which pickup?

[metaljoshm]

hey everyone!
iv been hearing about bare knuckles for awhile and finally decided to buy some, just not sure which set to put in my guitar. the guitar I'm upgrading is the dean Michael amott bloodstorm. it has a mahogany body and neck with an ebony fretboard. this guitar i have tuned down to play machine head/Nile etc... any suggestions on which i should get?

[Kiichi]

Hi and welcome!

I am not really familiar with nile, but for Machine Head I would have to go with a Miracle Man I think. Ceramic Nailbomb (Cbomb) or the Blackhawk might also be an option, but recon the MM will be rather spot on.
If I recall Machine Head use EMGs. The MM is as a guiding point sometimes refered to as somewhat of passive counterpart of an EMG. Not that they actually are perticularly close in effective sound, but they do the same job if that makes sense.
With the MM you get a great sound consisting of pronounced low mids to give it a big chugga chugga. The centermids are less pronounced, leading to some saying the PU is slightly scooped at first listen, but they are there and fill the sound up nicely and helping the MM get real character. The high mids are also a bit smoothed while the highs are there, delivering an amazing cut and helping out with pinched harmonics.
This makes for a really big sound with a lot of weight behind palm mutes which has a certain smoothness about it, while being agressive too (though not as chainsaw abrasive as the Cbomb). Thing is that the mids are a bit smoother but the highs scream at your command, so youīll never sound polite when you donīt want to, but you will have a clear and defined sound, hitting hard and fast.

The Cbomb would be a lot more agressive than the MM. Canīt comment too much on how the Blackhawk fits into the comparison exactly though, but they way I hear it described it can do this style to.
All three are great options, delivering this style each with a different flavour.

Get either and perhaps upgrade the pots to the BKP 550ks to get that little extra topend with all that mahagony.


Cheers

[metaljoshm]

thanks for the suggestion!
 ill look more into the miracle man and the cbomb. both look great!
the first choice i had was the warpig but i was hearing it would be to bassy with all the mahogany.

[Kiichi]

the first choice i had was the warpig but i was hearing it would be to bassy with all the mahogany.

With so much mahagony and drop tuning to Machine Head levels (drop b if I recall) I would be veeeeery carefull.
The MM will sound big too, but not as big as the WP, which in those conditions would probably be overly so. What also helps that I believe the WP has a lot of bass, whereas the MM lives mostly in the low mids, which also helps to keep things better.
Both are nicely organic though, which is amazing.

On count of the Cbomb: While the midrange is tamer than with the Abomb with it being ceramic it is still pretty agressive. Really has a abrasive quality to it. Lot of people say it is very 90s metal in sound.

The MM on the other hand is basecally rooted in the later 80s (Holydiver being early 80s) metal. Lot of thrash mojo in that one as well. Still it is modern, probably the modern metal PU. But it can also do 80s thrash perfectly.

For MH, who are really rooted in the 80s but have a modern sound the MM feels like a great match if you have something like a 6505.

[Slartibartfarst42]

Great pickup the Miracle Man and I'm selling one if you're interested  :D

[metaljoshm]

ya thats what i was worried about with the WP, it sounding way too big with all that bass. think im leaning a little more toward the cbomb but i am also considering the painkiller. from the description it seems to fit what im looking for.

Great pickup the Miracle Man and I'm selling one if you're interested  :D

thanks for the offer :)

[Dr.Pain]

I tried a C-pig in a 7 string tuned to B.  Didn't work, too much bass.  I got recommended an Aftermath for it's bass response.  I went a different path and went active with blackout 1's.  In the guitar I have tuned to C, I use an EMG 81.

I don't want to detracted from BKP but there's a reason why so many use 81's or other types of actives, they work.  If anything we should push BKP to make actives.  Make a BKP 81!!!!  :D

[Slartibartfarst42]

I tried a C-pig in a 7 string tuned to B.  Didn't work, too much bass.  I got recommended an Aftermath for it's bass response.  I went a different path and went active with blackout 1's.  In the guitar I have tuned to C, I use an EMG 81.

I don't want to detracted from BKP but there's a reason why so many use 81's or other types of actives, they work.  If anything we should push BKP to make actives.  Make a BKP 81!!!!  :D

I don't think there is any immediate likelihood of Tim making actives. They're good at what they do but they lack the tone of passives and I get the impression that with Tim, it's all about tone. We've had a similar debate about BKP making single coil sized humbuckers. There's a huge potential market there but Tim just won't do it because he has consistently argued that the tone is too compromised. They deliver neither a good humbucker tone or a convincing single coil tone.

[Kiichi]

Yeah, the Painkiller could also work very well, forgot that one.

It will sound big, brutal and tight. Plenty agressive too. The upper mid spike should really play into your favour to keep things from getting too massive. Plenty of cut here too.
The sound will not be as juicy as the MM though, which should not be an issue though.
However I have heard the PK sometimes described as icepicky, so be sure that would be ok with you.

[metaljoshm]

I tried a C-pig in a 7 string tuned to B.  Didn't work, too much bass.  I got recommended an Aftermath for it's bass response.  I went a different path and went active with blackout 1's.  In the guitar I have tuned to C, I use an EMG 81.

I don't want to detracted from BKP but there's a reason why so many use 81's or other types of actives, they work.  If anything we should push BKP to make actives.  Make a BKP 81!!!!  :D

ill aready have an 81/85 in one of my ltd's tuned to c also and it does sound great but im looking for somthing different for this one. 

[metaljoshm]

Yeah, the Painkiller could also work very well, forgot that one.

It will sound big, brutal and tight. Plenty agressive too. The upper mid spike should really play into your favour to keep things from getting too massive. Plenty of cut here too.
The sound will not be as juicy as the MM though, which should not be an issue though.
However I have heard the PK sometimes described as icepicky, so be sure that would be ok with you.

ya thats really what i need is for it to be really tight and not get muddy tuned down so low, wish i could just buy all of them to try em out  :guitar4: from listening to it on tons of reviews though i think i might be going with the PK.