Your opinions about Painkiller pickups?

[Studiostriver]

I own a calibrated set of PKs in my ESP NT-II 6 string.

This guitar is typically tuned down 1 full step, Drop C.  Usually.  The other 10% of the time it's half step down.

I run this axe through:
- Diezel VH4
- Diezel Hagen
- TwinJet
- Axe-II

The clarity, punch, growl and articulation are all there with awesome tone.  I find I've been pulling back on the amp's gain and letting the pups do the talking more and more over the last 4 years.  The music that's played with this specific guitar runs the gamut of Deftones, AIC, and a lot of prog metal.  People have said the pups are too middy or too sterile or what not.  I say no way.  In this particular guitar, they're luscious.  And sure, they've got a real bite to them, they are still well suited to all types of music - simply adjust the EQ to taste.

Of all the heavier decked out guitars I own, I like the sounds of this guitar with these pups the best due to the cut they offer, and how well they play in high-gain environs without having to rely on the preamp gain of the amp.

Hope this assists.
V.

Thanks for your opinion bro. I`m still in status quo .thinking a lot to buy a new pair of EMG 85/60 by MDV suggestion....

[Studiostriver]

Just to add,i have listened a lot youtube demos of each Bareknuckles pickups these days and I must tell i do not like at all Miracle man,too fizzy and pulm mutting do not have that ``jam jam``Metallica attitude I was after.Stamble upon this Painkiller clip,I must say with this Engl amp it sounds amazing,reminds me somewhat like modern thrash/heavy vibe like new Accept sound from last 2 albums.Pretty like it,very much more than Miracle man absolutely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns99_nLpQoo

[Studiostriver]

I do not know what it is going on with me,hehe. ;) I listened again all demos and know i liked Miracle Man for rhythm more...But for neck PK still has that liquid tone I prefer the most. :shock:
I must be tired or something...Or back then my ears got tired...Do not know exactly... :?

[AlexHookah]

selling my PK bridge. Just dont want the tightness no more. If you wanna hear it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COanFb69an4

[Studiostriver]

selling my PK bridge. Just dont want the tightness no more. If you wanna hear it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COanFb69an4

Hey man,I heard this song,I know you from SGear forum. :)
I must say that they are not enough tight for my taste.Thanks for clips.

So I guess Miracle Man bridge will be better solution for me.

[EffigyForgotten]

The Painkiller is tighter than the Miracle Man, less bass/low mids.

[Studiostriver]

The Painkiller is tighter than the Miracle Man, less bass/low mids.

I do not agree that less bass/low mids is definition of more tightens. IMHO It`s just an EQ spec or I`m wrong? :(
By the way (I know I sad it,but I will say it again :)  I love meatier pickups in a first place but at the same time more tight like EMG 81/85/707/707TW etc...

[GuitarIv]

Dude, I don't know just how much tightness you want, but my Painkiller already has plenty of it. Even my Holydiver is tighter than most ceramic pickups by other manufacturers like Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio and so on. If BKPs are too loose for you, there's nothing wrong to stick with EMGs. No one says you need to have BKPs, there's just a certain flavour to them that you can't get with any other brand, the awesome clarity and dynamic response. Still they are passive, not active. So they won't be as tight as EMGs nor noiseless. I have two guitars with BKPs, an Ibanez RG with a SD Jeff Beck (which I love for it's respective qualities and the bigger amount of compression compared to the Bareknuckles) and I'm thinking about getting an EMG 81 for another guitar to play generic metal with it, because it excels at it. Use whatever suits you best for the application needed. Just my 2 cents :)

Cheers

[EffigyForgotten]

The Painkiller is tighter than the Miracle Man, less bass/low mids.

I do not agree that less bass/low mids is definition of more tightens. IMHO It`s just an EQ spec or I`m wrong? :(
By the way (I know I sad it,but I will say it again :)  I love meatier pickups in a first place but at the same time more tight like EMG 81/85/707/707TW etc...

The MM is plenty tight, just saying the PK IS tighter, period. The MM is definitely beefier though. To me the MM sounds like a 85 with more clarity and a more organic voicing, the guitarist of Cynic used EMG's (85/SA/SA) on their debut Focus and started using the MM with 2 Trilogy Suites in the late 2000's.

[Studiostriver]

Dude, I don't know just how much tightness you want, but my Painkiller already has plenty of it. Even my Holydiver is tighter than most ceramic pickups by other manufacturers like Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio and so on. If BKPs are too loose for you, there's nothing wrong to stick with EMGs. No one says you need to have BKPs, there's just a certain flavour to them that you can't get with any other brand, the awesome clarity and dynamic response. Still they are passive, not active. So they won't be as tight as EMGs nor noiseless. I have two guitars with BKPs, an Ibanez RG with a SD Jeff Beck (which I love for it's respective qualities and the bigger amount of compression compared to the Bareknuckles) and I'm thinking about getting an EMG 81 for another guitar to play generic metal with it, because it excels at it. Use whatever suits you best for the application needed. Just my 2 cents :)

Cheers

You are maybe right ... :) But still trying to find alternative if it is possible...I somehow love and hate EMG`s at the same time,it is really difficult to explain.I just want little more organic feel without sacrificing too much tightness, nor low mids..Keep on trying. :shock:

The MM is plenty tight, just saying the PK IS tighter, period. The MM is definitely beefier though. To me the MM sounds like a 85 with more clarity and a more organic voicing, the guitarist of Cynic used EMG's (85/SA/SA) on their debut Focus and started using the MM with 2 Trilogy Suites in the late 2000's.

Thanks for info bro,you made me curious...Definitely gonna scratch even little more about MM pickups on net...