Schecter Blackjack ATX C-1 - Want Sambora/Satchel (Kramer sound)

[magnifician]

Hello there! :D

Im new to this forum, and i've decided to make a topic because i really need your help...

http://www.schecterguitars.com/products/guitar/Blackjack-ATX-C-1.aspx

That will be my next guitar, and it's a real beauty, and since i already have a guitar with seymour duncan blackouts i really wanna get new ones.

I've been reading alot on the internet about pickups i should choose for a 80s rock sound, and the sound im after is Sambora(Kramer)/Satchel.
JB/59 is really popular, and the Dimarzio super distortion aswell, but after hours of reading i have seen alot of Bare Knuckle on the net. No idea what it was, so i decided to check into it and here i am..

It seems that every pickup that Bare Knuckle has to offer is unique and really good, and since im a newbie when it comes to pickups i have no idea what i should choose..

Something tells me that Holy Diver and Cold Sweat should do the trick....

And also, i live in Sweden, is it possible for me to to get Bare Knuckle pickups?

Thanks very much, and sorry for my english :)

[Telerocker]

Hi and welcome!
The Holy Diver and CS-neck is a good match. The HD will definitely be clearer and more articulate then the JB. One of the best BKP-pickups for lead.
I don't know if there are BKP-dealers in Sweden. You can always buy them in the BKP-webshop. If you need further info you can mail/call the BKP-team. They're helpful.

[magnifician]

Hi and welcome!
The Holy Diver and CS-neck is a good match. The HD will definitely be clearer and more articulate then the JB. One of the best BKP-pickups for lead.
I don't know if there are BKP-dealers in Sweden. You can always buy them in the BKP-webshop. If you need further info you can mail/call the BKP-team. They're helpful.

Thanks alot for the answer :)

It seems that the HD/cs-neck is a good choice, my ears ain't fully "developed" yet so i will probably be fully satisfied.
If i can buy from the BKP-webshop it's more then enough for me!

Have a good one :)

[Telerocker]

Just a litte addition: the HD/CS-combo is used by several forummembers. When you got the pickups, fiddle with the height for the sweet spots. Scatterwound pickups are sensitive for the right height.

[Slartibartfarst42]

Holydiver bridge and Emerald neck - best pickup combination in the world and will do exactly what you want. I liked the Cold Sweat neck a lot too but for me, the Emerald is even better.

[magnifician]

Just a litte addition: the HD/CS-combo is used by several forummembers. When you got the pickups, fiddle with the height for the sweet spots. Scatterwound pickups are sensitive for the right height.

With "fiddle height" i guess you mean by adjusting volume with the knobs?
Or the height when you put the pups in manually?

Holydiver bridge and Emerald neck - best pickup combination in the world and will do exactly what you want. I liked the Cold Sweat neck a lot too but for me, the Emerald is even better.

What's the difference between Cold Sweat neck and Emerald in your opinion? :)

Thanks dudes!

[Telerocker]

Just a litte addition: the HD/CS-combo is used by several forummembers. When you got the pickups, fiddle with the height for the sweet spots. Scatterwound pickups are sensitive for the right height.

With "fiddle height" i guess you mean by adjusting volume with the knobs?
Or the height when you put the pups in manually?

Holydiver bridge and Emerald neck - best pickup combination in the world and will do exactly what you want. I liked the Cold Sweat neck a lot too but for me, the Emerald is even better.

What's the difference between Cold Sweat neck and Emerald in your opinion? :)

Thanks dudes!

Fiddle with the height of the pickups. One tweak can make a big difference.
The CS has more modern sound, the Emerald has still some vintageflavour. Slarti can give you more details.

[magnifician]

Fiddle with the height of the pickups. One tweak can make a big difference.
The CS has more modern sound, the Emerald has still some vintageflavour. Slarti can give you more details.

Ah!
Well im one of the younger generation, born 88, so im more used to modern sound. But i do have big respect towards the old vintage sound era and i enjoy it alot aswell.
I think i won't be having problems with either one, as long as my Blackstar works fine it will kick ass :)

[Slartibartfarst42]

The Cold Sweat neck is a great shredding pickup being clear and tight. It takes huge amounts of gain and surprisingly (to me at least) it stayed quite open sounding. That openness tended to lend it a bit of PAF feel despite the modern tightness. Cleans were decent but I wouldn't say they were stellar. Leads were quite fluid but not particularly thick sounding.

In comparison the Emerald is thicker and creamier. It's an extremely articulate pickup so is also good for shreddy solos but the tone has more richness to it than the Cold Sweat. Leads on the Emerald sound much more fluid than the Cold Sweat and the alnico IV magnet gives it a sweeter tone. Like the Cold Sweat, it will take loads of gain without mushing up and I like the way it really saturates when you want it to more than the Cold Sweat. The cream on the cake is that the cleans are much better than on the Cold Sweat. Plenty of harmonics in it too.

That's my experience of them both anyway. They're both great pickups but I think, especially with the Holydiver bridge, the Emerald would be a better fit for you. If it was something like a Miracle Man or Painkiller in the bridge I might be more tempted with the Cold Sweat but with a Holydiver it would be Emerald all the way. The Holydiver and Emerald are both very versatile pickups and it really is an ideal combination for the styles you're after. Keep in mind that Sambora used quite a vintage sound anyway. I used to have a Ritchie Sambora Stratocaster and that used a DiMarzio PAF Pro in the bridge. The Holydiver/Emerald set will give you that nod to vintage tone while also giving it a bit of contemporary edge.

[magnifician]

The Cold Sweat neck is a great shredding pickup being clear and tight. It takes huge amounts of gain and surprisingly (to me at least) it stayed quite open sounding. That openness tended to lend it a bit of PAF feel despite the modern tightness. Cleans were decent but I wouldn't say they were stellar. Leads were quite fluid but not particularly thick sounding.

In comparison the Emerald is thicker and creamier. It's an extremely articulate pickup so is also good for shreddy solos but the tone has more richness to it than the Cold Sweat. Leads on the Emerald sound much more fluid than the Cold Sweat and the alnico IV magnet gives it a sweeter tone. Like the Cold Sweat, it will take loads of gain without mushing up and I like the way it really saturates when you want it to more than the Cold Sweat. The cream on the cake is that the cleans are much better than on the Cold Sweat. Plenty of harmonics in it too.

That's my experience of them both anyway. They're both great pickups but I think, especially with the Holydiver bridge, the Emerald would be a better fit for you. If it was something like a Miracle Man or Painkiller in the bridge I might be more tempted with the Cold Sweat but with a Holydiver it would be Emerald all the way. The Holydiver and Emerald are both very versatile pickups and it really is an ideal combination for the styles you're after. Keep in mind that Sambora used quite a vintage sound anyway. I used to have a Ritchie Sambora Stratocaster and that used a DiMarzio PAF Pro in the bridge. The Holydiver/Emerald set will give you that nod to vintage tone while also giving it a bit of contemporary edge.

After reading this i feel like im working at NASA or something, your explanation was top notch and i feel smarter and more secure then ever about this.
Holydiver/Emerald it is, i don't think i need to bother thinking anymore, just feels like the right decision after you told me all this.

At the end of the line, i think this topic is done, and i thank you all for your kind replys :)
Never been a forum person before really, but since im taking my "musical career" or w/e way more seriously now when my life is all better and sorted out, this forum will be bookmarked.

Seems like there's alot of smart and kind people on this forum and if i got help regarding this small topic, im not surprised if i will be satisfied further on when im checking in here :)

Cheers & have a nice day!

[Slartibartfarst42]

Well I'm glad you appreciated it, though it can only ever be my personal experience and may obviously be slightly different for you. Truth be told, you can't really go wrong with most Bare Knuckle pickups. The Holydiver/Emerald set should be good but so would the Holydiver/Cold Sweat set. Another good alternative might just be a Cold Sweat calibrated set in that guitar as there's a lot of mahogany. Here's a clip of a Holydiver in a Les Paul to give you an idea of what it's like in mahogany:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T26RqvH3YBA

This guy also uses a Holydiver neck, which is brighter, thinner and more open sounding than the Emerald neck. Here's a couple more clips of a Holydiver/Emerald set in a Schecter, though I'm not struck with the sound quality of the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLyYHwyfB8M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOlHZpizS18

[magnifician]

Well I'm glad you appreciated it, though it can only ever be my personal experience and may obviously be slightly different for you. Truth be told, you can't really go wrong with most Bare Knuckle pickups. The Holydiver/Emerald set should be good but so would the Holydiver/Cold Sweat set. Another good alternative might just be a Cold Sweat calibrated set in that guitar as there's a lot of mahogany. Here's a clip of a Holydiver in a Les Paul to give you an idea of what it's like in mahogany:

Well since i will get a brand new guitar with brand new pickups, i will make sure to spend some extra money on the calebration etc so it's optimized as much as possible.
Also going for the gold cover on the pups, beaaaaautiful. And new Grover screws, gold ofc.

The first and third video had me blown away anyways, really sweet sound, and since im not buying an IKEA guitar i think i'll be totally fine ;)

Cheers for the devotion & time taken! :)

[Telerocker]

I think you made a good choice. The HD was an easy one, though there are lots of debates here about neckpickups and mixed sets. I'm sure you will  love the perfect balance of a BKP with an AIV-magnet. Let us know how they sound in your guitar.

Be careful, once you got your first BKP-set you get addicted!  :)

[ericsabbath]

rebel yells, considering the guitars differences

[magnifician]

I think you made a good choice. The HD was an easy one, though there are lots of debates here about neckpickups and mixed sets. I'm sure you will  love the perfect balance of a BKP with an AIV-magnet. Let us know how they sound in your guitar.

Be careful, once you got your first BKP-set you get addicted!  :)

Will take some time before i get the guitar and BKP-set, probably around september/oktober, since i will not only buy the new guitar but also an Imac and several other studio items. Been saving all year, and going "all in" when things settle down. Especially when i need to decorate the room wich will be the studio.

Will surely post when it's complete and really looking forward to the result :D

rebel yells, considering the guitars differences

oh noes, now i need to look that up aswell :D