Re: are Bare Knuckle humbuckers REALLY good? (A5 models in particular...)
Here's my take on some of the things mentioned:
I think there are two statements that are in the bottomline of any BKP:
- Articulation: high definition note-by-note, even drived hard
- Complex tone: complex harmonical content
Said this, not all BKPs are my cup-of-tea.
I specially love The Mule, as the best PAF I've tried (even that they use A4 magnets!). Think on a '59 with everything you like about '59s (complex harmonical content) and nothing of what you don't like (confussed bass/mids when driven hard).
Riff Raff are A5 and, in the ballpark of the JB but removing those things I don't like in JB (ice-peak nasal sound, specially clean). They work good clean and hard driven.
Nailbombs have way more output and more modern sound, very even EQ.
Abraxas are overwound Mules and, I don't like them so much.
Blackguard Teles are pure Tele sound but, I don't see too much gap respect of other good Tele pickups. Less than I can hear with those Mules respect other PAFs.
Mother's Milk are quite similar to Antiquity II Surf pickups. Maybe, neck pickup has a complexer sound than the Ants but, oveall, I prefer SD' set.
I agree 100% on the articulation and harmonic complexity comment. With all BKPs I owned and have tried you can hear every note in every chord even under high gain. They don't cover mistakes and leave everything out in the open.
I have AIV Mules in my Gibson Les Paul and they replaced a pair of Seth Lovers, which replaced a pair of 59s; I hated them. Boomy, mid scooped and rather bland sounding. This is how they were in my guitar and not necessarilly how they are in others so please prefix what I've just said as 'IMO'. The Mules are very neutral sounding EQ wise, no 1 frequency jumps out. They really seem to let the natural voice of the guitar come through.
Riff Raffs though are nothing at all like a JB. From what I recall they're going for a ballpark tone of some 1970s T-Top pickups. They're in the PAF ballpark of the Mules but are a smidge brighter sounding. The Holydiver and Rebel Yell are said to be JB-ish: I don't find this to be the case though.
What you said about the Nailbombs and Abraxas are completely your opinions and that's cool. I agree with you on the Nailbombs but not on the Abraxas; I really like my set. The neck is pretty much a Mule and the bridge is wound to about 14k and tonally is what I'd refer to as a 'PAF on steroids'.
I also have Blackguards in a Tele and like them too, but I can't compare them to anything else as the guitar had Kent Armstrong pickups in before and they were horrid, so anything was an improvement on those!
I also have Mothers Milks in a Mahogany/Ash sandwich bodied Strat and they replaced a set of Duncan Antiquity Texas Hots, I also haven't played the Surfers so can't compare them.
Price tag is absolutelly crazy and, that stopped me to test anything else.
Its also fair to say that they are more costly than most boutique winders product.
This is relative.
Over here in the UK BKPs aren't much, if any, more expensive than a set of Seth Lovers or Antiquities.
Infact; anyone outside of the UK gets them cheaper than we do as you don't have to pay the 20% VAT tax ontop like we do :grumble:
