Boot Camp Brute Force Humbucker review

[gwEm]

It has been many years since I last posted! But I just got a new BKP set, so thought I would write something about it.

Firstly, the guitar in question is a Fender Cyclone (24 3/4” scale length, poplar body, rosewood board)

I was after a modern punky sort of tone. Was suggested something bright and tight like the Cold Sweat, considering the scale length. The Brute Force was suggested as a more muscular alternative.

I have a Cold Sweat in another Cyclone and it works well, so I liked the idea of going with the utilitarian Boot Camp series as I only really had vague tonal requirements.

Indeed, the pickup is tight and muscular with good attack, but nothing too crazy. It certainly does sound thick in the Cyclone and is everything Tim promised it would be.

It’s a balanced sounding high gain pickup, would suit a number of high gain styles, and certainly the vague punky tone I was after. I consider the pickup something of a design triumph. Considering the price of pickups in general these days, the Boot Camp range is rather attractive.

[AndyR]

Yo! Good to hear from you gwEm 

I like the Boot Camp series.

I've got the Old Guard humbucker set, in a "modern relief" Les Paul - fattened that up nicely. My favourite, Stormy Mondays, just didn't do it for me in that one.
And I am tempted by the True Grit... I haven't yet considered the Brute Force in my ballpark so far, but maybe.

I've bought rather too many guitars over the last couple of years.
Some I'm really happy with their stock pickups...
But there are one or two (!) that would benefit from the BKP experience.

Not least, FINALLY, I own a Flying V!!!
Not so sure about the Burstbuckers, I prefer them to 57 Classics, but I keep thinking I want Riff Raffs in there.
Another option is Stormy Monday - those unwanted Stormies above went in my Explorer - and WOW that sounds good now.
I just feel like a little bit more in the V.

Before that though, I've got one of the Noventa Strats (two P90s). I find the Fender Noventa P90 a little on the hot side for me. I'm going to put Gibson P90s in first. They came out of an SG that I installed Blue Notes in, these were comparable in power. If that works, it's a another set of Blue Notes.

Which reminds me... I've got an Old Guard Bridge P90 somewhere! It went in a Feline Lion Cub DC for a few months... I quite liked it, but then I discovered the Blue Note and that pretty much hits the spot for me on "P90". Maybe I should find that and get a neck Old Guard to go with 

[gwEm]

Happy to see you here Andy. I know a number of us went to the fretboard forum when this one had so much down time. I tried it for a bit but couldn’t get on with it in the same way.

In the meantime I switched back to using DiMarzio pickups in my new guitars, not that there’s been that many! I knew that I wanted something a bit more quality for the Cyclone though.

The other humbuckers in the range do look tempting I must say. The Boot Camp range is the price of a Seymour Duncan here in the UK. Clearly I would rather have the Boot Camp! I did consider the True Grit briefly, but when I got Tim’s recommendation for the Brute Force I decided I had to go for that. The Old Guard humbuckers also look intriguing - Alnico 2, nice and bright.

My first ever BKP set was Riff Raffs in a Flying V and I certainly think they are an ideal pairing.

I think the last I heard from you, you’d just got that Feline double cut. Brilliant guitar :)