AARG! Help me decide about my strat

[badgermark]

I can't decide on what BKP set I want for my strat. MIM maple necked and I love her. Options are:

1- Mother's Milk set
2- Slow Hand set
3- MM neck, SH middle and a Sinner in the bridge.

From what I've heard and read the MM are the best slightly hot vintagey sounding Strat pickups, like how a strat should sound.

Whereas I am intrigued by the Slow Hands, a slightly darker set, sounds interesting. Alas no clips exist for these bad boys, so that really limits my urge to jump right in.

The last idea was to have a very versatile set with all bases covered. Nice meaty single coil in the bridge and something mellower on top to strum my happy little chords. Although this combination costs more, which is a big concern right now.

I have asked Tim about the last combo, and he says that they all work well together, so it is up to you wonderful people. Help me. Don't mention any other models, I have heard clips and the apaches, sultans and irish tours aren't for me. And I'm worried the trilogy is too hot and thick for this, already have a thick single coil sound from my tele.

And the worst part is I dunno what I want. I love my strat, it is so much fun to play but the stock pickups sound cr@ppy under any gain. I wont be playing much metal, and ideally I want this to counter-balance my Piledriver loaded tele, which is a beast but not too amazing when played clean compared to my stock strat.

[Elliot]

It depends on how you play - I'd go for the mix but would perhaps put Milks in neck and middle and a beefy in the bridge.  The reason for that is that having a milk in the middle gives you that Jimi Hendrix Hey Joe tone to a tee.

[Ted]

I fannied around thinking about Strat pups for a while, but in the end I just picked up everton fc's loaded scratchplate with apaches.

But then again I'm wanting clean/bluesy tones. Less is more...

[Elliot]

I keep saying it but Apaches are very rude pickups when wound up - great for dirty blues - whereas Mother's Milks seem to keep their politeness (i.e. they retain amazing clarity), just as real 60s strats do.

[badgermark]

Clarity with gain is the most important thing really. Anyone know how the bridge MM sounds? Can't seem to find any clips in the forum. Ideally not wanting a high pitched treble-y bridge pup though.

I thought Tim was putting up clips of all the BKP available? What happened to those?

[badgermark]

I've just been listening to some clips. The Trilogy set is kind of tempting now. Anyone got any opinions on a Trilogy set?

Thinking about my decision, I think I want a nice round sound. Nothing weedy, just clear, expressive and handles gain well. Really want a nice clean tone, and after listening to a lot of RCHP I don't think the Mother's Milk is for me.

I hate having choice. Sometimes I wish there was a BKP mirror website that gives pickup options as simple as Buy this set for nice sound, THIS set for loud face melting sounds.

[Elliot]

It might help if you can nswer these questions

What amp(s) do you have?
What pedals do you have/use?
Name some bands/songs that you can play/aspire to play - a range from clean to chug would be useful
Name who plays what you think is THE strat sound in your head and what you aspire to.

Because a pickup is named after a band does not mean you will sound like that - for example the Mother's Milk in my hands sounds nothing like Frusciante and the Apaches sounds nothing like Hank Marvin - but they are a ball park tone guide.

[badgermark]

I realise that the names aren't a set in stone definition of tone. But after listening to a load of vintage strats today I realised I don't like the sound very much.

I plan to be getting myself a fender blues jr amp before christmas, or something of the like, small wattage and tube.

I have pretty much decided I love the big thick tone of Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, which he gets from a lace sensor equipped strat.

So a nice thick, powerful tone that still sounds like the strats we know and love is what I'm after really. Just curious about the Trilogy Suite bridge pickup. All the clips are of the neck, and I'm not sure if a Sinner in the bridge would be worth my while. Still more expensive, and I wouldn't be able to pick a Trilogy, Trilogy, Sinner as easily at my local BKP equipped shop. Does Tim do a discount if 3 single coils are bought together? I know the calibrated sets are £165, and singles are £59, so a set would be £177, not much to most people, but makes a difference to this poor student.

[Elliot]

For that sound I would agree with you - Trilogies are going to give that Lace range.

[Philly Q]

Does Tim do a discount if 3 single coils are bought together? I know the calibrated sets are £165, and singles are £59, so a set would be £177, not much to most people, but makes a difference to this poor student.

Can't do any harm to ask!  :)

[Will]

let us know what you find out please  :)

[badgermark]

I shall keep you helpful people informed with my decision. I'm gonna get in touch with Tim or just check out GuitarGuitar to see if they have the TS in stock, apparently they are on the website.

Anyone have an idea of the differences between the Sinner and Trilogy bridge? I imagine that the Sinner is rougher, with the Trilogy being more strat like. Shall bother Tim some more.

[Johnny Mac]

I found these clips that HJM did sometime ago which are really helpful.

http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1625&highlight=filth

[badgermark]

I love thos HJM clips. Made me decide on the MM set. Much preferred them over the Apaches and the Irish Tours. BUT! He had a Sinner in the bridge...

Exactly the reason why I emailed Tim today to ask about a MM set with a hotter wound bridge unit. Oh yes. Sounds shweet to me.

[badgermark]

Well my mind is made up. Thanks to HJM's clips I shall be ordering a set of Mothers Milks as soon as I can afford them. And Tim suggested a zinc baseplate to really beef up the bridge pickup. Sounds sexy.

Anyone else had the baseplate added to a single coil before? I'm curious to hear about the difference.