Author Topic: so, im new here and looking for a new LP pickup! (Read 10156 times)

_tom_ · « **on:** May 23, 2005, 06:46:36 PM »

Yeah, thread title says it all realy! At the minute, I'm using an Epi LP Custom and i like the general sound of the bridge pup, especially on the higher strings, but it all gets a bit muddy on the lower ones, and any single note riffs (or bar/power chords above the 5th fret) sound dull, and lifeless. I play mostly old rock, such as led zep, acdc, gnr etc, and i want to brighten up the tone, have more clarity and 'open- ness', but at the same time, needs to have a bit of growl to it :twisted: Ive been checking out the Bareknuckle humbuckers selection and it seems like the Riff Raff would be a good choice for me. Anyone use this pickup in the bridge position of a LP and get good results?

thanks a lot

Ratrod · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2005, 07:30:39 PM »

Welcome, you've come to the right place. I think you should go with either the Riff Raff or the Black Dog. I wouldn't want to rule out the Mule either.

I think you should get a calibrated set though. Once you have a BKP in your axe, you'll want one in the neck position as well.

These pickups are more addictive than crack. :twisted:

_tom_ · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2005, 07:47:30 PM »

haha, damn. those were the 3 pickups i was wanting to choose between! i cant really afford a whole set at the minute, but i suppose i could wait if its really worth it :D Whats the main differences between these 3 pickups?
keep in mind, i want some nice bite aswell as a sweet tone

thanks a lot

Tim · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2005, 08:05:57 PM »

Hi and welcome to the forum.
Check out the clips in the players room, I think there's a clip of just about everything you're interested in.
My choice would be The Mule every time, the Black Dog is,dare I say it, probably going to be too powerful for what you want with a touch more mid too whereas the Mule is balanced with a superb vintage voice.

_tom_ · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2005, 08:22:49 PM »

ahh thanks! will the mules 'vintageness' (for lack of a better word :P ) work for the higher gain stuff such as gnr etc? And will it have enough power for what im after? So that kinda rules out the Black Dog, what about the Riff Raff then?

thanks a lot for the help, il check out some clips aswell

Brow · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2005, 08:44:57 PM »

Quote from: Tim

the Black Dog is,dare I say it, probably going to be too powerful for what you want with a touch more mid too whereas the Mule is balanced with a superb vintage voice.

I hate to disagree with Tim here (especially as he makes the pickups and knows them better than anyone :D :D ) but I have a Black Dog in the bridge of a Gordon Smith Les Paul clone and imo it's a great pickup for Classic Rock such as the bands you mentioned.

Tim is spot on (as always :D ) when he says that the Black Dog does have a fair whack of mid, but it just helps the guitar sound to cut through a band mix easier (this is my experience anyway).

Good luck in your pickup search, these guys won't steer you wrong :)

Craig

Tim · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2005, 08:53:01 PM »

I agree totally Brow, the BDs sound great for that mid heavy Page vibe,my concern was that the G'n'R thing isn't so powerful or mid driven hence my Mule suggestion.

I use the Mule in the Ozzy tribute I play in no problems-more than enough gain for handling Sabbath through to modern Oz tracks.

Like I said, have a good trawl around the players room and check out the demos-Steve's just wacked up another great Nailbomb/Crawler demo.

Ratrod · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2005, 08:57:49 PM »

I wouldn't dismiss the Riff Raff just yet. You don't really need a high output pickup for the G n' R stuff. Slash uses SD Alnoco II pro pickups wich have very low output. And as a big AC/DC fan I must say Angus has a lot of that 'open-ness' in his sound. The Mule however has more growl.

Too bad there aren't any sounclips of the Riff Raff yet.

Brow · « **Reply #8 on:** May 24, 2005, 06:46:40 AM »

Quote from: Tim

I agree totally Brow, the BDs sound great for that mid heavy Page vibe,my concern was that the G'n'R thing isn't so powerful or mid driven hence my Mule suggestion.

I agree with you there Tim. G n R have a smoother sounding Overdrive sound than (imo) the Black Dog will give you due to the mid heaviness sound of the pickup.

The reasons you stated above are the reasons I plan on getting a set of covered Mules for my LP in the not so distant future :)

I have a Riff Raff in the neck of my Gordon Smith, and imo it's quite a 'smooth' sounding pickup, which should match it quite well to Slash's neck pickup solo tone.

Craig

PhilKing · « **Reply #9 on:** May 24, 2005, 08:43:22 AM »

I have a new Riff Raff with Alnico V in the bridge of my LP, with a Stormy Monday with Alnico IV in the neck. This gives me a great classic rock sound, but leaning towards the blues end of the tones. If you are an old Fleetwood Mac fan (Peter Green era), and remember 'Green Manalishi', then you can imagine the driving tone of the Riff Raff, but it cleans up beautifully for Black Magic Woman or Need Your Love So Bad tones.

I also have a Les Paul with an Emerald in the bridge and a Mule in the neck. This gives me a bit more push on the amp and a bigger rock tone (the Emerald can nail the Thin Lizzy sounds, as it's name implies). The Mule has a little more fatness than the Stormy Monday, but still is very sweet, think Paul Kossoff instead of Peter Green!

I also have played Tim's Goldtop with the Mule set and know why he says that this is the classic LP set. You can get most of the tones from the Emerald and Riff Raff with Mules, depending on your amp and any pedals.

I like the fact I can get the sounds I want with just the amp and guitar, but I have more than one guitar for different things, so I can tailor them a bit more.

It is really a hard call which you go for, but loking at the stuff you like, the Mules might be a better choice than the Riff Raff. You don't say what amp you are using, I have a Marshall Silver Jubilee and a Fender Princeton II. The Riff Raff prefers the Marshall, not that the Fender sounds bad, it is just a bit more toppy than a Mule or VHII with the same settings on the amp.

I have finally ordered a good mic to record some things, so when it comes I will put a couple of clips up to try to show the Riff Raff and Stormy Monday.

_tom_ · « **Reply #10 on:** May 24, 2005, 09:06:24 AM »

ahh i cant decide! Im playing the LP straight into a Fender Hot Rod DX. This is a pretty bassy amp, and apparently its hard to cut through without middy pickups, as the amp doesnt have lots of mids or something? So maybe the Black Dog is the one for me but i wont dismiss the Mules still. Il check out the clips in a minute :D

PhilKing · « **Reply #11 on:** May 24, 2005, 10:11:49 AM »

It is difficult to decide. The problem is that Tim makes such great pickups! If your amp is bassy, then the Riff Raff is good, or also the Emerald. There is a demo of the Emerald out there I think. The one pickup I haven't heard is the Black Dog. I keep thinking I will try it, then get sidetracked! I was going to get one on my LP, but Tim thought that the Riff Raff with Alnico V was a better match for the Stormy Monday with IV.

The best bet is to talk to Tim. He knows all the pickups inside out and can tell you what will work best. I would also go for a calibrated set if you can. Then the 2 pickup settings also give some awesome sounds that people tend to forget with standard pickups.

Ratrod · « **Reply #12 on:** May 24, 2005, 11:09:34 AM »

I too have a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. In my experience, Les Pauls with middy pickups aren't ideal for that amp. It could sound a little harsh. I think you'll need something warm but bright. I use a H&K Tube Factor for overdrive wich gives it a great old Marshall sound. I still think Riff Raffs with Alnico V magnets would work well. (But I'm not the guru)

If you plugged a Riff Raff equipped SG into my rig, I'll bet it sounds just like Angus.

_tom_ · « **Reply #13 on:** May 24, 2005, 11:34:01 AM »

right, so im thinkin its gonna be a choice between a mule and riff raff! will either still give me the pagey tone im after, coz i feel im halfway there allready with the LP going into the fender, but it needs more liveliness on the lower strings and overall more defined to really get the page thing goin, thats what i think anyway. i like the sound of the mule from what ive heard, as well as the riff raff,AND the emerald sounds great :? too many good ones to choose from! its doing my head in at the minute!

chris o'donnell · « **Reply #14 on:** May 25, 2005, 05:17:37 PM »

My own choice here would be a Mule in the bridge position. The clarity and tone in my Les Paul are amazing and the pickup responds very well to volume roll off. It handles clean and dirty sounds with great power chord tones. In the neck position I have a mule which is great for bluesy solos.

As for the Emeralds. They are great pickups but a calibrated set might not be what you are after, although an Emerald in the bridge with another model in the neck could well do the job.

Chris.