Bare Knuckle Pickups Mothers Milk

Calibrated set of three single coil strat pickups, the middle pickup is intentionaly not reverse wound.

These are mounted on a high end partscaster, light, weight, two piece, swamp ash body, with a flame maple cap, a 50's profile, one piece quarter sawn maple neck, and a Wilkinson vintage trem; the guitar acoustically has a loud ( for a solid body electric ), full, resonant, sound.

Very bright, but never harsh, moderate output, with good string balance, the bridge pickup is slightly overwound and is not overpowered by the neck unit ; I have these set as close to the strings as possible without getting wolftones, to get more mids, and bass from the pickups, but even so I really have to wind down the treble on my amp ( an Allesandro working dog 2 x 12 combo ). I chose these over the Irish Tour set as I was worried the Irish Tour's would sound like Fender Texas specials, which I really don't like, perhaps that was my mistake.

Overall they sound good but I wish they had a little more lows, and mids

These sound very similar to some Seymour Duncan Nashville Five Two's which my friend has on his Strat, which I also find to be a little fierce in the treble register. I have a partscaster Tele with Lollar pickups which is my gigging guitar of choice; although the Bare knuckle equipped strat is beautiful to play, I probably only do one or two shows a year with it.
I will probably put these pickups on Ebay eventually and try something else.

Specs already in other reviews, so I will not repeat. I will mention that the bridge pickup is wound a bit hotter than the neck and the mid.

I had purchased a custom built '69 style strat that was outfitted with 2003 American Standard pickups. I decided to buy a set of 69 custom shop pickups to essentially turn it into my own version of a reissue. After mentioning my plans to a friend, he said I should check out bare knuckle pickups. Did a bit of research on the web, I e-mailed BKP and Tim got back to me immediately, and said the mothers milk were definitely the best coils he makes for what I am looking for. I picked them up about a month ago, and installed them myself.

Sound is phenomenal. Very well balanced, bright highs, thumping lows, these things really do live up to the hype. The cleans just sing. Output is definitely a bit higher than the Am. Std. pups as well.

I have been playing guitar for about 18 years, since I was 12. I own a 2007 Les Paul with Burstbuckers, a 1993 Strat Plus with Lace Sensors, and my first electric, a 1989 Ibanez RG 550. Obviously each of my other electrics has its own distinct sound, so I can't in good faith compare these pups to any of those, but compared to the Am. Std pickups the guitar had before these, the mother's milk blow them out of the water. Without question.

It should be mentioned that BKP customer service is unmatched in the industry, I sincerely hope it stays that way as I am sure the company will grow as more people find out about these pickups. Also, if you are in or near Chicago, and interested in these pickups Avenue N Guitars is a great shop. I think they are the only place around here that sells Bare Knuckle products right now, but I could be wrong. At any rate, Phil is a good guy and very knowledgeable about all things guitar related.

The only drawback is that they are relatively expensive, which is why I gave them a 9, but I guess this is quality materials and hand-winding cost. Not to mention that they are made in England and the current exchange rate doesn't help.

But my opinion is if you are a tone junkie that can appreciate these coils, and have the money, go for it. You won't be disappointed.

single coil ...with base plates fitted on all 3 pickups

Fitted to a fender custom shop 59 strat with rosewood brd .
all 3 positions
replacing fat 50s

output was a tad higher than stock pickups
i normaly use this guitar with a vox ac 30 and a matching fender pro junior in fiesta red ..i also tested it with a bogner extc 101b i have 5150 and powerball but would not use a strat with that type of amp.
tone ...well i liked the fat 50s as they had a very good mark knopfler sound but i really wanted a good hendrix sound sort of band of gypsy vibe so i could go from little wing to machine gun . i had tried some original 69 strats and loved the sound as they seem to have a nice bottom end and also found the treble to be rolled of a touch on the high end giving a very balanced tone to my ears , not like the spikey 50s style .... at first i thought about getting fender 69 pups but heard great things about bare knuckle ( i also had a nail bomb from them once and it was a nice pup) so i decided to call tim , i told him the sound i was after and he said the mothers milk would give me the late 60s sound i was after , i had also seen on there web page about adding a base plate to the pickups to give a little more bass responce and a tad more output as done by fralin pups ...fralin seem to only do the base plate for the bridge to give a bit more ooomph for lead playing and to tame the treble ...tim said it would be good on all 3 positions giving the sound more depth and bass ....i thought great sounds like what i need for my guitar so i didnt bother with the fender 69 set and to be honest i thought the hype about abigail ybarra making all those pickups her self was a bit far fetched as there were hundreds of thousands of them world wide ..i could be wrong mind ya...so i thought hand made pup made in the uk by bk i cant go wrong ...so i orderd them from my local guitar store they came a week later ..and looked very very well made and looked great with the engraved plates on the bottom with bk logo ...after i got them installed by my local tech guy i could not wait to try it out , so i plugged it in and i was like mmmm sounds ok maybe i need to go away for an hour and try them again as i had been rushing around and just got back home and needed to chill for an hour so when i go back and try it i could mess about with settings try diff pedals and be objective ..i tried all sorts of combinations and found i could not get the sound i wanted to me it was a bit middley on the neck and middle position and very trebley on the bridge not in a spikey way but in a telecaster sort of way it was very focused . to some people that would be a good thing but for me i was after a more vintage to slightley hot pup ...i then tried it in something more high gain and found it could handle distortion very well but more in a modern way ,it seemed to cut through very well ... but to me lost the vintige sweet tone i was after . I decided to put the guitar away for a week and try to live with it and see if my opinion changed , well after a couple of weeks i still wasnt into them so i called tim and asked if i could return them and buy some humbuckers as i knew i would have better use for them and as i said had already tried the nail bomb before ,and thought i would ask for a holy diver and a cold sweat and of course pay the extra cash but as i did not buy the pups direct from tim this was not possible ( it was fair enough really so i didnt make a fuss )after a month or so as so many people rave about these pups and maybe im being to critical as i just got them and need to settle down and live with it and addapt ....well two months past and i tried the guitar again in as many ways as i could but i still had the same opinion so i checked some prices of the fender 69s and got a good deal so i thought i would chance it ...after i had them put into the same guitar i plugged in and found the tone i was looking for . had those pups in for 2 months now and still love them ...well i put the bk on e bay and sold them ..sorry ...

well its tough to rate them but since i was after a sound that i explained to tim on the phone i have give them a low rating ..i wish i tried them with out the base plates first ..maybe good if you want a more focused sound ,i wanted sloppy flutey neck and the bridge to have enough treble to cut but without the scratchy top end of many pups, with the fenders i get gilmour and hendrix .. the bk were well made and good quality but didnt give me that sound ,i have tried the nailbomb and liked it and im also tempted to give the holy diver a try .... i have been playing constantly since 1982 had to many guitars amps pick ups to mention and still do . if tim made a pick up more like the 69s i would still try them ,as for the mothers milk it wasnt my thing ( mids and focused ) maybe that had a lot to do with the base plate ..not sure ?

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: 6.5K, 5.8K, 5.8K

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Highway 1 Strat with rosewood neck
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fenders
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic rock, blues
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups sounded thin when amp was overdriven

Perceived output level: Seem louder than stock but stock had higher resistance
Tone: Full, rich, woody, very well ballanced
Sonic evaluation: I play through a Cornford Harlequin loaded with Mullard valves. These pickups sound fantastic. A rich, warm, woody sound that sounds very full and balanced.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Pickups will suit all styles except all out thrash

Comments: Before buying the pickups I e-mail Bare Knuckle about what would suit be best. They got straight back to me but by then I'd come up with other questions so I phone them. Tim at BK took the time to talk to me explaining the differences between the pups and advised me as to what would suit me. Next day the pickups arrived in the post. Fantastic service.
The stock pickups in the strat sounded good clean but as the gain was cranked up they started to sound thin. I was never sure what was up - was it the amp didn't like single coils or the guitar. I now know it was the guitar. The Mother's Milks have an incredibly full sound that shows just how bad the stock pickups were.
My other strat has Seymour Duncan Alnico II and a SD Hot Rail. They're OK but these are in a different league. The quality of the sound has to be heard to be believed.
Previously I liked playing my Highway 1 acoustically before but plugged in there was something missing. These pups have fixed that. Clean, just breaking up and overdriven they sound the business. The best strat sound I've ever had.
The only problem is I've now started looking thinking of buying another guitar just to try more Bare Knuckle pickups.
There's clips of the pickups posted at the Bare Knuckle forum at http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php
Forum also has advice on how the different pickups sound

Pickup features: single coil,passive
Impedence or other specs: 6k

Model of guitar or bass: shadow super strat from 80's
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: lace hot gold
Other pickups on guitar: bare knuckle crawler humbucker
Artists using this pickup: geoff whitehorn
You musical style(s): all styles but mainly classic rock and pop
Reason for pickup change: i had emg's on for about 10 years but as my taste\playing changed i needed a more open vintage sound.so i tried gison fender and lace pu's.i put the crawler on first which sounded fantastic but made the lace hot golds sound dull and lifeless so got 2 mothers milk for mid and neck.

Perceived output level: hot vintage about same as lace.
Tone: very well balanced.bright and clear but not hard.
Sonic evaluation: I am using Rivera amps but i do have a fender princeton reverb 2 from the 80's.i use a gibon les paul custom with a 'crawler set' on it and a custom made tele with a 'boss set' of picks ups.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i now have 3 sets of bare knuckle pick ups on my giging guitars(lp,strat,tele).the is nothing i cant cover with these guitars.as for the mothers milk with the crawler bridge i can cover classic rock,blues country heavy metal.nu metal punk and the shadows(not that i would admit to that).

Comments: If it was stolen i'd be well knacked as they dont make this guitar anymore,but would buy a strat and put the same combination of pick ups on as this on has now.btw all my guitars have cts pots in them which i believe makes a big difference to how the guitars resond.I have been playing and repairing guitars for 20 years most of which have been live.

Pickup features: Passive Single Coils - Middle rw/rp
Impedence or other specs: 6.8k average

Model of guitar or bass: 1983 Squier JV series 1962 Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: DiMarzio HS2, Stock 1980s stock Fenders
Other pickups on guitar: SD Classic Strat Stack in bridge
Artists using this pickup: ?????
You musical style(s): Wide: Surf, Richard Thompson style Folk Rock, 70s Hard Rock, Punk
Reason for pickup change: Needed something to compete with the SD stack, hated the DiMarzio, wanted a classic 60s Strat sound.

Perceived output level: A chunk above stock Fenders
Tone: Clear in neck - bassy without being too so, good mid in middle position nice amount of creamy power
Sonic evaluation: I am using my Squier JV through a Vox AD30VT tube/modelling hybrid - these pickups are just so cool - Through the Fender amps models I get that clean but creamy sixties tone, through the Vox AC30 modelling setting I get the full on blues tone of many a famous guitarist and can even get the Hendrix Little Wing or Red House tone with ease with the middle p-up. Also the neck is now usable as before the tone lacked presence. The rw/rp has good humbucking effect in the n/m position. These pick ups have 'presence' and more and really lift your sound. I cant stop playing Jimi stuff and moving on to cheesy blues licks because these sound so good.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is the tone I was looking for - I doubt it would work for thrash, but who plays a strat and thrashes?

Comments: If someone nicked my Squier I would get a JV off ebay and buy three of these to get it up to the tone it has now. I have compared these to Fender Custom Shop 57/62s and I think they beat the Fenders (although they are very good). They beat Duncans and for handmade, scatter wound pups turn out cheaper.
One more thing - Bare Knuckle customer service is without comparision in the industry - I emailed them with questions about the rw/rp middle and how it would effect the Duncan and got an answer from Tim in less than 2 hours. That sort of service is unheard of in the usually unfriendly world of guitar retail. I hope this companies never loses its touch because their products and service are the best (and no, I do not have shares in Bare Knuckle!).

Pickup features: Single coil set
Impedence or other specs: 6.8,6&6K

Model of guitar or bass: Fender US Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fender
Other pickups on guitar: 0
Artists using this pickup: Don't know
You musical style(s): Have a go at most classic stuff.
Reason for pickup change: Tried them at the Music Live Show and was blown away by their power and accuracy.

Perceived output level: Hotter than those on my US Strat but not over the top.Bridge is well balanced.
Tone: Bright and punchy.No mud and no glass or mid spikes.Great Hendrix tone, even SRV!!
Sonic evaluation: Marshall combos and one Fender.These sound great going straight into the front without any effects. The only extra I use is a good George Ls lead.To be honest the tone these produce is so good I don't want to colour it at all with anything else.I can hear the amp and guitar which is all I want whereas before the tone was a little indistinct, not bad but it's night and day with these.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I wanted this for doing Chilli's stuff and with a name like Mother's Milk they're right on the money.All my Hendrix stuff works too and they sound fantastic run really clean.There is plenty of sparkle in the highs without cutting your head off and the bridge keeps suprising me with it's power.The balance is really good especially compared to my old set.

Comments: I wanted to write this review after reading a previous slagging by some no brainer on a Bare Knuckle Mother's milk bought off ebay.This person is obviously deaf or never played a quality piece of kit before.Thin tone....I don't think so!!I think the moron has probably put a bridge or neck in the middle position and has discovered the joys of out of phase tone. Lesson-always buy your single coils in sets it'll save you any magnet or phase problems and stop you looking really stupid on Harmony Central. To slag Bare Knuckle is pointless, the guys at the show I went to not only knew their stuff really well but also played great guitar and promised me my money back if I wasn't totally blown away when I put the pickups in my own guitar. At least the idiot got one thing right, he isn't an expert and from the sounds of things never will be and I'm glad I trust my own ears not those of a talentless prat.
I've bought humbuckers from Bare Knuckle earlier this year and was really impressed by the build and most importantly the tone-these single coils are no different-total Strat heaven. For a perfect jobbing Strat set with awesome tone you can't buy better.Overlook these at your peril.

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs: about 7.5K

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio Air Norton in the bridge, Duncan Hot Stack in the neck
Artists using this pickup: no idea. Are they that stupid?
You musical style(s): all sorts, mostly rock, blues & UK indy
Reason for pickup change: looking for a specific tone. I won't find it with one of these.

Perceived output level: very low. I mean LOW ... hello?? can you hear me?? Makes a duckbucker sound good. What are they thinking? I suppose with a full set of these (at ?165 ... ouch) you wouldn't notice the dramatically low output of each individual pickup, but I'd rather not have the amp on so high.
Tone: Crappy tone. I've got a new slogan for the company ... "Underwound for a shitty thin tone". What do you reckon .. bit like "They're boxy but they're good" for Volvo's. Not complimentary but totally accurate. If you want your Fender to sound like a Squire fit these pickups.
Sonic evaluation: I generally play through a Marshall, occasionally through a small Sessionette (very clean tone). I have mixed and matched pickups for years and I own and regularly play 7 electric 6 strings of all combinations, from Gibson SG through to Mexican Strat. The Jackson was a whim buy, but I like it so I'm preparing it for gigging ... buy this pickup on the recommendation of a pal of mine and boy does it ever suck AND blow. I wouldn't insult anyone else by selling it again on ebay. It stayed in the guitar for about 3 minutes then I had to take it out again. The hole it left sounds better. Do yourself a favour. If you want tone then buy anything other than one of these little horrors.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup wouldn't even be good for country music, and you can play that on a shoebox and 6 rubber bands.

Comments: This pickup sucks. Don't buy it. If it were stolen I'd pretend I never owned it in the first place. Seriously, it really sucks, and don't let the "purists" and "experts" tell you otherwise. I'm no expert, but don't believe me either. If weedy, thin tone is your thing ... go for it. And those polepieces?? They weren't just staggered, they'd gone postal. There was at least 4mm difference in height between the G and B ... no neck on planet Earth has that sort of radius. Buy an FS-1.

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Standard Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Will try anything. Mostly straight-forward rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups weak, thin and toneless

Perceived output level: A good bit more power than stock
Tone: Neck pickup bassy and warm. Loads of bite from bridge pickup. Middle beautifully balanced somewhere in between. Lovely humbucking tones in position 2 & 4 (especially 2!)
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a Fender standard strat through a Laney TF100 combo amp. Several FX pedals - mainly Electro Harmonix.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: As the Mothers Milk name implies this is THE pick-up set for that vintage John Frusciante tone. I don't pretend to be half the player he is but I at least I can now capture some of his vibe. That said these babies are extremely versatile and will give a great tone for almost any musical style.

Comments: I specifically bought a cheap standard strat with the intention of upgrading it straight away. I read about Bare Knuckle pickups in a magazine (forget which one) and had a look at the web-site (which is excellent - check it out). Ordered on-line. Took the option of getting the pick-ups pre-wired to a scratch plate (mint green - looks ace on sunburst strat) which saves a load of hassle. Just needed to solder wiring to input jack - easy! Service is second to none. Got delivered in about 10 days, good to go after about 30 mins with screwdriver & soldering iron. Didn't need to speak directly with company but got the impression that nothing is too much to ask. These pickups are not the cheapest but for the quality of the hand-made components, the improvement to your sound and the outstanding service they represent fantastic value for money. Seriously can't recommend them enough. Good work, keep it up.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender 62 reissue Japan Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: All+pickguard+electrics
Other pickups on guitar: -
Artists using this pickup: Surely many soon, but none yet, as far as I know.
You musical style(s): Rock, jazz, funk, indie
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups were, er, rubbish.

Perceived output level: Slightle hotter than normal
Tone: Utterly balanced.
Sonic evaluation: I play through a Line 6 Felxtone II. They sound...well, despite the fact I am an English teacher, I really can't find the words. Really, really good would be a (totally understated) start.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock, jazz, funk, indie. Plus more I'm sure.

Comments: Look, these are simply the best pickups you'll find. I have bareknuckles on all my serious guitars now, and Tim, who runs the company, is a musical genius. Don't believe me? Just try them. I always fancied a US Strat, but this Jap Strat+Bareknuckles beats every strat I have tried with effort to spare. WARNING: If you buy a set of bareknuckles, or even just a single pickup, be prepared for the financial outlay of re-equipping all your favourite guitars with bareknuckles, coz you'll never play them again otherwise......

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: About 6.8K

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Only Bare Knuckle Pickups
Artists using this pickup: It will not be long before many do
You musical style(s): Anything i can mash out
Reason for pickup change: Muddy unclear stock.

Perceived output level: Medium Hot
Tone: Very Balanced, Open, Clear without being harsh.
Sonic evaluation: Ibanez - RMC3 Wah -BD2 Keeley - Mesa Boogie.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Anything from Hendrix (played badly) to John 5

Comments: The quality I was looking for was the clean eerie quality that only a good single coil can produce. I spoke to 'Tim' on the phone discussed what types of music I like and he recommended the Mothers Milk for the middle pickup. My guitar has an H-S-H setup. I have installed many, many pickups and the best single coil I have tried is the Mothers Milk. It has great balance across the strings and responds better than any other pickup when the volume knob is turned down.
If you are after a medium/hot single coil replacement then look no further, the Mothers Milk is pure single coil class.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: 6.8K calibrated - The neck and middle are around 6K

Model of guitar or bass: 62 Reissue Strat - Lefty
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock single coils
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Funk, Blues....
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickups were quite thin sounding and very 2 dimensional.

Perceived output level: Slightly hotter than stock, vintage output.
Tone: Warm and clear - Like a good strat.
Sonic evaluation: These are being used through a 78 Marshall JMP 2204 combo with greenbacks, CS2 compressor, VL Sparkledrive, Jackhammer, DD# and holy grail.
The pickups are clear, very vintage strat like with a touch more middle and output - not as forward as texas specials but more punch than many vintage styled pickups.
This is the perfect set of pickups for me form vintage glassy strat through to modern rock - and as the name makes clear, these pickups pull off the chili peppers wonderfully.
Sounds incredibly cheesy but these pickups are the sound i could hear for my strat. They are clear and articulate and sound amazing distorted the neck pickup is smoooth and round and the bridge is bright and full with no harshness... Before these pickups i preferred my tele with Fralin Blues specials but now this strat is my main guitar due to the versatility and tone that these pickups bring... it never sounds anything less than brilliant.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is extrmely versatile and will pull off most styles with aplomb...

Comments: The service i recieved was second to none, i spoke to the maker on the phone to discuss a custom left handed stagger which they made for me at no extra charge. The provision of pickup covers and a new set of strings was great and the sound was amazing i have recommended these to many ppl on HC already and will continue to do so.... cna't believe i've written such a gushing review but i've had these a month or so now and love them as much as they day i bought them.
Seem better made and the service is far greater than with any other pickups i've bought including fralin, fender, duncan etc
Highly recommended my favourite piece of gear!

Pickup features: Passive single coil set
Impedence or other specs: Approx 6.8K

Model of guitar or bass: Jap reissue Fender Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock set
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): From Marr to Chillis with Albert Collins thrown in for variety
Reason for pickup change: The Stock pickups were thin, weedy, toneless and generally useless

Perceived output level: Slightly hotter then vintage but still has that 60's AC vibe but bigger and bluesier
Tone: Clear as a bell and very even
Sonic evaluation: These pickups are unbelievable! What a sound. My gear consists of a Laney VC30 with a Keeley compressor, Sparkledrive, EH Chorus and Watkins Copycat. Don't be fooled by the gear I'll try anything from the Beatles to Van Halen with this set up. The difference are these pickups. Hand wound is the way to go

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: You have to get the set no point otherwise!

Comments: I have been playing for 20 years the last 5 as a full time muso. Being the typical guitarist I have never been happy with my sound, untill I bought these pickups. My Strat was bought purely on the strength of the bright resonant body and NOT for the rubbish Fender solder to the scratch plate. I have tried several pickups including some horrible examples from seymour duncan (toneless overwound overpriced) to try and bring out that resonance lurking in there. Tim at bareknuckes has nailed THE tone, so much so that I have ordered replacements for all my guitars. The best thing about the whole deal was Tim. You talk to him, tell him what you want and he winds them accordingly. The bloke LOVES the guitar. (If you are an Ozzy fan ring him because he plays in an Ozzy tribute band). If my guitar was stolen I would be on the phone the next day with no qualms at all. The industry needs more people like Tim and bareknuckles.

Pickup features: single coil set
Impedence or other specs: Alnico V, 6.8k, cloth leads, engraved baseplates, reversewound/reverse polarity

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Strat USA standard 1995
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Fender standard set
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): blues, rock
Reason for pickup change: This was the first guitar I ever bought and since then I have become increasingly unhappy with the sound, hence never really moved it off position one. Therefore wanted to see what could be achieved with different pickups. Personal recommendation led me to take the plunge at try these pickups.

Perceived output level: Much higher the set they replaced
Tone: All three pickups provide distinct tone unlike the Fende ones and position two is sweet. There is no harshness in the tone whatsoever and whatever you do you can't make them sound muddy or lifeless.
Sonic evaluation: Fender Strat and Mesa Boogie subway rocket.
These pickups have brought the Strat to life. There is a great deal of clarity in the tone without any hint of muddiness that I had before. All positions are usable and distinctly different but blend so well in positions two and four. The pickups respond to the dynamics in your playing and the guitar sounds so good at the 'bedroom' level that I play at.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: blues, rock and yes they are a good match

Comments: Compared the standard strat with Bareknuckles to a Fender relic and I am afraid to say that it blew the relic away. Would have to consider a set for the relic before it would come anywhere near the standard. I am now going to try a set of Humbuckers for my Patrick Eggle. Hope it does for that guitar what it did for the strat.