Any BKP fans out there?

[EET_FUK]

I think I have actually heard nothing but good things about Bare Knuckles (except for the price). How many of you guys have experience with 'em? Specifically their vintage/vintage-hot lines. Really interested in these and wondering if the price is worth all that extra toneage.
Thanks for the replies.

[AlexR]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

I've had mixed results. Their Apache singles are great, but I got a set of the Muse-inspired p90's that kinda fell flat...in a couple of different guitars they were in.

Price is the biggest worry.....they charge a LOT for them......even for Aussies who get shafted for everything music related and are used to high prices.

I've had equal or better results from US 'boutique' winders like Zhangbucker, Re-Wind and Electric City Pickups without the pricetag

[Dark Order Lord]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

I think I have actually heard nothing but good things about Bare Knuckles (except for the price). How many of you guys have experience with 'em? Specifically their vintage/vintage-hot lines. Really interested in these and wondering if the price is worth all that extra toneage.
Thanks for the replies.

I have had two bad experiances with BKP, the painkiller and the aftermath....

Then I did what I should have ages ago for the same money that a BKP costs.... Bought a custom shop seymour duncan made for me by MJ. Never looked back

[alteredbeast]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

I'm feeling the Aftermath. i would like to check out more in the future.

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

It's worth remembering that the prices listed on the BKP site are what UK residents pay. It includes their VAT. If you buy them from outside the UK, you save 17%, because you don't pay the VAT ('Value Added Tax' I believe).

I have bought 4 Strat sets from them. I started with a set of Apaches with staggered poles. The sound was fantastic but i couldn't get along with the volume differences between strings, so I replaced that set with another set of Apaches with flat poles, and that solved the volume imbalance between strings. Great sounding pickups, rounder-sounding than '60s Strats, they have the fuller sound that suits anything from Hank Marvin to Robin Trower and Ritchie Blackmore. They behave really well under heavy overdrive.

I have another Strat fitted with Irish Tours, and a third with Mother's Milk set. Both sets do their thing incredibly well, and the ITs really nail a lot of Rory's tones if you dig into the strings like he did. With a cranked amp or a little overdrive, they're a force to be reckoned with ... classic Strat but with a touch more bite and sting, that cleans up great with the volume control.

However I have no experience with any of their P90s or humbuckers. Forum member Brow (I think it's him) has a whole bunch of guitars with BKPs, hopefully he'll be along to give his thoughts on the subject.

[kramersteen]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

I have a set of bk sinners. There amazing to say the least.

I paid $100 for all 3 secondhand

[Brow]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

However I have no experience with any of their P90s or humbuckers. Forum member Brow (I think it's him) has a whole bunch of guitars with BKPs, hopefully he'll be along to give his thoughts on the subject.

Good memory, that'd be me!

I currently have 15 guitars with BKPs, 1 with Duncans and 1 with Dimarzios so when I'm on the PC later instead of a tablet I'll post the list of what specific models I have then you can ask me anything you want about them.

[kramersteen]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

Good memory, that'd be me!

I currently have 15 guitars with BKPs, 1 with Duncans and 1 with Dimarzios so when I'm on the PC later instead of a tablet I'll post the list of what specific models I have then you can ask me anything you want about them.

You got any sinners?

[richard parker]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

I have the Irish Tour bridge pickup in my Strat. Sounds great and really does capture Rory's tones from that album. I have the Rebel Yell set in my Firebird Studio and they are absolutely awesome. They were recommended by Tim Mills and I'm SO glad I have them. They really open up your guitar because they are very responsive to tone and volume adjustments. Although the Rebels are not low output they clean up beautifully. I'd still like to get some pick ups from Zhang one day.

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

I guess it's popular to bag on them now, seems mostly because the "hot" models aren't all fuzzed out like most other hot pickups, EMG/Invader/DD/pretty much all DMZ are pretty gained out. With the Painkiller and Nailbomb, even the Warpig, you're sacrificing that fuzz for clarity. Some people want fuzz. I like fuzz, sometimes.

I've seen some serious bull**** spread both for and against them. Don't bother with that. If you want clarity and extended presence without being harsh then you'll dig them. If you want a fuzzed out-gained out sound from them, just use a pedal. If that's too much effort, then they probably aren't your thing. Just remember, you can't make a fuzzy pickup clear. Also, don't buy them because they look cool (they do), or have cool names (they do). Buy them because you will use them for what they were designed for. Aftermaths aren't for playing Deftones or Slayer, they're for playing in B or lower and staying clear with extreme high gain.

As for the price, yep, the UK VAT is a big part of the confusion. I recently ordered a set of "battleworn" Aftermaths for $320 to the US, took 1 1/2 weeks to get them. That might be too much/too long if you don't know what you're getting into, so before ordering try to get as much info as you can if you aren't familiar with them, and make sure you send them an email and see what they recommend.

[Brow]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

You got any sinners?

I haven't no. I've got Apaches, Mothers Milks, Irish Tours and Trilogy Suites from their single coil lineup but don't have any Sinners. I keep thinking about trying them but I've run out of guitars at the minute so they'll have to wait

I guess it's popular to bag on them now, seems mostly because the "hot" models aren't all fuzzed out like most other hot pickups, EMG/Invader/DD/pretty much all DMZ are pretty gained out. With the Painkiller and Nailbomb, even the Warpig, you're sacrificing that fuzz for clarity. Some people want fuzz. I like fuzz, sometimes.

I've seen some serious bull**** spread both for and against them. Don't bother with that. If you want clarity and extended presence without being harsh then you'll dig them. If you want a fuzzed out-gained out sound from them, just use a pedal. If that's too much effort, then they probably aren't your thing. Just remember, you can't make a fuzzy pickup clear. Also, don't buy them because they look cool (they do), or have cool names (they do). Buy them because you will use them for what they were designed for. Aftermaths aren't for playing Deftones or Slayer, they're for playing in B or lower and staying clear with extreme high gain.

As for the price, yep, the UK VAT is a big part of the confusion. I recently ordered a set of "battleworn" Aftermaths for $320 to the US, took 1 1/2 weeks to get them. That might be too much/too long if you don't know what you're getting into, so before ordering try to get as much info as you can if you aren't familiar with them, and make sure you send them an email and see what they recommend.

I agree with this post 100%.

I've played in bands with other people where they've asked me to turn the gain up on my amp as the sound, in their opinion, was too clean for the material we were playing. It's not that my amps lack gain, but that BKPs are very clear and allow you to hear every note in every chord, even under high gain. I know it's a very cliche' thing to say but it is true.

As I said in my earlier post here are all the BKPs I have incase the OP has any questions about any specific sets:

MIJ Strat w/maple board + Floyd Rose: VHIIs
MIJ Squier Strat w/rosewood board: Apaches
MIA Strat w/rosewood board: Crawler/IT/IT
Unknown MIJ Strat w/maple board: Mothers Milks
'Bitsa' Strat w/rosewood board: Cold Sweat
Gibson LP Standard: Mules
MIJ Tokai Love Rock Custom (in Eb): Rebel Yells
Gordon Smith Graduate 60 (LP style): Black Dog (b)/Riff Raff (n)
Cheapie Tele w/maple board: Piledriver
'Bitsa' Tele w/maple board: Blackguard 55 Staggered
PRS Custom 22: Abraxas
Faded Flying V: Riff Raff (b)/Mississippi Queen (n)
Patrick Eggle Climaxe (Berlin Prototype): Holy Divers
BC Rich Gunslinger: Miracle Man (b)/Trilogy Suite (n)
Ibanez S470 (in Eb): Nailbomb/Trilogy Suite/Nailbomb
Epiphone Firebird Studio: Dimarzio Super Distortion (b)/Super 2 (n)
Jackson DK2M (in Eb): Seymour Duncan Screamin Demon (b)/Jazz (n)

[Rockstar216]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

BKP sound like they might be up my alley I put clarity first when EQing a pup. But I think I would rather have the CS make me a set for that much and tell them what I want.

[BloodRose]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

I have a Rebel Yell set in my Burny Les Paul. They sound great! Sound is like a great set of pups in a great guitar. Cant say that there is some magical mojo that makes me think I have to go to them full on. Know what I mean? Great pups in this axe but my Custom 8s and Duncans are great in those axes.

[EET_FUK]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

As I said in my earlier post here are all the BKPs I have incase the OP has any questions about any specific sets:

MIJ Strat w/maple board + Floyd Rose: VHIIs
MIJ Squier Strat w/rosewood board: Apaches
MIA Strat w/rosewood board: Crawler/IT/IT
Unknown MIJ Strat w/maple board: Mothers Milks
'Bitsa' Strat w/rosewood board: Cold Sweat
Gibson LP Standard: Mules
MIJ Tokai Love Rock Custom (in Eb): Rebel Yells
Gordon Smith Graduate 60 (LP style): Black Dog (b)/Riff Raff (n)
Cheapie Tele w/maple board: Piledriver
'Bitsa' Tele w/maple board: Blackguard 55 Staggered
PRS Custom 22: Abraxas
Faded Flying V: Riff Raff (b)/Mississippi Queen (n)
Patrick Eggle Climaxe (Berlin Prototype): Holy Divers
BC Rich Gunslinger: Miracle Man (b)/Trilogy Suite (n)
Ibanez S470 (in Eb): Nailbomb/Trilogy Suite/Nailbomb
Epiphone Firebird Studio: Dimarzio Super Distortion (b)/Super 2 (n)
Jackson DK2M (in Eb): Seymour Duncan Screamin Demon (b)/Jazz (n)

Wow. So, they stay clear under gain, but how do the more lower output PAF geared humbuckers handle themselves? I'm particularly interested in the Riff Raff and Mule. All of their higher output pickups seem geared more toward modern metal styles, which isn't really my thang. I guess my real question is what pickups, out of the ones you have experience with, would you recommend for more old school heavy metal/thrash styles?

[Brow]

Re: Any BKP fans out there?

Wow. So, they stay clear under gain, but how do the more lower output PAF geared humbuckers handle themselves? I'm particularly interested in the Riff Raff and Mule. All of their higher output pickups seem geared more toward modern metal styles, which isn't really my thang. I guess my real question is what pickups, out of the ones you have experience with, would you recommend for more old school heavy metal/thrash styles?

Well, Tim Mills the guy behind BKP used to be in an Ozzy Osbourne Tribute band and he tended to focus on the style and sound of when Zakk Wylde was in the band and his main guitar was a LP with a pair of Mules in and they suited the sound fine. You have to dig in and play a bit harder with them than you would a higher output pickup, but they will still do the heavier stuff.

I agree with what you said about alot of the newer high output pickups they do being aimed at more of a modern metal sound; the Aftermath, Blackhawk and Painkiller (to an extent) certainly fit what you said. It's also why I don't have any plans to get anymore BKPs for future guitars as they seem to be going more towards a Djent/Extended Range sort of sound and it's something I have no interest in at all.

Of the 1's I've tried and used myself both the Miracle Man or Nailbomb, depending on the guitar they're in, could easilly do Thrash or old school Metal. The Miracle Man is ever so slightly scooped in the high mids but has a nice chunk of bass and low mids, whereas the Nailbomb is ever so slightly more 'modern' sounding.

If you were looking for more of a 80s Hard Rock pickup then the Holydiver would work too as it's not as bassy as the Miracle Man or Nailbomb and has more mids and highs than either.