Bare Knuckle Pickups The Mule

Passive humbucker. Open poles. 4 conductor.

Modified 80's strat. Bridge position.

I've been through a few pickups on this guitar. I replaced the original single coils with Seymour Duncan little 59's which I used for years. I've always loved the sound of full size humbuckers so thought i'd try some. I got a set of Suhr pickups , DSV neck, SSV bridge and a Fletcher Landau middle single coil (I'd been listening to Mike Landau a lot). The neck and middle are great and are still on the guitar but the SSV has a slight upper mid honk which started to annoy me. As I liked the DSV neck so much i thought i'd try one on the bridge so I bought one but it was just really bland sounding. I'd read a lot about Bareknuckles so I emailed Tim asking which pickup I should get. He reccomended the Mule and also the VHII. I'd seen clips of the Mule on Youtube and thought it might be a bit bright for me so I bought a VHII. Now this is a great pickup, it has a fat bottom end and great mids but the top end was wrong for me. As it happens I have another guitar that this would suit perfectly so that's where it's going. I emailed Tim again, this time with a clip of someone playing with a sound close to what I'm looking for. Again he reccomended the Mule so I bought one. From the first note I played with it I knew this was it. It's fantastic. Not at all too bright. It's very well balanced, fat and clear, quite smooth too but in a really good way with a lot of tone and character. It goes well with the other pickups and also sounds great when in split coil mode. Very happy now - at last, whew!

I think Tim is a bit of a star, he answered my emails at the weekend and was really patient with my stupid questions. I would definately buy another BKP - they are really well made and sound great, in fact I might try a neck Mule on this guitar sometime although I think i've spent enough money on pickups for a while.

You guys know the spec of this, check the website for details.
One thing i will mention is that, although I chose nickel covers, I also requested that underneath the nickel covers, the bobbins are zebra coils, just in case I ever wanted to remove the covers, no extra charge, thanks Tim.

This is installed in the neck position of my Edwards LTS 98.
Replacing stock pickup (Seymour D Jazz)
Other pickup on instrument is BKP Riff Raff (reviewed in the Riff Raff section)

Tim Mills himself uses this set of pickups on his R9.

Bought these to go straight into my brand new Edwards for the PERFECT les paul.

Beautifull!! This is the first neck humbucker I have been truly happy with. I started out (on a Gibson les paul studio) with a 490R, which was LAME. Then I bought a burstbucker for one of my other guitars, not impressed with that, it could be ok for other people, but not my bag. Then got the Seymor D Jazz to go with a JB I had, much better, but still not quite there. Also what is important to me is a bit of a 'quacky' middle position, and I have never been happy with anything I got from any other pickup set until I got these Bareknucks!!! These give you a great set of tones, as mentioned, if Tim Mills himself has these in his 59 RI, then it's got to be pretty damn good, and I can confirm that it is damn good!

This gets a 10/10, proper paf motherpickup!!
This is a keeper, this is MY sound. My les paul now does what I want it to do, if you downtune your guitar one semitone and play the solo from sweet child of mine (as slash did when he recorded it) you NAIL that tone, every bend has the right sparkle and nuances. Damn good!!

Described as a historically accurate PAF replica. Normal hunbucker, vintage style, passive. Think it's Alnico IV. Slightly hotter than traditional typical PAF, think it's around 8 ohms, maybe a bit more.

I wanted an upgrade to the Duncan Designed pickups in my Aria Pro II, so I decided to try Bare Knuckles, after reading many excellent reviews. I installed the Mule in the bridge, and slipped a Mississipi Queen P90 in the neck. Reason for changing pickups was a wanted to experiment a bit and get a bit more professional tone.

Output is slightly hotter than average PAF. I'm using it with a Roland Cube 20x digital amp. Firstly, let me say that given the huge number of glowing reviews about this pickup, I was expecting great things.

I am so disappointed with this pickup. I have rated it a 6 at best, because for me, that means 'not bad' and that's exactly what it is; not bad. I experimented extensively with the height of the pickup, and the tone was decent enough, and well balanced. But the bottom line is, the character of tone that I wanted, just is not there. Of course, it's largely subjective and comes down to what you are looking for, but to my ears this simply does not sound like a classic PAF, despite the fact that it is meant to be a very accurate reproduction. I disagree with the vast majority of reviews here. The large number of great reviews is not justified in my opinion. The tone is, in my view, very average. The build quality is however excellent, but the tone does not live up to expectations. I shall continue my search elsewhere. I plan to try Sheptone's next...

If it was destroyed or stolen, I'd feel sorry for the clown that took it, but he'd be welcome to it. I've been playing for 12 years. I play Hamer Artist electrics almost exclusively, but use an Aria for experimenting with pickups. Like the quality feel and build of it; hate the tone. Still searching for a 'real' PAF tone.

humbucking,passive,7.4K
aged covered

on a les paul 1958,
neck position
replacing classic 57
the mule uncovered on the bridge
for a better sound

7,4K
LINE 6 SPIDER VALVE 112
tne balanced,brilliant,vintage
rock blues ,he is perfect in all positions

yes
30 years,gibson sg junior 62,stratocaster 1954
simply the best

Humbucker, gold covered, Alnico 4, 8.4K

I put it in the bridge of my Esp Ltd Viper Deluxe, replacing its EMG. With my current setup, the EMG's were just too boomy and their cleans were never good. I wanted a more open and clearer sound, and good cleans. The guitar is tuned down to D.

I'm using it with a Mesa Triaxis - Intellifex - Mesa 50/50.
It's output is moderate, it's sound is very balanced and full. I can get from warm cleans to nice breakup to all the chug and distortion I need with the Triaxis.
Our music is quite the mix of classic rock, metal, prog, surf, basically whatever we feel like, so I use a variety of sounds. This works well for all.
When I first put it in and compared it to the Burstbuckers in my Gibson LP DC, I played it on a low practice level, and I did hear that the Mule was fuller and warmer, in fact a little too. At low volume, the Burstbucker Pros seemed clearer to me.
But, at the first rehearsal, so at band level, the difference became huge : yes, the Mule sounded very warm, very full and yet very defined, and I cut to the mix without problem. Also very responsive to my playing with some cooking tubes behind it. Good controlable feedback, and noise level very good, but I need to lower my gain settings a bit. What works on low volume, doesn't on bandvolume.

When I then switched over to the Gibson, the latter sounded thin and covered with a blanket, revealing even more the quality of this pickup

You see a lot of 10's here, and that's justified imo.
I think the Gibson will eventually get a BKP too, and I'll keep with the vintage kind. I can play metal with it fine, as well as anything else really.
I've been playing for 25 years and had loads of stuff; this guitar with The Mule into the Mesa setup is the best sound I've ever had by far. I've played on old Fenders with pedals, Rivera, Marshall, Line6 and more, with various strats, tele's, and a Lag. I've tried various Duncans and have played on Dimarzio equipped guitars.

See below

I installed this beautiful pickup in the neck of an Ibanez Artist AR300. It is replacing a Ibanez 58. The bridge position has a Rio Grande BBQ. I changed the 58 because it was very lack-luster and even more so after the installation of the BBQ.

WOW! Simply put, this is the best pickup in sound and build quality that I have ever played. Leaps and bounds better than the competition. Just the build quality alone really knocks you out. It has a very organic, alive sound. Perfect clarity across the strings and it is so round (without being heavy sounding) that it just seems like it has a greater output than it does. So much so that it makes the Rio Grande BBQ (no slacker in the beef dept) sound slightly anemic. Clean, it has a lot of size and presence while also demonstrating a light, crystal roominess. VERY warm! overdriven, it is very clear. Notes come out crystal clear. Chords retain all their note quality. So much so that you don't feel an automatic need to go to the bridge for solos. It really is a remarkable pickup.

This pickup has gotten me to the sound that I have always been just short of. I've been playing for 33 years and have played guitars with just about every manufactured pickup you can think of. I've owned Seymours D's, DiMarzios, Fralins, Adders, and Rio Grandes. This Bare Knuckle Mule really is the finest of the bunch. IMHO, they are well worth the money. I definitely plan on stocking all my guits with them. I ordered direct from England and recieved the pickup (I live in SC, USA) in ten days. Tim is terrific and replied same day to my e-mails. Just a great product in every way. Do yourself a favor: If you are a certified tone hound, get one of these. You WILL NOT be sorry!

Passive humbuckers

I put a set in a 95 PRS custom 22. I found the stock pickups a bit brittle and thin sounding at the bridge, and just plain old dull and muddy at the neck pup. The stock split coil sound was OK at low volume, but the crappy at volume w/overdrive.

I took a bit of a chance, considering I never actually played a BKP in person, only read about them. I've played Duncans and Dimarzio's in a Les Paul and Hamer, but they never answered my emails. I emailed Tim at BKP who was very helpful in helping pick out the right pup's for the sound I wanted.
the results were fantastic. The pup's are full, musical and very articulate. A tad more output than the stock pup's, but tone is what I wanted, and what I got.

I think the are so many "10" reviews on HC you don't take them seriously, but if you are looking for new pup's, believe what you are reading here, and the other "10" reviews for BKP.
You will hear a difference.
A lot of money, but worth it.

Neck uncovered 'hotter' PAF style humbucker with (zebra coils), four conductor wiring (although i haven't coil tapped it yet)
Alnico IV magnets, 7.3K ohms impedance, hand scatterwound

Installed into the neck position of my late 90's/early 2000s Epiphone Les Paul Standard (with limited edition sparkly blue top :D ) which has a BKP Nailbomb in the Bridge, both replacing the old stock Epi pups.
Changed them 'cause i never...ever used the neck pup on my paul, it just sounded so dark, mushy, dead.

Output is modest (in comparison to my Nailbomb and Lace Sensor Dually Red in my V!) but i understand a bit hotter than actual PAFs.
I play it through a ProCo Deucetone Rat distortion into a Fender Stage 100 (clean channel only).
This provided exactly what i was looking for in a neck pickup - its light, clear, cuts through the band much better than any other neck pickup I've ever played, has so much more ringing trebble, whilst retaining the humbucker punch, sublime clean, crisp and clear with light overdrive and raunchy under distortion! The only thing i'm slightly not sure of yet is whether i've adjusted it to get enough bass output for when i want an explosively bassy distortion for some of my bands songs, but am reluctant incase it overpowers the trebble response clean. (so thats not the pickup, nothing can do everything like it sounds in your head!)
One of the main reasons i wanted to change the stock neck pickup was after using my friends gibson SG i realised what i was missing out on not being able to use the neck pickup on my LP. I also play in a 3rd wave ska punk band, and the 490R in the neck of that gave a really good clean ska sound - much clearer and snappier than i thought a neck humbucker could be. After getting this pickup i realised that the 490R wasn't even close to the sound i was now creating! It has revolutionised my guitar playing, and i sometimes feel guilty that i am not using the Nailbomb in the bridge enough, i just can't switch away from this wonderful sound! clean this thing blows any other humbucking (& most single coil) pickups out of the water, but with the added bonus of being able to deliver a 60cycle-hum-free, harmonically rich distortion where you can hear the thick heavy (really really heavy) mahogany body of the LP 'breathe' through the distortion! (I think the metalic finish might make it even heavier lol, its the heaviest paul i've held, more so than 3 gibsons i've tried played!)
Soloing and picking also shows alot more character, with picking dynamics and harmonics coming through very clearly, and a less 'characterless sustain' no matter what u do on a distorted solo like i used to get from the stock pup, with the mule you can hear the tone of the guitar and harmonic undertones really ringing through. This however means i need to concentrate on playing better otherwise you'll hear me choke a note ;P
It also very good when selected in parallel with my nailbomb. i often turn the nailbomb down a tiny bit on the bridge volume so that they are better balanced for clean.

Would definately consider getting another mule, if not then definitely another Bare Knuckle. Im tempted to replace my Korina Flying V's neck pup (equally poor sounding, but slightly less muddy perhaps due to the korina wood?) with a P90 humbucker retrofit, like the Mississippi Queen, or a Seymour Duncan Phat Cat if i can't afford it!
I am a student of 21 and have been playing now for 7 or 8 years, am a huge humbucker and gibson/epiphone fan (also have a Dot Studio) although i've been struggling to resist buying a Telecaster (watching about 8 on ebay atm :-S ) but I doubt even that will sound as good clean as the Mule does, it is a truly phenomenal sounding and playing pickup, responds wonderfully to picking dynamics, sounds great when really spanked with a ska upstroke, and has changed the way i use a guitar now - much more often on the neck pup than i was, cos this beauty lives there! I have found the best sounding neck position of any guitar, for clean and overdrive.
Tim mills was very helpful in describing the differences between covered and open poled, PAF and modern pickups, and all of his models (although i already had my heart set on the nailbomb!) and was a great help in my choice of pickups. emails were responded to often within the hour! quickly delivered, free rotosound strings, really fat plectrums (cant use or i'd break strings/fire the pick into the crowd! bassist appreciated tho!) and lifetime warranty. Expensive but for hand scatterwound, the service, and the sheer quality of product, i can't say it wasn't worth ??90 GBP

Passive humbucking pickup with impedance of 7.3k

I had this pickup put in the neck position of an old 1970's Les Paul Custom Black Beauty replacing a Seymour Duncan 59 which sounded too muddy and lacked clarity. There is a Riff Raff pickup in the bridge.

I play blues/rock/metal through a Mesa Single Rectifier head and 2x12 Box with no effects other than a Holy Grail Reverb and a Sonic Maximiser. The Mule in the neck position has warmth and lots of tone but doesn't sound muddy like the Seymour Duncan that it replaced. It's ideal for those bluesy solos.

I was actually thinking of selling this guitar because the previous pickup in the neck position to be honest sounded terrible but I certainly wont be selling this Les Paul now. I would certainly buy this again if it is was lost or destroyed. I emailed Tim from Bare Knuckle Pickups regarding the right choice of pickup and he suggested the Mule to nail the Led Zep sound that I was after. He couldn't have been more helpful and my set of pickups duly arrived only nine days later. The only pickups that I have heard that sound as good as this are the HRW pickups in my Heritage H-140 and Heritage H-150.

Passive, humbucking PAF pickups. Alnico IV magnets.
The neck measures out at 7.3, bridge at 8.4.

I bought a calibrated set for my Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus to replace the Burstbuckers Pros, which were entirely to harsh and raspy. This is the 5th set of pickups I have gone through on this guitar. I've tried them all: GFS mean PAF'S, Seymour Duncan SH-1, SH-4, and SH-5, and Gibson Burstbucker Pro's. Needless to say, I'll be sticking with these!

First of all, I got in contact with Tim from BKP and he recommended these pickups for the sound I was looking for, alnico IV magnets(which are a real rarity these days). I don't use many effects. Just my Keeley modded SD-1 overdrive and my tube amp. I play blues and rock. These things fit the bill perfectly.
The "Mules" are the most dynamic and punchy PAF pickups I have ever encountered. Truly astounding, I haven't played a humbucker yet that comes even close. The neck is pristine and beautiful clean. Not your typical muddy neck PAF. Very punchy and clear, musical. Tons of harmonics. The sound just jumps out of the guitar. Overdriven it's just smooth, maintains great clarity.
The bridge is super tight, matched up with the neck beautifully. The lows are tight and punchy and the highs just soar. Most importantly, the bridge pickup is beautiful clean. Super versatile. Excellent set!!

It's a shame I can only rate these things a 10. I have been playing for the most part of 20 years and these are the best humbuckers I have ever heard. A truly unique tone, I have never heard anything quite like them. Not to be overshadowed, the customer service that Tim and his group provide is simply outstanding. If you have a question they are quick to provide a thoughtful and accurate answer. They will work with you to find exactly what you are looking for, whatever it may be. Despite the fact that these are a bit expensive, it is money well spent. I look forward to trying out some of the other pickups in their line in the future.

passive Humbuckers PAF style, vintage style.

I use the Mule with the Alnico IV magnet, in the bridge position of my guitar. In the neck position I have the BKP 90, and they work together beautifully! The difference from the stock pickups to the Mule was amazing, it made my guitar go from sounding very good to sounding amazing.

The output level is perfect, not too hot, so it doesn't overcompress, it gives your guitar a very organic and ricc tone, and it brings out the best of the tone, you can have it sweeter by lowering it, or more rock/metal by raising it's height, it's how a PAF humbucker is supposed to sound! very balanced and vintage. You won't find a better humbucker for any money, it's just astounding! I can't stop playing since I installed my mule!

It may seem slightly expensive, but this is for a good reason, the Mule is leaps and bounds better sounding than all the other competition. It makes playing an absolute pleasure, and will bring out the best of your setup. It's very organic in tone, which means you can compress, or add any fx you can throw at it and it will always cut through, I can get tones that are as nice as Dave Gilmour, Jeff Beck and Jimi Page, bear in mind you can also get some amazing controlled feedback easily, plus Tim will advise you on which pickup he thinks best suits your needs.

passive humbuckers

installed to gibson les paul studio,calibrated set,replacing gibson 490r and 498t,was reasonably happy with 490r but 498t was very week and pickups did'nt seem well matched

I find the output level perfect for my style(blues/rock,punk),running through Klon Centaur and 5 watt celestion equipped gibson valve amp,treble pickup cuts through perfectly and rythm pickup is full and deep without the muddiness of the gibson

would definately buy again if i needed to and am seriously thinking of fitting bare knuckles in my other guitar,I've been playing for about 25 years and have had many guitars and many makes of pickups,I've used various Duncans in les pauls but I'm now sticking with bare knuckle,this review may sound completely glowing and arsey but I can't say a bad word about these pickups

It's the calibrated set, PAF replica, handmade by Bareknuckle. I have the Alnico IV magnet version, which is the closest to the original. Mine's also unpotted like the original. Mine are uncovered with a nice zebra finish. The bridge has a resitance of 8.K and the neck of 7.3K, this gives it a low- meduim output. I have also installed a coil splitter.

The guitar is a 1998 Gibson Les Paul Studio. It's a set so it's oth in the neck and bridge position. I wanted to change the pickups to achieve more vintage tone an get a more even and clearer tone.

The output ins't too high, but will drive your amp a bit. I'm using it with my 2006 Orange Rocker 30 combo, with an 12" Eminence Red Fang speaker. The tone is quite balanced, with a bit empahisis on the mids. They are pretty fat, without getting muddy, the classic PAF tone. Very twangy and trebly actually, but never getting biting or nasaly. The tone is extremely clear, you can really hear every nuance, picking and dynamic with them. They let your playing through to 100%. The tone is very classic voiced, great for classic rock and blues. Think early Cream, Beano era Clapton, Free, Led Zeppelin. I play these styles and it's perfect for that. These are the best pickups I have ever heard.

They are not a good choice if you are looking for screaming high gain pickups, but if you want classic PAF tone these are the ones to go with.

Check out some soundclips here:
http://gabel.dmusic.com

I would get new ones if I lost them or if they were stolen. I have been playing for over two years, my gear mostly mentioned in the sound and instrument section. I love everything about it, it's the best pickups I have played.

vintage style paf 2 conducting wires

i installed a calibrated set of bareknuckle pickups into a baker b1+ replacing the stock pickups,the origional pickups were ok but seemed a bit honky and hard to get a clear clean sound.

the output of the mules was slightly less than the bakers but the mules were very balanced across the strings.played clean the mules were beautiful,warm but bright with just enough bite and so responsive to pick attack or finger.played overdriven they kept all the note definition and never got muddy even with the volume rolled off. i play alot of different styles including funk blues and jazz these pickups are a godsend to my sound

if stolen i would order another set instantly,ive been playing guitar for 20yrs used seymour duncans for most of that.after playing bareknuckles i wont be going back to duncans sorry seymour!

The Mule - calibrated humbucking pickups, the DC is like 8.4 or something on the bridge and around 7.4 on the neck. They usually come with Alnico IV magnets but I had mine wound with Alnico II's. They are built to be replications of the late-50's Gibson PAF's that are so world famous

These pickups were put into a 2002 PRS Singlecut. I was replacing a Seymour Duncan Custon in the bridge and the a Seymour Duncan Custom 5(upside down) in the neck. I was just tired of the sterileness of the pickups and they just never seemed to sound good in the guitar. It was something that continually ticked me off about the seymours.

The output isnt insane, they really lend themselves to a mild/hard overdrive. They are voiced to the late 60's/70's Les Paul thing, but let me tell you they are super versitle pickups. I play everything from Van Halen to United Live stuff and it covers everything well. They clean up very nice, they are not overally dark, they are very clear when distorted. They handle any amount of gain very well, they dont distort the amp, they really send a great clear signal to the amp and I just the Splawn Quickrod do all the rest. For a vintage-y pickup, these are really the cream of the crop I would totally recomend this company and these pickups..

If these were stolen, I would just go buy another pair, they are amazing pickups....

Passieve humbucker. Made just like the original 50's PAF.
Nickle covers.

Gibson les Paul Standard Silverburst 'Showcase Edition' from 1988.
I replaced the original EMG humbuckers with a set of Bare Knuckle Mules. The EMG humbuckers didn't sound pure and clear, they could only sustain with high gain, but it had nothing to do with PURE TONE. So I wanted a great PAF sound with clear tones and even could handle distortion for classic rock/hardrock. The Mule is really amazing for everything!

The output is medium. Lots of character with pure tone. Even through the distortion you can hear the clarity and the single notes without sounding thin. Really ballsy rock sound, with a classic, aggresive bite if you want to. Perfect for Deep Purpe, Dire Straits, ZZ Top, Peter Green, Gary Moore, AC/DC and many others. The neck pickup sounds VERY warm (great blues/jazz pickup) and the bridge pickup is also warm, but with more bite and great for classic rock leads and rythm...absolutely not harsh sounding. The balans between the two pickups is amazing. Really great, clear and warm on clean sounds. I had some problems with adjusting the right hight of the bridge pickup, but after some little tweaks the balans with the neck is just AMAZING!!

I would buy this pickup definately again. I have only 1 Les Paul, but if I had more, they all would get some Mules.
I love the clarity of these pickups, even with the distortion. Very classic! I'm very satisfied. If you have the choice for choosing a pickup, buy a set of Mules!

These pups are humbucking passive pick ups. You can basically check it out on the website for more information; considering the pup covers, how its set up, etc.

I have the callibrated mule set; neck and bridge models. It's inside an esp ltd ec-1000 gutiar and I replaced EMG's (which I am really happy that I did)

The biggest reason why I changed the pups is becausethe EMG's weren't clear at all, they only could sustain those highly distorted sounds but while doing so, they couldn't be clear at all...and it was bad for me because I barely play metal.

The output is mildly high, pretty bright, but not too bright, it's just good enough! I'm using it with a roland 30 amp...and I still could tell the difference in tone from the EMG's to the BKP's mule.

I play everything from blues to hard rock and a bit of metal. Honestly, these pups can nail almost everythin I throw at it! Seriously...

The bridge can nail all of those super bright things you need to hit, the neck is really warm, very nice on the cleans and really nice on lower gain volumes.

If it were lost, I would cry...and cry, no only because I basically lost my tone I was looking for, but because these things are really expensive! But honestly, if you had enough money for these pick ups...GET THEM, they are seriously worth it in the long run...really I think these are the best pups out there in the market.

I've been playing for about 2-3 year.

Like I said, i compared these pups to the emgs and they completly blow the 81's and 60's out of the water.

I am completly satisfied with these pick ups, I'm just scared that the fact that when I get other guitars...i'll have to replace their pups too! *dies*

Finally, I would like to leave you with this.

If you're looking for yourself a good pair of pups that are very versatile and can give a great tone ( and i mean great ).

Stop looking, you're already half way there. (go to the shop now!)

humbucker set
bridge 8.4dc
neck 7.4 dc
alnico IV magnets

they're in a epiphone les paul standard, neck and bridge positions and the original epi pup's are being replaced. I changed the pickups because I didn't like the tone of the stock epiphone pickups. they didn't have enough high end and clarity.

feels a bit hotter than the stock epiphone humbuckers. I'm playing it through a solid state randall rg100sc. not a great amp at all but the distortion channel is good. I play anything from classic rock to metal. I just wanted a versatile and responsive pickup for good overdriven and clean tones. The pickup's tone is very well balanced and I really like it. The neck position doesn't sound muddy at all and the bridge doesn't sound harsh. These pickups sound very clear and aren't muddy at all. the overdriven and clean tones both sound great

I would definitely buy it again unless I could find something just as good for cheaper which I think could be done in North America. I've played for about 5 years. I didn't compare this pickup to many others so I feel I can't rate it very fairly. However I can tell you it doesn't have that annoying sizzling sound that I heard on some gibsons I played in stores. I am very satisfied with these pickups.

Pickup features: Humbucker - matched pair
Impedence or other specs: Standard

Model of guitar or bass: Cort M700
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Standard Cort Mighty Mite pickups
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues / classic rock
Reason for pickup change: The Cort was a decent guitar, but when I bought an American Strat, it started to sound poor in comparison. I considered buying a better quality humbuckling guitar, but then I read the various reviews for these pickups and thought I would give the Cort a chance with a decent set of pickups (all of the rest of the hardware on the guitar is of a good quality and the guitar is realy nice to play). I was originally considering a pair of Stormy Mondays, but Tim suggested that The Mules might be more a appropriate choice - email answered within 24 hours.

Perceived output level: Not too powerful, but sound great through my Blues Junior amp (and through the pod when my wife is in the house)
Tone: Very well balanced and rich sounding - makes you want to play.
Sonic evaluation: I either play through a Blues Junior amp or through a Pod 2 (when silent playing is required). My guitar is transformed - no need to buy a Les Paul, my relatively cheap Cort now sounds great. These pickups have even led to an improvement in my playing!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues / Rock - Great for both - superb service

Comments:

Pickup features: humbucker bridge poistion
Impedence or other specs: don't remember

Model of guitar or bass: self made guitar with warmoth parts-mahogany-maple top-ebony
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none..the guitar was just made when i got this
Other pickups on guitar: semour duncan jazz on the neck
Artists using this pickup: ME!
You musical style(s): psichedelic, psot rock,shoegazing,ambient,hard rock
Reason for pickup change: none..i just want the best

Perceived output level: hot but in a reasonable way
Tone: balanced 100% perfect brilliat, best ever
Sonic evaluation: my project guitar (warmoth top notch mahogany body with maple top, maple neck with ebony fingeboard) thorugh a mes boogie v twin preamp, sometimes a boss giga delay (twin series) and a brilliant Fender Twin amp blackface with groove tubes on

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: psichedelic, psot rock,shoegazing,ambient,hard rock..PERFECT!!!

Comments: if stolen.. I 'd write Tim and get one again!!!!
I play sicne 1988 and have a dozen of guitars ..this is the best pick up I ever tried for the bridge position
love it 100%..hate? nothing
I've got mysound now..thank to Tim

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Bridge 8.4k, Neck 7.1k; Alnico IV

Model of guitar or bass: Tokai Les Paul Custom
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Tokai PAF II
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: The Datsuns?
You musical style(s): Blues-based Classic Rock (ala Aerosmith)
Reason for pickup change: The original pickups were too weak, and just couldn't give me the tone I was after. Their note definition was also lacking.

Perceived output level: Increased output over stock pickups; cuts through the mix better, without sacrificing clarity or expressiveness.
Tone: Beautiful balanced PAF sound, with more balls. Very versatile.
Sonic evaluation: I am now using a Marshall Jubilee 2554, but I used to use a BOSS GT6 through a solid-state amp. Miraculously, even with that modelling setup, the Mules helped me to get a decent sound going. But now, it's simply fantastic - perfect for my style.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock, blues. These are a great match. I bought the calibrated set, so it's very versatile and effective.

Comments: I would definately buy this set again, over all other brands I considered (Seymour Duncan and Gibson among them). I have been playing for about five years now, and have sold a lot of my older gear. I love these pickups - they're like a PAF with more contemporary output (without sounding unclear, muddy or overly hot), and suit my style perfectly. I am more than satisfied with this pickup, and I would like to mention the fantastic customer service Bare Knuckle provide - far superior to any of the 'major chains' out there.

Pickup features: Calibrated set cream open pole pickups
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 95 Les Paul Standard Plus
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Set of Seymour Duncan 59's
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: There should be a few by now.
You musical style(s): Classic rock & Blues
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to try a hand wound full size HB from Bare knuckle as Tim had already re-wound the mini HBs'on my LP deluxe

Perceived output level: About the same as the 59's when adjusted to the right distance from the strings.
Tone: good even tone, Neck has a lot of bass but does not muddy up, Bridge cuts through without being painful.
Sonic evaluation: Vox Tonelab into Marshall 20/20 power amp and Marshall 2X12.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The Mules will do classic rock and blues well but can go high gain if your amp can. I mostly use old Amp patches on the vox but the Mules sound good through Soldano style high gain settings as well.

Comments: I really like these pickups, for playing early zz top, Led Zep and free they work like a dream - but if you use high gain they can go all "EVH" and as brown as you like. Very good all round tone - if you like setting your amp up and using your volume controls or if you want to stomp on a box and go nuts these will go with you.
As for customer service, Tim (the boss, designer and general head honcho) is a great bloke to deal with and will call you to discuss any problems and if you call or email him he always seems to have time for a chat.

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: ES 335 Gibson 1974
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: original gibson
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): soul blues , R'nB
Reason for pickup change: A lack of trebles after 30 years of use... and early 70' were not a good period for gibson stuff...

Perceived output level: a higher output level is really noticeable
Tone: a very good set , very balanced with lot of air and great dynamic. Playing alternatively with pick and fingers is really heaven
Sonic evaluation: I've been playing on and off for 30 years and regularly in a band since 1996. I pay a lot of attention on my gear and have selected a Mesa Blue angel thru Menatone pedals.
Bare Knuckle is a perfect match to this set , and once the pickups fitted on the guitar , I was really happy to hear one of the best sounding 335 I've ever heard ( and I tried a lot of them , including old 60' with original PAF.
In addition to this , what could I say ????
Well , My James Tyler burning water model will be more than happy to be retrofitted in a couple of weeks with a magic set. I'll tell you more very soon....Once Tim will give give me THE solution.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Soul , Rock , R'n'B ....Even though a telecaster should be a better choice for James Brown sound, this 335 newly equipped is a good tool.And it's heaven for all rock and roll and blues.

Comments: I've stopped my endless quest thanx to bare Knuckle pickups.
The only reason I don't upgrade all my guitars ( than the James Tyler ) is because they are all collectable guitars that I must keep 100% original for value concerns.
And That's all.

Pickup features: Gold covered,humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 7.1k,4 conductor,AlnicoIV,underwound

Model of guitar or bass: LP copy & early 80's Gibson SG
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock humbuckers
Other pickups on guitar: SD JB Humbucker & gibson Tony Iommi pu
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock,Blues,mostly 60's & 70's stuff
Reason for pickup change: Looking for a better match,want more warmth,sustain and clarity.

Perceived output level: More power and sustain than stock pu's
Tone: Great character and clarity,very well balanced
Sonic evaluation: Tried in both guitars thru my 67 blackfaced fender proreverb & Zoom gfx-8 effects processor.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Classic Rock ,Blues,able to get the sound i was looking for

Comments: Been playing 2 to 3 yrs regularly,on and off last 20 now that i have more free time!This pu matched up great to the other bridge pu's.Blew away the stock pu's,superb dynamics,awesome for the music i like to play.It was exactly what i was looking for.Wired this up the standard way,will be doing the Jimmy Page wiring mod using 4 push/pull pots in the near future on both guitars.
Will be ordering another one in the near future for sure,pain in the ass to keep swapping in & out of both guitars.
Just like to mention the great customer support and service.Tim Mills & co are great to deal with,this guy is a genius,really knows his stuff.I can't say enough good things about BKP.Thanks Tim for an
awesome pu!

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Calibrated set of two

Model of guitar or bass: Washburn HB 50
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Native Washburn humbuckers
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Country, blues, roots
Reason for pickup change: Old ones a bit characterless - postive feedback from friendds with these

Perceived output level: Hotter than before, but not intended to be mega hot
Tone: I asked for "warm and growly" which is exactly what they are!
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a Ashdown Stinger amp (the commercial version is the Romany) mainly for recording and the odd gig. The pickups are beautifully warm and clear, and even when driving amp something of the woodiness of the semi-solid Washburn comes through. They're pretty hot but not meant to be more than that - they have other models for ultra output. This is more like a PAF. Compared to my Seymore Duncan 59er on a solid body guitar (which is very nice) they are more detailed and responsive. They really shake up my poor Pignose!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Neck and bridge - it is a hand wound calibrated set

Comments: I'd deffo buy them again. I'm considering their other products for other instruments I love the warmth and detail and they make me want to plug in, turn up and play. For recording I have found "the" sound more quickly. The others has an upper mids peak which never sounded good recorded. they're expensive in absolute terms but I bought them for a beautful guitar which deserves them. See www.2jayrecords.com for pics