The guitar is this one, acquired august 2009:
https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18963.msg255241#msg255241Nailbomb was the first bridge pickup that was on this guitar. It always had this great bottom, but also a bright edge on the top that started to irritate me after a while. It was always there.
So I dropped in the Holydiver; still aggressive, but also great weight in the midrange and a wonderful lead tone. I was a happy camper for a long while.
Enter this day: the guitar has been played a few years, and I've started to feel that the guitar puts out TOO much midrange with its Holydiver. I recently put a Black dog in the bridge of an LP and that guitar just sounded better; big and thick, with both bottom and a top bite. A balanced, big LP.
What has happened during that time? The guitar has been played a lot. At home, at rehearsals and at stage. It's top end has mellowed down, and it's a very balanced, clear sounding instrument right now. I feel like the midrange comes forward more because the tone has freed up. You can hear this acoustically.
So I put the Nailbomb back in. Low and behold, it sounds great now! Bigger bottom than the Holydiver, still great mids (but without honk!), and an aggressive top. But the edge that once irritated me, is gone. It's not harsh, just a big and aggressive strat with great versatility. And sounds different from my other guitars too, which is nice. I don't see myself changing the Nailbomb out of this guitar, unless I want a lower output humbucker there. I've fallen for those recently :)
I had great fun playing things like this with the guitar (Lynch is great and this one has a kick ass lead!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2lTPuvB-Sc-Zaned