Bare Knuckle Pickups The Boss Tele Set

Tele replacement Neck and bridge pickups.

1962 Reissue Japanese Tele. Black with Ivory Beading.

I was getting Microphonic feedback and chose to replace pickups as this was quicker than getting the existing pickups waxed.

I was so worried about losing the true Telecaster sound. I am pa purist at heart and the thought of changing pickups hurts me! But I had a get a problem sorted real quick and this was the best way.

I'm completely BLOWN AWAY. I had them fitted at Trevor Durrant Guitars, Colchester UK - and the tone is so sweet, it's actually perfect. Myself and the guys in the shop all agreed that this telecaster now sounds amazing!

I especially love the feedback I get from these pickups it's so controllable.

I use a Mesa Express 5:25 as my amp and it just sounds beautiful.

I would cry if I lost the tone I have now. I'd definately seek to get the same again, although I may just get a cheap telecaster and put these pickups on it... I'd never change these out.

Single Coils

I bought an exceptionally fine Tom Anderson Hollow T Classic, which was fitted with Joe Barden Pickups - great pickups, but too much horse power - I looked around for a set of original Andersons, but to no avail - then I was put on to Bare Knuckle - very helpful about the type of pickup I was looking for and therefore went for the Boss

More horsepower than conventional tele pickups - they sound P90 ish, but with more clout. Sweet tones - crisp, without being harsh, good high end - chimey - punchy middle and tight bass. All positions excellent, but I particularly like the the mid combination of neck and bridge. I play blues, rock, countryish and some jazz - excellent for all - if you like Albert Lee tele sounds - you can get them with these. I've given 9/10 simply because I am constantly looking for 'that' sound - they deserve a 10

I would most definietly use these pickups again and would be tempted to try others in the range - I have been looking for 'a sound' for many years and I have to say they come very close.

Passive single coil chrome cover.
7K neck.

MIJ 50's reissue fender telecaster.
It's replacing the neck pickup, as it was missing when i acquired the guitar.
The bridge pickup is original. Around 6.5K
Not sure who if anybody famous uses them (Springsteen? I think not?).
See above.

Output is a lot hotter than standard fender pickups. Outclasses the bridge a little if I'm honest.
Using a marshal DFX30 plus a cheap chorus pedal.
Powerful balanced tele tone, with all the middy tone i want from the neck. I can get an awesome stone roses (waterfall) sound from the neck on it's own with a little overdrive, chorus and a healthy amount of reverb. All you'd expect for the money paid.
Playing 80's/90's jangle and indie, grungey/americana type rock(badly!).

Not been playing too long so my opinion is perhaps not as valuable as others, but the sound is awesome and i'd definately fit bare knuckles again. Considered Seymour Duncans, but went with these without disapointment. Only have the 1 tele, but i've got my eye on a 69 thinline maybe, but some BK Yardbirds in, as I've since heard they are particularly gd.

Single coil, passive
specs at website

Highway One Tele, replacing both bridge and neck.
Changed the pups because stock pups were giving me EQ fits as I would go from strat to tele during set. With amp at perfect EQ for strat, switch to tele would produce thin, weak, and not enjoyable (painfull!) sounds.

High output, but in a creamy way, not shrill or cutting like some I have heard. I am using with a very dynamic amp (Mesa F50), and the change has had the impact I was looking for. I think I am buying into the hand-wound or scatter-wound story. The tone is definitely richer than what I have known up to now. I will give a 9 for now, as I need one more tweak to get final sound I'm chasing. I have not wired exactly to Tim's schematic, as I am still debating keeping the "grease buccket" tone circuit. Will probably hack it out.

Not sure I would repeat the whole tele experience...I've got it sounding great with these pups (and some saddle replacements), but the thing still weighs a ton! If stolen, I would get a standard strat and try the Bare Knuckles strat set.

Pickup features: passive
Impedence or other specs: 8.2k bridge,7k neck

Model of guitar or bass: Tomson tele
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: fender nocaster custom shop
Other pickups on guitar: as above
Artists using this pickup: various
You musical style(s): classic rock,blues,r'n'b country rock
Reason for pickup change: fender pick ups sounded weak and to bright\hard

Perceived output level: hot vintage
Tone: perfect balance.its the sound of all the recordings i have loved for years.
Sonic evaluation: I've had the guitar for a year now and it's never had the sound in my head.NOW IT DOES.sound wise it has blown me away.I have been playing for about 25 years and have tried most pick up makes even had some rewound.man if you crave the best in tone,ring Tim at Bare knuckle,that man delivers.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: any track you have heard on cd that is a telecaster,these pick ups can do.

Comments: I would ring Tim and have them replaced asap.I use Rivera jake\rake amps and cabs,and a 1985 fender princeton reverb2.i have a bare knuckle 'crawler, set on my gibson les paul custom and that transformed that guitar.now Tim has done it again with my tele.not the cheapest but the best.

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1963 Telecaster relic LTD Edition
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Relic vintage Telecaster
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Alternative / Indie/ Rock
Reason for pickup change: Poor performance from stock pick-ups

Perceived output level: Slightly more than stock
Tone: Fantastic! Clarity, tone, bite.
Sonic evaluation: Ok- Currently using a Bad Cat Black cat 30 watt (similar to an AC30)
Fulltone Fatboost
Fulltone Fulldrive II
Telecaster custom relic Ltd Edition (100 being made)-Fender Custom Shop
To be honest with you, you dont need pedals with the Tele (fitted with Bare knuckle pickups) and this amp. The combination has that 'inspiring' effect that only 'that' tone gives.
This set up proves that you dont need a Les Paul to sound 'meaty'
ALWAYS FIT A 4 WAY SWITCH TO YOUR TELECASTER

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: belting tone, clarity and warmth from the neck, just the right amount of bite from the neck. Fitted with a 4 way switch (cant believe that this is not standard on all Telecasters!)

Comments: I cant believe that a guitar that retails at ?3600.00 ($6400.00) requires a pickup change right out of the box, but believe me it did!
This is my first experience of bare knuckle and I cannot talk highly enough of the results. I have a lot of very, very good gear (cunetto Telecasters, bluuesbreaker amps, badcat etc) and these pickups are right up there with the best of them.

Pickup features: Passive single coils
Impedence or other specs: DC bridge 8.2k & neck 7k

Model of guitar or bass: Home made telecaster (Warmoth neck and body, Callaham & Schaller hardwear)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: Me!
You musical style(s): Rock spanning anything from blues to heavy contempory styles
Reason for pickup change: I needed a set of pickups that would allow a telecaster to be used in pretty much any style of music, since I love the telecaster sounds but needed greater versatility and superior tone.

Perceived output level: Output is about what you'd imagine from soapbars, they retain all the qualities of telecaster pickups... but more.
Tone: Classic tele sounds are there, but with more meat and weight in the midrange.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using this with an all valve amp, the guitar is ash bodied with a maple neck, and my effects chain is an Ernie Ball volume pedal through an Electroharmonix Big Muff Pi and lastly a wah pedal.
With both the volume and tone maxed you get a very spanky, twangy classic telecaster sound with a lot of bite and it avoids sounding thin or shrill as some telecasters do. Rolling the tone backwards there's still twang, but it's the kind of sound you'd imagine from a tele with soapbar style pickups, and rolling it all the way off some smokey jazz sounds can be had with the neck pickup.
Using the volume knob with a valve amp with medium gain (AC/DCish) the sound can be cleaned up brilliantly, the best part of this is that it doesn't get muffled or wooly as some pickups are known to do.
Although not standard, mine are hooked up to a 4-way switch, the 4th position being both pickups in series as opposed to the normal parallel, this gives a sound far ballsier and heavier than any telecaster with single coil pickups has a right to be, great stuff.
All in all this pickup set allows you to cover any musical territory you want to using telecasterish sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play blues, classic rock, stuff like Oasis, Rage Against the Machine, Queens of the Stoneage, anything pretty much... and these perform admirably throughout.

Comments: I've been playing 3 years and this is my first really "professional" instrument, but by waiting I've found a sound that's exactly what I wanted and all that I imagined. There is nothing to dislike about these pickups, I bought them with the fact that telecasters generally don't do heavy, but these will if you treat them right. With a Big Muff pi things get a bit monstrous sounding.
I am 100% satisfied with these, and the customer service is peerless, beyond fantastic and second to none. Tim Mills responded to my e-mails quickly and was very polite and chatty on the phone and by listening to what little information I was able to convey using all the normal adjectives he was still able to get me the exact sound I wanted. Kudos for such a well run business.
I've tried other telecaster pickups, Fender ones were just thin and lacking in cajones by comparisson, and SDs little 59 takes away from the natural qualities of a telecaster, it's not bad as such... but if you want a meaty telecaster sound that can go toe to toe with humbuckers you need look no further than Bare Knuckle, if you e-mail or phone Tim Mills and tell him what you want, he can deliver.
This kind of tone, build quality and customer service is a snip at ?125, do yourself a favour and give Tim a call, you owe it to yourself and your guitar.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: DC Resistance 8.1k bridge and 7.4k neck

Model of guitar or bass: US Standard Tele (ash body)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Fender US standard tele
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Post punk, Roots rock, alt country
Reason for pickup change: Standard pickups didn't do the guitar justice

Perceived output level: More guts than standard tele pups, I'd say about 25% more output
Tone: heaven
Sonic evaluation: I use an ash bodied Fender US Standard Tele > ZVex Fuzz Factory > Barber Ltd low gain overdrive > Peavey Delta Blues (soon to become Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special 2x12).
For the record I play mainly clean or with a bit of dirt from the Barber Ltd.
I came to changing, because I felt that the standard pups sounded very anaemic. But I held off for 6 months because firstly I tried to solve the problem with different amps, and secondly didn't want to alter the tremendous cutting tone of the guitar. I wouldn't have gone for the ash bodied, maple neck if I didn't want a bright sound. Thing is, it didn't have any balls, just mushy mids.
So after reading a few reviews I phoned Tim from Bare Knuckle, who is the most helpful and affable bloke I've ever had the pleasure of speaking to in this industry, and he actually took the time to listen to what I WAS LOOKING FOR. He recommended The Boss pickups to me when I said I wanted to keep the bright tone but clear up the mids and tighten up the bass. (And I'm a Springsteen fan, so there's a sign)
I love the pure tele tone and this is what I've been looking for. My tele is still as bright as the guitar will allow but now has the most balanced and descriptive lows and mids. The treble is all there but has an extra dimension. Oh, and even the middle pickup selection has come alive!

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

Comments: Fender can be shakey with some of their products but I chose from a handful and got the most beautiful grain of wood you can imagine. (Didn't go for the '52 because I want to play guitar, not baseball). I always thought it was capable of more but the tone now astounds me to be honest.
I've never felt compelled to write a gear review in 18 years of playing, and being from the North of England I am a true cynic at heart, so let me reassure you; I'm not an employee! But if you buy the perfect product from a good bloke then you can't be happier. I'm self employed myself and a good recommendation from a satisfied customer goes a long way.
I have faith that all his products are quality, and will be replacing the pups on my P90 guitars with Bare Knuckles.

Pickup features: single coil active pickups
Impedence or other specs: don't know but they are hotter than vintage

Model of guitar or bass: Melancon Vintage T (with chambered body)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Melancon originals
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: Don't know, but many will follow
You musical style(s): classic rock, blues etc
Reason for pickup change: The chambered body on a tele style guitar has great sound, with more harmonics, Lovely deep bass, lovely highs, but I find the chambers slightly scoop the mids, so I wanted a pickup with a bit more clout in the mids to compensate

Perceived output level: very much more pronounced and aggresive than vintage, GREAT bottom end.
Tone: Very Very Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I use this guitar through a keeley compressor, a custom shop Fulltone Fulldrive 2 and an original 70's EH memory man into an early Musicman 2x10 65 watt combo with Celestion vintage 10's fitted. Totally excellent sound. The bridge pickup gives a great meaty but original tele tone with thunderous bottom and sweet highs but not the oh shit turn the treble down highs. The mids are very focused. The neck is lovely again with a little more meat but not so muddy as lots I've tried. Great inbetween tone, excellent funk tone. Throw these pickups through the Fulldrive 2 and it is sonic heaven. This is what tone is all about. Fat aggresive but clear balanced tone. This is so FAR better than those muddy humbucker tones. To me this is THE electric guitar tone!!! The neck pickup even sounds good with the drive and can give a great bluesy tone. Switch back to clean though and the great tele twang is still spot on, albeit with a little more oomph!! I must admit that these pickups are helped here by the fantastic grade Swamp ash used on the Melancon and the maple top over the hollow chambers, but altogether a total mind blowing tone. This is the best I have heard.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Classic Rock, Country, Folk "Born To Run", Southern Rock, Blues. Suits all styles

Comments: If these pickups were damaged or stolen, I would definately buy another set. The build quality is second to none, and let me tell you, I have tried them all. I love good pickups and will seek them out!! I searched ages to find a set of Abigail Ybarra Custom Shop Masterwound pickups (300 sets worldwide, and expensive) and I am now thinking of ripping them out and getting some Irish Tour strat pickups installed. Tim's pickups are the best. Usually the brass plate on a tele bridge pickup is fitted flimsily. Tim bolts them on useing allen head screws. These plates are going nowhere. I have seen all the best pickups but have never seen so perfectly put together units. This is now the benchmark for replacement pickups. I do not think that it is possible now to do anything better with a stock passive pickup. They are reasonably quiet too, and I did not take the reverse wound option as I feel it softens the mid position. But they are still quiet. Customer service could not be improved on. This is perfect. You might think I am going over the top here, but you must SEE and HEAR these pickups to beleive the quality. There is a lot of nonsense hype about pickups, but in this case I do feel it is justified. This brand is going to take the world by storm. I hope Tim can keep up with demand.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: DC Resistance 8.1k bridge and 7.4k neck

Model of guitar or bass: Squire Affinity Telecaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Pickups
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: I don't know of any
You musical style(s): Indie and rock
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickups were very weak. The bridge was virtually unsuable especially with any gain.

Perceived output level: Output much higher than the stock pickups but still versatile
Tone: The bridge has a really nice open trebly sound but still has a good solid base sound and the bridge is well rounded and warm and reacts to gain well.
Sonic evaluation: I have a very modest set up of Marshall MG15DFX and Squire Affinity Telecaster. This maybe limiting but it has highlighted the difference the pickups have made all the more as there is nothing else to get in the way. The neck position is good gor lead ad reacts to gain well while the middle and bridge are really good for rhythm as they don't lose all their definition when you add a little gain like the stock pickups did.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play indie and rock and the pickups cope with this very well.

Comments: These pickups really have changed my guitar from a pretty lacklustre basic model into my prized possesion which I love playing. I haven't been playing very long but was already fed up of not being able to use all the pickup positions on my existing guitar effectively and was going to replace my guitar. Well these pickups are much cheaper than any decent replacement tele and Im pretty sure would ffol more experienced ears than mine in a blind sound test. The customer care from Bare Knuckle is also awesome. They are very fast replying to questions and very helpful when they do.