Bare Knuckle Pickups Custom Rewind

2 Humbuckers and 1 single coil

The guitar I had these done for is a 1989 Ibanez JEM 77FP. Nobody that I know of besides DiMarzio makes pink colored pu's (original color for this guitar) so I have stuck with them for this guitar. The guitar is a H-S-H setup. The original 89' PAF's didn't quite cut it for me. I tried both a Steve's Special and a Super Distortion in the bridge, an Air Norton in the neck, and an FS-1 and a Pro Track in the middle. The Super Dist -> Pro Track -> Air Norton was a nice setup but it just wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

These things are hot! They have a beautiful vintage sound to them and work great for the brown sound.

So far I've only used it with my Blackstar HT-5 Head and Roland BC-60 Blues Cube but I will try it out on my Fender Twin Reverb soon enough.

These things are just dripping with tone. The pickups are very treble heavy but that is just what I wanted. There is plenty of bass and the mids are just right. The thing I love most is that with higher quality pu's I find that I can dial in more mids and get an even better sound. With some other pu's I have to cut the mids to a certain degree to get the sound right. The humbuckers have more definition, clarity, and spank than any single coil I have ever heard but they have that humbucker thickness to them. The single coil is excellent as well and blends perfectly with the humbuckers.

Cleans sound superb as well and rolling off on the volume with some distortion can yield some fantastic bluesy sounds!

My style generally leads more towards blues/rock in the Van Halen region. These pu's are absolutely perfect for what I do.

I asked Tim to rewind the bridge to the VHII specs. The neck I wanted wound to the VHII specs only a little less hot that normal. As for the single coil, I just told him to find something to give me a good balance. My expectations were high based on what I have heard about this company but Tim managed to exceed my expectations. These things are phenomenal and it is definitely one of the best purchases I have ever made.

I will never buy another brand of pu's again. Most other brands sound half dead compared to bareknuckle pu's. These things are hands down the best pu's I have ever heard or played on. I can't wait to outfit my other guitars and try some different models.

It is also worth mentioning that Tim's customer support is amazing. He is very fast to respond and is extremely helpful.

All in all they may be expensive...but you get what you pay for. These things have breathed life back into my old guitar and are truly an inspiration to play on. That feeling I get when I hear early Eddie Van Halen, Eric Johnson, or Jimmy Hendrix is just buzzing inside of me when I play on these.

Right anyone who has a 'Burns Hank Marvin' 40th Anniversary Guitar, will be aware these are single coil pickups.

The orginal pickups work fine in neck and middle. However the bridge can cut glass at fifteen paces ! So after spending what seems like a year trying to tame the sound. I gave up ! then remembered just as i was about to sell this guitar, that i had vintage rewind by 'BKP' done on my 1979 strat. with very wicked results ! So out they come sent them off and within a week they were back in my hands. Dam quick service. Had them fitted by 'DW' guitars in maidstone Kent UK.

The sound from these now is very balanced, can actually use the bridge without any harsh cutting treble. Of course being 'Marvin' guitar i play a few of his tunes! everthing that was missing before in the tone is now there. Of course i am aware like most of you out there, that he only recorded with the marvin using the neck and middle pickup. Wonder why ? must point out value for money here three vintage rewinds using HF wire wax potting p+p came in at ??99.95 the whole tone on this guitar now is just making me smile.

If someone were to steal the guitar, then yes buy another and guess what! pickups would be removed and sent for rewind straight away. Being semi-pro i'm fussy about my sound. I have a rack which in order is as follows: Sennheiser wireless, into korg rack tuner, then into Q2 loaded with 'EFTP' onto a rocktron intelliflex processor. Rack Eq some gigs you just need one, last in the chain 'Messa Boogie Triaxis' This works well for all my guitars, been playing since 15 bit late starter but such is life. Knocking on 45 now so few years left in me and the gear i hope!

Pickup features: Custom rewind, re-magnet, of Korean Epiphone Casino stock pickups.
Impedence or other specs: Bridge DC8.4K Alnico V, Neck DC7K Alnico IV

Model of guitar or bass: Korean Epi Casino
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Me!
You musical style(s): Poppy rock, rocky pop
Reason for pickup change: The pickups that come on the Korean Casino are a disgrace in a guitar sold for this much money. They are thin, weedy and dull. (In fact the whole guitar is pretty thrown together...the insides look like a bombsite when you take the pickups off, the neck looks like it was fitted by a monkey, with rought bits of wood to shim it into place etc. Neck and fingerboard and frets not at all bad though)

Perceived output level: They are typical of a vintage P90, a bit of punch when you dig in, mellow if you back off. Perfect.
Tone: The best thing about them is their tonal complexity. A very three dimensional sound with firm bass, lively mids (especially the highish mids that give a good P90 its squeally bite) and not a trace of harshness or tinny-ness or muddiness.
Sonic evaluation: Very old Selmer Truvoice valve combo, very old Yamaha tranny combo, very new Roland Cube combo. And a J-station for recording.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a great all round pickup, you can strum it, play a bluesy or country lead part, I guess even some jazz if you wound down the tone. Probably not high gain enough for shredders though. I can't really see a shredder with a sunburst Casino somehow.

Comments: I sent the factory ones to Tim at Bareknuckle with a description of the sound I was looking for. (He's a lovelyl chap, by the way). He stuck new magnets in and rewired them to vintage Casino P90 specs using the existing covers. Double wax potted, beautiful workmanship, high quality leads. They came back by return of post, virtually. The results far exceeded my expectations. They?ve turned a bland and overpriced (if you pay anything like the list price which thankfully I didn't) Korean guitar into a fabulous-sounding beast! Chalk and yes, friends, fromage! And I managed to write the whole review without mentioning The Beatl...oh bugger.

Pickup features: P90's are singlecoil PU's with single adjustable polepieces and a broad and rather flat bobbin. Mine are ?dogears? with metal covers, as common on Epi Casino's. I had both the stock P90's of my '00 MIK Epiphone Casino rewound, double wax potted and fitted with new magnets. The bridge P90 is now similar to the BKP-91. The neck P90 is rewound to a custom design based on my wish for a fat yet very clear pickup with low(ish) output.
Impedence or other specs: Bridge P90: Alnico V magnet, dc resistance +/- 7,8k, Neck P90: Alnico III magnet, +/- 7,0k

Model of guitar or bass: '00 MIK Epiphone Casino
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock korean Epiphone P90's
Other pickups on guitar: -
Artists using this pickup: Geoff Whitehorn and some other
You musical style(s): Indie, 60's pop
Reason for pickup change: The stock P90 sounded rather bland and were unusable with stage levels because they squealed like pigs in serious distress

Perceived output level: As I rarely use heavy distortion and the Casino is by no means a guitar built for screaming leads and endless sustain I chose to keep the output levels low (but not too wimpy). Output is pretty much what you?d expect from a ?60ies Epiphone/Gibson P90. In direct comparison with my other guitars these PU?s are mellower than the Classic ?57s in my Gibson 335, but are more powerful and raunchy than the miniHB?s in my Epiphone Riviera.
Tone: The tone of these is vintage P90. Basically a warm and fat tone that greatly increases in both clarity and perceived output when played a bit firmer. These are very ?vocal?, and respond nicely to picking dynamics. Through a crunchy valve amp the bridge P90 is quite raunchy and grinds with authority. The neck P90 came out less aggressive, it has a nice flutey tone with tremendous depth in the basses. This pickup solo would be an excellent jazz sound although that?s not what I use it for. Both pickups are potted very well so they?ll only feedback when provoked.
Sonic evaluation: I play the Casino through a Budda Dual Stage 30 2x12 combo with minimal effects (treble booster, vibe unit, echo). This amp falls somewhere inbetween the Fender and Vox camp and the Casino suits it well. Most of the time I use both pickups on when playing clean and then select the bridge pickup for crunch and beyond. The attack on the wound strings is very obvious, which enhances the character of the Casino and adds some nice percussion and grit. Also noteworthy is the way these PU?s respond to the tone controls (300k pots, 0.047 tone caps), the roll of starts subtle but develops an almost wah-like filtering range without becoming too dull. The sound can get pretty wild in a Neil Young kind of way, with lots of twang, snarl and (semi-controlled) feedback. These pickups finally do justice to this guitar that couldn?t be used in this way before. These pickups react better to the treble booster than increasing amp gain (which tends to decrease clarity and definition).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The Casino is perfect for my indie/60?s/Britpop/whatever style, but previously I couldn?t use it for live shows or even rehearsals. Not only are the feedback issues solved, with the refurbished P90?s this guitar sounds more authentic, responds better to subtle or not-so-subtle playing, and is a whole lot more fun to use in general. Neither the Casino nor the P90?s are suited for detuned metal styles or 100Mph VanHalen tapping, although a P90 in a solidbody guitar (eg. Les Paul Jr) would actually work well for heavy rock.

Comments: I?d replace both guitar and PU?s if stolen, and would definitely get new replacements from Bare Knuckle Pickups. I wasn?t thrilled with modern Gibson P90?s, I liked Rio Grandes better but found them a bit too hot and unsubtle for this guitar. The Bare Knuckles came out just as I had imagined, so I?m very satisfied.
Apart from my personal tonal preferences I recommend Bare Knuckle Pickups in general as they are nice people that pay attention and are easy to deal with, and the pricing is low considering the large amount of handwork involved.

Pickup features: Original Gibson PAF
Impedence or other specs: was 7.8, rewound to 7.3K and magnet changed to Alnico IV

Model of guitar or bass: 1953 Les Paul converted to 1958 Specs
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Gibson Classic 57
Other pickups on guitar: Bare Knuckle Custom Humbucker (see review)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock
Reason for pickup change: The classic 57 is a nice pickup but was not really doing anything when compared to the Bare Knuckles I had bought.

Perceived output level: This is a PAF, and gives the classic sound you have heard for years
Tone: Tim wound a slight offset in the coils and it gives that tubular middy PAF sound when driven but cleans up so well
Sonic evaluation: Lots of valve amps. Mainly a Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/50 combo and Fender Princeton Reverb. Also John McIntyre Studio 205, Bluesmaker, Prince O'Wails and Lexicon Signature 284.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues and rock. This pickup is magic and in combination with the Bare Knuckle Custom in the bridge, can give all the Peter Green tones.

Comments: I was a little worried about having this rewound. It is a strange pickup, with PAF coils but a Patent Number sticker and it came of a 65 SG that I bought 25 years ago! Tim told me that the slug coil had been overwound and was a bit messy, this is why the pickup was hotter than standard. After his rewind the sound is incredible. I think I will have him make me another just like it (and perhaps another!). I am still thinking of guitars to put it in. It sounds like I always thought the PAF should sound, from Paul Kossoff's blues tones to some of Jimmy Page's best tones (especially in combination with the bridge). Listen to Since I've Been Loving You and Hearbreaker to get some idea of the tones available. Actually pick out any classic rock track that was played on a Gibson in the late 60's/early 70's and the tone is there.

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Casino
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock Epiphone
Other pickups on guitar: -
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments:

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Bridge (15K Alnico V) Neck (8.7K Alnico III with offset coil wind)

Model of guitar or bass: Peavey Wolfgang
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Not Replaced but re-worked
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: everyone on this site plus Geoff Whitehorn
You musical style(s): Rock and Blues (british sound)
Reason for pickup change: The Original wolfgang pickups spounded great...to a point. They were microphonic at high volumes, not good if you play through a Marshall halfstack. Had them repotted by my local music shop..but to no joy. I wanted something different other than the usaul Seymour's. Saw the BKP website and phoned Tim.
I also wanted more of that P90 "another brick in the wall" tone from the neck pickup

Perceived output level: A powerfull thick sounding bridge, which back's off to perfection for a beautiful vintage tone. The neck pickup..Mr Mills "needs no education" and best of all..No Microphony
Tone: A strong midrange and open top end, very powerful. The neck is sweet, from that Gilmour sound, right up to wailing blues.
Sonic evaluation: As I said, I run this guitar through a 30th Ani Marshall Halfstack.
I have another wolfgang with stock pickups and a maple top (the Bare Knuckles are in My all Basswood model) I also have a Les Paul Classic plus. I wanted to the same sound as the original wolfgang bridge, with a bit of that hot Gibson 500T bridge. I have alwas liked the neck pickup on a strat, but never got on with the bridge sound. I have looked everywhere for a pickup that looks like a humbucker, has no hum, behaves like a single coil/P90 and matches the brigde without too much drop off in volume.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: at the moment I am using this guitar in a Queen tribute band, but have always been a Classic Rock fan, with the tones from Hendrix, Clapton, VH...y'know all the usual people!!!

Comments: I have been playing guitar for 15 years and have never really replaced pickups in any of my guitars. When i had this microphony problem, I thought I was shafted. Saw that Tim @ Bareknuckle did rewinds, so I gave him a buzz and asked him if he could rework my originals. So of they went. I have had numerous chats with Tim about the tones I was after, so when he recieved the pickups he suggested that he rewind both pickups rather than just pot them..If you all wish to know, there are no secreat ingredients in the Peavey Wolfgang pickups, just a straightforward 14K alnico V. I described the sounds I was after and he put forward some suggestions, He rewound the bridge with 43 enamel wire to open up the top end but keep the power, he also recycled all the old wolfgang parts to keep the original look. They arrived pretty dam fast, with instructions on which one where. The best thing is, Tim is a guitarist, and he speaks guitar language, this is worth its weight in gold!!!! If you have a sound in your head, he will be able to find it. When I first used the new pickups, Iwas a bit dissapointed, I had put my Marshall through the rehearsal sized 1x12 and they sounded styfuled and a bit boxy, so I phoned him and said they may be too hot for me....He said that, I should wait until I had used it properly through my 4x12, which i did this week end. Be it bridge, both or neck alone it THE SOUND. Better, Sronger, Clearer than before, as he described it like a JB without that mid spike, its as hot or as clean as you want it to be. The sound is "sophisticated" Thanks Tim.
The search ends here!!!!!!