Most verstile BKP humbucker?

[serch777]

Hi guys, what's in your opinion the most versatile humbucker that BKP offers atm?

I have a Gibson Les Paul with a mahogany body, maple top and ebony fingerboard. I know I'm asking a lot, but is there a pickup that will give you a very organic tone, while also coping very well with high gain, and will sound powerful and tight with both low and standard tunings? I'm thinking something that could be appropiate for everything from jazz, to Zeppelin's classic tone, to Cannibal Corpse and extreme metal stuff.

Cheers!

[Yellowjacket]

Black Dog set?  Nothing is going to get you all the way there but Black Dog set sounds like it is about the closest to what you are looking for.

[serch777]

Thanks Yellowjacket, I'll check some videos of the Black Dog!

[Telerocker]

You want the whole palette in one pickup? I can only second the suggestion of the Black Dog, because it handles lower tunings very well and highgain very well. but is still very open and PAF-like, yet not to the degree as let say a Mule.

[Slartibartfarst42]

I have absolutely no doubt that in your guitar, the answer to your question is certainly a Black Dog in the bridge. I think you have more options for the neck pickup but the bridge simply has to be a Black Dog.

[serch777]

Thanks guys! What about the Rebel Yell? Are they also as versatile as the BD?

[Slartibartfarst42]

It can be a pretty versatile pickup too but it brighter and tends to be located a bit more towards Metal than the Black Dog. If you're after versatility, by definition you need something that is going to sit somewhere between vintage and modern so that has to be the Vintage Hot section. This is why the Abraxas is also generally cited as one of the most versatile pickups you can buy. There are certainly versatile pickups in the Contemporary section, like the Rebel Yell and Crawler but they have their limitations as they were never really designed to be that versatile. My the same token, the Mule is a very versatile pickup that can do some Metal music but the extent of its versatility is always going to be hampered to a degree by the fact that it's quite definitely a PAF pickup. The beauty of the Black Dog (and the Abraxas too in slightly different circumstances) is that it retains a lot of the PAF character that gives it such an awesome tone while being modern enough to do other things. I'm not saying the Rebel Yell can't do what you want, I'm just saying the Black Dog will do it better.

[serch777]

Thanks so much, Slartibartfarst42! It definitely sounds like the BD set is the one for me. How would you rate their response to pinch harmonics?

[mantrasky]

serch777, I really love the "Black Dog" humbucker, it's a very versatile pickup and has a great vintage-vibe! I originally have a "Holy Diver" in a SuperStrat (I've also owned almost every BKP) really worked for me, but when I was building a Fender Strat (component wise), my son suggested the BD as the close cousin to the HD but more in the vintage-voiced, wonderful sounding pickup! BKP are fantastic.