Rebel Yells - '57RI GoldTop

[ventura]

I've got a lot of BKPs in a lot of guitars.

Always wanted to spruce up my Goldie...always.  Over the YEARS Tim has repeatedly mentioned (as has Ben) the RYs.  I have NO idea (or simply would rather not get into the lame reasoning thereof) why I continued to question this particular pickup for what it was I was looking for.  Tim & Co. have always been spot on with nailing the right pups for what is I'm asking...wood, style, amps used, tonal requirements, etc.

In short??  My gawd the best sounding pickups I think I've ever heard for this particular fiddle - and this has now made my "old" No.1 my "once again new" No.1 guitar.  Hands down flat out INCREDIBLE pups.  Uncovered, braided 2 conductor, calibrated set, all else stock.  First time I've used a guitar WITHOUT employing my "always ON" MXR108S EQ - they're simply THAT robust, clear, crisp and harmonically "full".

Incredible.

THANKS BKP ONCE AGAIN!!!!!! These really have the right mojo under the hood!!!!!

LesPaul + RebelYells = 
Peace & Powerchords
V.

[Telerocker]

But the question is: do you like them? 

[JimmyMoorby]

I agree you just can't beat Rebel Yells in Les Paul because they can cover everything. 

[ericsabbath]

Same here
After almost 13 years buying every bkp model and avoiding the rebel yell for some unexplainable reason, I found my new favorite (still love the Riff Raff it replaced)

[ventura]

I agree you just can't beat Rebel Yells in Les Paul because they can cover everything.

I'm just amazed at how "full" they are and balanced - they've got amazing low-end but it's perfect and punchy, right through to the shimmering highs - and this isn't diminished with gain...the note separation is still highly detailed even with heavier gain settings.  Brilliant.

But the question is: do you like them? 

Love 'em!! 

Same here
After almost 13 years buying every bkp model and avoiding the rebel yell for some unexplainable reason, I found my new favorite (still love the Riff Raff it replaced)

Funny you say that about RRs, they've been my most "generally liked" BKP for "all things" over the years. The others I have are amazing - but they're installed with purpose in mind (BDs, HDs, Emeralds, PKs, NBs, etc) - guitar and musical preference specific, if you will.  My hesitation with the Rebels - I really don't know - was it some strange association with "Billy Idols" music (not that he's bad, or that Steve Stevens isn't a great player), or was it they seemed to fall somehow somewhere into JB-land and therefore more generic...  Whatever these preconceived notions were, they were completely incorrect on my part. Flawed thinking.  Period.  These are TOTALLY a league unto their own.

These new pups have been put through the paces on a variety of amps over the weekend. What starts as a minor "set and tune" check-in ends up being 2 hours of playing. What starts as a standard playing session last for hours with me finding inspiring new licks and riffs, a lot of the time in that clean-to-break up zone that the pups deliver so well in...conservative plectrum hit gives a rich punchy clean, a little more attack and aggression those same notes get dirtied up...it's like modelling clay in the hand LOL.  Bridge, Bridge+Neck (glorious), Neck position - all just 100% perfection...inspirational..."revealing".  And still NO need for my usually default-on GEQ.

Anyway - best Lester pups for "all things" and does those "all things" perfectly (re-defined my notion of "perfect" actually).  Simply hands down thus far the sweetest and most amazing BKPs I've had for a RW fretboard, maple cap, mahog body/neck Lester yet.  They make me want to play more - and that should be the start and end of my summation - that's it -these pickups make me play more.

LOVE 'EM!!

(pondering ordering another set for an amazing '59...it's truly amazing as is, but my guess is?? RYs will simply push it over the edge to epic greatness LOL)

[JimmyMoorby]

Maybe the Rebel Yells are more balanced than people give them credit for.  We know they work extremely well in Les Pauls and even work well for drop tuned modern metal but I've also seen them used in standard tuning super strat style guitars a lot so presumably they work well in them.

I think a lot of us might assume the Rebel yell in too bright in a super strat in stand tuning etc but it probably isn't if you like a brightish tone.

[djpatb]

I put off trying the RY set for a while myself, but finally tried it in my 2002 Gibson Les Paul Standard...and I gotta say I thought the mids were a  little weird on the bridge.
It was something I couldn't dial out. Like it always sounded processed if that makes any sense. Although, I went through a few sets of PUs in this Les Paul that I wasn't happy with.
Maybe it's just this particular guitar. I tried ABomb set, HD set, RY set. I even played with the RY height a lot and never found the sweet spot.
Finally I put an APig in the bridge and MM in the neck, and now it works really well. I have an LTD Eclipse with VHIIs in it right now, I might throw the RY set in there just to see if it matches better.

[Telerocker]

I like lower output humbuckers like Mules and Black Dogs in Les Pauls. Works like a treat with highgain amps (too). But yeah, I don't play anything beyond hardrock.

[ventura]

I put off trying the RY set for a while myself, but finally tried it in my 2002 Gibson Les Paul Standard...and I gotta say I thought the mids were a  little weird on the bridge.
It was something I couldn't dial out. Like it always sounded processed if that makes any sense. Although, I went through a few sets of PUs in this Les Paul that I wasn't happy with.
Maybe it's just this particular guitar. I tried ABomb set, HD set, RY set. I even played with the RY height a lot and never found the sweet spot.
Finally I put an APig in the bridge and MM in the neck, and now it works really well. I have an LTD Eclipse with VHIIs in it right now, I might throw the RY set in there just to see if it matches better.

Those preferred pups (MM/APig) are heavy-duty output pups!!  As you likely know, that's interesting you went through the bevy of usual susepcts only to end up sticking some sledgehammers into that guitar; but as we all know, to each their own.  I suppose it depends too on your amps - as they're the other 50% of the equation, really.  What are you running if you don't mind me asking? 

As for processed - everyone's ears are different...  All I can say about the RYs is I've not needed my GEQ on whatsoever; they're mega clear and present. And I run everything from low-moderate-to-high-gain heads.  With the high-gainers, it was noticeable - I needed to dial back the amp's gain to find a balance; and ya, it took some fiddling with pole-piece height/pickup height/etc before I found both the neck and bridge sweetspots - but now that they're there - it's bloody addictive.  Just glad you found something that made that LP work for you.

I like lower output humbuckers like Mules and Black Dogs in Les Pauls. Works like a treat with highgain amps (too). But yeah, I don't play anything beyond hardrock.

That's been my M.O. for years...  Moderate output pups for high-gain heads.  That said for my superstrat and 7 stringers, it's been MMs, PKs, etc.  Maybe it was this "getting close to hi-output range/Billy Idol" thing that put me off.  I know my Emeralds are a delight in my '57 triple-pup BlackBeauty, lots of sizzle.  But I seriously can't hear a better sounding pup than these RYs right now - and am just putting together an order for my '59.  I've usually gone with covered, but this last buy was open - and I'm going to stick with this for my next purchase aesthetics aside. They just have more sparkle - I can't A/B them open/covered to say that's inherent to the cover-less design or not, but I simply don't want *anything* different if installing on another guitar.  That said, the '59 is exceptionally well balanced - and the Mules are a contender - still, distant second - but contender nonetheless.  The RYs I bought recently were for a Goldie that just muddied up too much under pressure.  My '59 doesn't muddy up, but I still use my GEQ at all times.  It's not a necessity - just a want LOL.

Diezel D-Moll/VH4/Hagen
Bogner both 20thA Shiva & XTC
Those are my main amps and I run them in stereo - D-Moll/XTC, Hagen or VH4/Shiva  So there's definitely some high gain to be had.

So long as everyone is playing happily that's all that matters 

[Dave Sloven]

With the low gain pickups into high gain amps or whatever I think it really depends on the amp.

I know that the Peaveys I've owned that fall into the high-gain territory respond better when you keep the gain below noon and drive the input tube a bit harder instead.  The gain stages get 'mushy' above a certain level.  I use alnico Black Hawks with a clean boost into the crunch channel of my JSX and that works really well.  I'm going to try an Impulse set soon but I suspect I might need to turn up the clean boost slightly for those.  I only run it at 9 o'clock (MXR/CAE MC401).  Gain on the amp is noon or just below.

[djpatb]

Those preferred pups (MM/APig) are heavy-duty output pups!!  As you likely know, that's interesting you went through the bevy of usual susepcts only to end up sticking some sledgehammers into that guitar; but as we all know, to each their own.  I suppose it depends too on your amps - as they're the other 50% of the equation, really.  What are you running if you don't mind me asking? 

As for processed - everyone's ears are different...  All I can say about the RYs is I've not needed my GEQ on whatsoever; they're mega clear and present. And I run everything from low-moderate-to-high-gain heads.  With the high-gainers, it was noticeable - I needed to dial back the amp's gain to find a balance; and ya, it took some fiddling with pole-piece height/pickup height/etc before I found both the neck and bridge sweetspots - but now that they're there - it's bloody addictive.  Just glad you found something that made that LP work for you.

I'm plugging into either a Bogner EL34 Shiva, Goldfinger SL, or Diezel Einstein. Admittedly I wanted this LP to be my modern rock LP. I have another LP Standard for classic tones...with Riff Raff/Mule combo.
I have Mules in a Tele HH too, and the VHII set in my LTD Eclipse, so I do dig the low output models. I still have the RY set boxed up. I'll prob try them in the Eclipse at some point to give them another shot.

[ventura]

Those preferred pups (MM/APig) are heavy-duty output pups!!  As you likely know, that's interesting you went through the bevy of usual susepcts only to end up sticking some sledgehammers into that guitar; but as we all know, to each their own.  I suppose it depends too on your amps - as they're the other 50% of the equation, really.  What are you running if you don't mind me asking? 

As for processed - everyone's ears are different...  All I can say about the RYs is I've not needed my GEQ on whatsoever; they're mega clear and present. And I run everything from low-moderate-to-high-gain heads.  With the high-gainers, it was noticeable - I needed to dial back the amp's gain to find a balance; and ya, it took some fiddling with pole-piece height/pickup height/etc before I found both the neck and bridge sweetspots - but now that they're there - it's bloody addictive.  Just glad you found something that made that LP work for you.

I'm plugging into either a Bogner EL34 Shiva, Goldfinger SL, or Diezel Einstein. Admittedly I wanted this LP to be my modern rock LP. I have another LP Standard for classic tones...with Riff Raff/Mule combo.
I have Mules in a Tele HH too, and the VHII set in my LTD Eclipse, so I do dig the low output models. I still have the RY set boxed up. I'll prob try them in the Eclipse at some point to give them another shot.

Just a thought, have you measured the pots in that LP to see if they're 500K versus 300K...??  Some of the LPs came out with 300K pots and they totally squelch the high end and punch of the magnets.  It could be that's your bottleneck on that guitar - the pups were a bandaid to a bigger issue with "throughput" - just a thought.

Peace,
V.

[ventura]

With the low gain pickups into high gain amps or whatever I think it really depends on the amp.

Abso-fkn-lutely!!!!  Totally amp dependent.

PeaceOut!!
V.

[Telerocker]

Mules do a great job > Rockerverb MK1 50/cab or Diezel Schmidt/cab. But for metal you might want a extreme tight lowend. More power could come from a booster too. But everybody has it's own way to get the ultimate tone.

[djpatb]

Just a thought, have you measured the pots in that LP to see if they're 500K versus 300K...??  Some of the LPs came out with 300K pots and they totally squelch the high end and punch of the magnets.  It could be that's your bottleneck on that guitar - the pups were a bandaid to a bigger issue with "throughput" - just a thought.

Yeah I did install an RS kit at some point to replace the stock pots. I think it was before I tried the RY set. Like I said, it took a while to find a set that worked in this particular guitar, so maybe it was just the guitar itself. If I try the RY set in another guitar I'll add my findings here.