Author Topic: Custom strat; Suhr pu's or BKP's ? (Read 8247 times)

Frodo · « **on:** August 17, 2006, 05:03:06 PM »

I've read and listened as much as i can about my problem, but i still don't know what to choose, and i'm hoping you can help me out.

I'm about to order a custom made strat-copy from a dutch guitarbuiler. Nitro lacquer, alder body and rosewood fingerboard.

The luthier usually works with Surh pickups, and normally uses Suhr V60-LP's. I also saw that he also uses bareknuckle pickups sometimes.

so now my dilemma:
Suhr or bareknuckle? and if bareknuckle, which ones?

I can't seem to find descent reviews of the suhr's. does anyone out there have experience with them?

And if bareknuckles; which ones would you advise me?
One of my main sought features is variety.
tonewise i love everything from SRV's little wing, to Rory Gallagher, but i also dabble in funk and even metalish/ hard rock sound (anything from A to Zep) . I guess i'd like a normal strat, but with a little something extra (what exacty that is.. not sure...)

One user here posted a great demo of one guitar with 3 pu's (apache, milk and irish). I think i kinda preferred the Apache's, from what i heard. BUt what i read about the Trilogy suits, they also sound pretty nice.

any advice from more expienced bareknucklers?

CaffeineJunkie · « **Reply #1 on:** August 17, 2006, 05:17:40 PM »

apaches for the 'classic' strat tone

irish tours for more grunt

trilogy suite for even more oomph

38thBeatle · « **Reply #2 on:** August 17, 2006, 06:35:11 PM »

Welcome to the forum-I can't comment on the Suhrs. Apaches are classic Strat- great core tone and I can get a good fruity tone- maybe not SRV but then I am not SRV. If you want something a bit hotter then check out some of the others particularly Irish Tours as they clean up nicely by all accounts. I also have a set of Slowhands- they have a bit more mids than the Apaches. Elliott may be along to talk about his Mother's Milks- he also has Apaches and can compare the two.

Ced777 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 17, 2006, 08:54:42 PM »

I have a Suhr V60 (not LP) set and owned but don't keep an IT set. (and others single coils: WCR SR set, G&L Alnico...)

To my ears the V60 have a classic single coils tone, with more punch and good bass. Probably more output and bass than your usual classic strat set.

Irish Tour have more grunt and mids, more thickness, less sparkle and highs. Not a standard strat set to my opinon. Something hotter (not in a bad way...). The IT was a bit noisier than V60 (60-Hz hum), but both are pretty low for single coils.

I think I did not choose the good BKP set. I was looking for a do-it-all set (clean and dirty). But I think I prefer more traditional strat tone. If I must buy a BKP set, it would be between Apache and Mother's Milk, for sure.

If you play mid to high-gain stuff a lot and have a bright guitar, the IT could do the job pretty well.

Jonesy · « **Reply #4 on:** August 18, 2006, 11:14:17 AM »

Why not go with an Irish tour in the neck (for your bluesy sounds)...Mothers milk in the middle (its great for funky stuff like frusciante)...and either another Irish tour of Trilogy in the bridge for when you want to turn up the gain a bit.

yannroman · « **Reply #5 on:** August 18, 2006, 10:45:35 PM »

I have two 62 reissues, one with V60LP and one with Irish tours, the Irish tours are (sorry ced777) quite brighter in fact, much more presence than the V60, which deliver a more rounded tone.
The Irish tours are my favourite do-it-all strat set (I have 6 strats), really polyvalent, they can handle heavy overdrive.
If you want real hot output try out some trilogies. What is great with them is how much strat character you're keeping with such a high output.

Ced777 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 18, 2006, 10:52:31 PM »

Quote from: yannroman

I have two 62 reissues, one with V60LP and one with Irish tours, the Irish tours are (sorry ced777) quite brighter in fact, much more presence than the V60, which deliver a more rounded tone.

No problem. As I said, mine was not the LP (for Low Peak) version. The LP seems much more round and "low peak" as named.

yannroman · « **Reply #7 on:** August 18, 2006, 11:26:17 PM »

Sorry man, I should have read more carefully :oops:

Frodo · « **Reply #8 on:** August 19, 2006, 08:57:14 AM »

Quote from: Jonesy

Why not go with an Irish tour in the neck (for your bluesy sounds)...Mothers milk in the middle (its great for funky stuff like frusciante)...and either another Irish tour of Trilogy in the bridge for when you want to turn up the gain a bit.

I hadn't even thought about doing something like that... SHiat... this really toughens up my choice :D

I can't seem to find any nice clips of trilogies vs other pu's.

With all that power coming out of the Trilogies, isn't there a lot of sensitivity to humming?
My current (squire) strat has a (cheapass) humbucker in the bridge. I like the extra output and hum cancellation, but i figured i'd try a little more classic look to my new strat (with all the beastieness hidden away).

a Push/pull pod for serial wiring, that cancels out some hum if i want extra power, right?

Philly Q · « **Reply #9 on:** August 19, 2006, 10:06:53 AM »

Quote from: Frodo

a Push/pull pod for serial wiring, that cancels out some hum if i want extra power, right?

Yes, but only if one of the pickups is reverse wound/reverse polarity.

So if you have a set with a RW/RP middle pickup, bridge+middle in series (or parallel) will be hum-cancelling, and so will neck+middle, but not neck+bridge (if you have it wired to get that combination!).

I'm pretty sure all the Bare Knuckle Strat sets come with a RW/RP middle pickup as standard.

PhilKing · « **Reply #10 on:** August 19, 2006, 01:13:53 PM »

Quote from: Jonesy

a Push/pull pod for serial wiring, that cancels out some hum if i want extra power, right?

Or do you mean so you can have series/parallel on the humbucker? Parallel on the humbucker gives you a more single coil tone with less output and is still hum cancelling.

Frodo · « **Reply #11 on:** August 21, 2006, 05:39:31 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Quote from: Frodo
a Push/pull pod for serial wiring, that cancels out some hum if i want extra power, right?

Yes, but only if one of the pickups is reverse wound/reverse polarity.

This is what strats are usually configured like, right?

Right now i'm thinking of something along the lines of:
neck: Apache
Middle: Suhr p60
Bridge: Trilogy
and, if my guitartech does that kinda stuff, some kind of push/pull pod (the Rothwell Hot little Knob, or any other suggestions?).

Or is a combination of three different PU's going to make my position 2, 3 and 4 playing sound frankensteinish? i have no idea of how much more powerfull the Trilogies are that other pu's, and am having a really hard time of placing the apache's sound in the spectrum. also, i've only heard the suhr's once.

CaffeineJunkie · « **Reply #12 on:** August 21, 2006, 05:41:25 PM »

personally i'd put an Irish Tour in the bridge and a mother's milk in the middle

i heard that the middle MM was amazing

JJretroTONEGOD · « **Reply #13 on:** August 22, 2006, 12:35:36 PM »

I recon you should go for the trilogy pickups, from all the clips I've heard on here. They seemed the best for tone! but then again Scott Henderson has one of the best tones I've ever heard and he uses V60 p/ups.