out of phase to the first two in parallel, or two in series and out of phase. There is a very intersting switching arrangement for a three pickup guitar (like a strat) that shall achieve such sounds (it's called "Franco's Five" and can be found on www.guitarnuts2.com if you are interested). I have not seen a schematic for two humbuckers to achieve the Brian May sounds. Maybe both humbuckers in series and out of phase or in parallel and half out of phase will get you close.

Cheers Stephan

I`m very interested in achieving Brian May sound,I`m very crazy with Queen`s rock opera and I like to make those singing solos as well.If middle single pickup is only problem i could buy one and put into Hellraiser as well.But I see there are no single pickups for 7/8 string guitars from Bare Knuckle so I`ll go for maybe Vai`s Blaze single or something.
But if I choose all pickups to have  phase in/out i can not use split coil option,am I right?

I know i maybe asking too much from one guitar,but I trying to make one unique guitar to use it for all my recording many years to come.

[Dr.Pain]

Seems you do want too much from one guitar.  I own a 7 string and wanted something to sound great for metal.  I now have that but it's all it can do I feel.  It's great for death metal but it's thin for playing Iron Maiden but luckily I have a Les Paul and some other guitars that do what the 7 string struggles with.

[Studiostriver]

Seems you do want too much from one guitar.  I own a 7 string and wanted something to sound great for metal.  I now have that but it's all it can do I feel.  It's great for death metal but it's thin for playing Iron Maiden but luckily I have a Les Paul and some other guitars that do what the 7 string struggles with.

Technically playing is not the problem,what you can play with 7,you play it with 6.Amp still dictate the sound also,and I personally don`t think you can not play Iron Maiden on it,cause it`s still metal band,you are not playing Bob Marley.I borrowing friend of mine 7 string guitar,just to get used to it,technically it`s all ok to me.

Parallel/coil spliting whatever will do the job I think for making pickups more accessible into another music genres.

Darkbluemurder bro got me interested in making a Brian May sound.Just wanna find out if it is possible to achieve that sound with this setup,or adding single middle to achieve it..If not,even without this it will be a very versatile pickups set i think,and hope so... :?

"Maybe both humbuckers in series and out of phase or in parallel and half out of phase will get you close. "Can you explain it please little more,you know English is far from my native language.  :( Thanks in advance.

[Dr.Pain]

The active pick ups I have in my 7 string do come across thin when playing Maiden.  It's not an amp issue and metal is not metal.  It is the difference between active and passive pick ups.  My Les Paul is perfect for it so it's not an issue.  The level of gain used between death metal and Maiden, for example, is different and I like actives with lots of gain.  This doesn't work that great for playing Maiden.  I like having different guitars to play different things as variation is a good thing.  Also my amp works well for what I play.

Parallel and coil splitting are different things too.  My Les Paul have serial/parallel and I have a Washburn with coil splitting.  Serial/parallel is more an output cut to me.  I don't know enough about it so forgive me.  But my Washburn is very different.  The coil tapping does make it a true single coil.  They sound so different.

[Studiostriver]

The active pick ups I have in my 7 string do come across thin when playing Maiden.  It's not an amp issue and metal is not metal.  It is the difference between active and passive pick ups.  My Les Paul is perfect for it so it's not an issue.  The level of gain used between death metal and Maiden, for example, is different and I like actives with lots of gain.  This doesn't work that great for playing Maiden.  I like having different guitars to play different things as variation is a good thing.  Also my amp works well for what I play.

Parallel and coil splitting are different things too.  My Les Paul have serial/parallel and I have a Washburn with coil splitting.  Serial/parallel is more an output cut to me.  I don't know enough about it so forgive me.  But my Washburn is very different.  The coil tapping does make it a true single coil.  They sound so different.

Well,more pickup gain is not the problem,for my active/passive experience just turn the amp gain down,and adjust amp eq also to sit more to 80thies metal.It really should not be a problem at all playing the same music genre if the only difference is gain staging.Maybe it will not sound like IM,but you can somehow get close to that sound.
You can always adjust for less gain,but if pickups are not "strong"enough you can not even imagine to have hi gain sound.The biggest difference will be in voicing/harmonic content etc,maybe they will not sit perfect like pickups that are made for that sound,but its far from that you can not play it at all....
And if you use VST amp emulations,just passing through all that amps difference is instantly different.

That`s why I searching for pick ups that have various character in sound,modern metal blasting tone is first thing I need from them,but when I need to play something different with different effects,amps,and coil splitting,at least to get close to different music genre.

Cheers bro and thanks for your comments,discussion is always good.I always learn something new.

[Dr.Pain]

Choosing pick ups can be a difficult thing and the more info the better.  My 7 string has SD Blackouts and I have to run them about 2/3rd's volume to sound good.  They work well for A or B tuning handling the bass but seem to lack some meat for power chords in E and D which IM do a lot.  Les Paul covers that though, lovely fat, warm sound with just the right amount of output.  So glad I bought that :)

VST emulations are great.  Yeah I'm tied to a PC doing it but just all the different amps exposed me to hear all my guitars in so many different ways.  I have a friend who's just started playing and I told him one of the best things is exploring tone and technology really helps this now.  Good time to be alive :)

[Studiostriver]

Choosing pick ups can be a difficult thing and the more info the better.  My 7 string has SD Blackouts and I have to run them about 2/3rd's volume to sound good.  They work well for A or B tuning handling the bass but seem to lack some meat for power chords in E and D which IM do a lot.  Les Paul covers that though, lovely fat, warm sound with just the right amount of output.  So glad I bought that :)

VST emulations are great.  Yeah I'm tied to a PC doing it but just all the different amps exposed me to hear all my guitars in so many different ways.  I have a friend who's just started playing and I told him one of the best things is exploring tone and technology really helps this now.  Good time to be alive :)

I have opportunity to try friend of mine Schecter Hellraiser C-7 FR.On this guitar no matter where you play it sound marvelous.Guitar is heavy as hell,every time I spend more then 2/3 hours playing i feel little pain in my shoulders.Also EMG TW works very good,for any metal riffs and shredding,very open,clear,modern also has very good liquid clean tones....Split optinon works decent,not so good.And for hard rock/blues voicing it not doing the job at all.Distorted fizzy,almost digital at low gain phrases,totally unatural.But for modern metal they are the best I heard so far.

I have heard also SD Blackouts,EMG 81/85.Work very good,but In my opinion they are all trapped in 80/90 thies thrash metal sound.And if your guitar is not good,you can put no matter what pickup,they will always sound unsaid to me...
Quallity of the wood is at first place,then pickups and amps,effects last in chain. Pickups are in the middle of chain,and somehow to me make sound where you want to go,sorry for my English.I cant say it better. :?
Your playing is at first place of course,you making the sound. :P

I sincerly hope Bare Knuckle will be my final resting place for pickups.I do not want to spend days and years finding tones that suits to me,I want making music. :)
Cheers bro.

[Studiostriver]

You can wire the pickups - if you order them as 4-conductor models - out of phase, parallel, split and whatsoever but with only two humbuckers it will be difficult to achieve the Brian May sounds exactly. The typical Brian May lead tones are created with 3 single coils, either two of them in series with the third out of phase to the first two in parallel, or two in series and out of phase. There is a very intersting switching arrangement for a three pickup guitar (like a strat) that shall achieve such sounds (it's called "Franco's Five" and can be found on www.guitarnuts2.com if you are interested). I have not seen a schematic for two humbuckers to achieve the Brian May sounds. Maybe both humbuckers in series and out of phase or in parallel and half out of phase will get you close.
Cheers Stephan

I found it bro:

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/thefive/index.php

Do you think it`s possible I make Franco`s Five modification with Bridge(humbucker)/Middle(single coil)/Neck(humbucker) ,and still make parallel or coil spltting for Bridge or Neck humbuckers?