Bare Knuckle Pickups Custom

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Peavey Wolfgang
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Bridge and neck
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Geoff Whitehorn
You musical style(s): Rock
Reason for pickup change: The original Peavey bridge humbucker was damaged in an accident and Tim Mills @ Bare Knuckle made me a custom set of Crawlers, modified to fit my Wolfgang.

Perceived output level: Moderate output but a fantastic big tone.
Tone: Good distinction between neck and bridge models. Warm and articulate both through a clean and overdriven amp. overdri
Sonic evaluation: I usually play through a Tech 21 Tradmark 60 combo but I also use a lovely Marshall DSL 50 head and an old (1973) Fender Pro Reverb that have both been serviced and fitted with good quality valves (tubes).
The pickups have a very 'wide' tone that sounds very rich and easy to use. The Peavey guitar now sounds more like a Les Paul than it did with the original EVH humbuckers, which were still very good but had a 'square' tone with more mids and a spikier, more aggressive delivery. The Bare Knuckles are smoother and have more colour, with a less abrupt distinction between the neck and bridge pickups.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I mainly play general rock lead guitar.

Comments: Bare Knuckle pickups are excellent and Tim Mills really knows his stuff. He was also very helpful with advice re the install because the Crawlers aren't really designed to fit directly into the front of the guitar's body. These are really designed to fit directly into a Les paul or similar guitar and I had to make a few minor mods to get them to fit the Wolfie. It was well worth the extra effort. I'll definitely use his pickups again next time I upgrade any of my guitars.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: 8.8K Alnico V Double Cream Coils

Model of guitar or bass: 1953 Les Paul converted to 58 Specs
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Gibson Classic 57+
Other pickups on guitar: Bare Knuckle rewind of original PAF (see other review)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock
Reason for pickup change: The Gibson didn't give me the tone I wanted, I spoke with Tim and asked him to make me a pickup which would work well with the PAF that I was sending to him. I had thought that a Black Dog would be good, because I wanted that Jimmy Page sound. However when Tim got the PAF he thought the Black Dog would be too much, so he made this which is a lower power version.

Perceived output level: Hot, pushes more than the Gibson but cleans up so well it is untrue.
Tone: Think any sound you heard on a Led Zeppelin track (yes even those with the Telecaster!).
Sonic evaluation: Too many amps! Mainly through Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/50 Combo and Fender Princeton Reverb. Also have John McIntyre Bluesmaker, 205, Prince o'Wails and Lexicon Signature 284. All valve/tube amps. I use a Blackstone overdrive, MXR Phase 90, old Jennings wah and Boss DF-2 feedbacker.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is great for everything I play.

Comments: I don't think Tim can make a bad pickup! This is my 4th set of Humbuckers (I also have the Irish Tour strat set, P-90's and a P-Bass pickup). Each pickup has it's own voice and they all work with the guitars allowing the instument to breathe. The difference in sound when you fit these pickups is amazing. It is like the difference between CD and Vinyl (if you haven't heard this then perhaps these are not the pickups for you!). These are the only pickups where I can turn the volume all the way down and all that happens is that the tone cleans up. WOuld I buy them again, hell I would buy shares in his company if they went public, his products are that good! I know that fantastic value for a pickup which costs $170 seems strange, but think how much a Tom Holmes or original PAF goes for, and then you will see these are great value. btw. I am selling a set of Tom Holmes PAF's and replacing them with Bare Knuckles!

Pickup features: Humbucking, Passive ofcourse
Impedence or other specs: 22.8 bridge, 17.6 neck

Model of guitar or bass: 72'Gibson LesPaul deluxe, Burgandy Burst
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Seymoure Duncan Jazz Nickle Covered-Neck, JB bridge
Other pickups on guitar: NA
Artists using this pickup: Tim Mills, Ozzmosis, Wade Westbrook, Great Lakes Penetration
You musical style(s): All styles,mostly jazz,funk,classical,blues,classic rock,hard rock,currently recording a sonic industrial heavy metal project,with a twist of old fasioned rock and roll,with a modern twist.
Reason for pickup change: JB too fucking spikey. Jazz no tone. I thought the "horned one" was trying to keep me from my destiny using these possesed piles of shit. The voices in my head kept leading me to bkp.

Perceived output level: Fucking perfect, like a jager bomb. Beautiful sparkling balanced cleans, the darkest clearest most vocal overdrive ever, ever, fucking ever.
Tone: The best. No spikes, perfect vocal tone, when overdriven, BKP cannot be beat. Sounds like a fucking pitbull foaming at the mouth chasing you down a Detroit alley.
Sonic evaluation: Marshall JCM 800 2205 Dual channel w/reverb. Dunlop Jim Hendrix Wah. Voodoo lab overdrive. CE5 chorus.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Perfect match for any style of music.

Comments: Been playing for 16 years, here in Death City Detroit with many National and Local Talents. Buying mass produced pickups is like labeling yourself as an amature. I have tried all brands of pickups, almost, theres nothing that compares to these. I'm a professional musician, thats how i make my bread, and if you are you should invest some time and give BKP a call. Playing these pickups is like a martyr getting high off the flames. Fuck Yeah! Oh, and the appearance is obsessive, like passion and pain.

Pickup features: humbucking
Impedence or other specs: wound to order

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: standard
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): terrible
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to improve sound

Perceived output level: Heavy Gibsonish
Tone: Bassy but well balanced
Sonic evaluation: Epiphone Les Paul- Wem Dominator bass combo/Fender Frontman

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: I originally bought a pair of Bare Knuckle's Stormy Monday pickups (see earlier review), ignoring advice they gave me to try the Mules. They were good, but a little bright for my taste. I happened to be on holiday near Bare Knuckle's headquarters and dropped in out of the blue. Tim Mills rebuilt the pickups to my specification and got it absolutely spot on, transforming the sound of the guitar. He also did some work on the guitar, all for a very reasonable price.I would suggest that anyone looking for quality pickups should start with Bare Knuckle and go no further. Service is brilliant.

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Strat +
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Lace Sensors
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): All Styles
Reason for pickup change: Because of my work I needed a pickup which could not only handle every style but give me THAT tone (You know, the one we can all hear in our heads and spend most of our time chasing).

Perceived output level: These pickups are probably hotter than many humbuckers on the market with the bridge unit making 21.5k and the neck 13k
Tone: Very even tone, lots of meat and mids from the bridge and a huge warm tone from the neck.
Sonic evaluation: I use almost every amp and modeller in the VOX range along with Laney valve amps and a Vetta at home. These pickups never go to mud at any point always retaining definition.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: I've been playing guitar for around fourteen years now, as well as playing in metal bands, doing instrumental solo stuff, and occasionally gigging with a hip hop band I am a demonstrator for an amp company. This means I have to be able to go from Hank Marvin to Slayer in one 20 minute session.
I used to have a Hot Rails in the bridge position but after meeting Tim I decided he was right and I really did want singles, just not any currently availble. The neck unit was an instant hit, really REALLY warm almost P90 like but with more 'Edge'.If you like fluid lead lines and rich bottom end form your tone then this is where it's at. When I recieved the bridge unit I was in heaven. Normally a mega hot single coil is associated with a muddy unpleasent tone yet this one really sings and screams with harmonics EVERYWHERE. Yet when I back off we are approaching the architypal Strat sound again. The massive output from the bridge unit perfectly complements the necks 13k giving a lovely smooth shift between pickups.
I don't think I'd reccomend these for the 'purists' out there but if you're looking for something to give you a unique voice with the power of a humbucker but the 'air' of a single then I strongly suggest you give Tim a mail or call.
The next one in line is a middle pickup (The pickups have been done one at a time to ensure each one is perfect) and I have no doubt it will be as gobsmacking as the other two.

Pickup features: 2 x Humbuckers w/ 4 conductor wiring.
Impedence or other specs: Neck: Alnico 3 @DC7.5k Bridge: Alnico 4 @DC8.6k

Model of guitar or bass: PRS Santana III
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock S3 pickups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Modern, clean, light overdrives, rock.
Reason for pickup change: The S3 pickups sounded very lovely indeed, but lacked some clarity and cut which I was getting from my Cu24 (HFS+VB). My ideal was something with the vintage-y tone of the S3 pickups, but with some of the power of the HFS+VB combo, whilst being really open and articulate. 'Deep yet clear' was my request!

Perceived output level: Definitely hotter than the S3 pickups, no question. Just a tiny bit punchier and *slightly* hotter than the HFS+VB.
Tone: Gorgeous!! Neck: deep yet clear, just as I asked. The neck position on this guitar is now phenomenal. It's fantastically full in the low end yet shimmers in the highs, very very round and articulate sounding. Add just a little crunch for my tone heaven! Bridge: I initially told Tim that I found the HFS a little undefined and flat sounding, maybe a little geared towards just power. I said I wanted the power, but wanted definition and warmth in there too. This I got in droves.... very PAF'y to my ears at times, just an overall great organic tone, packed with detail and articulation across the spectrum. Class!!
Sonic evaluation: These pickups went into a PRS Santana III. My PRS Custom 24 is due for a similar makeover, I begun discussing this with Tim just a few hours after playing the Santana and Custom side-by-side after the new pickups went in the S3. I also have a Heatley hollowbody on order, Tim will be making the pickups for this and I CANNOT wait to hear how it sounds. One more guitar, a Driskill, will be arriving with Rio Grande humbuckers in, but a pair of BK will follow not long after.
I should add that this is NOT to make all my guitars sound similar... all pickups will be wound specifically for the guitar in question and the tonal ideas in my head.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Hmm, tricky one this..... Y'know how a good Les Paul or 335 can turn its hand to Jazz, Rock, Metal, Blues etc and still do pretty well?? Well, my S3 with BK pickups now does all of that, but I find it's just right at home with massive clean tones. A vintage overdrive or pushed valve stage just sounds wonderful too. I have played this guitar so far through 3 vintage (60's) Marshalls, a 1997 re-issue BluesBreaker, a Boogie TremOVerb and an old Yamaha amp I have. It sounded awesome on each and every one.

Comments: I have some money, but I don't like spending it unless I have to. I have some nice guitars, but I'm reluctant to change them 'cos they're 'good' in the first place. I have paid for BareKnuckle pickups to be retro-fitted into one of my prized guitars and will not hesitate to do it again. Simply put, I will be a returning customer... personally I think this is the mark of a fine product, when somebody opens their wallet for it once again. Like I say, I won't hesitate. ?170 to turn your guitar from a great guitar to a very very personalised and GREAT sounding guitar?? No problem. I 'believe' in these pickups... might sound a bit soppy or whatever, but I think I've found something a little bit special.
Feel free to shoot me an email with further questions, or go ahead and phone/mail Tim at BareKnuckle.