Bare Knuckle Yard Bird tele pickups.

[Orville]

Does anyone have experience with these pickups? I have an acoustically airy, slightly warm sounding ASAT Classic that I am looking to replace the pickups in. Not a huge fan of the MFD neck, although I don't hate it by any means, and the bridge was replaced before I got it with some brand of Alnico magnet pickup. ( I was told by the shop that sold it the bridge is a Twang King) My ear tells me an A4 magnet set might work well, as I do like the sweet, airy, and slightly lower mid focused tone of the un-amped guitar. It still sounds like a tele, but on the end of the tele spectrum I described. I have a Tele that is pure snappy tele so I want this ASAT to take up a different space within the Tele wold, kinda like Leo envisioned it withe G&L, but not with the MFD's - if that makes any sense. My other ideas would be an A3 set, like maybe a Fender Custom Shop Nocaster set or Mojotones Clone '52 set.
Thanks for any feedback- ideas !

 

[AlexR]

Re: Bare Knuckle Yard Bird tele pickups.

Pickup tone is much more determined by wind/wire than magnet. So start to look for tonal aspects you want, don't guess at a magnet type (that the job of a winder who will know WAY better than you how the pickup should be made to achieve what you want).

I would look to finding a winder who seems to make the right 'sort' of pickup and then reach out to them and ask if they would do a special wind.
Duncan is hugely expensive at that as they are more geared to mass production.....and I don't think BKP offer custom anymore.

But small guys like Zhangbucker, Don Mare, and even Electric City Pickups are winders who do well known tele sets in the industry but can do a wide variety of custom work as well as stock models
But the MFD is different to normal pickups. It will take I think more than reading specs on a pickup website to get 'the same but different'......their tone is not the same as your typical one from vintage - it certainly didn't suit me on the strat I had.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Bare Knuckle Yard Bird tele pickups.

The Vintage Broadcaster neck with a Jerry Donahue Tele gets that sound for me. Airy, warmer than a piercing traditional tele, and better for more things.

 

[Orville]

Re: Bare Knuckle Yard Bird tele pickups.

Thanks AlexR! I guess the "same but different" was meant as me keeping my G&L as something Leo intended for it - a different take on the Tele, but not with that take including the MFD's. I also agree that there are a lot of variables beyond just the magnet. When you suggested looking for a winder that makes the right "sort" of pickup I thought to myself, I think I did that when I found the Yardbirds. I wasn't necessarily looking at an A4 in a tele pickup, but the description and sound clips of the Yardbird on the BK site drew me in as far as something that might work for MY guitar. A4 and A2 magnets were (as far as I know) not really used in the classic tele models, but ceramics were definitely not, and that is what Leo went with for his take.
My gut wants to try the yardbirds, as I do have a pretty nice Tele that does the traditional tele thing well, but I think I'll snoop around here for some of Seymour's offerings.
Thanks for some clarity as I go down this rabbit hole!