Which BKP's for a walnut guitar?

[Metaljesus]

Im in the process of ordering a RAN guitar and im not sure of wich BKP's i should get.
It's a 6 string Walnut bodied guitar with ovangkol neck and macassar ebony fretboard.
I play almost only metal with lots of tight rythms and palm muted chugging, with the occasional lead part here and there.
Which BKP do you think would suit best for this kind of build?
I want to try the painkillers, but i have heard a lot about walnut being picky about pickups.

 

[xeonblade]

C-Bomb?

 

[guitarneeraj]

Im in the process of ordering a RAN guitar and im not sure of wich BKP's i should get.
It's a 6 string Walnut bodied guitar with ovangkol neck and macassar ebony fretboard.
I play almost only metal with lots of tight rythms and palm muted chugging, with the occasional lead part here and there.
Which BKP do you think would suit best for this kind of build?
I want to try the painkillers, but i have heard a lot about walnut being picky about pickups.

You definitely want ceramic pole pieces for the tightness. The Aftermath is a good balance between the NB and PK IMHO, it's got a good attack response with a not-so-extreme mid-range as the PK. The NB has a really meaty tone but slower attack response for low tunings, but since yours is a 6, I doubt you'll go that low anyway. Another good choice may be the ceramic Warpig, since Walnut is a hair brighter than Mahogany (and I'd swear by the C-Pig in my RGA121), BUT I fear it may cause too much low end.
My honest (and probably best piece of) advice : ASK TIM !

 

[AngstRiddenDreams]

I second asking Tim about it. He usually replies quickly and knows his shit, since he, well, makes them and stuff.

 

[Metaljesus]

Ok so i got an answer from Tim.
He Said the cold sweat would do great in a walnut body because of the more balanced mid response, since walnut bring mids on it's own due to it's density.

Have Anyone had any first hand experience on cold sweats?
How do they sound compared so say Aftermaths?

 

[guitarneeraj]

Ok so i got an answer from Tim.
He Said the cold sweat would do great in a walnut body because of the more balanced mid response, since walnut bring mids on it's own due to it's density.

Have Anyone had any first hand experience on cold sweats?
How do they sound compared so say Aftermaths?

Ahh can't help you there because neither have I tried a walnut body nor the Cold Sweats. All I've heard about them is that they're one of the lower output models. Yea, walnut definitely is a denser wood, if you want higher output you could also look at the Miracle Man I suppose.

 

[Rayaus]

Ok so i got an answer from Tim.
He Said the cold sweat would do great in a walnut body because of the more balanced mid response, since walnut bring mids on it's own due to it's density.

Have Anyone had any first hand experience on cold sweats?
How do they sound compared so say Aftermaths?

I have tried both, and I'd say the Cold Sweat is very clear and tight, but it's also quite bright. The Aftermath is very tight and modern, has a lot of bass and relaxed treble. I'd say the Cold Sweat is tighter, but it isn't as full sounding as it has less mids than the Aftermath.

I don't think you can go wrong with either, it really depends on the tone your looking for. I really like the Aftermath for thick sounding guitars (I use it in C standard and it sounds great for Arch Enemy type riffs) but the Cold Sweat can bring a tad more brightness and cut if needed.

 

[MAJ Meadows SF]

I like using the Cold Sweat in mahogany because of its balance and tightness. It isn't really low output, more medium, but definitely not screaming hot. It will do an absolutely solid job for tight rhythms and chugging chords. It has a bright top end, but it's not ice-pick or over bearing. It sounds bright in basswood, maple, and even a bit in ash. But it works well in mahogany and should do the job in walnut.

I'll second the C-Bomb as an option, as it is very tight, higher output than the Cold Sweat or even the A-Bomb. It is a hotter, more compressed Nailbomb with tighter bass for a less open feel- in a good way for metal. I have one in a basswood JEM and it is definitely made for that guitar. It handles Vai-like tones and screaming metal: thrash, death, tech, you name it. Coupled with a Painkiller neck it is a nasty sounding instrument, but it alo cleans up well and sings beautifully even under less gain.

Either way you have good options. Tim's suggestion is definitely one to take seriously, and the C-Bomb if you are looking for more of an aggressive roar. Not that the Cold Sweat won't; I have both but I love my C-Bomb .

 

[Metaljesus]

Thanks for all the answers everyone!
After some more emailing back and forth with Tim i settled on aftermaths. I think they will suit my needs pretty well. If in the long run i end up not liking them, i might try another combination, cold sweats A/C-bombs etc.

 

[guitarneeraj]

Thanks for all the answers everyone!
After some more emailing back and forth with Tim i settled on aftermaths. I think they will suit my needs pretty well. If in the long run i end up not liking them, i might try another combination, cold sweats A/C-bombs etc.

Ahhh a bit of care on ordering a set, I myself didn't fancy the AM neck too much..

 

[Levi79]

I have tried a Miracleman, a Coldsweat and an Aftermath in my Walnut/Maple Carvin. I honestly liked them all in it. I like my tone to be super bright and clear, some might even say thin. I tried all said pickups in basswood too. I liked the Miracleman the best in the Walnut. It was really bright, tight and clear, but it had more low mids than the others. I usually hate low mids, but it really helped fill the sound with the Walnut. The Coldsweat in Walnut however, was a little harsh. I really digged it too, but it's quite scooped and has alot of highs so it made for a kind of harsh tone and the mids were a little empty. The Aftermath was really awesome in the Walnut as well. It has quite a bit more bass than the other two, so if you're looking for a little bit of beef and thickness, this is your guy.

Overall though, I thought the Miracleman was awesome in Walnut.

 

[Metaljesus]

I have tried a Miracleman, a Coldsweat and an Aftermath in my Walnut/Maple Carvin. I honestly liked them all in it. I like my tone to be super bright and clear, some might even say thin. I tried all said pickups in basswood too. I liked the Miracleman the best in the Walnut. It was really bright, tight and clear, but it had more low mids than the others. I usually hate low mids, but it really helped fill the sound with the Walnut. The Coldsweat in Walnut however, was a little harsh. I really digged it too, but it's quite scooped and has alot of highs so it made for a kind of harsh tone and the mids were a little empty. The Aftermath was really awesome in the Walnut as well. It has quite a bit more bass than the other two, so if you're looking for a little bit of beef and thickness, this is your guy.

Overall though, I thought the Miracleman was awesome in Walnut.

With your description, i think im glad i choose the aftermaths
I like a beefy sound with a heavy palm muted "chugg" to it.

 

[Levi79]

Then you're going to fucking LOVE the Aftermaths dude.

 

[t0ad]

Hi, I'm also in the process of ordering a guitar and came upon this thread while searching the forum precisely for the best BKP for walnut body.

I didn't expect the thread to be so relevant to my situation though: I'm also ordering a 6-string RAN Crusher (same as you, I assume) with walnut body, ovangkol neck and macassar ebony fretboard and I want BKPs in there. I assume that, reading the above, the Aftermath will be my best bet.

But just to be sure: the guitar will run through an Engl E670 (Special Edition) head and an Engl E412VS (with v-30s) cab. And rather than trying to explain the kind of metal I play, let's pretend I play in Gorod's and Keep of Kalessin's bastard child. And let's add in there that they chose Dream Theater to be its godfather...
Any thoughts as to the best fit?

@Metaljesus, did you already get your quote?
- If so, would you very much mind laying down your specs and, in particular, telling the price? So I have an idea what to expect.
- If not, and maybe I'm dreaming here, but maybe if we order together we could strike a small discount somehow seeing as our orders are pretty much the same (material-wise, so far).

 

[Crash Dandicoot]

I've got an '80 E2 Gibson Explorer (Walnut/Maple construction), and I'm considering throwing in a Black Dog in the bridge and an Emerald in the neck.

Tonally speaking I'd like to be able to achieve some heavy, gutteral metal tones, but simultaneously be able to roll back the gain a bit and have a powerful, punchy distortion for more rock-orientated stuff. Would the Black Dog / Emerald fit that description?

 

[anunnaki]

I'm thinking of getting a walnut guitar

would blackhawks be good pickups?

 

[t0ad]

I'm thinking of getting a walnut guitar

would blackhawks be good pickups?

I ordered the Black Hawks for my walnut guitar.

When speaking with Tim about it, he initially recommended the AM for my needs; but two days after that the BH came out and he confirmed that it was also suitable.

Couldn't tell you how they sound though as I'll only get it somewhere in October...