Hard Rock Pickups for Les Paul

[ericsabbath]

I was considering a godwood, but ended up with a custom slightly overwound bare knuckle riff raff with a thicker magnet
this thing is unbelievably punchy in my PRS (I'll move it to a les paul, though)
I was expecting something much weaker and thinner from the clips I could find
I can play anything I could play with all the high output BKPs I had, with or without a boost, and I'm really not missing the high DC resistance I was used to
and no extra costs for the specs customization and engraved logo!

 

[hunter]

2 days ago I did a comparison of different guitars/pickups (many of them BareKnuckles), maybe that comes in handy:

-Edwards Page Les Paul with Bare Knuckle Emerald and RebelYell
-Gibson LP Special with BareKnuckle P91/92
-Gibson SG Standard with BareKnuckle MiracleMan and stock Gibson Neck
-Music Man Axis with stock pickups
-PRS McRosie with BareKnuckle VHIIs
-Hamer Sunburst with BareKnuckle ColdSweats
-Epiphone Les Paul Classic with BareKnuckle BlackDogs

As I haven't changed any settings, some parts might sound a bit too gainy or not enough, due to PU output differences. Also a correction of treble/presence could have optimised things for some, but I wanted to keep the settings untouched, to demonstrate the PU differences. It's really hard for me to pick a favourite or - the other way round - decide which of them I could let go.

Part1: CLEAN

Part2: CRUNCH

Part3: OVERDRIVE

Part4: HIGHGAIN

 

[The Luke]

Shur Aldrich set.

I have an Aldrich set in my LP Standard but I am looking for a something different here.

When you say thick, I think Rio Grande BBQ.

It`s thick but in a different way than the Tone Zone. The TZ is very thick, and often used in basswood guitar with floating tremolos.

I had a BBQ in both a LP and a Strat, and it`s perfect. Not over-bassy, just chunky as heck.

The BBQ samples seem too dark for my tastes.

When I say thick, I don't necessarily mean from the pickup. I mean in the way of overall tone. I usually play in a one guitar situations, and I like being able to hold it down with just me and a bass guitarist. If you listen to the sound sample above,(ignoring that it is double tracked), I basically don't want my tone to be getting any thinner. I just want it sounding less hollow, but crunchy and full.

The kind of gain I use more like a high gain crunch rather than chunky high gain by modern standards - the amp is old and the gain levels are not huge. It's like hyped and beefed up classic rock down tuned half a step pinched harmonics thrown in, but less gain that modded 80s camp.

I was considering a godwood, but ended up with a custom slightly overwound bare knuckle riff raff with a thicker magnet
this thing is unbelievably punchy in my PRS (I'll move it to a les paul, though)
I was expecting something much weaker and thinner from the clips I could find
I can play anything I could play with all the high output BKPs I had, with or without a boost, and I'm really not missing the high DC resistance I was used to
and no extra costs for the specs customization and engraved logo!

That sounds awesome. However, at what point does it become like a VHII? I am going based on listed specs alone so please correct me, but wasn't the VHII their overwound PAF with alnico V? Is yours like a VHII with thicker magnet then?
What do you have in the neck with that?

2 days ago I did a comparison of different guitars/pickups (many of them BareKnuckles), maybe that comes in handy:

..........

Flash plugin in Firefox Beta 2 has crashed so I will listen to these after I switch browser.

 

[Doubleneck]

Wolftone!

Recommend any wolfetone in particular that I should look in to?

Check out the Marshallheads. Might be what you're looking for.

+1, I have a Wolftone Marshallhead in the bridge of my Les Paul and LOVE it, very similar to the stock Burstbucker Pro tone wise but no ice picky highs and fatter. I was little concerned about them not being wax potted either, don't know how he does it, I have no feedback issues.

 

[ericsabbath]

I was considering a godwood, but ended up with a custom slightly overwound bare knuckle riff raff with a thicker magnet
this thing is unbelievably punchy in my PRS (I'll move it to a les paul, though)
I was expecting something much weaker and thinner from the clips I could find
I can play anything I could play with all the high output BKPs I had, with or without a boost, and I'm really not missing the high DC resistance I was used to
and no extra costs for the specs customization and engraved logo!

That sounds awesome. However, at what point does it become like a VHII? I am going based on listed specs alone so please correct me, but wasn't the VHII their overwound PAF with alnico V? Is yours like a VHII with thicker magnet then?
What do you have in the neck with that?

I was considering the VHII as well, but Tim said they're wound quite different
my Riff Raff is just a bit overwound
they're usually around 7.9k to 8.2k, mine is 8.47k
I think the big magnet is what it makes it that chunky
I disconnected the stock mccarty neck pickup while wiring the riff raff and didn't have enough solder to put it back
the Riff Raff is going into a '81 lp standard with stock Tim Shaws soon, but I have plans to order a Mule or something for the neck

from your description, I think you'll like something in this ballpark
42 awg wound pickups tend to sound thicker and clearer than hot wound pickups with thinner wire, IF they have enough output (that's why I was avoing something in the 7k range or with weaker alnico grades)
plain enamel x polysol seems to make a huge difference in tone as well

when I ordered it I was still confused between the custom raff and a stock VHII or an used godwood, but I really can't imagine my guitar getting any better

Tim's words:
"To be honest the Riff Raff has the best bite of the 42 AWG plain enamel wound h/buckers so maybe an idea would be to use a larger magnet so you get the same tone but more power - how does that sound."

"the VHII has a softer mid with more bass than the Riff Raff and I'm not sure I would recommend that for a maple neck LP plus I physically can't overwind a VHII as there's simply not enough room on the bobbins.
I still think the best idea is to go with a Riff Raff but with a larger magnet, that way you'll retain the bright edge and bite you want plus the vintage voice but get more output to push the amp along."

"I couldn't get the RR up to the VHII DC as the VHII has heavily asymmetrical coils to achieve that and simply replicating that would just produce a VHII, the asymmetry gives it the softer mid range.However I can wind the RR up to @ DC8.3 - 8.4K before the highs roll back too heavily - the only way to go hotter is to move away from plain enamel and go to polysol like your McCarty pickups but then the voicing changes which spoils the point of the exercise."

 

[The Luke]

I emailed Jim at WCR who suggested either Darkburst Neck/Godwood Bridge or American Steele Set (Crossroads Neck Godwood Bridge)

Tim at Bare Knuckle suggested a Riff Raff bridge and Mule neck - he said he uses this combo himself and prefers the alnico IV in the neck and that the Mule is a touch more open.
Seeing as he plays in an Ozzy tribute band and can use this combo, I think it should be able to pull off hard rock.
Tim also noted that he has been lucky to work on Jimmy Pages No.1 LP and the tone from the Riff Raff/Mule is virtually identical.

He explained that although the Riff Raff has more bite than the Mule - it is much fatter and richer than the mule, which has a much flatter response by comparison. He said the Rebel Yell might be on the hot side, and based on the description I gave, in his opinion, the Riff Raff would be better.
With regards to the custom magnet, he said he would rather stand behind his standard line of pickups as he has spent years developing the voicing for them. I can completely see his point there.