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Author Topic: lookin for some pickups  (Read 11618 times)

CJ

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lookin for some pickups
« on: November 26, 2006, 04:57:27 AM »
Ok so i'm looking for ONE pickup. I have a Gibson Faded V, running straight into a Marshall 3203 Artist with the matching 1965a cab 4x10. I'm about to purchase an Agile Les PAul with P90 pickups. I'll use that for my more moderate rock, so i figured i'd put in some more agressive pickups in my V.  I love the neck position bucker in it, so i just want to put a new pickup in the bridge. I was originally planning on getting an EMG 81, but it's too much hassle to mix an active with a passive. So i've heard about Bareknuckles, and i'm looking for an opinion. I want something that will give me a real hardcore sound, kind of slayer like. I want pinch harmonics to jump right out and i want singing highs. I'm not sure if i want too high of an output pickup though, because i run my amp with the gain on 10, so i don't know if it'll just be mud on a higher output pickup.

I'm hoping you can help me out here, because i have no clue what i'm talking about.

MDV

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« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2006, 04:59:18 AM »
Miracle man.

NEXT!

P.S. Welcome!

CJ

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« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2006, 05:04:31 AM »
thank you very much for the response. i'll have to wait and hear other peoples opinions though, and see if most people agree on the Miracle Man.

MDV

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« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2006, 05:06:30 AM »
And fair play to you matey.

Why not listen to some clips?

You know theres a clip room?

Its called 'players'.

CJ

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« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2006, 05:14:21 AM »
yes i found the clip room. But, i saw how many different pickups there were, got scared, and ran here. I'm hoping i can get maybe 2 or 3 different pickups that you'd recommend, then i'll go check out some clips of those.

MDV

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« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2006, 05:18:20 AM »
Start with the miracle man :)

CJ

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« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2006, 05:26:42 AM »
i listened to the stickied clip of the Miracle Man, and it appears to be what i'm looking for. I'd also like to mention that i don't even play much metal, but pinch harmonics make me smile. I guess i've got the Agile with P90's for my moderate rock, so why not go balls out with my V? it is a shred guitar after all.

MDV

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« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2006, 05:32:41 AM »
Hmmm...less metal pickups with good pinch capability?

I'm a bone-fide metal head so, in general I'm gonna pass. With the suggestion of the rebel yell.

Still, wait for more advice!

CJ

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« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2006, 05:39:31 AM »
Yeah, if it were possible to get a less metal pickup, with zakk wylde like pinches, that'd obviously be great. I'm not so sure if that is possible though. Now that i think about it, i don't play really any metal at all, more of an 80's metal. Judas Priest, Ozzy, Slash... I really liked the sound of the Riff Raff and the Blackdog, but i love the pinch capability of the Miracle Man.

With the Miracle Man, could i play some not so full out metal stuff, such as crazy train, or some judas priest.

hmm... maybe theres a compromise? or am i being too much of a babbling idiot for you guys to make sense?

MDV

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« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2006, 05:45:18 AM »
I'm quite certain the BK range can provide a pickup less aggressive than the MM that can squeel like a piglet kicked in the nuts.

I'm not sure what it is though.

Cold sweat, perhaps?

And youre making plenty of sense. I understand youre requirements well, so youre communicating them well. But I'm not sure what to tell you.

Other than:

Miracle man, rebel yell, cold sweat, wait for more comments.

OK, its getting on for 6am here so I'm going to bed (I'm a night person, but not that much!)

38thBeatle

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« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2006, 10:30:51 AM »
I will just say welcome as I cannot help with humbuckers-most of those making recommendations will have tried various models and I am sure will help.BKP themselves are always glad to advise and as you may have gathered, they have garnered (I never thought I'd ever use that word but I have, so there) a great deal of enthusaistic loyal customers because they have shown, time and time again, a commitment to their customers (any chance of a job in marketing Tim?  :wink: )-now where did I put my knitting?
Send three and fourpence we're going to a dance
BKP's: Apache, Country Boy, Slowhands.

Philly Q

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« Reply #11 on: November 26, 2006, 10:47:45 AM »
If you're keeping the Gibson 496R neck pickup and you're happy with it, then I wouldn't worry about picking a bridge pickup with too much output.  The 500T you have already is the hottest pickup Gibson makes.

For all-mahogany guitars Tim always recommends either vintage-output pickups or high-output ones.  The medium-output pickups can have a tendency to get muddy because the mahogany itself contributes a lot of bass, but the high-output ones can "drive through" the timber (I've read this stuff a lot, because most of my own guitars are mahogany!)

I don't own any of the high-gain models myself, but - from what I've read - I reckon the Warpig would be too dark for what you want, which leaves Miracle Man, Painkiller (and maybe Nailbomb).  The MM and PK both have ceramic magnets like your 500T, but they'll sound much more clear and defined than the Gibson.  Or, some of the guys on the forum have a Custom Warpig with a ceramic magnet instead of alnico, which gives it more crunch and definition.  That may be the real EMG-killer.

And just to confuse things a bit more, although it falls into the medium-output range the Rebel Yell breaks the "rules" and works really well in mahogany, because it's really tight, bright and punchy.  I think it's really more of a Big Rock pickup than a Metal one, but others may disagree.

And may I echo Mr 38th and say welcome aboard!  :D

Garnered, that's a good word.  :wink:
BKPs I've Got:  RR, BKP-91, ITs, VHII, CS set, Emeralds
BKPs I Had:  RY+Abraxas, Crawlers, BD+SM

CJ

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« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2006, 06:07:10 PM »
hmm... is the painkiller called so because it is modelled after the judas priest- painkiller sound? Philly, you said you would recommend either the Vintage or the hot, but how about those 4 pickups listed in the Vintage Hot category? My amp is from the 80's, so i'm thinking a vintage pickup will match with my amp best. So maybe i'm looking for the pinch harmonic response of the miracle man, or an EMG 81, in one of the BK vintage pickups?

Philly Q

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« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2006, 08:33:35 PM »
Yep, the Painkiller takes its name from Priest  :twisted: .  Must admit I don't know much about the tonal qualities of that pickup, it's quite new and I've not listened to many clips or read up on it.

The "Vintage Hot" pickups are medium-output and therefore, in theory, not best-suited to mahogany guitars (which is a shame, because I'd like to try them!).  If you (and I) had Les Pauls we'd have a lot more choice, because it seems that maple cap does a lot to balance out the mahogany's bassy qualities.  

So basically, you're looking at a choice between Stormy Monday, Mule and Riff Raff at the vintage end of the spectrum and Miracle Man, Painkiller and Warpig at the high-gain end.  

As I say, this is all based on what I've read.  There are no rules, but Tim knows what he's talking about.  It might be worth sending a PM to Tim or Steve (Mr Pig) to see what they recommend.

The threads below have some interesting comments from Tim on pickups for mahogany guitars (specifically SGs) and on a Flying V (a basswood one, but I think the same argument would apply):

http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1455&highlight=sg

http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6082
BKPs I've Got:  RR, BKP-91, ITs, VHII, CS set, Emeralds
BKPs I Had:  RY+Abraxas, Crawlers, BD+SM

CJ

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« Reply #14 on: November 27, 2006, 01:40:43 AM »
since my amp covers a great classic rock, EVH sound nicely, will a miracle man turn my amp into a modern metal amp, or will i still keep that brown sound with the addition of some extra harmonic response? i really like the tone of my amp, i don't want to change it, i just want much more out of it.