Samhain
Banned
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Racerxrated
Well-known member
Clips of P90s sound cool. It’s got a similar nasal thing but not the same abrasiveness. Maybe in person these would sound much better…kinda like my 72 straight in no boost; turned up it’s cool but kinda harsh in a way; killer in a mix though. But boosted it fills in the rest of the frequency spectrum.
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braintheory
Well-known member
Yeah similar mids with those P90’s. I don’t find either abrasive, but they are raw and unapologetic, especially the P90’s. Those can have a really killer upper mids snarl. Have you tried paf style or p90’s boosted? Like your ‘72 they can benefit similarly from that and imo have in some ways more to offer than hotter pickups (I use both still). I generally still like my ‘67 best just turned up loud with no boost. Like you said that amp and those pickups do amazing in a mix
I feel with p90’s and pafs you can show a lot more nuances and expressions in the playing that can get more masked with hotter pickups. For example, the details in how the vibratos are executed, the way each note was picked or the rakes of other strings leading into the actual note being picked and vibrato’d. Just my thing I guess
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Racerxrated
Well-known member
Like most vintage gear, maybe the real deal in person would change my mind-clips are clips and more than not, give you a sound that really isn't the true representative of what it really sounds like.
Low output pickups do reflect more nuances, for sure.
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braintheory
Well-known member
Definitely worth trying the real deal if possible. The one time I tried a real ‘70’s Dumble I brought my ‘57 LP Jr with me (has a neck pickup) and it was the best thing that ever entered my ear drums lol
IMO it’s not just low output, but also quality of the pickups. Even the unusually hotter vintage ones I’ve tried (some almost 11k) pick up a lot more nuance than say a comparatively meh bkp or mcp that could be between 7-8K like the Mules (ew)
DanTravis62
Moderator
I never miss a chance to be a hater.
I know they're popular, but I haven't liked a single BKP pickup I've played ?
The mules especially. A friend kept telling me "BKP can do those kind (PAF) of pickups too maaaaaan, just try a set!"
I did. Let's just say I'd rather have a set of Gibson burstbuckers or something pretty stock.
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braintheory
Well-known member
Right??? They were my first venture into boutique pickups not just Duncan or Dimarzio and I was like wtf, why do guys like these. I convinced myself for a while they must be better and only used BKP’s for years (lots of their models), but later moved on to other stuff and haven’t looked back
A lot of your “favorite” current metal guys use them
DanTravis62
Moderator
I know I'm eventually going to get the "____ quoted your post" notification from someone who loves them eventually, and I do think its cool that they offer all the aesthetic choices that they offer.....but i've either been "meh" or actively hated the sounds of most of the models i've tried. And the Mules are an exceptionally bad case of that. It's almost as if the designer thought PAFs were boring and tame sounding, and tried really, really hard to make the pickups like that.
There's a shitload of great pickup makers out there, and it's always just boggled my mind that THAT is the brand that took off.
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braintheory
Well-known member
Maybe it’s because of their aesthetics and packaging presentation they did so well. I gotta admit some of those covers they use look really awesome (love the burnt chrome, camo and battle worn ones). Why not just put them in an equally sterile sounding but beautiful looking guitar coated in poly like a PRS 10 Top or Suhr and you’re all good to go. You’ll have the most cool looking guitar that doesn’t sound the part
DanTravis62
Moderator
Then run it through a modeler preset
The biggest guitar tone blue balls that have ever been committed
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braintheory
Well-known member
I mean you might be describing right there the set up of at least 90% of metal guitarists todayThen run it through a modeler preset
The biggest guitar tone blue balls that have ever been committed
I should seriously look into if bkp will sell those covers by themselves. I might buy some. They look so cool to me
DanTravis62
Moderator
I mean you might be describing right there the set up of at least 90% of metal guitarists today
I should seriously look into if bkp will sell those covers by themselves. I might buy some. They look so cool to me
Yes. Which is why modern metal tone drives me into fits of forum rage. It's all so incessantly banal, with the same sounds, that it makes me physically ill. It didnt even sound like that during the 80s when there were far less options - there was a ton of wildly disparate tones.
And agreed. All the options for covers they have are SO cool. The burnt chrome and battle worn especially are rad. I'd totally put one of Scottosan's pickups or a Godwood in them
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155
Well-known member
horrible sound, dumble is crap
Mark Skid
Well-known member
I got to play a 1958 LP Standard through a Dumble. It sounded like a Fender.
My experience, exactly.
midnightlaundry
Well-known member
Sounds like shit..
I thought Dumbers were fat..
How did they manage to make Fat sounding instruments sound like a fuckin' trash can??
I thought Dumbers were fat..
How did they manage to make Fat sounding instruments sound like a fuckin' trash can??
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VESmedic
Well-known member
It’s funny when people think they like PAF’s but then hate the sound of a vintage les paul. Obviously this isn’t you, but it’s really interesting to me. This is just what original PAF’s sound like. For instance some people hate on the PRS 85/15 set that’s in the new 2020-2021 PRS’s, but think they LOVE the sound of PAF’s… those pickups are legit the closest I’ve ever heard to a vintage PAF. Plug in a newer PRS custom 24 and that is LITERALLY what a vintage les paul pickup sounds like. Hyper percussive, extended lows and highs, super scooped midrange etc. i always laugh at this one big time. I absolutely LOVE those pickups and the new PRS’s specifically.
Anyways , this doesn’t obviously apply to you, but it just reminded me of this thing that I’ve noticed alot over the years.
stratjacket
Well-known member
Who is Tag? I thought Tag was Tom Anderson Guitarworks?
Beyond Black
Well-known member
“Hello, BKP? Yeah, I’d like to buy some of your pickup covers….I mean you might be describing right there the set up of at least 90% of metal guitarists today
I should seriously look into if bkp will sell those covers by themselves. I might buy some. They look so cool to me
No, not the actual pickups, just the covers….
Why? Because your pickups fucking suck, but they look really cool.”
* velcro-fly *
Well-known member
Tag is a TGP Diety. Tan pants, red sweater, big white tennis shoes wearing dude that spews endless nonsense about PRS and Dumbles, plays “politician“ over and over. About sums it up
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bubucci
Well-known member
but some of his PRS/Dumble clips sounds pretty good…even on phone clips.
Ad BKPs. They make great pickups and some models in their line up are really unique. Everything depends on guitar. Mules in dark/boring sounding LP isn’t great match but put them in LP with some bite/spank and they are great. I had them in Heritage 80 and they were better them stock revered Tim Shaw but this guitar has some ‘59 mojo. Not like newer Reissues (tried them in ‘09 R8) which are too fat/polite sounding and doesn’t like how they sound.
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