Initial Review of the Bare Knuckle Juggernaut Set!

[dxlxntxxlxr]

So...I originally bought a DiMarzio Titan bridge for my Ibanez RGT42FXQM [catchy name]. I soon found that the low end was very restrained and didn't "breathe" and that the midrange was very spikey. I tried to get used to it but it continued to bother me. So, I went on Reverb and bought a set that some guy pulled out of his Aristides [and replaced them with Fishmans :/ ] for $270. Always. Look. For. Used. Pickups. I wasn't really digging the 59b in the neck so this worked out pretty well. Now for the tone...

These are the best pickups I've ever played in my life. The first time I tried these I wasn't expecting to like them [based on demos]. Totally. Wrong. The bridge is very balanced EQ-wise, with a large but controlled low end, pleasant midrange grind and an open high end that never gets harsh. The midrange have an interesting vocal, c--ked wah type sound going on that I love. The neck is smooth, tight, and sweet, but retains pick attack when you want it to. Oddly enough, it doesn't have that same vocal quality. They sound very stratty split, and the neck has an interesting sound when wired in parallel.

Contrary to popular belief, these are not djent pickups. They will do djent if you want, but this is one of the only sets that I can and will recommend for anyone playing any genre (except maybe brutal-slam-death-grind-core or some shite like that). They're a set of medium output AlNiCo 5 humbuckers that can do pretty much anything. If you've got the cash, get a set right now.

[one]

Agree with everything, nice review

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Thanks m8!

[Yellowjacket]

LOL!!  My inner pedant says:  They are not 'medium output alnico 5 pickups'.  The bridge is an Alnico V & Ceramic hybrid pickup and they are actually quite powerful pickups.  They are also very dynamic and incredibly clear sounding so they can be perceived as being lower output since they can handle so much gain before clouding out. 

But I agree, they are super musical and versatile.  Also super aggressive which is mountains of fun.
I really enjoy them!

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Oh yea ik theyre ceramic alnico hybrid. And i do stand by my statement that they arent high output pickups, theyre definitely a mid output pickup set

[Kiichi]

Cheers for the writeup. I added it to the sticky. =)

[dxlxntxxlxr]

idk what the sticky is

[Kiichi]

idk what the sticky is

If you look there are two threads stuck to the top in the pickup section. Magnet Types and the Review Collection Thread. I put this in the one that collects user reviews so you can find them and they donīt disappear into the ether once they leave the front page.

[dxlxntxxlxr]

oh ok got it

[Telerocker]

Nice review. And, that burnt chrome looks fab in your guitar.

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Nice review. And, that burnt chrome looks fab in your guitar.

Yea thanks i wasnt expecting it to look that good. Shocked the hell outta me

[Yellowjacket]

Oh yea ik theyre ceramic alnico hybrid. And i do stand by my statement that they arent high output pickups, theyre definitely a mid output pickup set

What do you consider high output?   I had to lower these thing because they were pulverizing the front end of my amp. 

BKP in general sound lower output because of the clarity, but the raw power is clearly audible in a high headroom clean channel.

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Dimarzio illuminators and titans are decently hot, duncan custom, duncan distortion, duncan nazgul. i just dont find juggs to be terribly hot. Medium-high, somewhere between a dimarzio tone zone and an illuminator or a titan

[Yellowjacket]

So by hotter, do you mean more hairy / wooly, or saturated? 

So if you were to plug them into a high headroom clean channel, they would be noticeably louder than the Juggs?  I'm just asking because I found them to be very powerful in all the situations where I've used them.  They're also very clear and articulate, so there is incredible core and note definition in the sound.  So, they maybe don't sound as 'gainy' or 'hairy' under high gain but still, super powerful pickups. 

[Telerocker]

So by hotter, do you mean more hairy / wooly, or saturated? 

So if you were to plug them into a high headroom clean channel, they would be noticeably louder than the Juggs?  I'm just asking because I found them to be very powerful in all the situations where I've used them.  They're also very clear and articulate, so there is incredible core and note definition in the sound.  So, they maybe don't sound as 'gainy' or 'hairy' under high gain but still, super powerful pickups.

That's a common experience coming from other brands. BKP's are so clear, dynamic and keeping the noteseparation that it seems they 'eat' some gain of your amp. Once you are used to that, you don't want to go back.