Bare Knuckles for Metal

[Nitsuj]

Has anyone gone from EMG's to BKP's? If so, what's your impression and how do they compare to the 81/85?

Cheers.

Just loaded a calibrated set of Painkillers a couple days ago and swapped out the Emg 81/60.

Sorry guys but BKPs did not work for me. Compared to the EMGs, the highs seem rolled off by quite an amount. Initially I thought the pickups could have been wired wrongly but they were installed right. Even the guitar tech said they were boxy sounding.

As advertised, the BKPs have a lot of low end and mids, are tight and organic sounding. But my ears tell me that it has too much fat and does not have the bite that I'm after. Had to compensate the high end and max out the presence on my Mark IV. Its still a no can do for me.

The only plus on the BKPs are that the cleans are really awesome sounding. Its really nice and warm. You dont get the sterility of EMGs.

If the high end was fixed and had more grit to it, the bkps would be a keeper. Gonna let the Painkillers go and put in Blackouts.

 

[drew_drummer]

I love the organic quality of the Nailbombs. I've never used EMG's myself, but I've heard them in a friends Ibanez. It's funny you mention they have more low-end, because they sounded waspy and a bit thin to me.

 

[Metal Overload]

I love the organic quality of the Nailbombs. I've never used EMG's myself, but I've heard them in a friends Ibanez. It's funny you mention they have more low-end, because they sounded waspy and a bit thin to me.

Comming from an ibanez is not a surprise.

 

[Nitsuj]

Thought I'd make a correction to a post I made regarding BKP painkillers and not tarnish the good name of Bareknuckles.

According to Tim Mills of Bareknuckle, passives will not work with 25k volume pots. I wasnt aware of this and the guitar tech that swapped EMGs with the painkillers did not remove the 25k pot and replace it with a 500K. And that was why everything really sounded crummy with the highs all rolled off.

Its all fixed now and the painkillers are really something. Lotsa bite, tight low end, mids, highs. Its basically more of everything from an EMG 81 without sounding like an active.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Okay, there seems to be some misconceptions going around.

"I wouldnt say that Bareknuckles are low output pickups tbh"

Bareknuckle Pickups are not strictly high output pickup makers, in fact aren't strictly humbucker makers either, which clears up that misconception and also partly answers the OP's question about BKP being suited for metal.
Some BKPs are, but on the same token I doubt you are going to buy a set of single coil non hum canceling BKP Irish Tour set of pickups and put it in your guitar and then decide you want to be play Megadeth or Arch Enemy on it. I have actually used these pickups (Irish Tours), and I wont be putting them in my guitars to play metal any time soon
I don't understand this whole "BKP = metal" thingo. It takes about 5 minutes to go in their website to see they make vintage, low output pickups better suited for classic rock and cleaner guitar styles too.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Miracle Man, but if you love your 81 stay with that, but I'd also try the Seymour Duncan Blackout Metal. It rules!

The Blackout Metals sound hardly anything like the EMG 81s/85s though and hardly like the normal Blackouts either The voicing is totally different, the amount of output is a lot higher and getting a clean tone out of them is a bitch.
They are amazing if they are what you really want, but they would come as a bit of a shock to someone who's only played EMGs and bought them expecting it sound not too different.

 

[BrettT]

From my speaking with Tim the Painkiller is closest to the 81.

If you can't get sick Metal tone with any of the modern BKPs the pickups aren't the problem!

Of course everyone has thier own tastes so just try em out if you can.

I've always heard that the Miracle Man is the closest to the 81. Of course, the Painkiller and Miracle Man are probably the two most similar BKP p'ups. The Painkiller seems to have more upper mid emphasis and the MM is more balanced in the mids and more emphasis on the highs. I love my MM, but I would love to hear my guitar with a Painkiller in it.

 

[slashvanyoung]

If the Blackout Metal is anything like the old Metal Live Wire 18v monster then it's basically impossible to play clean. that was by miles the hottest PU I've ever had...

 

[Harry Hughes]

If the Blackout Metal is anything like the old Metal Live Wire 18v monster then it's basically impossible to play clean. that was by miles the hottest PU I've ever had...

The Blackout Metal set was made as a replacement for the Livewire Metals, the difference between a new preamp, the ability to run on only one 9 volt battery and switchable output levels via a jumper switch.
And yes, clean tones are non existent with them too. I know a dude that has some and loves them, but too much output for me personally.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Has anyone gone from EMG's to BKP's? If so, what's your impression and how do they compare to the 81/85?

Cheers.

I'll do comparison clips next week.
replacing an emg81 in one of my guits with a painkiller

 

[Omega_Void]

Thanks to all who replied to my query

...the guitar tech that swapped EMGs with the painkillers did not remove the 25k pot and replace it with a 500K. And that was why everything really sounded crummy with the highs all rolled off.

Gotta love "tech"s who have lack very basic technical knowledge

...the painkillers are really something. Lotsa bite, tight low end, mids, highs. Its basically more of everything from an EMG 81 without sounding like an active.

Ooohhh, I feel a craving coming on - looking forward to those clips, Mr Lammert...

 

[Kalapuikko]

Bumping a little.. Did a quick testjam yesterday with my new Nailbomb in bridge position of my Ltd: http://tinyurl.com/ydlpj43

Yep, the drums are from the Lamb Of God's Sacrament producer edition, did not have time to put something own up and those are fun to jam with Also the almost obscene "bass" is pitch-shifted guitar... (hate it when I don't own a real thing!)

 

[Sacha]

I find the Painkillers way less compressed / saturated then EMGs...similar frequency wise perhaps. They are killer and reward good hard guitar reaming.

 

[abt]

I just put in my first set on BKs on two days ago. I emailed the BK guy before I ordered and he said to get the Painkillers for metal, so I did.

So far I'm happy. So far a direct comparison to EMG 81/51 IMO is that they have way more output. My pre is usally set to around 50dB (75% of max) but with the BKs i have to roll it back to arounbd 30dB (50%).

There is a lot more bottom end on the bks, but what I like most is that they have a lot more colour than the EMGs. You can really manipulate the tone with the pick attack, playing more ponticello, tasto, etc. but it is still organic. You're not going to get blaring tone changes if you make a mistake.

So far I really like them. I bought them to compliment the EMGs when recording, only time will tell.

 

[yakko]

I'll do comparison clips next week.
replacing an emg81 in one of my guits with a painkiller

Still waiting
Would prefer a warpig clip next to emg-81. I can't believe the whole networld dont have one.