Recommend me a Bareknuckle Pickup

  • Thread starter Thread starter FourT6and2
  • Start date Start date
FourT6and2

FourT6and2

Well-known member
Looking to try a new pickup in my LP Custom. It's a '79 with Mahogany body and Maple neck. It's a solid, one-piece body. No weight-relief or chambering. I currently have a Duncan JB and I like it. But I'm willing to experiment. I've tried a MCP Afwayu, but it was too dark and muddy (granted it was an overwound version). I play mostly 90's hard rock and metal as well as lower-gain stuff. But things like Tool, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Deftones, Karnivool and etc.

Bareknuckle has some interesting models to choose from. And I need something that's not overly bass-heavy, yet not overly bright. I like a lot of midrange grind — something aggressive. But something that's also really sweet and pleasant sounding when playing clean. As well as a LOT of harmonic content and character, while being clear. I'm assuming a high-output pickup is not the way to go. I don't need to slam the front end of my amps as they are high-gain monsters. I play mostly in Drop D, no detuned stuff.

To date, the best pickup I ever tried was a Lindy Fralin, custom-made in a Gadow guitar a number of years ago. It was a one-off pickup. So no clue what its specs were.

Best clips of a pickup I've ever heard were a ThroBak. But I'm not ready to fork out $500 on a pickup...

So, any recommendations with regard to Bareknuckle? Basically I need a pickup that's MEAN with high-gain, but SWEET with cleans (and cleans up when rolled down on the volume knob).
 
FourT6and2":3pm1wqm2 said:
Looking to try a new pickup in my LP Custom. It's a '79 with Mahogany body and Maple neck. It's a solid, one-piece body. No weight-relief or chambering. I currently have a Duncan JB and I like it. But I'm willing to experiment. I've tried a MCP Afwayu, but it was too dark and muddy (granted it was an overwound version). I play mostly 90's hard rock and metal as well as lower-gain stuff. But things like Tool, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Deftones, Karnivool and etc.

Bareknuckle has some interesting models to choose from. And I need something that's not overly bass-heavy, yet not overly bright. I like a lot of midrange grind — something aggressive. But something that's also really sweet and pleasant sounding when playing clean. As well as a LOT of harmonic content and character, while being clear. I'm assuming a high-output pickup is not the way to go. I don't need to slam the front end of my amps as they are high-gain monsters. I play mostly in Drop D, no detuned stuff.

To date, the best pickup I ever tried was a Lindy Fralin, custom-made in a Gadow guitar a number of years ago. It was a one-off pickup. So no clue what its specs were.

Best clips of a pickup I've ever heard were a ThroBak. But I'm not ready to fork out $500 on a pickup...

So, any recommendations with regard to Bareknuckle? Basically I need a pickup that's MEAN with high-gain, but SWEET with cleans (and cleans up when rolled down on the volume knob).
Click to expand...

The closest I can recommend would probably be the Emerald. It's semi-high output, very angry sounding....but with an Alnico V magnet that can clean up nicely when the volume is rolled back. Again, pickups will sound very different in individual guitars....and your amp obviously has a ton to do with it.
 
Black Dog. Lots of midrange grind and also great with high gain amps like the ones you own. Not a high output pickup, cleans up well, and is not too bright.
 
Rebel Yell...cleans up beautifully but is pretty high output, and killer mids. Holy Diver is good too, but I loved the Rebel Yell...so articulate at all volume and gain levels, and hot hot hot...
 
lol so everyone's gonna recommend something different...
 
Since we're all recommending different things, Abraxas. :)

Edit: Or VHII
 
I was going to reccomend the Rebel Yell or the Nailbomb. I have both in different guitars...as well as a VHII and I love them all. I'm a big fan of both Muse and Tool and my nailbomb is my first choice for those.
 
If Throbak's are the best you've heard, buy some, you could always sell them if you don't like them. It doesn't look like you were worried about saving money by the looks of the rest of your rig. ;)
 
sorry but i have to beg to differ with the other reccomendations. for what you described i wouldnt look past the nailbomb with alnico magnet. i have pretty much the same setup as you (VH4, LP Custom) and i also have very similar influences/musical taste based on the artists you listed. i have tried TONS of pickups before from all the usual suspects (Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, Lace, EMG, Kent Armstrong, Lolar, Gibson etc) and i can honestly say the bareknuckle nailbomb is the best yet! its perfect (to my ears) for the musical styles i play (alt-rock, hard rock, ambient, pop-rock & progressive). I have them in 3 of my guitars (all different woods) and they work well in everything. They have clarity with punch, wonderful harmonic content and they really make the VH4 sing!! Plenty of crunch, smooth but with enough "grit" to know youre playing dirty. You can crank the gain on VH4 and you get an awesome liquid gain structure (im running Ruby EL34BG and Ruby diezel selected pre-amp tubes) that is very unique and just makes you want to play for hours!! Its really hard to put down my guitars since i went down the bareknuckle road. Truly great pups. Try a set i dont think you'll regret it.
 
I have a set of Holy Divers in one of my Les Pauls and I really dig them! I also have high gain amps...Friedman BE, Friedman KS JMP and a JMP Cameron Aldrich and I still get a lot of clarity with the Holy Divers even though they are high output pickups....love 'em!
 
I would also recommend the Nailbomb but yeah you're going to get a ton of different opinions from people on the internet and alot of times they will not suit your needs. I've tried my Ceramic Nailbomb in 3 different guitars and have found a home for it in my LP heavy mahogany Ibanez RG. I had purchased it for my Basswood RG based on the recommendations on Harmony Central and the BKP board but sure enough it sounded like shit in Basswood lol. So I know it may sound crazy but one person recommended to narrow it down to 2-3 BKP's you want to try and then just keep the one that sounds the best and sell the others. If you can afford to do that I think that is actually good advice. You can sell most BKP's super fast used for not much of a loss. I'm on my 4th BKP (have a War Pig on order) and have done the one at a time dance and it's been a PITA so far lol. Or you can use their return policy if you want to deal with that hassle. :doh: :lol: :LOL:
 
killertone":3mt53dmd said:
Black Dog. Lots of midrange grind and also great with high gain amps like the ones you own. Not a high output pickup, cleans up well, and is not too bright.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Hmmmm, may pick up a few pickups, then: Emerald, Abraxas, Nailbomb and Rebel Yell or Holy Diver. However, from the description on their website, the Nailbomb sounds like it will be too dark. The Holy Diver seems like it's a Rebel Yell, with less treble (which I may like). And the Black Dog is an overwound version of those two.
 
I really like the Painkiller and it may fit what you want to do pretty well. I'm sure this probably isn't exactly the style you want to play, but I think this clip might showcase the aggressive mids and the tight low end. I use the painkiller set and the neck sounds really good foe cleans and leads. Even if it's not what you are looking for you can at least get an idea of what the Painkiller can sound like.

This track was recorded with a VHT Pitbull UL and Pitbull CLX. The guitar is a 1987 Les Paul Custom.

Keep in mind this clip is pretty much unmixed and unmastered and it's pretty compressed (160 kbps)

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=11383123&q=hi&newref=1
 
Sounds good, JonVengeance. Definitely transparent. I can hear that signature VHT sound. But looking at it on Bareknuckle's site, it may be too high of an output for me. The VH4 likes lower output pickups, same thing with the Chupa. And I don't think it would work well in my LP. Maybe in something like an ESP Eclipse or Caparison.

I hear back from Bareknuckle and their recommendation was an Alnico Nailbomb. But after listening to all the clips on their site, I definitely interested in a Black Dog and Holy Diver as well. The Black Dog sounds pretty mean, yet still has good cleans. Might have to try all three.
 
Stick with what you know and like...you'll just be chasing your tail otherwise. If you like the JB, try the vintage style one that they recently released...I've heard great things about it (smooths out the ratty high mid harshness supposedly).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top