New Pick Ups

[The Rhone]

Hi,

I currently own a USA Warlock loaded with a Bare Knuckle Nailbomb (Bridge), a Charvel 675 loaded with a Bare Knuckle Miracle Man (Bridge) and a Fernandes Steeler also loaded with Bare Knuckle Miracle Man (Bridge)/Cold Sweat (Neck), all pickups were expertly installed by those cool dudes at Feline.

At the end of next month I’ll be getting my dream guitars, a late 80’s USA Jackson King V and Kelly. They’ll be both tuned down to C and I will be playing a cross between Death/Black Metal and good ole straight forward Metal. Due to already having Miracle Mans I would like to try something different, but not hugely so there isn’t a massive gap tone wise when I jump between the two. I do love the tone of the MM’s but options would be nice.

I currently run my guitars through a 5150 and Mode 4 Cab, using sometimes stomp pedals or a GT8. I also use the GT8 for recording and will be probably getting a POD XT as well.

Does any one have any suggestions regarding pickups to go with?

Cheers.

 

[greyskull]

for that sort of thing, youll really want emg's

 

[R-Stuur]

for that sort of thing, youll really want emg's

From what I heard, those can make any piece of shit sound good. Why not put something in there that actually works with the acoustics of the guitar?

 

[The Rhone]

This is true, I used to use EMG's, 81's & 85's, whilst these are great pu's they do sound pretty similar on what ever guitar you use.

I'm looking for something not so clinical, but still with plenty of punch.

 

[TheVatican]

Then get EMG's. But use the 85/89 combo. I have that in my custom ESP. It has the most ballsy clear tone i've ever heard. I've played my guitar through many amps, and through every amp it shines. Besides, tone is all in the fingers anyhow.

 

[The Rhone]

Then get EMG's. But use the 85/89 combo. I have that in my custom ESP. It has the most ballsy clear tone i've ever heard. I've played my guitar through many amps, and through every amp it shines. Besides, tone is all in the fingers anyhow.

Fair point, like I said the EMG's are a great pu, just not for me. I've used the 85's as well as the 81's and isn't the 89 a coiled tapped version of the 85?

Any non EMG suggestions?

 

[greyskull]

my personl favourite is seymour duncan jb's.
just thought emgs'd be more suitable

 

[kaomao]

No sorry I had a garbage Cort with EMG 85/81 and they sounded pretty bad, boxy sound.
Now in my "hi-end" LTD they sound amazing.
Low end guitars sound bad no matter what you put on.

 

[Keregioz]

I have the JB/59 bridge/neck combo in my schecter C7 blackjack and I have no complains...
You could also check out duncan blackouts a lot of people are talking about, I have no personal experience with those though.

 

[The Rhone]

Intresting points raised. I will be trying the JB's and the Blackouts.

Cheers.

 

[TheVatican]

That seems like a more traditional approach to guitar PU's. That pair of pickups are in almost every guitar, and I don't really hear a lot of people complaining about it. Why don't you try some DiMarzio stuff? I'm going to load a Steve's Special in my Ibanez.

 

[Metaltastic]

Oog, the fact that they describe that pickup as being super scooped always made me nervous...I'm curious about how the D-activator and Evolution sound, though I cannot possibly state enough how much I hated the Tone Zone in my Ibanez RG (neck through, so a maple core with mahogany wings) - fartiest, flubbiest, bassiest sound I've ever heard.

 

[SuperD]

Had an Evolution in my parts strat..Warmoth neck maple/rosewood, unknown front loaded strat body, Ibanez edge. Really liked it in drop C, tight pick up, lotsa tight bottom, good upper mids...too much treble for me though, EMG 85 sounds GOD in that guitar.

 

[Where She Wept]

How do the bare knuckle's sound? I found their website info interesting.

 

[The Rhone]

How do the bare knuckle's sound? I found their website info interesting.

They sound great. I’ve used use Seymour Duncan, then EMG’s and the dude who looks after my guitars told me about these and I have used them since.

The Nailbomb and Warpig are the most aggressive ones they have; they’re kind of bassy especially the Warpig, but they can make Ceramic versions which are a lot tighter. I have a Nailbomb in my BC Rich, which is lovely warm tone with plenty of growl. The main ones I use are the Miracle Mans which I swapped over to from the EMG’81. The pu was designed on the sound Zakk Wylde tone and is killer, it has all the zing of the 81 and much more. Other pu’s worth mentioning are the Painkiller, based on the Judas Priest tone and the Holy Diver which is like a hotter JB. All of these really kick ass in the bridge position

I have a Cold Sweat in the Neck of my Steeler, which is like a warmer 59, based around the tone of the Thin Lizzy tune…

As you know a lot of this is just personal. But I had real issues with my lead work on EMGs, so I was using Seymour Duncan’s to record my Leads and EMG’s for Rhythm, I found that Bare Knuckle Pick ups enable me to do all I want very happily in one pick up. They are without doubt the warmest pickups I have ever used.

 

[JoeJackson]

At the moment I prefer the EMG 85(b)/60(n) combination, but I plan on installing a SH-5 + SH-2 in my Schecter Tempest Custom.
Check out the SH-5 samples on duncans website.

The SH-5 is just a great crunchy PU. I would describe it as you described the Nailbomb ... warm and growly. I'm not a fan of the EMG 81 as it sounds too thin for my taste and I wasn't happy when I finished soldering two 81's in the mentioned Tempest.

 

[egan.]

The main ones I use are the Miracle Mans which I swapped over to from the EMG’81. The pu was designed on the sound Zakk Wylde tone and is killer, it has all the zing of the 81 and much more.

Doesn't Zakk use 81's tho? Certainly he endorses them.

 

[JeffTD]

The Custom is way hotter, tighter, and more aggressive than the Nailbomb will ever be. Aggressive is not a word I'd use to describe that pickup, at all. The description on the site makes it sound way more 'metal' than it really is. I actually really disliked that pickup, and quickly went back to EMGs.

I know it's almost heresy on this board, but I still prefer the 81 in mahogany to the 85. The 85 is thicker and more organic, yeah, but you sacrifice some clarity and tightness in the low end.

 

[The Rhone]

Well a good debate, the only way you can find out is to try em!

 

[slashvanyoung]

You may take the Dave Mustaine signature set into consideration. Basically a Duncan JB and a SH-2 (or was it a 59 for the neck?) but coming with the advantages of active pickups.