Bare Knuckle Pickups Crawler Set

Pickup features: uncovered passive humbuckers
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Tokai LC53 Les Paul Custom (Korean)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock ('crappy Gotohs')
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Geoff Whitehorn
You musical style(s): Fleetwood Mac tribute band
Reason for pickup change: stock pickups weren't anything special. and had heard good things about the BareKnuckles from the guys at Arrowhead Guitars

Perceived output level: hotter than the stock ones, hotter than the stock ones in my '82 Tokai and a LOT hotter than the StewMac Golden Age's in my Ibanez
Tone: these *cut* - a little toppier than I was expecting, but very clear
Sonic evaluation: Marshall JCM800, Boss SD-1. Comments from the rest of the band 'Best lead tone I've heard you get', 'that guitar sounds really clear', and (from our bassist) "Cor. Evil little bitch, isn't it!"

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Fleetwood Tribute band - works very well indeed for the sound I'm after (Valve amp on edge of breakup, + singing lead tone with SD-1)

Comments: Great people to deal with, awesome pickups, would recommend 'em to anyone.

Pickup features: Humbucker passive. Zebra coils.
Impedence or other specs: Rated at 15k impedance, Alnico V magnets. Scatter-wound coils. 43 gauge enamelled windings. 4 conductor hook-up.

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Gold Top
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Failed Seymour Duncan JB and replacement Kent Armstrong HRO1
Other pickups on guitar: Kent Armstrong PAF neck position.
Artists using this pickup: Geoff Whitehorn - but then he helped voice it!
You musical style(s): Blues, blues-rock.
Reason for pickup change: The original Seymour Duncan JB which had been in place for 16 years lost a coil mid gig. As it was wired to coil tap and phase switches I could still use it but without the full-blown grunt of a series wired humbucker. I had the Armstrong in my spares box but it never made the sweet noises that the JB did, either alone or in conjunction with the neck PAF. Something had to change.
I saw the Crawler at Music Live 2004 and spoke to Tim of Bare Knuckle about it. He verbally gave me its spec and let that do the selling for him.
The fact it has 4-conductor wiring means that I can retain the coil tapping and phasing options of its predecessor. Just handling the pickup at the Bare Knuckle stand confirmed its quality and attention to detail. Tim's description of its sound as "Like a JB but without the bark" was enough to convince me to try one. Usually I would have checked Harmony Central first for user reviews but this was a bit of an impulse buy. Must try it again!

Perceived output level: Sounds like a beefed-up PAF but without the mid-range bark of the Duncan JB. Output level is similar to a JB. To my ears there is nothing better than Alnicos in any pickup.
Tone: As a humbucker it is punchy and well-balanced with clarity across the tonal range. I thought the JB would be impossible to better, but I am forced to reconsider this opinion. With one coil shorted out, the Crawler has a toppy Strat-like quality which adds enormously to the Les Paul's sonic vocabulary. When used in conjunction with the neck PAF, either in or out of phase, it produces usable, musical tones. Out of phase is instant Peter Green; in-phase brings to mind country-ish qualities. The interaction of the Crawler with PAF was better than the JB and I thought that was the dog's nether regions. All round a remarkably versatile pickup which delivers either on its own or in cahoots with the neck PAF.
Sonic evaluation: Crawler installed on a Les Paul, through a Boss CS3 into a RAT2 and then a Morley PowerWah. Amp is a Hiwatt DR103 through either a 2x12 or 4x12 cabinet.
I honestly thought the SD Jeff Beck would be impossible to better. The Crawler delivers the punch and mid-range sweetness without the slight edginess. Linked to the neck PAF brings out a massive range of usable rock and blues sounds.
It is quite hard to add further comments about this pickup. I suspect that the next gig will generate comments from band-mates which will prove more telling than my somewhat over-awed ramblings. First, second and third impressions are of a pickup that not only delivers in its own right but works brilliantly with its partner in crime. Simply sonically superb.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, blues-rock. An ideal match. A great bridge pickup although I would have reservations about using it in the neck position. In tapped mode it brings a real single coil 'sting' to the Les Paul, so on its own the Crawler can offer a massive array of sounds. It may not have enough drive for metal, and it certanly had too many mids for that genre, but for blues and blues-base rock, it is impossible to fault.

Comments: I have only had the Crawler fitted for three days, but it has impressed me so much I had to put this submission together. It isn't cheap, but quality never is. Let's see how it fares with a few gigs under its belt. I suspect the more I use this pickup, the more I will discover about it and my rave factor is likely to increase. Brilliant work Bare Knuckle - this is a knockout [groan!]

Pickup features: Humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: 16dc Bridge (Neck balanced to match)

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul Custom
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Les Paul Custom Humberkers
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Geoff Whitehorn
You musical style(s): Cross section depending on gig
Reason for pickup change: The guitar is lovely but I felt that the pick ups were not special enough.I had recently replaced a Suhr pick up on my Tyler Strat. It is an awesome pick up so I felt assured on risking a plug into the crawler set recommended by Tim.

Perceived output level: High output
Tone: Balanced with nice mids(but not nasal)
Sonic evaluation: Pluged into aPeavey Classic & Delta Blues they sing like I,ve never heard a pick up sing before (at least in my hands).The tones remind me of Michael Thompson. They are sonically so rewarding I,m working my guitar like never before, infact my wife said I sounded like Jeff Beck;.... that,ll do! The nice thing is I don,t need a booster for ultra fast stuff anymore but I still get tone without the fizzy stuff that I hate when recording. These pick ups have not only revolutionized my playing they are a positive sonic revelation. I will never look at another pick up again, and believe me I,ve tried literally hundreds!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Needs a balanced set and you will cover Rock, Blues, Jazz and more.

Comments: In 30 years of playing I not found anything to touch these pick ups. Infact I could say that about the Irish Tour fitted to my Tyler,and I think the Suhr pick ups are great, but these are better in my opinion.