Pickups review(BK,Suhr,andersson content)

[blackie]

This was my review of the AMAZING VHII that I did a year ago...
https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=27259.msg357274#msg357274

After all this time I was thinking of looking for a new pickup for my charvel as my main amp is a modded JCM800 and was looking for more gain...I didn't take the SD or DMZ route as I wanted to stay in the "boutique" line...
I went to my techs place and started testing various pickups...same guitar,same speakers,same cable....

TOM ANDERSSON H3 :That was the first I tested and I didn't like it at all.It was way too metal,extremely tight the sound was not as open and airy as I am used to...

TOM ANDERSSON H2+ :Same as above.Less gain and compression but I couldn't find that airy sound of the VHII...both TA pickups have that "metal" voicing...(I love metal but not via pickup).

SUHR SSH+ :VERY NICE pickup!!! very balanced and cleans nice with the volume knob.Pretty compressed,but not so much that it can be described only as "metal". I liked this one very much.

SUHR ALDRICH :Pretty similar to the SSH+. A bit more gain,a little more sizzle not as tonefull as I expected...I prefered SSH+ in the comparison.

SUHR SSV+ : I NEEDED to try a pickup that was "similar" to my VHII as far as output and some specs.That pickup is overly bright and made my new SS frets sound like zing0zing...it was pretty dynamic and the volume knob was working good but it was so bright that it was almost painful...some EQ never managed to take away the zing-zing.

At the end I asked my tech(thanks a lot Andrew) to put back the VHII to hear it after all those changes...
AND THAT WAS THE %^$*(&
Why was I wanting to change it...????? I had a friend with me to hear the difference in tone and he was also WOW!!!!!
Everybody LOVED the BAREKNUCKLE tone...through the vintage JTM45,through the JCM800,through my tech's custom BEASTS this pickup nailed every tone I wanted...
Even some Zakk and Dime squeals..(dime's sound is not my thing,my friend likes it,still the pickup nailed it).

This pickup is amazing and I think it is very underrated even throughout BK fans...
So responsive to the volume knob and to the hands(3 players had different tone with the same settings)
I would recommend it to everyone...

[darthphineas]

tried the Aldrich model a year or so back.  it really wasn't what I was expecting at all.  I wanted to like it but was a little let down.

with regard to the VHII, I've gotten positive responses from people who are not even really into the pickup scene.  I think it's a great pickup.

[JimmyMoorby]

This was my review of the AMAZING VHII that I did a year ago...
https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=27259.msg357274#msg357274

After all this time I was thinking of looking for a new pickup for my charvel as my main amp is a modded JCM800 and was looking for more gain...I didn't take the SD or DMZ route as I wanted to stay in the "boutique" line...
I went to my techs place and started testing various pickups...same guitar,same speakers,same cable....

TOM ANDERSSON H3 :That was the first I tested and I didn't like it at all.It was way too metal,extremely tight the sound was not as open and airy as I am used to...

TOM ANDERSSON H2+ :Same as above.Less gain and compression but I couldn't find that airy sound of the VHII...both TA pickups have that "metal" voicing...(I love metal but not via pickup).

SUHR SSH+ :VERY NICE pickup!!! very balanced and cleans nice with the volume knob.Pretty compressed,but not so much that it can be described only as "metal". I liked this one very much.

SUHR ALDRICH :Pretty similar to the SSH+. A bit more gain,a little more sizzle not as tonefull as I expected...I prefered SSH+ in the comparison.

SUHR SSV+ : I NEEDED to try a pickup that was "similar" to my VHII as far as output and some specs.That pickup is overly bright and made my new SS frets sound like zing0zing...it was pretty dynamic and the volume knob was working good but it was so bright that it was almost painful...some EQ never managed to take away the zing-zing.

At the end I asked my tech(thanks a lot Andrew) to put back the VHII to hear it after all those changes...
AND THAT WAS THE %^$*(&
Why was I wanting to change it...????? I had a friend with me to hear the difference in tone and he was also WOW!!!!!
Everybody LOVED the BAREKNUCKLE tone...through the vintage JTM45,through the JCM800,through my tech's custom BEASTS this pickup nailed every tone I wanted...
Even some Zakk and Dime squeals..(dime's sound is not my thing,my friend likes it,still the pickup nailed it).

This pickup is amazing and I think it is very underrated even throughout BK fans...
So responsive to the volume knob and to the hands(3 players had different tone with the same settings)
I would recommend it to everyone...

Not underrated for me I think the vhii sounds amazing. If I had the money id buy a set and stick them in a cheap kramer/charvel superstrat  and pretend im some sort of hair metaller!  That said I agree they can sound very aggressive too which is what I like about it but it lacks that massive bottom I like but thats the trade off for the sensitivity and harmonic feedback.  Definitely the pickup for nuno bettnecourt/van halen type stuff.

I'm a big fan of bkp's humbuckers and from what I know the suhr aldrich is the only pickup I know of I still want to try.  Interesting you didnt like it that much most people rant and rave over it.

[ericsabbath]

That said I agree they can sound very aggressive too which is what I like about it but it lacks that massive bottom I like but thats the trade off for the sensitivity and harmonic feedback.  Definitely the pickup for nuno bettnecourt/van halen type stuff.

watchootalkinbout, willis?
the VHII is among the most bass heavy bkp models
maybe you didn't have it close enough to strings
an extra milimeter can suck a lot of bass out, specially in lower output models
or you're more into the warpig/nailbomb thing  8)

[JimmyMoorby]

That said I agree they can sound very aggressive too which is what I like about it but it lacks that massive bottom I like but thats the trade off for the sensitivity and harmonic feedback.  Definitely the pickup for nuno bettnecourt/van halen type stuff.

watchootalkinbout, willis?
the VHII is among the most bass heavy bkp models
maybe you didn't have it close enough to strings
an extra milimeter can suck a lot of bass out, specially in lower output models
or you're more into the warpig/nailbomb thing  8)

I'm not saying the bottom end was weak by any means I just mean I like more and as you say thats where the higher output stuff comes into play! 

Kinda like the nailbomb's on steroids and the vhii is off its face on cocaine!  (Can I say that?)

[ericsabbath]

That said I agree they can sound very aggressive too which is what I like about it but it lacks that massive bottom I like but thats the trade off for the sensitivity and harmonic feedback.  Definitely the pickup for nuno bettnecourt/van halen type stuff.

watchootalkinbout, willis?
the VHII is among the most bass heavy bkp models
maybe you didn't have it close enough to strings
an extra milimeter can suck a lot of bass out, specially in lower output models
or you're more into the warpig/nailbomb thing  8)

I'm not saying the bottom end was weak by any means I just mean I like more and as you say thats where the higher output stuff comes into play! 

Kinda like the nailbomb's on steroids and the vhii is off its face on cocaine!  (Can I say that?)

 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

the extra compression does make the bottom end sound fuller indeed

[Telerocker]

I can only add that friends who play my VHII loaded stratocaster, all have a WOW-moment.

[darkbluemurder]

Very good review, thanks a lot!

I had the VHII bridge in one of my Les Pauls and thought it had too much bass and highs and too little of that singing midrange. It was probably a bad fit for that particular guitar. 

I have played the Suhr Aldrich (bridge and neck) and the SSH (not the SSH+). I fully concur with your findings about the Aldrich bridge. In the guitar I tried it it had good tight bass, a massive midrange that came across slightly on the nasal side but the highs are somewhat recessed. The Crawler bridge in the same guitar was a lot brighter and offered a more even midrange response.

The Suhr SSH is quite heavy on the low mids. Totally different to the Aldrich bridge. The Aldrich neck sounded too muddy in the neck position and too bland in the bridge position.

Never had a Tom Anderson humbucker in one of my guitars but I played one or two Tom Anderson guitars with bridge humbuckers and never liked any of them. Without being able to put a finger on it I probably have heard the same "too metal" thing.

Cheers Stephan