Bare Knuckle Pickups Apache

Handwound single coil set. Zinc Plated Steel base on Bridge, Middle & Neck. Mid pickup with polarity RW/RP. Flat magnet profile. Bridge 6.4, middle and neck 5.7.

About a half year ago I bought a 79 strat. It hadn't been played for years and just needed some work and attention. It plays perfectly after I had it set up to my taste. I was quite happy with the way it feels and plays. The sound however remained a big disappointment. No quack, no chimes, no twang, just a bland plonk.

I didnt remove the original fender pups right away because I somehow got brainwashed into thinking that this is a vintage strat and that it is supposed to remain all-original. It took me some weeks to get past that stupid idea and I went looking for replacement pups.

Output is low, but sweet. As said: Bridge 6.4, middle and neck 5.7. Most of the time I play this guitar through a tweed Blues Junior or an AC30 and sometimes through a Peavey Delta Blues. On the Junior and the AC30 these pups stay clean until the volume is almost halfway. There is enough output to produce a sweet and tasty drive. If you're looking for pups that really slam your amp, then look for soemthing else.

About the tone: I was not very convinced that changing pups would change the tone that much - but it did. I find it hard to describe how these sound, but I would say it sounds "Fendery". It has twang, quack, chimes, glass, you name it, it's all there. My strat now sounds as I think a Strat should sound.

About the dynamics: I didn't expect this, but my strat now responds very differently to my playing. I can now hear the smallest details of my playing (...and mistakes). It responds well to picking softer or harder. Also the notes now have a very nice sustain: my Strat has obviously not changed overnight into a Les Paul but the notes now die out gracefully instead of just dropping dead.

I bought this strat for playing "strat" music and getting strat sounds. I play some blues, some rock, some hardrock and these pups are imfao a very good match.

A 9 because the BN's are very good value in terms of price and because I am very satisfied with the sound I got.

I usually dont suffer from choice anxiety, but this time I spent a lot of time checking reviews, sound samples and articles -partly because reviews on HC didn't help me at all. Most Barknuckle reviews were either scathing or read as if they were written by Bareknuckle employees.

Anyhow...I chose for these Bareknuckles for the following - practical! - reasons:
- They were easy to order from mainland EU and all models were available. I found out that EU dealers usually don't have all (US-made) pups in stock or offer a very limited number of models.
- Although cost was not issue, they turned out to cost (a lot) less than almost all other boutique manufacturers and they cost just a little bit more than (good) stock Fender pups. In addition, because I had to order pups directly from manufacturers, ordering from the USA meant extra costs for shipping, customs & VAT.
- For me the Bareknuckle site was able to make clear what sound I was buying.

I have found some other beautiful pickups (Rio Grande, Lollar, SD Antiquity...) that are perhaps as good or even better. I assume the differences in quality are small or perhaps even non-existent and it all boils down to taste. I think will try pups from other boutique manufacturers, but for now I chose the BN's and are very, very pleased with them.

Passive single coil, specs are listed on manufacturer's site.
Medium/low output.

As we are talking here about features here is the most important one: all 3 pickups (bridge, middle, neck) respond very well to height adjustment but deliver more than 1 sweet spot. In fact, all sounds obtained are equally musical and useful, choice remaining a matter of taste and not restricted to one position.

Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster with Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups.
All 3 positions were replaced, I ordered a complete Apache set with a prewired pickguard. The bridge pickup has a base plate for an increased punch.
The prewired pickguard, by the way, is a superb piece of craftmanship by its own.

I bought the EC Strat for 2 reasons: the natural very good resonance of the body and the maple neck with the best shape and feel for me.
More than half of the time I play boosted/overdriven/distorted stuff so I tought the Noiseless would be OK in terms of hum, at least.
I was right, the Noiseless deserve their name. Unfortunately, nothing more.

After playing several months with the original setup it became clear to me that the Noiseless with active electronics (TBX and booster) are not gonna make it, the sound was too even and compressed, in the same time having a strange combination of too much output (without the booster engaged), unuseful sustain and unpleasant brightness.

I contacted Tim Mills at BKP and asked him for a set of pickups that would give me the pure Strat sound.

The result is the Apache set which absolutely satisfies me.
I have played the new pickups for couple of months before posting this review, using decent equipment: Hughes & Kettner Switchblade tube combo, Seymour Duncan Twin Tube, Carl Martin PlexiTone, Japan made Boss BF-2 Flanger, TC Electronic Nova Delay.

All 3 pickups deliver excellent sound with attitude, balance, musical sustain.
Harmonic richness and string separation are incredible.

They have medium to low output that preserves very well the resonance of wood, adjusted deep low they are not overly bright, adjusted top high they do not choke string's sustain.

Under all circumstances (clean/semi/distorted) they keep the same awesome definition and bite, never sound weak or thin.

The Apaches have a unique sort of firm response which gives a very securing feeling for a fluid playing (slower or faster) as though notes are somehow linked one to another in a very musical way.

The level of hum is way lower than the one I have expected, the prewired guard came with an inside insulation that must have its merit in this matter.

The bottom line is I ordered a set for a pure Strat sound and this is exactly what I have received.

I will admit it from the very begining, I am a BKP enthusiastic customer. Tim Mills' support and customer care are almost incredible in our time.
This is my third set of pickups from BKP, I also have a Stormy Monday/Riff Raff combo on a '79 Gibson The Paul and a Nailbomb/Irish Tour set on an Ibanez RG 570. All 3 made wonders for my guitars and for my tone.

I have been playing electric guitar for 25 years, after having studied classic violin. I play my own music with my band, I play also other famous players' music: Randy Rhoads, Ritchie Blackmore, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Alex Lifeson, to name the most importants to me.

I do not try to copy famous tones, I'd rather say I'm constantly trying to capture in my playing a little piece of the magical vibe found in famous tones.
It would be very common to say that the neck Apache will grant you a Gilmour singing tone, position 2 will bring alive Sultans of Swing and the bridge pickup is perfectly suitable for some of Blackmore's leads.
This is absolutely correct, but this is not enough.

Sometimes I am too lazy to switch guitars for different tunes and I find myself starting Over The Mountain or Believer or S.A.T.O. (Ozzy/Rhoads) with my EC Strat. It may sound weird, but I don't have to stop because with Apache bridge I can do them all. I am not saying I obtain Randy's tone, I'm saying I can play all those tunes and nothing is wrong in terms of texture, harmonics and definition. All those diminished distorted chords Randy has used sound awesome with BKP Apaches.

That's the beauty of an excellent pickup, it opens new ways in my music. Thank you BKP, thank you Tim Mills.

Single Coil
Passive
Based on '50s Strat Pickups

These pickups came with my Fender 60th Anniversary Standard Stratocaster. They're in all 3 positions.

Not sure about the output, but since they are vintage voiced, and judging by the other reviews, I'd say they are low output. The first thing I noticed was that the tone was very bright and thin. On the verge of sounding ice picky. Even with the rusty, dull strings, it sounded really bright and sharp. You can use the tone control to reduce the highs but turn it anymore than 1/4 way and the sound turns muddy.

Clean, like stated before, it's extremely thin sounding...kick in a bit of overdrive and you've got a great classic rock tone. Compared to stock MIM Strat pickups, these pickups don't respond very well to the strings. With the MIM Strat Pickups, if you have new strings, you'll have a bright sound, as they get rustier and dirtier, they'll sound warmer and duller and the pickups will pick this up. This can either be a good thing or a bad thing, for me, I don't like it.

I middle and bridge pickups are great compared to the neck, I consider a good neck pickup to be warm and round sounding. The bridge is a bit midrangey but still thin, however, it is much more usable than the neck, as is the middle.

However, these pickups sound very 'special' compared to cheap pickups. Cheap pickups (like stock MIMs) have a very standard clean sound...but the way these sound..there's something unique about them.

If these were somehow stolen, I'd probably go for warmer. Maybe a single sized humbucker with split coil, not sure, but it sure as hell won't be these. Don't get me wrong, these pickups are great for those who want that classic Strat chime. These pickups are how a good ole classic Strat should sound, it just isn't for me. But for the price tag, I don't think it's worth. I'm sure you can get something very close for much less.

Apache Single Coil Set passive, 5 or 6 ohms

CIJ Alder top of the line Stratocaster, cloth wired, CTS pots,steel block, all the goodies.
Replacing the Di Marzio Collection Set (not a bad set actually)
In all 3 positions
I don't know who uses BareKnuckles
I wanted a more vintage sound with a bit of sparkle

The output level is pretty good, about standard vintage actually.
The tone was pretty clear but just a tad dry and thin for my liking
I play a lot of styles ranging from old style Shadows thru to Clapton in the Cream days.
Also I studied a lot of Hendrixes earlier playing as well.
I do play shred though, some Vai, Becker, Howe etc, and some very fast alternate picking stuff as well, and even some Chet Atkins style.

Well I sold them recently, to be honest they weren't really what I wanted, although they weren't all that bad I did feel they were way overpriced for what they were and didn't really deliver what I wanted.
I read the comments below and I tend to somewhat agree with the comments by J-H-Axis, although I did think giving only a 1 for sound was pretty harsh.
But funnily enough the comments above those by Jeremy were all 10's, and if the negative comments by Axis were far left, then Jeremy's comments above his were definitely too far right to be totally believable. However everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I did think Jeremy's comments were probably not true in saying that a manufacturer would have made those negative comments though.
I cant imagine Seymour Duncan writing those comments (LOL!!) he's probably a millionaire for gods sake! or even Jason Lollar!
These guys must sell a lot of pickups, why would they even bother!
I'll bet they couldn't care less?
As far as a dealer, well most dealers can stock most brands, it's all about money, so if Bare-Knuckles sell well then why would a dealer want to bag them? just sell them! who cares if you like them or not.
So again it seems a bit unrealistic to say it's a dealer.
Probably its a user or player who does not like them, thats my guess.

Anyway my opinion is a bit negative about these pups as well, they are OK, but to be honest I ended up buying a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity's (Texas Hots) These were set up and wired from Acme Guitar Works and I like them much better than the Apaches because they sound and play more organically than the Bare-knuckles and they definitely nail that vintage tone, and I grew up with pre CBS Strats.
I also had used the Lollar Blackfaces and I liked them too, but they were not quite as organic as the Antiquities, so I sold the Lollars although they were very good and if you just strummed them they actually sounded more expansive than the Seymours, but they did not play quite as well when you dig in, if that makes sense.

I also bought a set of Duncan Antiquity 2's (Surfers) and I put them in my second Stratocaster, and I really like them too, so those are the Strat pickups that I finally ended up using and I am very happy with them.
I took a while to get to the Seymours and the reason is I don't really like any of his mass produced pickups at all, I have heard them on many guitars and my reaction has always been that they sound one dimensional and bland so therefore I was a bit negative about his pickups.
But a friend told me that his Antiquities are actually good and I eventually tried them and really liked them straight off.

Now about the Apaches, they were OK, but I used them on a lot of gigs over a fair amount of time and they just had a slightly sterile thin sound that got to me after a while, and what Axis said was actually true, they don't sound all that great on crunch,I use a Vox amp and pedals.
However they are a vintage pickup and are not really made for crunch, still I have to say that both the Duncan sets sound great on crunch and don't have that thin dryness that the Bareknuckles seem to have.

I also bought the Bareknuckles Trilogy set, but did not like them at all, they seemed overly bassy and no nice top end or dynamic give when you play them harder, but it's probably because they were over wound and since then I have decided I don't really like any over wound sets, I tend to agree with Malmsteem, if you want distortion, do it with your amp, not your pickups.

So all in all the Apaches are not a bad set, but in my opinion not worth a ten or even an eight, I would say about a five or six.
My conclusion, and why I sold them along with the Trilogies, is they are not all that dynamic, they do seem to sound a bit worse over time, but I am not totally sure of that, and finally they just lack that bit of true magical warmth and organic playability that the Duncan's and even the Lollars seem to have when you st

Apache Single Coils set
passive
output around 5 ohms
Alnico Magnents

Installed in USA Fender Strat
All 3 positions, replaced stock pickups
Lots of artists use these pickups now..
Changed pickups because I wanted a low output sweet sounding authentic 50's strat sound.

Output level is just right..
Used with a Marshall Jubilee and various Fender amps, mostly vintage or clones....
The tone is very clear focused and well balanced..Very touch responsive and these pickups can grown when needed..I thought they would be suitable for blues and occasions when low output old school style pickups are needed however they are very versatile and makes my strat even more versatile (so this is what Leo intended)...NOtes just bloom, and all the tones are just so clear...These Apaches do not have the characteristic midrange dip of 60s style pickups (I guess thats a Mothers Milk)...These are true 50's style pickups...All the EQ characteristics are in place and best of all they just sound good.

Its amazing what lengths other pickup dealers are going to just to bash Bare Knuckle. Anyone who has tried these 'pups out just love them. I think the post below is obviously an angry bitter dealer. Basically because his comments are just too far left and simply not true. BKP does not get anything from China. They make most of the stuff in their shop. Other pickup manufactures really go off on the last statement because it is simply not done anymore. Its expensive and most boutique guys do order stuff from China. BKP does indeed make their own parts and I assure you their magnets wont crap out in a month. Thats pretty funny...Another reason I think this guy is aligning himself with another manufacture and on some sort of smear campaign is because I have heard comments like these from another boutique pickup maker who makes a fine quality pickup. I called him on the phone to talk about his pickups and all he wanted to do is rant about BKPs and how they get all their stuff from China. That is just not the case and tactics like that just tell me, the consumer, that you hate BKP because they sound better.

Let me get back on point by saying that BKPs sound great. I love the Apache's and they are my 2nd single coil set. I also have the Irish Tours. These are very different. If I could have just one set it would be the Apache's because they have the most open pure sound.

I have tested these BKPs against, Suhrs, Fender Custom Shop 60s, Rio Grande Tallboys, and a stock Fender set. All these pickups basically had the same EQ curve-that 60s strat tone with a notched EQ curve at the mids, and The Suhrs and Tallboys sounded better then the Fender Made pickups. The Apache's had a different more 50's sound and I also think, EQ curves aside, they just sounded better. The Suhrs were the most mellow of the bunch and along with the Apache's, more of an open sound. The Suhrs were very fine pickups. The apache's however, have a clearer sound.

Single Coil Strat set, passive.

A custom built Strat with an Ash body finished in Nitro
I have tried and used many pups including stock Fenders, Seymours, Di-marzio etc..Plus the Seymour Antiquity series, I have heard Chubtones and many others...both factory and hand wound as well.
I genuinely heard good things about Bareknuckles so I decided to buy a few sets!

To be honest...I think most of the glowing reviews of these pickups are either written by

1. People in the honeymoon stage of these PUPS

To them I say...Listen honestly to your Bare Knuckles after 6 months...ask yourself, has the sound deteriorated?
Are the harmonics true? does the sound still sound wholesome and full with a nice balance through the frequencies.

2. They are possibly written by Tim himself or people that are influenced by him in some way.

Now heres the story...if you want a good set of handwound pups...go and buy some Antiquities, or Lollars or Chubtones or Fralins.
Dont buy these!!
Ask yourself why Tim has so many types and models, cause he is into marketing mainly, and making money at all costs.
He does not really care about quality...these pickups sound gradually worse over time...BELIEVE ME!!
I use point to point hand wired tube amps (I have several of those)...I build guitars as well, believe me...I KNOW!!

Dont fool yourself, Tim either uses inferior grade alnico magnets or poor wire that degrades over time, maybe bought from China or some dodgy manufacturer...either way in a few months your PUPS will sound like crap.
Don't believe what he says about finest grade alnico etc..."It's just hype and it's not true!"
I am not the only one who has experienced this, I have heard this from others also.
Put on a good tube crunch sound in 6 to 8 months and use your Apaches, the break up will be disharmonic at best...compare them honestly with some Antiquities or Lollars and you will die inside...and conclude that you have wasted your money.
Dont believe the HYPE...Bareknuckles are RUBBISH!!

I would never consider these PUPS again, they have nothing to offer at all.
You may as well burn your money.
I gave it a 2 only because they still worked...that is made a sound after several months...but that sound was crap.
BTW This was not only with the Apaches!
This also applies to his Tele sets...I had those too.

Single coil set beveled vintage stagger Alnico III scatterwound by hand, 6.4/5.8/5.8K,RW/RP middle with a Zinc Plated Steel Baseplate on bridge.

50's Fender Stratocaster, Alder body, maple neck, replaced all three stock pickups.

If you're looking for that vintage Strat sound with just a little bit more kick, these are the pups for you. I've tried many other "vintage" pickups from boutique pickup makers and these sound the best. From blues to rock they make a Strat sound like a Strat should.

I've been playing for 25 years and looking for pickups that would give me the tone, clarity and response that I heard from Leo's originals, I think I found what I was looking for. If they were destroyed or stolen, I would you buy them again no question asked. Tim's work is amazing and Jason's customer service is, well, peerless. I'm looking forward to trying out the rest of the collection.

Calibrated set of passive single coils, the impedance about 6.5K or something

Stratocaster (alder + rosewood neck) all positions. I am replacing Fender picups that came with the guitar. The reason was, well curiosity ...?

Output is slightly hotter, not so much. I use Peavey classic. The sound of the pups is better than the Fenders but I do not like the bridge pickup's output; too much squeal. I play rock and R&B for 17 years, did some recordings and just trust that I already know what I should know. To be honest, the sound is nice but I expected, you know, something extra, not only higher price.

I am going back to my old good Fenders. I DID want to try something new, you know, as they say: from the top shelf, and wanted to hear the bee's knees but unfortunately I did NOT. Anybody out there to buy my Apaches for a bargin price ?

Standard Apache alnico 3 but with top e and b magnet same length.

I fitted this to a US 57 reissue that I have had for 13 years.
I fitted the whole set, stock polarity with the base plate in the bridge to replace the stock fender ones. I asked for a custom set with the b magnet longer because I always feel the b string is not loud enough on the other 12 strats I have used or owned over the last 32 years.

The output seemed much higher but it didnt drive my amp input to distortion so much...muc clearer and richer soiund..all the harsh overtones and scratchiness i heard on the stock pickups have gone.
I use a 1960??s all valve Nolan which sustains and drives easily...but is difficult to get clean..now I have more clarity and sustain. My style varies from Trower, Kossoff, Beck to Grady Martin and Cliff Gallup...my guitar is now very versatile and more importantly rich and clear.

I will put these in another guitar soon althoug I will try some other brands out of interest but these have simply transformed a very mediocre guitar soundwise (it never really cut thru live) to a killer guitar. I have been playing since 1976..some years pro some semi..pro again now..but not paid enough. The only comment i would make about the pick ups are that the screws that come with them are not the correct countersunk type..and the jap screws are too thin for the holes in the base..so it would be better if they came with the correct vintage screws for jap gtr users..mine isnt but i have seen this before.

Dunno nothing about its impedance, I'm a musician, not an engineer but I suppose it is as the description says 6K or something.
A set passive single coils, flat pole pieces.

Very good American Stratocaster, maple neck, alder body, all three positions, and I'm not replacing my Lollar Blackface set, I'm just trying the BKP Apache.
The reason for the change is that I heard a lot of good words about BKP and I just wanted to try them and compare the Apahces to Jason's Blackfaces.

The output is more or less similar, I use all kinds of valve Fender amps, not too many effects, maybe delay and overdrive from time to time. The tone is quite nice, I would say, NO harsh produced by the bridge pup, much much better set than ordinary Fenders, I like the middle pup, nice country sound, but frankly speaking, nothing special for me, really. Not for that price ! Tim do you put gold into them or you hipnotize all those guys out there ?!
I've been playing Hendrix-like stuff for 27 years.

If it was stolen I would not by them again since I have already sold them to my friend for a bargin price, after three months of intense playing and recording. I went back to my Blacface set and until now have not found anything better for R&B or blues-rock stuff.
You know what I did not really like about them ? That dry sound. Only Alnico II or V can give you this beautiful reverb-like sound of a real single coil, forget about Alnico III - it sounds a bit better than ceramic ****. And you know what, there must have been the reason Fender stopped to produce pickups utilizing that magnet.
The magnets were not exactly flat in the neck pickup, sort of different compared to the other two in the set, which were OK.
The difference was not that significant but for 165?? I require the quality.
Final statement:
Jason you are the best, Tim you are surely a nice guy but Jason is the winner.