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Author Topic: Aftermath or Warpig  (Read 7687 times)

Guitar_Head

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Aftermath or Warpig
« on: June 15, 2013, 12:03:03 PM »
Hey so I have a Jackson rr3, alder body, flamed maple top, rock maple bolt on neck and a roseboard fingerboard. I was wondering which pickups would be best sounding for my guitar. I play metal very chuggy and want strong leads with easy harmonics but want a really good open clean sound. I am leaning towards the Aftermath but I dont know very much about pickups

Kiichi

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2013, 12:48:58 PM »
Hi and welcome!

The two you ask about are very different animals. The WP is big, really big with a lot (!) of grind.
The AM is surgically tight, dry as the desert and very center middy.
For what you describe so far (though more info is always nice) I would steer away from the AM and rather go WP, but I would make sure that the guitar and the rest of your gear is rather on the bright side. If it is the WP can crush like no other, but you should not put it in a dark setting.
The AM is great too, but it is really dry and middy. If you like that great, get it, but it does not have the juice and fatness of a WP or Miracle Man.

For chuggy metal I would actually think about the Miracle Man bridge. Tight, low mids for a lot of chug, nice cut in the hights, etc. Really an amazing metal PU.
As for the neck I am not that sure, but you can hardly go wrong with the Cold Sweat neck for metal. Very nice modern fluid lead tone, which while smooth still has a nice organic warmth about it.
BKPs in use: 10th set / RY set / Holy Diver b, Emerald n / Crawler bridge, Slowhand mid MQ neck/ Manhattan n
On the sidelines: Stockholm b / Suppermassive n, Mule n, AM set, IT mid

Guitar_Head

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2013, 12:57:45 PM »
Yeah thanks for that, I think I will go with the warpig because alder is brighter and I am looking for a pickup to match, that sounds like the best option

Guitar_Head

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2013, 01:56:28 PM »
Do you know what a good website would be to but the warpig from, I have found some but it specify whether its 50mm or 53mm spaced and I know you can get it off the bareknuckle website but it is pretty expensive, I live in Australia by the way

EffigyForgotten

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2013, 03:56:00 PM »
The Holy Diver might also be a good option, its pretty much made for your guitar and will be more versatile than the Warpig. Chugs all day long.

Dave Sloven

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2013, 04:29:10 PM »
Do you know what a good website would be to but the warpig from, I have found some but it specify whether its 50mm or 53mm spaced and I know you can get it off the bareknuckle website but it is pretty expensive, I live in Australia by the way

Apparently there are no BKP dealers in Australia. I bought mine direct from the site last week.  Cost 12 pounds to ship. The exchange rate for us is getting worse against the pound, so better now than later. Remember that we get 20% off the price because the VAT is not applied.  You will see this as you go through checkout.  For a Cold Sweat neck and a Nailbomb bridge to Australia cost me $340 all up at last weeks exchange rates including a $10 exchange fee charged to me by Westpac/St George/BankSA.  A matched set of Warpigs would be pretty close to that, a Warpig bridge with a different neck would be maybe 10-20 more.

I didn't get any extra cost features such as engraving or more expensive covers.  Just plain chrome covers.  Uncovered might be cheaper.

This might also be useful in terms of hearing the Warpigs in a guitar:

Bare Knuckle Pickups Review- Alnico Warpigs For 7 String
« Last Edit: June 15, 2013, 04:38:52 PM by Agent Orange »
BLACK HAWKS
IMPULSES
COBRA-T
WAR PIGS
STOCKHOLM
COLD SWEATS
MIRACLE MAN
TRUE GRIT

https://slovendoom.bandcamp.com/releases

wolfenstein

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2013, 05:01:52 PM »
C-pig man no doubts...Will do everything you need...
have CWP,MM...had AM,CS,VHII,NB,PK,HD...

Slartibartfarst42

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2013, 07:28:39 PM »
IF he had to go with one of the two pickups specified I think he should go with the Alnico Warpig as the alnico magnet will give him better cleans and a sweeter lead tone. However, I'd tend to agree with Kiichi here and go with the Miracle Man instead as it is perfect for what he describes:

- Huge bottom end
- Tight and aggressive for chuggy stuff
- Plenty cut at the high end for strong leads
- Harmonics leaping out all over the place

I honestly think the Miracle Man would suit him better.
BKP owned:

Bridge - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; A-Bomb; Holydiver; Miracle Man; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Neck - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; Holydiver; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Guitar_Head

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2013, 10:11:26 PM »
Yeah thanks I am just concerned with the miracle man because alder wood is brighter and the warpig has more bass

Slartibartfarst42

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2013, 12:19:57 AM »
Indeed, I see your logic and quite understand, however, consider a few things: Although alder is naturally a bright wood, the Warpig is easily the most bass-heavy pickup BKP make but it's by no means the only BKP that works in that tonal wood. The Holydiver is generally considered awesome in an alder guitar yet it has a lot less bass than a Warpig. The same could be said of the Crawler, the Abraxas, Black Dog and the VHII. Certainly the Miracle Man can be excellent in alder because although it has a lot of highs, that is balanced against quite a strong bottom end that is supported with a lot of low mids without being as overpowering as the Warpig. The Warpig is a great pickup that I've often fancied trying myself but every time I ask BKP about it they always tell me that it's great at what it does but it's a long way from being the last word in versatility and as a result, they've always steered me elsewhere. I have a Miracle Man in a maple neck-thru Jackson with an OFR so quite a middy or maybe middy/bright setup yet the bottom end of the Miracle Man is huge in this guitar; noticeably darker than the Holydiver even though the Holydiver is in a mahogany guitar.

The Warpig is great but it has its limitations, though this may be less obvious on the Alnico version. By all means buy the Warpig and I know you'll love it but don't dismiss other options because there are a number of others that will work. They all warrant further investigation before you fork out that much money. As well as the official clips, you'll find lots in the Players section and on You Tube.
BKP owned:

Bridge - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; A-Bomb; Holydiver; Miracle Man; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Neck - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; Holydiver; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Guitar_Head

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2013, 01:03:38 AM »
Yeah alright thanks, it's hard to choose because there are so many options, so you would recommend the miracle man? I do want it to be very versatile and big sounding. Thanks for your help

Guitar_Head

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2013, 01:07:47 AM »
Also another thing that might help is that I am the only electric guitarist in our band so want a really big sound, and I also want dynamics thanks again!

Slartibartfarst42

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2013, 01:59:21 AM »
It seems to me that there are three very good possibilities, each of which has its own merits.

Warpig
Miracle Man
Holydiver

Each will do a fantastic job so it depends on what you want to prioritize.

Warpig
I'd go with the alnico version as it will be a little more versatile and have slightly sweeter leads. With all that bass your little RR3 will sound monster huge! The downside is that versatility is a relative term and although it may be a touch more versatile than the ceramic version, versatility won't be its strongest suit. If you're the only guitarist in the band and you're playing a pickup with a lot of bass in it, you may get a bit too crowded down at the bottom end so you'll end up competing with the bass. That means your guitar won't stand out quite so much in the mix. Worth considering. For this pickup, think Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath.

Miracle Man
This is another pickup with a huge bottom end but not as overpowering as the Warpig. The bass is supported by lots of lower mids so although there's a lot of bass going on here, it's not so heavily concentrated right at the bottom end. The Miracle Man also has a fair chunk of highs that really cut through and pinch harmonics can jump out all over the fretboard. This is the tightest of the three and the most aggressive. There's a lot to like here in your guitar if you want a heavy bottom and great leads but you do sacrifice the cleans a bit because of the ceramic magnet. Zakk Wylde is the obvious connection here but that always gave me the idea of an EMG 81 and such a description doesn't tell the whole story. Yes, it's tight and aggressive and has the pinched harmonics but the tone is also surprisingly thick, smooth and organic. Think of the tone you might associate with Metal from about 1985 to 1992 (approximately).

Holydiver
In many ways this is a very good compromise and is easily the most versatile of the three. It doesn't have the huge bottom end of the Warpig and Miracle Man but it does have the sweetest lead tone of any of the hot Bare Knuckle bridge pickups. It's certainly not lacking in bottom end, it's just that it's not as obvious as the other two. It's smooth, thick, warm and organic with plenty mids so it should cut through the mix nicely in your band. It's not as aggressive as the Miracle Man or as tight but it is still quite a tight pickup with a decent amount of aggression so good for Metal music. Primarily think of Metal music from about 1980 - 1988. Dio is the obvious musical reference for this tone but I'd also think of Doug Aldrich and Jake E. Lee. With a decent overdrive pedal it will take you into more modern Metal territory and back down on the gain and it will do good Classic Rock tones. I use mine for everything from Doobie Brothers to Metallica and Children of Bodom, though neither of those extremes are its natural home.

So there you are; if your main priority is a huge bottom end, get the Warpig, if your priority is tight and aggressive chugging with screaming leads, get the Miracle Man and if you mainly want versatility that is aggressive, tight, warm, smooth and thick, get the Holydiver. TBH, if you're the only guitarist in the band, I'd be tempted to focus more on the Miracle Man and Holydiver, leaving the bass to the bass player.
BKP owned:

Bridge - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; A-Bomb; Holydiver; Miracle Man; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Neck - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; Holydiver; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Guitar_Head

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2013, 02:33:54 AM »
Yeah thanks heaps I think the miracle man are the ones for me

mongey

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Re: Aftermath or Warpig
« Reply #14 on: June 17, 2013, 02:34:46 AM »
Do you know what a good website would be to but the warpig from, I have found some but it specify whether its 50mm or 53mm spaced and I know you can get it off the bareknuckle website but it is pretty expensive, I live in Australia by the way

just buy off the BKP website. I've bought 4 times from the website and received em here in OZ 7 to 12 days after ordering . not too bad

there are a  couple  guys who are dealers for em here but they don't keep stock. they just order as requested so you wont save ay time

I know Ernie at ET guitars is a dealer as he built my 7 . so if you really want to use a dealer hit him up on his website
Maton- jazz/JB
Cole Clark -NB Neck ,  Apig
Mayones Setius - Juggs
Et Guitars Katana 7 -Juggs
Mesa Dual Rect
and more stuff