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Author Topic: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)  (Read 4188 times)

sercro

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BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« on: September 25, 2018, 02:57:55 PM »
Hello,

I'm new to this forum and hopefully, new to the BKP family soon  :evil:

I have an Epiphone les Paul goth (FR), tuned to D standard or dropped C with SD Blackouts in it. It's been 10 years since I got it and now I find its high gain tone a bit too harsh, not that tight and not really in line with my current taste . It's a heavy mahogany body and neck, with a di sound a bit dark.

I'm considering moving back to passive pickups and I've heard great stuff about BKP. The question is, which BKP set would sit good in this guitar for a modern metal tone (in the likes of the Haunted, Haken, KSE. Rhythm and leads), able to deliver gnarly palm mutes but with enough clarity for some wide chords. 

I've thought of the Ragnaroks but they don't seem that much defined (for exemple for open chords) and the Juggernauts seem great but I fear they might not be as gnarly for palm muting? Sadly, I've found very few videos of BKP on lespaul type guitars, so I'm concerned the reviews I've seen for superstrat models will be off in this case.

If you have any good suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!  :grin:

P.S.: Is this particular guitar (I upgraded the pups afterwards): https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-goth-les-paul-studio-with-floyd-rose

Telerocker

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2018, 03:31:19 PM »
I would have a look at the Aftermath.
Mules, VHII, Crawler, MM's, IT's, BG50's.

Dave Sloven

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2018, 10:15:54 PM »
People have had good results with the Impulse pickups for this application.

Here's a video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kot1vCp0IQ
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Yellowjacket

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2018, 04:41:21 AM »
Hello,

I'm new to this forum and hopefully, new to the BKP family soon  :evil:

I have an Epiphone les Paul goth (FR), tuned to D standard or dropped C with SD Blackouts in it. It's been 10 years since I got it and now I find its high gain tone a bit too harsh, not that tight and not really in line with my current taste . It's a heavy mahogany body and neck, with a di sound a bit dark.

I'm considering moving back to passive pickups and I've heard great stuff about BKP. The question is, which BKP set would sit good in this guitar for a modern metal tone (in the likes of the Haunted, Haken, KSE. Rhythm and leads), able to deliver gnarly palm mutes but with enough clarity for some wide chords. 

I've thought of the Ragnaroks but they don't seem that much defined (for exemple for open chords) and the Juggernauts seem great but I fear they might not be as gnarly for palm muting? Sadly, I've found very few videos of BKP on lespaul type guitars, so I'm concerned the reviews I've seen for superstrat models will be off in this case.

If you have any good suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!  :grin:

P.S.: Is this particular guitar (I upgraded the pups afterwards): https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-goth-les-paul-studio-with-floyd-rose

Floyd Rose style bridges are interesting.  Upgrading the bridge can add a lot of upper mid cut and tightness in the lows.  Cheap metal absorbs vibration more so you end up with a lot more low mids and less detail in the highs.  I mean you can even look into swapping out the saddles on the bridge as that alone would make a difference.  Upgrading the block also helps A LOT.

Let's talk pickups:  The Juggernauts are very responsive and aggressive pickups and they really are my favourite for cleans, rhythm, and leads.  Now, I would not put them in a dark guitar.  They excel in bright axes where they really phatten up the low mids and tame the brightness.  The low end just pounds with these pickups and you get a really full range response.  But in that Les Paul, you will likely hear a predominance of low mids and the top end just won't be present the way you would like.  I say pass.

Gnarly mids:  One pickup really has this in spades:  Alnico Nailbomb.  They are as tight as BKP are, and they have this hairy, throaty, grinding midrange.  The high end is present but also warm, and there is a low end but it is not huge like with the Juggernauts.  I'd say the A-Bomb is a very balanced pickup.  This is a great option but I don't know if they'd be as tight as the other suggestions.

The Impulse seems like a great option too.  Not sure on how gnarly the mids are but I expect they would have great control of low frequencies.

Aftermath:  This is a brighter pickup which is similar to the Juggernaut, but the frequencies in general are more focused around the center mids, upper mids, and treble.  This pickup is created with drop tuning in mind and I hear it is extremely precise and almost dry.  Worth investigating.  If it gets a LP to Superstrat + Juggernaut territory, it would be fantastic for what you are doing. 


Lucas

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2018, 12:00:53 AM »
Yellowjacket mentioned Alnico Nailbomb, although I only use Ceramic version in very similar guitar to Sercro`s (without FR bridge though), but I would not recommend Nailbombs for lower tunings, drop tunings ect. I found that NB (even ceramic) doesn`t keep up with low tunings very well.

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Yellowjacket

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2018, 06:31:22 AM »
I think it depends on several factors.  I have 11 - 52s on my Les Paul in Drop C# and the A-Bomb is totally fine.  But my amp will handle 7 strings with ease and I don't need to boost.  I think I could get as low as Drop C with this set up and be completely fine, but I would not go lower. 

Drop B and lower is not a task I would give to an A-Bomb. 

one

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2018, 08:03:03 AM »
Why do you think Rags aren't defined enough?

Dave Sloven

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2018, 10:13:46 AM »
Floyd Rose style bridges are interesting.  Upgrading the bridge can add a lot of upper mid cut and tightness in the lows.  Cheap metal absorbs vibration more so you end up with a lot more low mids and less detail in the highs.  I mean you can even look into swapping out the saddles on the bridge as that alone would make a difference.  Upgrading the block also helps A LOT.

Yeah I upgraded my Schecter licensed FR to a Gotoh GE1996T (which come with brass block, steel saddles and knife edge, new posts, etc) and it made a massive difference to the tone and playability.   I also have alnico Black Hawks in that guitar which are gnarly as hell but great for chords too
« Last Edit: September 27, 2018, 10:15:17 AM by Dave Sloven »
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sercro

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2018, 03:35:06 PM »
Thanks all for your answers!

I had overlooked that the guitar has some cheap brandless FR bridge at the moment (which I got after breaking up the stock one). I'll start the guitar upgrades by putting an original FR now , she certainly deserves such love and more.

Ben from BKP suggests I consider the aftermaths or the painkillers. After checking some youtube videos (mostly on lespauls) I think I'm more towards the painkillers. Yet the black hawks are an interesting contestant (although I'm not that much into their look).

As for the ragnaroks, is not that they might not be defined, rather that I'm not looking for extreme output (and it is my impression that they are very hot).

 

one

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2018, 07:23:29 AM »
I think the painkillers have more extreme output than the rags, I don't know

CommonCourtesy

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #10 on: September 28, 2018, 04:51:26 PM »
I have an Epiphone LP standard and have an alnico nailbomb in it. Usually its in standard/drop d tunings but occasionally it goes lower. I like the throaty mid range growl it has, its got a lot of punch when palm muting!

In my other LP I have the ceramic version in drop c or b, it sounds great but I do want to switch it for something else one day, its tighter and more honky but that's cos I disconnected my bridge tone pot.

Dave Sloven

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2018, 06:04:42 AM »
I have the alnico Nailbomb set in an Epiphone Explorer tuned to C standard with 11-56 D'Addarios and don't have any problems with it.
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Yellowjacket

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2018, 02:54:30 AM »
I have the alnico Nailbomb set in an Epiphone Explorer tuned to C standard with 11-56 D'Addarios and don't have any problems with it.

What are you running for amp, boost, etc???   I can’t help but think an a-bomb has a very gnarly, complex, and detailed harmony.

Dave Sloven

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Re: BKP for an epiphone les paul (modern metal)
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2018, 03:26:46 AM »
I have the alnico Nailbomb set in an Epiphone Explorer tuned to C standard with 11-56 D'Addarios and don't have any problems with it.

What are you running for amp, boost, etc???   I can’t help but think an a-bomb has a very gnarly, complex, and detailed harmony.

Peavey 6534+ into Orange PPC412 (Celestion Vintage 30s). Main pedals are MXR/CAE MC401 Boost/Linedriver (set at 9 o'clock) and Earthquaker Devices Ghost Echo reverb. No EQ pedals.  Tubes are Ruby EL34BHT (power section) and Ruby 12AX7 AC5 HG+, except for V6 (clean channel), which is a Tung Sol 12AX7, and V4 (the phase inverter), which is a Sovtek 12AX7 LPS.  EQ on my red channel is set at 5, 5, 7, with resonance at 4 and presence at 6. Pre-gain set at 5, post-gain at 3.  The guitar has TonePros Nashville style bridge and tailpiece, 550K volume pots, all new wiring with CTS and Switchcraft components.  I have a series/parallel switch on the neck pickup.

 
« Last Edit: September 30, 2018, 03:29:34 AM by Dave Sloven »
BLACK HAWKS
IMPULSES
COBRA-T
WAR PIGS
STOCKHOLM
COLD SWEATS
MIRACLE MAN
TRUE GRIT

https://slovendoom.bandcamp.com/releases