Getting the itch for a new BKP pickup

[KalenDWA]

You know how it is, I like to change things up a bit from time to time and I'm trying to decide which pickups I would like to get next. I've tried a few BK and liked a few different ones, the Alnico Nailbombs and Painkillers so far being my favorite. I currently have a Seymour Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid bridge and Jazz in my all mahogany PRS SC250 Standard satin. I like them a lot and I'll probably keep them there. But I'm looking to snag one of the new PRS S2 Standards and I'm almost positive I'll want to yank the pickups first thing with the #7's they have in it. I currently have no BKP equipped guitars and it just feels wrong. I love the tone of the Painkiller but like the feel of the alnico NB better, I wish I could get an Alnico painkiller, haha. I love the 59/custom but miss the clarity and lack of top end fizz you get from BK's on more gaunt settings. With the 3 previously stated pickups as a reference, and recommendations for the all mahogany S2 Single cut?

[littleredguitars2]

hmmm. i dont know the painkiller well at all but the nailbombs do great in mahogany. you could also check out the rebel yell. i'd say the RY is a little bit louder but the nailbombs are a bit hairier. the RY is on the smoother side but can really handle a ton of different styles.

[KalenDWA]

The Rebel Yell has been one I have wanted to try for a while. Tim recommended I try a set out a while back. Everything I have heard sounds great, I just wish I had the "Modern Metal" Clip DI so I could directly compare it to others. I know that set wasn't made with modern metal in mind, but considering Nolly has used the set for red seas fire it seems to fit that style as well. I may just have to bite the bullet and get a set. The Black Dogs have always caught my attention as well, but they may not be quite hot enough.

[darthphineas]

I have been using some RYs in a few different mahogany guitars.  I like it a lot and it's the favorite of all the BKPs I've tried so far.  I have one in a bolt-on super strat and one in a set-neck singlecut.  then I have a spare with no home.     lol!  good all around versatile pickup that can deliver across genres.

[littleredguitars2]

the rebel yells are a great set. it can definitely get super heavy if you want it to. maybe not warpig or aftermath types of heavy but with the right setup it could slay.  but it definitely handles hard rock like a champ

[Yellowjacket]

You know how it is, I like to change things up a bit from time to time and I'm trying to decide which pickups I would like to get next. I've tried a few BK and liked a few different ones, the Alnico Nailbombs and Painkillers so far being my favorite. I currently have a Seymour Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid bridge and Jazz in my all mahogany PRS SC250 Standard satin. I like them a lot and I'll probably keep them there. But I'm looking to snag one of the new PRS S2 Standards and I'm almost positive I'll want to yank the pickups first thing with the #7's they have in it. I currently have no BKP equipped guitars and it just feels wrong. I love the tone of the Painkiller but like the feel of the alnico NB better, I wish I could get an Alnico painkiller, haha. I love the 59/custom but miss the clarity and lack of top end fizz you get from BK's on more gaunt settings. With the 3 previously stated pickups as a reference, and recommendations for the all mahogany S2 Single cut?

Rebel Yells are really interesting pickups.  Very upper mid focused with a really nice harmonic sheen on top and a great pick attack.  I like them best in a darker guitar with huge low mids and a phat bottom in general.  The darker axe hardly mitigates the top end at all and it really beefs up the bottom, yielding a really huge, wide tone. 

The RY has a flatter and more extended top end than the A-Bomb, but it is also clearer and less hot.  It doesn't have that really 'treble happy' sound and the feel is honestly better for leads and soloing. 

The neck pickup is brilliant, clear, and it has a nice clear, bell like tone.  It does great for rock / bluesy sort of lead and solo tones; it's really dynamic with the right about of compression.

Personally, I love the RY bridge paired with a VHII neck in my solid mahogany axe. 


RY can get 'more' modern kind of tones but I find it gets there best when boosted.  The character of the pickup does shine through and it just won't have the percussive low mids of something like the Juggernaut.

[KalenDWA]

So, after a massive mental debate and watching countless YouTube demos, I pulled the trigger on some BKs... Again. Basically, it came down to the Painkillers and Rebel Yells (I wanted to like the Juggernauts based on all of the positive reviews, but I never could get into the mid range, or lack there of, in the bridge position.) I figured that 90% of the time I'm playing in the bridge position, so it was hard to justify dishing out double the amount of cash for a neck pickup when 1. I don't have much complaints with my current neck tones 2. I rarely play on the neck 3. I don't know 100% what I want out of a neck pickup to begin with. So I just went ahead and purchased a bridge Painkiller and Rebel Yell because I couldn't choose. This way I can figure out which suits my PRS best and throw the other one in another guitar. I'm really familiar with the Painkiller, but at the time I  when I owned them previously, I didn't have the up graded BK pots and caps, that should make a big difference as well. I'm interested to see how the RY fairs in it's own right, seems perfect based on what I've read. Now I just have to play the waiting game...

[Kiichi]

Please do keep up us in the loop with the results. This sounds really interesting. Keep in mind that the RY is even more sensitive to height changes than other BKPs, so there is a lot of room to dial in the low end in particular.

[Yellowjacket]

So, after a massive mental debate and watching countless YouTube demos, I pulled the trigger on some BKs... Again. Basically, it came down to the Painkillers and Rebel Yells (I wanted to like the Juggernauts based on all of the positive reviews, but I never could get into the mid range, or lack there of, in the bridge position.) I figured that 90% of the time I'm playing in the bridge position, so it was hard to justify dishing out double the amount of cash for a neck pickup when 1. I don't have much complaints with my current neck tones 2. I rarely play on the neck 3. I don't know 100% what I want out of a neck pickup to begin with. So I just went ahead and purchased a bridge Painkiller and Rebel Yell because I couldn't choose. This way I can figure out which suits my PRS best and throw the other one in another guitar. I'm really familiar with the Painkiller, but at the time I  when I owned them previously, I didn't have the up graded BK pots and caps, that should make a big difference as well. I'm interested to see how the RY fairs in it's own right, seems perfect based on what I've read. Now I just have to play the waiting game...

Way cool.  Let me know how the Painkillers compare with the Rebel Yell.  I love how consonant and clear the RY bridge is.  Tonnes of upper mids and harmonics to for days.  They aren't shrill at all, just clear with lots of bite.  They love heavy strings / drop tuned tones btw!

RE: The Juggernauts.  They're probably my favourite pickups from BKP in spite of the fact that they are dark and, in spite of a plethora of mids, they have that 'hollow' or 'scooped' voicing going on in the midrange. 
There's just something about the feel of these pickups, they're just so great to play.  I had the distinct pleasure of playing my Juggernaut loaded superstrat through a Mark V today and it was really quite unbelievable.  I've never really played lead or solo'd on an amp like that before.  It was just mind blowing on so many levels.  Super tight, aggressive, dynamic, with tonnes of gain on tap! 

[KalenDWA]

I finally got my new BK bridge pickups and threw the Rebel Yell in my PRS SC250 and the painkiller in my ESP LTD PB-500. I've had them in for about a week and definitely have spent some time with them. And all I can say is, wow!!! The Rebel Yell bridge is easily my favorite pickup I have ever tried, especially in my all Mahogany PRS. It has everything, it's super clear, dynamic but still has power. I can comfortably use it jazz situation or metal. You hear every note and you can use the bright switches, presence and treble controls more liberally because it's not harsh in any way! I could not be happier with it and it really makes that guitar everything I wanted it to be from the beginning! Now I was already familiar with the painkiller and I knew I loved it already, it surpringly shares many similarities to the Rebel Yell but with Ceramic qualities. Definitely a more modern tone, tighter,  a nice amount of grain in the top end, and a little hotter output. It really fits the natural tone of the PB-500. Definitely the best ceramic pickup I have ever played. While it is still more modern tonal, it still is very versatile and is not a one trick pony. Needless to say I am extremely happy and worth every penny, I've tried to go the cheaper route with Duncans, but for the tone I prefer, BK's are far superior in just about every area. I'll have to record some samples.

[Kiichi]

Great to hear. The RY really is an absolute beauty for all the reasons you listed and more. Interesting that you draw a certain comparison between the PK and RY.

[Yellowjacket]

Rebel Yell in a mahogany axe is just <3 many times.  It is so clear and it is great for solos.  I think it has the edge over the A-Bomb for solo / lead playing.  I tried my friend's axe with the painkiller in it and I really love that pickup as well.  Rebel Yell with a Dual Rectifier is just so great.  It highlights everything good about the amp and mitigates everything bad about it at the same time.  One of my favourite rig combos for sure. 

Juggernaut is a whole other level of thickness, cream, and aggression.  I'd say that's easily my favourite pickup set from BKP and it pairs up exceptionally well with something like a Mark V that has high mids and highs.  It doesn't get that same 'hollow mid' tone like it does with a Recto. 

[ericsabbath]

I wish I could get an Alnico painkiller, haha.

well, you can
that one is called Holy Diver
you might miss the higher output, though
it sounds huge with boost pedals, anyway

[fdesalvo]

I love stories like these.  Going from DiMarzio's or Duncans to BKs is truly ear opening.  The Jazz, in particular, seems so sterile and lifeless by comparison. 

[KalenDWA]

I wish I could get an Alnico painkiller, haha.

well, you can
that one is called Holy Diver
you might miss the higher output, though
it sounds huge with boost pedals, anyway

I actually heard this exact thing when asking Bare Knuckle directly about it. Still they recommended the Rebel Yell, and I couldn't be happier with the recommendation. Also, it's an excuse to get a Holydiver and throw it in another guitar!

I do find a lot of similar qualities between the RY and PK, when you compare their EQ curve, they share a lot of similarities. But the Painkiller definitely has that ceramic coloration to it, where the Rebel yell is more transparent in comparison. But both are awesome, and have their own character differences, but it isn't too drastic of a difference where I have to adjust eq when switching guitars.

The Juggs have grown on me, still far from my favorite. But having spent more time with it I definitely understand it more and regardless it still sounds amazing. I played it on a Mark V and it did shine more with that amp. But for my tastes the PK and RY better serve my purposes.