Bare Knuckle Pickups BKP-91

Calibrated set of passive, single coil, alnico v, p-90 soapbar stlye (though i got mine with chrome covers)

this replaced the p-90's that were in my gibson les paul studio. not sure if they were stock (normally i'd guess not, but there were no indications of any holes being filled and covered where mount rings for humbuckers would go....so who knows?). the p-90's that were on there were ok, but lacked a certain texture in the mids and the highs sounded a bit dull. after talking to the guys in my favorite local guitar shop (wassup ludlow guitars!) i decided on the bkp-91.

i'll skip the annoying list of pedals i use (delays, verbs, comp, blah blah), but my main stomp is a keeley ts-9 baked mod, going into a mesa f-100/mesa 1x12 widebody cab. you could plug a mic into my rig and burp into and it'd sound good, but i definitely wanted a bit more response and clarity from my gtr and i definitely wasn't disappointed! the bkp-91's are a HUGE step up from the p-90's that they replaced. the lows are fuller without the mud, the entire mid range is smoother (the old ones had this annoying peak around 2k), and the highs are bright, lively, and sing without being piercing. these p-ups with the keeley baked ts-9 gives me the most *** spanking tone i've ever had! running clean into my amp is something i absolutely dig now, which was always boring to me because the old ones were soooo dull in comparison.

i've been playing for about 17 years now (holy crap i'm getting old...), and i've worked in the music business as a musician/engineer for 9 of those. finding gear that stands out in quality is rare these days, and finding gear that stands out enough to make me take time to write up a review is one in a million! if someone had time enough to dismantle my gtr and steal my p-ups, i'd kick my own *** first, then i'd find the ******* and cut their fingers off. then order another set of bkp-91's.

Passive single coil. Approximately output is 7.8k's.

Guitar: Gibson SG Classic
Position: neck and bridge (both)
Replacing: stock Gibson soapbars
Reason for change: wanted better tone than I already had

Output: slightly hotter than stock
Amp/effects: Fender Blues Jr, modded Boss DS-1 sometimes
Tone: medium-high output, balanced overall
Musical style: hard rock, blues-rock and it works perfect
Suitable: neck and bridge both, but especially the neck- goes good with a Tele or vintage humbucker for the bridge

Would replace: most definitely
Playing experience: playing since I was 12, 16 now so about 4 years total
Love/hate: everything is a-OK, not a thing I would change
Compared with: the Seymour Duncan line of P-90s- didn't care for the ceramic magnets they use
Wish it had: nothing more than it already has
Satisfied: yes

Single coil P90 style. Scatterwound. Alnico V magnets. calibrated pair. Impedance: 7.8k. Described as "slightly hotter than [vintage] stock".

Callibtrated set installed at bridge and neck in a new PRS SE Soapbar 2. the guitar is otherwise stock. I shopped around a bit (for the guitar) to find a really well-finished example, which I then set up and replaced the p'ups. I had read in reviews of the guitar that it was great value and played well but that the pickups (while serviceable) were not as lively as vintage P90s. Hence, I bought the guitar with a view to upgrading and thus creating a really great instrument on a budget.

These are amazing pickups. The main differences from the Korean stock were greater clarity and presence, much more detail across the frequency spectrum and a little higher output. As with the great P90s of lore, the Bare Knuckles are sweet and detailed, but also raunchy with a beefy ker-chang when you hit the strings harder. The pickups exceeded my expectations and have transformed a guitar that I already really liked into the nicest instrument I have ever played - a real life partner. One caution: Pickups need a few hours of playing time to break in. I found the p'ups a little bright and cutting when first fitted them, but they softened quite quickly. If you find the same thing with ANY new pickups, stick with them a while before forming an opinion.

If I were ever deprived of my guitar, I would definitely buy a new one and fit a new set of BKP-91s. I spent ??350 on th eguitar and ??135 on the pickups. For a total ??485, I now have a guitar that I prefer to any others I have played that retail for up to ??1500. I recommend these pickups (and the guitar if the looks are up your street) unreservedly to anyone after a P90 upgrade.