Bare knuckle vs. EMG vs. DiMarzio

[RLG167]

Hey all, so in 90% of all my guitars I have EMG's, and the other 10% have DiMarzio's, but I was talking to a friend of mine who swears by Bareknuckle pickups, so I want some input here. So I know this will probably get a lot of EMG haters going "How can you compare EMG's to Bareknuckles?!" But can we just leave that out of this please? It doesn't really help anyone in this situation. So anyways, I've tried-and hate-many SD pickups, (yes, even the blackouts, which aren't bad actually), and when I'm not using my go-to beloved EMG's (81/85, 81/60 in two of them) I have DiMarzio Super-3's, Super Distortion's, and Liquifiers. Now my point is, at around $300 a set, plus whatever shipping from England costs and how long it takes to ship (I'm in NY), I think buying and installing a set of Bareknuckles is a bit of a gamble. My biggest point mostly is, I don't know how they sound. I've heard a lot of great things, but I'm just not sure. If I do decide to get them, what would you suggest for very high gain, aggressive playing? I want like an EMG 85 on steroids to give you an idea. I've heard the Misha Mansoor Juggernaut set is great for that. And with the new Ibanez line that comes stock with Bareknuckles, I was thinking of getting one, but I'll probably just buy a pickup set and put it in a guitar I already have, as I don't want to spend $2,500 just to try some pickups.
Thanks, RG

 

[sevenstringj]

Since you're in NY, I recommend themusiczoo. They carry BKP and they're good people.

I switched from BKP to EMG so I can't help you there.

 

[RLG167]

Since you're in NY, I recommend themusiczoo. They carry BKP and they're good people.

I switched from BKP to EMG so I can't help you there.

Why did you switch if you don't mind me asking? From what I've heard, EMG's are like Bareknuckle's little brothers lol that's why I want to switch, I've heard they're just better.

 

[RLG167]

Any for anyone else who has any inpit, I'm not down-tuning, which I found out is what the Juggernaut is made for, so I probably won't try that.

 

[ASoC]

You can email BKP and ask them what they recommend as a pickup set for you to try, you can also give the Axe Palace a call and they'll recommend something based on the guitar you're using and the sound you want. That being said, the Nailbomb is a pretty good starting point. It's one of their most versatile pickups and you can choose either a ceramic or alnico magnet for the bridge pickup. I currently have a C-bomb in the bridge of an RG7 with a Cold Sweat in the neck. It sounds great, the C-bomb is plenty thick, with lots of bite and clarity. And the Cold Sweat has a big clean sound and still packs enough power for screaming solos. The only thing I'll say about BKPs is that you need to play with the height a bit. I found that I got the best sound by lowering them a bit and adjusting the pole pieces closer to the strings. I also have a Holydiver being built for my 6, I'll be able to report on that once I get some play time on it.

Edit: Also the Blackhawk is meant to be a passive that has the good qualities of an active pickup

 

[RLG167]

Since you're in NY, I recommend themusiczoo. They carry BKP and they're good people.

I switched from BKP to EMG so I can't help you there.

I jus t checked out themusiczoo, I'm in Albany, so it's like a 4 or 5 hour drive I'll check their website out though, hopefully they ship

 

[RLG167]

You can email BKP and ask them what they recommend as a pickup set for you to try, you can also give the Axe Palace a call and they'll recommend something based on the guitar you're using and the sound you want. That being said, the Nailbomb is a pretty good starting point. It's one of their most versatile pickups and you can choose either a ceramic or alnico magnet for the bridge pickup. I currently have a C-bomb in the bridge of an RG7 with a Cold Sweat in the neck. It sounds great, the C-bomb is plenty thick, with lots of bite and clarity. And the Cold Sweat has a big clean sound and still packs enough power for screaming solos. The only thing I'll say about BKPs is that you need to play with the height a bit. I found that I got the best sound by lowering them a bit and adjusting the pole pieces closer to the strings. I also have a Holydiver being built for my 6, I'll be able to report on that once I get some play time on it.

Edit: Also the Blackhawk is meant to be a passive that has the good qualities of an active pickup

I actually emailed them earlier today (NY time), so I'm waiting for a response.

 

[ASoC]

I actually emailed them earlier today (NY time), so I'm waiting for a response.

They typically answer me between 1-2AM my time (west coast) so you should be getting an answer really soon.

 

[RLG167]

And if it helps with any suggestions from you guys, it would most likely go in my Dean USA Custom Vendetta. Neck-through maple/mahogany with mahogany wings, a flame maple top, and rosewood fretboard. Right now I have an EMG 81/85 in it. I'm looking for a super heavy tone with a good balance of bass and treble, and I want it to be very clear. I have achieved this tone with my EMG's, but there's no clarity, and with the DiMarzio's they are clear, but I can't dial in that sound I'm looking for. I like the adjustable pole pieces though. That's one thing I never liked about EMG's is that you can't adjust anything but the height, and the mids are sort of 'pre-scooped'. If you've played EMG's, you know what I mean. Oh, and I almost never play on a clean channel, but when I do, I like it soft, not twangy.

 

[RLG167]

And I just ordered an EC-401, which comes with an 81/60 set.

 

[SqWark]

I tried Bare Knuckles pickups in 4 different guitars and replaced them in all but one.

-Had a Holy Diver set in my ESP MII but it was way to bright and just not a good fit.

-Had a Blackhawk HB and a Cobra single coil in My Caparison Horus and was underwhelmed. Replaced them with a Fishman humbbucker and an EMG SA and it now sounds much better.
-Nailbomb ceramic in my Ibanez s5470. Sounded ok but nothing earth shattering as expected for the price and hassle. Replaced that with a Dimarzio EVO2 and couldn't be happier.

I tried really damn hard to like BKP and wasted a lot of money finding out that they were not for me.

All my personal experience of course. I know a lot of guys love BKP but after spending as much as I have on them I'm gonna pass.

 

[RLG167]

I tried Bare Knuckles pickups in 4 different guitars and replaced them in all but one.

-Had a Holy Diver set in my ESP MII but it was way to bright and just not a good fit.

-Had a Blackhawk HB and a Cobra single coil in My Caparison Horus and was underwhelmed. Replaced them with a Fishman humbbucker and an EMG SA and it now sounds much better.
-Nailbomb ceramic in my Ibanez s5470. Sounded ok but nothing earth shattering as expected for the price and hassle. Replaced that with a Dimarzio EVO2 and couldn't be happier.

I tried really damn hard to like BKP and wasted a lot of money finding out that they were not for me.

All my personal experience of course. I know a lot of guys love BKP but after spending as much as I have on them I'm gonna pass.

You're probably the first person I've seen who has tried BKP and not liked them. My buddy who works at GC swears by them, he's got a ton of 7 string Ibanez's, and put Bareknuckles in all of them. Speaking of which, ibanez just released a new series in the prestige line called the 'Uppercut' series that comes stock with BKP. They have a superstrat, tele, a LP, and an S-type (which the stock photo of it is in a nice brown with gold hardware and a cool anodized kind of finish on the pup covers). all available in a 6, 7, 8, and 9. Apparently they haven't been released for sale anywhere yet though. Mid next month supposedly.

 

[jc986]

BKP's are good pickups, but they are no better IMO than SD, DiMarzio, EMG, or any other quality pickup. It's all just a matter of finding the right model to fit the tone you're going for. I have a Painkiller in one of my guitars ( have to admit I bought it mostly due to all the hype about BKP). I like it a lot but I don't think they are worth the price. I would have been equally happy with something from SD or DiMarzio.

 

[RLG167]

BKP's are good pickups, but they are no better IMO than SD, DiMarzio, EMG, or any other quality pickup. It's all just a matter of finding the right model to fit the tone you're going for. I have a Painkiller in one of my guitars ( have to admit I bought it mostly due to all the hype about BKP). I like it a lot but I don't think they are worth the price. I would have been equally happy with something from SD or DiMarzio.

Yeah, the price point makes it seem like they'd be better pickups. I'm not saying they're not high quality, but the Juggernaut set translates to $315 US plus god knows what shipping costs and how long it would take to arrive. I've heard they're all hand-wound, which I guess makes the price reasonable. But I'm thinking with r he new Ibby contract how will they continue to hand wind them? It's a tedious process and they'll have to make them in the thousands.

 

[sevenstringj]

Why did you switch if you don't mind me asking? From what I've heard, EMG's are like Bareknuckle's little brothers lol that's why I want to switch, I've heard they're just better.

The shit BKP fanboys say. And btw, I had a Painkiller and custom BKP single coil in a Schecter 007, and they ruled. EMG also rules. They're just different. I don't know why you can't get clarity out of the 81. I'm using an 81-8 and it's one of the clearest pickups I've ever played.

 

[RLG167]

The shit BKP fanboys say. And btw, I had a Painkiller and custom BKP single coil in a Schecter 007, and they ruled. EMG also rules. They're just different. I don't know why you can't get clarity out of the 81. I'm using an 81-8 and it's one of the clearest pickups I've ever played.

First, like I said, im just going on what my friends have told me, that's why I'm asking opinions on here too. Second, I'm just checking them out because I an looking for a certain tone that I can't get from EMG's, DiMarzio's, or SD's. I guess to sum it up in a simpler term, I want a Dimebag type sound but a bit less gain/presence. I can hear in my head what I want, but I just can't find it physically or sonically, you know? It's hard to explain.

 

[RLG167]

And out of DiMarzio and EMG, I prefer EMG, but I don't like the non-adjustable pole pieces. I know the new Het Set has them though. And I know he used to use the 81/85, so maybe it's an 81/85 set with adjustable pole pieces?

 

[SqWark]

BKP's are good pickups, but they are no better IMO than SD, DiMarzio, EMG, or any other quality pickup. It's all just a matter of finding the right model to fit the tone you're going for. I have a Painkiller in one of my guitars ( have to admit I bought it mostly due to all the hype about BKP). I like it a lot but I don't think they are worth the price. I would have been equally happy with something from SD or DiMarzio.

^This!!!

 

[SqWark]

I know the new Het Set has them though. And I know he used to use the 81/85, so maybe it's an 81/85 set with adjustable pole pieces?

81/60 actually

 

[Lemons]

If you like EMG's try a blackhawk set, If you want to try something a little cheaper you might be happy with a Dimarzio Titan set.