Bare knuckle vs. EMG vs. DiMarzio

[Anant Naag]

Not to hi jack the thread but
How do the lace alumitones/deathbucker compare to the mentioned brands ?
They don't provide eq curves on their website and can't find much info on their output either. So im curious how they compared.

Thanks.

 

[RLG167]

Not to hi jack the thread but
How do the lace alumitones/deathbucker compare to the mentioned brands ?
They don't provide eq curves on their website and can't find much info on their output either. So im curious how they compared.

Thanks.

I've never heard of those, I'll look them up and see if I can find anything.

 

[RLG167]

81/60 actually

I tried James' news sig. Eclipse at GC yesterday, the HetSet sounded amazing! Maybe I'll try that. Because I think my only problems with EMG's is the pre-scooped mids. If I had adjustable pole pieces (like the HetSet) I could probably get the tone I'm looking for! Although, I'm a bigger fan of the 81/85, do you know if they make that with adjustable pole pieces?

 

[Anant Naag]

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/misc.php?do=bbcode#youtubevid

 

[Anant Naag]

 

[RLG167]

@coffeeflush there's something wrong with the pics you posted, they're not showing up...

 

[Spectivum]

Not to hi jack the thread but
How do the lace alumitones/deathbucker compare to the mentioned brands ?
They don't provide eq curves on their website and can't find much info on their output either. So im curious how they compared.

Thanks.

I have a deathbucker (see my trade thread if interested) compared to the others it weighs less and looks more futuristic.
Soundwise? different as always it is detailed and balanced. I would say it is more in the middle of actives/passives than the other pickups I tried. Output is high, same league as other high output pickups.

 

[1b4n3z]

I tend to steer towards Duncans every time I consider pickups, it's my tone for sure. EMG 81 is great for metal rhythm, but the lack of low end gets on my nerves pretty quickly - but the high end cut is very nice. It's hard to find a passive with that kind of character - haven't actually found one yet - but I'm getting there with the Duncan Distortion paired with a cheapo treble booster circuit. I usually bypass the circuit, but it's nice to have it on hand when needed. Reminds me a lot of BKP Painkiller, but with much more grunt and power

 

[Anant Naag]

I have a deathbucker (see my trade thread if interested) compared to the others it weighs less and looks more futuristic.
Soundwise? different as always it is detailed and balanced. I would say it is more in the middle of actives/passives than the other pickups I tried. Output is high, same league as other high output pickups.

Thanks man, so I can paid with another high output pup like a Dimarzio evo for example ?

How is the eq curve ? Any spikes or is it neutral and balanced ?
Also why are you trading it ?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I wish BKP made a Strat sized rail version of their VHII Neck p/u.

 

[RLG167]

BKP got back to me very quickly, around 6 this morning. They asked for the specs of my guitar and what type of music I play. In my original email to them I mentioned that I wanted a good, near perfect balance of lows and mids, with boosted highs. So I sent them the specs of my guitar (5pc maple/mahogany neck-through, mahogany wings, quilt maple top, TOM string-through body, EMG 81/85 active humbuckers), and that I play mostly thrash and almost never clean, but when I do, I like a soft clean, not twangy. They sent me what they assume would be the best match, as the Nailbombs with ceramic magnets. (I had origi ally asked about the Juggernaut set) They also sent links to videos, and went into detail when I asked about the warranty. Overall very amazing customer service. Here is the last email I got below to show the level their CS is at:

"Hi Reuben,

That mahogany body and neck thru design will add warmth. The Juggs will be pretty bassy in there. I recommend a set of Nailbombs with the ceramic magnet option for the bridge. They will be great for metal and thrash - loads of cut and aggression, with a nice organic feel. A great set.

Have a listen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2kvQkpz5sM


Charlie Griffiths (Haken, Total Guitar, Guitar Techniques) using a set of ceramic Nailbombs.


http://vimeo.com/39759313


(it might be best to turn off the 'HD' button on the clip).


https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_28_178

Kind Regards,

Ben French"

1I'm just stuck on the CS because they're so thorough. Anyways, if I decide to swap the EMG's, now I know what the best match would be for my guitar. Looks promising

 

[ASoC]

I'll +1 what they said, the first thing I was struck by when I got my ceramic Nailbomb was how perfect it was for thrash. I can't speak for the neck pickup, as I have a Cold Sweat instead. That's one of those things that happens I guess when you buy pickups that are in stock instead of ordering new ones

I wish BKP made a Strat sized rail version of their VHII Neck p/u.

I actually just sent them an email to see if there's any way they'll wind me a noiseless single coil or a strat sized rail bucker. As much as I like my DiMarzio HS-2, I have a strong suspicion that it just doesn't have enough output for my needs. Sure I could squash the hell out of it with compression and dime out the gain, but that would be treating symptoms instead of the actual problem. If they can't or won't do it, I'll probably just go with an Air Norton S or a Fast Track or something

 

[Anant Naag]

On topic of bkp's.

I tried aftermaths and found them to be a combination of the SH4 and Dimarzio evo , the compressed clarity and open string kind of sound are both there.
That sound is holy grail for some, for others its meh.

Personally I didn't like them much. But the blackhawks look interesting to me, the price though discourages me.

I play dimarzio now for most part and I am thinking about Lace pickups.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

You can get a better price than $315 + shipping. I look at eBay to see if they carry what I need at a good price and usually just go direct to BK. I priced out a set last week (no covers) and the price was around 299 shipped to AZ. The numbers change according to the exchange rate and obviously higher if you want fancy covers.

Put me down as BKP fanboi. I have (2) Juggs, MMans, (2) BHawks, and an Aftermath in different guitars. It's not even close to me when compared to other popular brands like DiMar & SD, but YMMV IMHO JM2C

 

[SqWark]

I tried James' news sig. Eclipse at GC yesterday, the HetSet sounded amazing! Maybe I'll try that. Because I think my only problems with EMG's is the pre-scooped mids. If I had adjustable pole pieces (like the HetSet) I could probably get the tone I'm looking for! Although, I'm a bigger fan of the 81/85, do you know if they make that with adjustable pole pieces?

^Agreed! The Het set sounds very good. Found it was a little too lively in Alder but in my Mahogany guitars it sounds awesome! Never seen the 81/85 with adjustable pole pieces. I kinda think that the 81/85 combo is what it is and they're not gonna mess with it. Personally I love the 81 in the bridge of several of my guitars depending on the tone wood used. Mahogany body+EMG 81 sounds awesome to my ears.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

The combination of the Het Bridge / 66 Neck is piquing my interest as of late.

 

[SqWark]

The combination of the Het Bridge / 66 Neck is piquing my interest as of late.

I just wish you could buy just the JH bridge pickup instead of only being able to get it as a (het) set. Gets kinda pricey. I have the Het Set in one of my guitars (ESP MII) and it replaced the 57/66 combo which I had previously installed. To my ears the 66 neck pickup did sound good but not that different to the JH neck pickup (a newer version of the EMG 60). Both very smooth sounding with awesome cleans.

 

[RLG167]

So a couple hours ago FedEx dropped off my newest baby it's an LTD EC-401, (pretty much an EC-1000, without locking tuners, and I got it for a steal too!) Anyways, it has the EMG 81/60 set and I don't know what it is, but it sounds INCREDIBLE!! I'd even go as far as to say it sounds better than any of my other guitars. This guitar is solid mahogany body with a set mahogany neck. I never accounted for the wood because now that I think of it, this is only my second guitar with a mahogany neck and the other (Deal ltd. edition ML Knight, 81/85) is my other favorite axe with EMG's. All of my guitars except those 2 have maple necks with either mahogany, basswood, or alder bodies. Maybe it's something with EMG pairing up with a mahogany neck and body that I think sounds great. BTW, I'm primarily running it through my Bugera 6262 half stack.

 

[SqWark]

So a couple hours ago FedEx dropped off my newest baby it's an LTD EC-401, (pretty much an EC-1000, without locking tuners, and I got it for a steal too!) Anyways, it has the EMG 81/60 set and I don't know what it is, but it sounds INCREDIBLE!! I'd even go as far as to say it sounds better than any of my other guitars. This guitar is solid mahogany body with a set mahogany neck. I never accounted for the wood because now that I think of it, this is only my second guitar with a mahogany neck and the other (Deal ltd. edition ML Knight, 81/85) is my other favorite axe with EMG's. All of my guitars except those 2 have maple necks with either mahogany, basswood, or alder bodies. Maybe it's something with EMG pairing up with a mahogany neck and body that I think sounds great. BTW, I'm primarily running it through my Bugera 6262 half stack.

Mahogany body plus EMG 81/60 is an awesome combo! Despite what many believe the wood does make a huge difference in the overall tone.

 

[RustInPeace]

With the Canadian dollar ....ting the bed, Theres no way I can justify spending $400+ on a set of these. Out of all the BK's I've tried, I've only really liked 2 of them in the miracle man bridge and a neck mule.