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

Pickup features: Humbucking, Alnico IV magnets, Trem-spaced. No covers
Impedence or other specs: 8.9 K ohm - 4 conductor. Double clotted-cream coils

Model of guitar or bass: Don Grosh Retro-Classic (HSS)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Tom Holmes 8.3K Bridge Humbucker (G-spaced)
Other pickups on guitar: 2 Bare Knuckle single coils
Artists using this pickup: That I would like to know ! There's gotta be a bunch of 'em now.
You musical style(s): Wide range from blues, jazzy noodlings, rock, funk, no real high gain stuff.
Reason for pickup change: Curiosity and maybe boredom. I got to thinking that I could maybe use a bit more oomph in the bridge. A phone call with Tim convinced me to try a Mule without covers - he's dangerous like that !

Perceived output level: Slightly hotter than vintage PAF. Not a real high output device - nor should it be.
Tone: Balanced with no treble harshness. Singing mids and a tight, full bass response.
Sonic evaluation: Grosh straight into a Kingsley Deluxe 32 with a Two Rock cable.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Terrific for cleans, blues and rock. Jazz even. Not a country or shred tool tho :)

Comments: The guitar is a Grosh Retro Classic in HSS, alder body, rosewood board, Callaham trem - a stratty thing with 2 Bare Knuckle S/C s and a Tom Holmes 455 ( I think) in the bridge. It's been there for 4 years or more. I ought to say that I use a 300K volume pot (a filed 250), and the bridge tone is 250 k linear with a meager 10nF polyprop tone cap.
Now first up the Holmes is a truly fantastic humbucker - I'm not alone in my opinion - Tim from Bare Knuckle agrees. So let's look at how The Mule stacks up in the bridge of this stratty tone monster compared to the Holmes - this should give a different kind of review compared to those of all these Mules in Lester's, below mine.
So to the weigh-in. Both are double cream "open" humbuckers - The Mule looks like a Devon double-clotted version. Both look like they are built as quality products. The Mule is F'in-trem-spaced (getchya Eee's back innit?) and the Holmes aint. The Mule weighs in at paltry 600 ohms more but that isn't gonna tell you what to expect. Time to rumble.
Seconds away, Round 1. Straight up the Mule is throwing in more mid girth and less high end than the Holmes. The Holmes is light and airy - really sweet - a good mover and with lot of spring and snap in the bass steps. Even somewhat single coil like. It has a superb clarity, detail and is tightly balanced. If there's criticism it can tend to be a little sharp and brittle on the highs - and maybe somewhat "clanky". Could there be Alnico V magnets in these? This disappears with a small roll down of the tone pot - and gives a lovely rounded thickened sound that'll take you to jazzy or blues tone places. The Mule in comparison could never be called harsh or brittle - the notes flying in are rounder and are packing strength. The Mule's rude and responsive, loaded with bad boy character that's coming from a lower-mid girth than the Holmes - this has gotta be due to the Alnico IV magnetics. Rolling down the tone here gives a really powerful sound - smooth and middy - it's Santana or Robben Ford. It's Greeny getting rather womanly in the tone department. It's stadium rock - powerful. It has the mid that just simply and wail - almost vocal but certainly not nasal. The Mule has more bass than the Holmes but in common with the Holmes it isn't muddy but tight with a springiness to its step. Admitted the Holmes is tighter and with less of a mud-tendency but it hasn't got quite the "grit" of The Mule.
Both humbuckers give "complex" and detailed sounds - both are scatterwound and reap the benefits. Their sound is really sensitive to the way you hit, mute and tickle the strings - I want to say here that both are very "direct" and immediate in their response. Somehow I feel though that the Mule has even more character - sensitivity to harmonics, palm mutes, everything is simply excellent. It can be warm, it can bite, it sustains and sustains. It is plummy and bitchin', less sweet and sugary than the Holmes but still clear and "open". Pumped it gives a wonderfully musical feedback.
The humbucker sound is not only important to me - with a 3 -way toggle I can split the humbucker and add either the whole humbucker of the split coil to any combination of the other 2 pickups. I use the humbucker alone for more volume but I want the thing to give me good sounds in combination with those great Bare Knuckle single coils. Splitting is done via a resistor to ground ( a great tip from Brinsley Schwarz - it gives a sound that is much closer to an "authentic" s/c). Both humbuckers deliver. The full Holmes with the neck s/c for example gives an almost hollow-body type jazz sound wow !. With the Mule it's less so - still a great sound - a full character rythmn sound that is given top end bite when the bucker is split. The Holmes in combination seems to give nice tight funk stabs -the Mule too but with less top and more and bass richness. The Mule split sounds better as a single coil than the Holmes - less brittle, and it mixes s

Pickup features: Humbuckers
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gibson Classic 57
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson Classic 57
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic Rock/blues
Reason for pickup change: Unhappy with bland sound

Perceived output level: These pickups seem to be slightly hotter than the Classic 57's, but way lower output than the PRS pickups I experimented with before.
Tone: Very balanced tone, at first I thought they were a bit bass light, but now I realise the other pickups were muddy sounding.
Sonic evaluation: I play three different Custom Shop Les Pauls ('59 Reissue, Goldtop, & Elegant) through a Lonestar Special (for small gigs) and a Marshall 30th Anniversary (for larger gigs. I replaced the Burstbuckers in the '59 with Seth Lovers almost straight away as they were so middley-sounding. Now I wish I'd tried the Bareknuckle Mules first. They are just powerful enough to drive the amps, whilst retaining a balance and sweetness I've never heard before. You get a sustain crossing into musical feedback almost at will. Clean they show loads of character, not the blandness you usually get. Dirty they have so much bite it's unbelievable - but absolutely no harshness, they've got the frequencies just right. Winding the tone pots back a bit gives you some great options too; usually I find things getting too muddy.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play classic rock and blues and these are the perfect pickups in my opinion.

Comments: I would definitely buy these again - in fact I'm just about to order the Bareknuckle Stormy Mondays as I can't wait to hear what these will sound like in my Goldtop...
I've been playing over 30 years so I'm no spring chicken, neither do I normally post reviews on gear. I've A/B/C'd my three Les Pauls through the Boogie Lonestar Special (great amp by the way!) and frankly there is no comparison - even the Seth Lovers (and I still think they are great pickups) sound bland against the Mules. The only complaint that I have is that I now have to cough up for new pickups for my other two Les Pauls - otherwise they ain't going to get played.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Dunno

Model of guitar or bass: Washburn WI-66V
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: Don't care
You musical style(s): blues, rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups were dull and weak sounding

Perceived output level: Higher output than stock pups
Tone: very well balanced
Sonic evaluation: I currently only playing through a 15 watt Marshall practice combo due to volume restrictions. I have a couple of effects pedals, an RMC Picture Wah, Keeley Fuzz Head and Analogman SD-1/808. I can get a great Hendrix/SRV tone using the neck pickup.
Before buying the pups I had a few queries regarding which ones would be most suitable for my needs. My queries were answered extremely quickly and Tim Mills was an enormous help both pre and post sale - exceptional customer service.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly blues and rock, Led Zep, Hendrix, Eddie Hazel, SRV, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Stone Roses.

Comments: Had them now for 8 months and The Mules have transformed my guitar from a rather dull sounding and uninspiring instrument to one that is perfect for my needs. The strings don't bleed into one another as the stock pickups did. Each note rings out as clear as a bell, even through a dirt-cheap amp such as the one I'm using. Such clarity of tone makes for a very versatile guitar and I am over the moon with it. Clean tone sounds rich and full and it growls with the gain turned up.
Customer service is beyond compare. I needed some pots and caps to get my guitar wired up and Tim sent them to me before receiving payment (sorry for the delay with that Tim!). I would advise anyone looking for new pickups to contact BKP direct to discuss what they're looking for - you won't be disappointed.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker - Alnico IV magnets
Impedence or other specs: DC:8.9k according to the website

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Custom
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Epiphone (bridge)
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Epiphone (neck)
Artists using this pickup: Tim from Ozzmosis! Dont know of any others...
You musical style(s): Rock! GnR, Led Zep, Deep Purple, Aerosmith etc. I also play some metal like Ozzy, BLS, Death Angel, Megadeth etc.
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup was too muddy and notes had no defenition

Perceived output level: A bit less than the stock Epi pickup..normal I suppose.
Tone: Just right! I got rid of the Epi because it was too bassy and not clear enough.. this seems really balanced, no harsh treble or muddy bass!
Sonic evaluation: Im using my Epiphone LP Custom into a Marshall GV2 then into a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Sounds just right. I had to lower the neck pickup right down because this pickup is pretty low output, but now they are nicely balanced and this pickup has also made the middle position a bit more usable..before it wasnt clear atall but now it's alot better! I think the manufacturers description of this pickup is pretty spot on - "Traditional standards with a kick in the rear. Increased power and sustain without sacrificing character or definition." Cant argue with that! Even though this pickup is low output, it still works really well for playing metal, pinch harmonics come out so much easier/better now! Very versatile!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly old rock such as Led Zep, GnR, Sabbath etc also old metal like Megadeth.

Comments: If it were destroyed or stolen I think I would buy it again..or maybe the more powerful Emerald. I've been playing for around 5 years.. I dont hate anything about this pickup! I'm not searching for 'that' sound anymore, I think I've found it. At first I thought it was my amp being muddy but nope it was the stock Epiphone pickup! I also thought I should mention how great the customer service is. I emailed Tim probably too many times(!)asking for recommendations and he told me The Mule sounded "beautiful in a LP", he was right! Also, I realised that I had ordered the wrong pickup spacing..simply emailed him and he changed it for me! Another thing, I realised I didnt have any solder, I emailed Tim to ask if he could send me some with it and yep, I got some! Great customer service. I didnt give this pickup a 10 because like people say nothings perfect...

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson SG Special
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: 490R/490T
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, Funk
Reason for pickup change: Old pickups were ok. I will be keeping them for a project guitar in the future. Wanted to get a sound that was unique and that is what i now have.

Perceived output level:
Tone: Really articulate with more sustain and yet crunchy
Sonic evaluation: I use an old Vox AC 50(or 60 not sure) Head through a marshall 4x12 cab. Distortion from a Boss DS-1 and i use a vox wah pedal. Great amp for clean sounds but these pickups let the valves do the distortion thing naturally before i even need the boss. Love the clarity of these pickups but it has meant i need to play better! There is no hiding for sloppy playing with these pickups.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great match for the styles i play. eg: Cream, Zep, Stones, old stuff and our own stuff

Comments: I would definitely buy these pickups again for my SG. For another guitar I'd look for a different sound again but would go to the Bare Knuckle range to explore! I own an epiphone Les Paul that would suit some Miracle Man pup's...

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: prs se tremonti
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: prs stock pups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): metal, metal, and metal
Reason for pickup change: low output, a lot of noise on the background, lots of feedback, lack of character.

Perceived output level: the story was, i went to the shop hoping to buy a pups from seymour duncan . its a dimebucker for a start. the guy on the counter said, whybut a pickup from em when in fact u can design ur own. he suggested bareknuckle pups. he rang a guy named tim. i told him that im a fan of pantera and i reli like the sound of the dimebucker wid the 59 on the neck. he told me that he knw evrything bout guitars and and i thought why not give it a shot. he made for me a mule pups alnico 5 for the neck and a pup called miracle man. i dnt knw what to expect widthese pups. i was scared a little coz i just dished out ?180. when it arrived, the mule was zebra lookin and m. man was all black. i thought it was a good color choice. went to the guitar tech to have it installed. whenevrything was hooked up, the tech said itsa good sounding guitar. but i didnt appreciate it first coz it was only plain acoustic and no effects at all. i went home and plug it in on my zoom gudget and 100 watts fender speaker. what i heard is a sound made in hell. its awesome, powerful, not thin sounding and yet it can scream. the good thing about these pups is, theyre quite pickups. what i meant is, i strummed the guitar wid out any chords and let it just ring by itself til it fades away and put it beside the speaker. i was ecpecting some feedback but no feedback at all. no nothing. it was an amazing exprerience and my wife can even distinguish the sound. and recently i bought a warpig for my ibanez.
Tone:
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: im sold for life with bareknuckle pups. i hve nothing to do with seymour duncan, dimarzio, emg and all those brandy products. BKP company is just a small company based in england and thyre not that huge yet. so the way i see it, its very intimate, very homely and customer service is fantastic. u wnt get that from other pups company.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: 8.9k

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Aged Historic '57 Goldtop
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Cassic '57
Other pickups on guitar: Bare Knuckle Mule also
Artists using this pickup: Tim Mills, me and those who have been lucky enough to discover Bare Knuckle
You musical style(s): Blues, Classic Rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups had a good general tone, but weren't well balanced- too mushy at the bottom end, too harsh at the top end.

Perceived output level: Slightly more than stock
Tone: Extremely well balanced. There is definately a big wow factor when you first hear these little beauties. Our band, Tora Bora, based down in Guernsey in the Channel Isles, generally play a mix of blues and classic rock tracks, including stuff from Free, Cream, The Allman Brothers Band, Hendrix, early Mac and a few of our own numbers. The thing that immediately strikes you is the balance of these pickups. Clear defined kick (Mule?) at the bottom end which is so often lacking on Les pauls, but a lovely bright yet creamy top end- never harsh sounding. Given a clean boost through the Klon to get the power tubes cooking, they sound fantastic!
Sonic evaluation: Gibson Historic '57 through a Klon Centaur, Holy Grail Reverb, into handwired Marshall 2061X head and Marshall 4x12 Greenback half stack.

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

Comments: If they were stolen, I'd claim off my insurance intially for the Goldtop,(which I assume they'd run off with to boot) and in the meantime order another set of Mules from Tim and Ray to put straight into the replacement axe

Pickup features: Passive Humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: 8.9K ish (bridge)

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Original Gibson neck Pickup, BKP crawler bridge.
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a tad more bite and woodiness.

Perceived output level: Low output...but can scream
Tone: balanced, warm, woody, edgey....not shrill.
Sonic evaluation: Marshall JCM 2555 stack, sounds like a bstard. I play raw blues to hard edge rock. its perfect for me. really tasteful tone. FAT but has bite....not harsh at all! beeeaaautiful!

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

Comments:

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker (chrome covered)
Impedence or other specs: 7.3K Alnico IV

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone G-310 SG
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock Epi humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Bare Knuckle Black Dog
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): everything from Cocteau Twins to Black Sabbath
Reason for pickup change: the stock Epi pickups were too muddy low down, and not clear and defined enough up high. clean sounds were poor.

Perceived output level: slightly more than the Epiphones
Tone: balanced and warm.
Sonic evaluation: i needed versatile pickups, and Tim was happy to advise me in what would work best. he wound me a Mule with slightly lower DC than they normaly are, which he's done for SG players in the past with great results. the Mule does everything i need - from clean sounds, to warm bluesy sounds to dirty metal sounds - i can hit the lot of them. i can get jazz or even country tones if i feel that way inclined.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: the Mule is perfect for just about everything.

Comments: if i lost the SG i'd replace it and i'd definately fit another a Mule and a Black Dog, but i plan on keeping this guitar until they screw down the lid of my coffin. my next guitar will probably be a Les Paul, and will get Bare Knuckle pups. to me, it looks much better than the stock Epi pups, and sounds a *lot* better. they may be pricey, but they're hand built to order, and you get what you pay for. extremely well made, great service. i can't fault them.

Pickup features: humbuckers (zebra, open coils)
Impedence or other specs: 9.0/7.5 ohms, Alnico 4, 2 conductor wire

Model of guitar or bass: PRS Santana SE V1
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Originals (EMGs?)
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Mainly Jazz/Rock.. But to pay the rent, EVERYTHING!!
Reason for pickup change: The original pickups were ok, i felt they lacked any real tonal character. I found myself using all manner of EQ and Enhancer pedals to get some "guts" out of the thing.

Perceived output level: Plenty more than the original pickups.
Tone: Open, powerful and yummy! I find them so versatile.
Sonic evaluation: I use my PRS Santana SEV1 with a large range of amps (hired backline for many sessions/band things), but my main amp is probably the Fender Twin. (They make my Twin ROAR! No mean feat, i can tell you).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: So far all of the many styles I do as a pro musician have been covered (bar Tele Twang!)

Comments: To start with, I am a PRS man. From the cheap all the way up to the prohibitively expensive, to me they are THE eletric guitar for feel. The SEV1 played like a dream but sounded two dimensional. But not anymore. I can honestly say these pickups will breath life into ANY setup. Get them now! Seriously.. NOW!

Pickup features: Passive calibrated set of humbuckers with Alnico IV magnets.
Impedence or other specs: DC 7.2K Neck and DC 8.9K Bridge

Model of guitar or bass: Paul Reed Smith Custom 22 Stoptail
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Dragon II Bass & Dragon II Treble
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Me!!! Haven't heard of any famous artist using these pickups, shame!
You musical style(s): Fusion (Indian Classical music with Rock and Jazz) , Blues, Jazz and Rock
Reason for pickup change: I weas highly frustrated with the stock Dragon IIs! They were too midd heavy and just never made it for me. I have always found them to have an ugly tone and they were way too unrefined and unclear. Absolutely no bottom end punch either....I needed something more ballsy and refined, with more harmonics, dynamics and definition.

Perceived output level: They have a lower output than the Dragon IIs, but they have much more punch and balls! I didn't 'feel' that they were 'weaker' pickups!
Tone: Very balanced! Switching between the bass and treble position you notice that it's the 'tone' that changes, not the volume. I really didn't expect a 'calibrated' set to be so well balanced. The tone is very reminiscent of vintage PAFs. Tim assured me that the best PAFs used Alnico IV magnets, so I went for it, and I'm very glad I did. The tone is just very balanced, sweet and versatile.
Sonic evaluation: My main amplifiers are a Cornford Harlequin, a Germino Masonette and a Fuchs ODS 30. All top boutique amplifiers with tones to die for. I dont't use a lot of effect. I only have a Keeley compressor, an Analogman TS-9 Silver Mod, an Analogman Clone Chorus and an Analogman Sunface Fuzz. All really stunning gears!
I don't wanna sound like all of a sudden I have discovered 'the Holy Grail' or anything like that, but I must admit that I'm extremely satified and happy with these pickups! They produce that tone I have been looking for in my PRS. It's not classic Gibson Les Paul PAF tones, the PRS has a voice of it's own. But the Mules seem to really bring to life the best tones this guitar is capable of producing. I absolutely love it. The bidge pickup sounds like 'melted chocolate', if that means anything to you! By that, I mean that it's 'brown' and extremely sweet. Think Robben Ford, Scott Henderson and Warren Hayes (the Mule?!?) The bottom end kick is just astonishing! I really never expected humbuckers to have such a clear and punchy bottom end. It's really beautiful.
The pickups are very sensitive to the way you 'touch' the notes, the way you pick and to your vibrato, which is just a dream for a player like me, who doesn't heavily rely on effects to get a wide aray of tones.
What really surprised me though was the quality of the clean tones! Again, I never expected humbuckers to have such beautiful clean tones. I used to always rely on singlecoils for my clean tones, now I have another option! It's not comparable to singlecoils though, it's something of its own, which is good since I play such 'different' and 'unorthodox' types of music. Think Allan Holdsworth types of clean tones.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mainly 'Fusion' stuff, a la Allan Holdsworth, Scott Henderson, Robben Ford and Jimmy Herring. I'm also into Indian Classical music mixed with Rock and Jazz, a la Shawn Lane. The pickups are very versatile and take everything you throw at them quite happily. I have always found weird to say that a pickup can 'emulate' so and so. Although it's true that pickups are voiced according to 'styles' of music, it's really down to your technique and the way you touch that strings that produce different types of tones. What you need is really a pickup that can reproduce the different nuences of your playing and attack, which is easier said then done. That said, these pickups can do any Fusion stuff as well as Blues, Jazz, Rock, and even early Metal stuff! They really react extremely well to 'touch' and attack.

Comments: I have been playing for about 10 years.
First of all I would like to comment on the service I received from Tim Mills (Bare Knuckle pickups guru and owner). This guy is just amazing!! He definitely knows what he's building! Buying blind I would have probably chosen a pair of Stormy Mondays, but he recommended the Mules with Alnico IV magnets. And they are just perfect! Dealing with him, you can really see that he loves what he's doing and makes no compromise to give the best products and the best service. E-mails are answered the same day, or the next day, which is very nice. And all his pickups come with a lifetime warranty, that's saying something about the faith he's got in his products.
Such a nice and friendly guy too! I had a few problems wiring the pickups into my PRS (I'm no guitar tech!), but he was extremely helpful in finding me a diagram I could understand! You rock Tim!!
Just e-mail him and he will build a pickup that exactly suits your need! 'Custom shop' service without the 'custom shop' prices!
My Vigier Shawn Lane signature and the Dragon IIs are next on the list for an upgrade and a rewiring respectively!
These pickups are not cheap, but considering the other products available on the market. I would rather pay for BareKnuckles than get DiMarzios or Duncans for free. It's a choice, I have made mine!
Given the quality of the pickups and the customer support service, these are really amazing value for money pickups! Very highly recommended!

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 8.4k

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Standard
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Bridge Burst Bucker Pro
Other pickups on guitar: Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday
Artists using this pickup: Dont Know
You musical style(s): Blues / Rock
Reason for pickup change: The Burstbucker pro was just OK. I knew Bare Knuckle could improve on this.

Perceived output level: I get the impression that this has more out put than the Burstbucker, but this could be down to the scatter winding technique
Tone: Exceptionaly well balanced
Sonic evaluation: Gibson les paul through a Crowther Hot Cake into a Peavey classic 50.
On clean this pick up is really clear and balanced. When overdriven the same clarity is there. I have the Stormy Monday in neck and the combination of the two gives me a beautifully balanced and warm tone.
The Mule has no obvious spikes and it gives me a taste of what is possible from this product and makes me feel that we just accept that Gibson pickups are good,when clearly they are well short of this type of performance.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great match for blues rock.

Comments: As I've said in My Stormy Monday review. This is a fantastic product which deserves to be given a chance with big name pros (if they don't have them already)this opens up a few more possibilitys which were lacking in my previous pickups and the warm vintage tone I have heard so much about is now installed into my Les Paul giving a superb combination. I would hate to have it stolen.
I have a Les Paul Studio as a second Guitar and would like to experement with some more Bare Knuckles. You'll only find out if you try them.

Pickup features: Passive neck/bridge humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: Neck 7 K ohms. Bridge 8.4 K ohms

Model of guitar or bass: Hamer Studio Archtop
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan '59 neck, JB bridge
Other pickups on guitar: None now
Artists using this pickup: Don't know.
You musical style(s): Most things except Nu Metal
Reason for pickup change: Never liked the JB, thought the '59 a bit harsh. Previos Hamer Sunburst, owned from 1991 until neck break wrecked the guitar in 2004. I went through loads of pickups on that guitar before settling on Duncan Antiquity humbuckers. I was always happy with the neck pickup, but the treble lacked character by comparison. This Hamer Studio (from 1993) is a replacement for the neck break guitar. Has had a refret (wide, tall), new nut, CTS volume pots (replacing some 250K push-push taps). I've read the reviews and sort the opinion of people I respect and listened to guitars fitted with various bare knuckle pickups, when I've had the chance. I have been impressed enough to spend the money and give them a whirl.

Perceived output level: Perceived to be slightly higher than Duncan '59. These pickups are really very open and clear, seemingly allowing the guitar to 'breath'.
Tone: Crystal clear, balanced humbuckers these are. I can perceive no specific tone signature of the pickup as such, but there is a lot of body and substance to the tone, even with the volume and/or tone controls rolled off. Everything I have played has sounded convincing and alive. String seperation is excellent and the balance across the pickup selections is also spot-on. I have to say that the middle position, when used with myriad volume/tone settings, is so versatile that it has to be experienced. I have spent literally hours playing here - just for fun. I had a good talk to Tim Mills, on the phone, prior to ordering these pickups, purely for his advice and opinions on his interpretation of my preferences. Buying blind, I may have chosen Stormy Monday pickups. Tim's interpretation of my preferences was right on the money. I think these people know what they're building inside out and I would invite you to talk to them.
Sonic evaluation: Marshall JMP1, Marshall EL84 20/20, Alesis Quadraverb Plus (for reverb, live), Custom 2 x 12 pine open backed cab fitted with Celestion Greenback speakers (8 ohm), wire individually for stereo.
I play clean and back the OD1/OD2 volumes off (about 25-33%)to give better balance/body for live use, that way everything works - including the volume controls on the guitar - across all styles. But that's just me, we're all diferent, thankfully.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play from clean blues/jazz to AC/DC style rock and anything in between. Whatever I'm asked to do, really (asuming I can).

Comments: I've been playing the guitar for 35 years - not continuously obviously. I have wasted as much money on gear as the next bloke (could have paid my mortgage probably!). The gear listed above works for me, along with any good Telecaster (Fender or not) and a Gibson WM45 acoustic and Shure mics.
I can pretty much tell what is going to work and what isn't for me and these pickups are, without doubt, the best humbuckers I have used. I've played these in the house at low volumes and at stage volumes. They cut it all ways. I would suggest that you always try to listen to something before you buy. In this case listen to the guitar you've got played acoustically and decide how best its attributes could be amplified to your taste. Then call Bare Knuckle Pickups directly and put it all in the pot. I believe you will probably get a suprising result from the pickups you choose to buy. This is inspiring stuff.

Pickup features: Humbucker - custom wound neck
Impedence or other specs: 7.4 K Alnico IV

Model of guitar or bass: Custom Made Les Paul
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: classic 57
Other pickups on guitar: Bare Knuckle Emerald
Artists using this pickup: If you play blues or rock you should use it
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock, 60's & 70's pop
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a better blues lead tone - more like Paul Kossoff's

Perceived output level: a little hotter than classic 57
Tone: think of the thickest humbucker lead tone and you have it
Sonic evaluation: Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/50 Combo, Fender Princeton II, blackstone overdrive, boss DF-2 feedbacker

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: this is the greatest blues pickup, but it is very versitile too. If you turn down the volume it cleans up really nicely. Actually on my guitar it cleans up without losing too much volume, which is really great.

Comments: I have the magnet reversed in this so that in combination with the bridge Emerald I get another great tone. Once again I told Tim the sound I was after and he delivered.
I have been playing over 30 years and now i am having to buy all new pickups! Seriously, this is the sound I always wanted form my Les Paul, and not just one of them, it has lots of sounds in it. The only problem with Bare Knuckles is that once you have one then you need to get more!

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: God knows, I just play guitar not build them!

Model of guitar or bass: Paul Reed Smith McCarty
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: McCarty Treble
Other pickups on guitar: Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday in the neck position.
Artists using this pickup: Bob and Bill,
You musical style(s): Jazz, Funky Rock, Blues, Rock
Reason for pickup change: Found the stock Pups a little muddy and not enough gain for the rockier stuff that we do.

Perceived output level: Ceratinly more output then the stock McCarty pickups,
Tone: Well balanced, with a lower mid kick.
Sonic evaluation: As Mentioned I am using a PRS 01 McCarty (Non ten top) through a Jim Dunlop MXR Wilde Overdrive, a Cry Baby, and a US Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I also have an old 94' Jackson Ps-1 which is a back up and a guitar that I was using for heavier Rock. Put it this way my PRS now has more balls and output than my Jackson!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Funky Rock, Jazz, Blues, Rock, and an occassional bit of Disco.

Comments: I have music insurance so iI am covered and certainly would buy another McCarty and place the same pick ups in. I have been playing for about 12 years and this is the very first time that I have ever replaced pickups, but I was upset that I had bought a guitar for ?2400 and it was begining to sound flat. I also own as mentioned a old Jackson PS1, and couple of accoustics, and play through a US Hot Rod Deluxe. I did not compare this to other products because I have no idea about pickups, I stated what sound I wanted to my luther, and he said I needed a Mule and Stormy Monday, That is what I ahev and it sounds how I want, simple.
This is the sound that I wanted, in the bridge position it screams, lovely lower mid kick, and cutting tone, I have found that the pickups are working really well with my McCarty and it hasnt changed the tonal quality of the guitar, it still sounds like a McCarty but louder, smoother (Neck), and more agressive, and sustains for longer,
It is now my perfect guitar, I am very happy, Now it is time to save up for a new amp!

Pickup features: Humbuckers - Alnico IV Passive Calibrated Set
Impedence or other specs: 8.7K Bridge, 7.0K Neck

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson SG Special 1991
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gibson 490T/490R
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: Not really bothered but the list will grow
You musical style(s): Rock
Reason for pickup change: Bought the guitar second hand. The 490s and most of the hardware was knackered (I think the previous owner sweated acid). I originally replaced the 490s with Gibson Burstbucker 2 & 3 which were awful.

Perceived output level: I would say that these have a normal output - about the same as the 490s
Tone: Wonderful tone - very well balanced. Also has a transparent quality that allows your amp and effects to be heard.
Sonic evaluation: The SG into a Mesa F-30. Sometimes with a few pedals (Keeley TS9-808 mod Tubescreamer, Boss DD-6 delay, Boss CE-5 chorus, Vox Clyde wah), sometimes not. Clean with a bit of reverb The Mule is fantastic, dirty it will do blues right through to classic rock.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock - it is excellent for this. With the right amp and pedals you could probably do anything. Except maybe twangy country but you wouldn't use an SG for that would you? Available for either position or as a matched set.

Comments: I would buy these again in an instant. I've been playing a few years now and have tried to build a collection of gear that has great tone and sounds really good. I ordered direct and spoke to Tim who runs the company and is a really top bloke. I had tried Gibson Burstbuckers but hated them so I got in touch with BK, explained what I wanted and these were one of the choices suggested. I am extremely satisfied with these pickups. They produce an excellent, balanced sound and allow you to hear what you're playing (which means I can no longer hide my sloppy technique - damn you Bare Knuckle). How good are they? I am currently in the process of getting another set of BKs (Custom Emeralds) for my V.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: SG Special
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Burstbucker Pro (Neck)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, funk
Reason for pickup change: Original ones were just OK, & I wanted a really great sound.

Perceived output level: Normal output
Tone: Very clear & bright tone - sharp
Sonic evaluation: SG Special thru a Laney 100watt head into a 4x12 Red Bear cabinet. The Mule is great for solos - it has a nice bite to it & no muddiness. I've only got it in the bridge position, so I don't use it for rhythm guitar. I'm very glad I got it.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock, funk - they're great

Comments: Yeah, I'd probably get another one, but I'd have to save up for it again ;) They're pricey, but in this case, I feel they're worth it. After all, I want a great sound from my guitar & I'm not going to change this pickup out - ever. So what's a little extra $$$?

Pickup features: PAF Humbuckers.
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Maison Les Paul.
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Maisons
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): MarK Knopfler.
Reason for pickup change: Maison Pickups were crap.

Perceived output level: Nice output.
Tone: Very nice warm tone, ballsy tone from Bridge. 10 out of 10!
Sonic evaluation: Line 6 Products.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Dire Strairs/Mark Knopfler.

Comments: You cannot beat Bare Knuckle Pickups!
They are the most boutique pickups in the world, no one can compete with the shear hand made quality, Some makers claim that they hand scatterwind, I can tell you that they don't,what they actually do is guide the machine by hand.
Tim at Bare Knuckle is the only maker in the world who actually sites there and scatter-winds the pickup in his hands and hand builds everything, even the piece of maple in the humbuckers is cut and shaped by hand.
The quality and service cannot be matched.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 2003 Gibson Les Paul Standard
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Burstbuckers
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Various, mostly Rock
Reason for pickup change: Burstbuckers sounded 'scratchy'- not smooth enough and slightly painful on the ear!

Perceived output level:
Tone: Perfect
Sonic evaluation: With a '03 LP Standard into Matamp 1224 Mk II + Matamp 4x12 loaded with Celestion Hot 100s, everything just sounds 'right' - perfectly balanced tone, lovely crunch with loads of definition and balls. Really sweet when played soft, and really singing when hit hard.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Classic rock's the obvious choice, but sound great for anything

Comments: Buy them

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 8.6 Alnico 4

Model of guitar or bass: epiphone les paul hollowbody
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock epiphone
Other pickups on guitar: stock epiphone
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): country/rock/blues
Reason for pickup change: i bouhht this pickup for a home build project, but the guitar is more fender style (scale and string spacing), so i bought another that fitted better, and had this left over, so decided to put it on the les paul.

Perceived output level: it sounds great. clearer and brighter than the stock.
Tone: great for ac/dc, hard rock, really cuts through...no muddyness, clear, sharp, biting tone.
Sonic evaluation: i play through a yamaha dg stomp into either a marshall 15- watter, or into the mac.
don't get me wrong, i can't remember being unhappy with the stock epi. unit, as i hadn't played the guitar for a while. but this sounds tremendous. cleans up nicely too, which some pickups don't do. as i said before, it really cuts through, roll the tone off and it sitll sounds great but without the sharpness, with the tone up, it's great for lead stuff. it works well with the epi. at the neck, too.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play all sorts. sounds great for hard, classic rock, would probably work well for some heavy styles, which i don't play. i ran through the patches on my dg stomp, and i couldn't find a patch that didn't work.

Comments: would i replace it with the same? yes! i have other bare knuckles on my other guitars, all different models, all sound great in their different ways. i'm very happy with these pickups, and wouldn't swap them for anything else. there may well be other pickups that are as good, i won't argue, but personally, i'm thrilled with the sounds i get, so there's no reason to change, and i can thoroughly reccomend these pickups. i also have a homebuilt single pickup tele style guitar with a stormy monday (h/b) at the bridge, and a fender mex. standard tele fitted with (bare knuckle) brown sugar pickups. i've been playing on and off for 20+ years, and this is the best i've ever sounded. the customer service at bareknuckle is fantastic, too. if only other companies were the same.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 8.6 / alnico4 i believe

Model of guitar or bass: homebuilt guitar with graphite neck/swamp ash body
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: 'super 70' (?) japanese 70's or 80's humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): country rock, bluesey rock mainly......bits of all sorts....
Reason for pickup change: pickup sounded 'ok', hummed a bit tho', i fancied something with a bit more 'class' and 'quality' that didn't hum so much in front of the mac.

Perceived output level: sounded better straight away. louder, no hum, ballsier. the chords and notes sound fuller. they really 'sing' now. sustains like f...
Tone: thicker, livelier, fuller accross the spectrum, really. no mud!
Sonic evaluation: i'm using a homebuilt single 'buckered guitar through a yamaha dg stomp, into cubasis on the mac.
i did a demo with the old pickup, then re-recorded it with the same settings. i could tell the difference as soon as i plugged in, even thru the little iMac speakers. the clean stuff sounded dirtier, but great. i've since tried it thru the marshall and different patches on the dg stomp, and it sounds awesome. now all those 'experimental' patches make sense. harmonics are like nothing i've ever played before. there's no 'mush' to the sound, which is a real bonus for me. i hate mush.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: country rock/bluesey rock/rock...sounds great, a big improvement on a pickup i wasn't unhappy with in the first place. it's at the bridge, and sounds really good there.

Comments: if anything happened to it, i'd definately get another bareknuckle....i probably will anyhow for my other guitars. been playing 21 years, but i'm no 'god'. also own a mex tele standard, epi' les paul hollowbody, takamine accoustic, dg stomp, marshall 15watt combo, encore bass..other bits and bobs...
i love the sound..don't hate anything about it. i had a good look around before choosing this unit, tim was very helpful, i e-mailed him with a rundown of the stuff i play, and asked what might suit me. he specifically reccomended the mule. i chose bareknuckle after reading up as much as i could find out on the net, i also liked the ethos and enthusiasm of the company. another time, i might have gone for 4 conducter wiring for the coil-tap option, but i honestly don't miss it, it just sounds so good as it is.

Pickup features: humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: -

Model of guitar or bass: flying V
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: standard epiphone
Other pickups on guitar: -
Artists using this pickup: -
You musical style(s): rock and blues
Reason for pickup change: epiphones not to poor but guitar deserves a quality tone a little too much treble for my tastes

Perceived output level: wallop! in your face without too much distortion
Tone: wonderfull-dial in what you need from jazz to H/Metal
Sonic evaluation: straight into a fender 40 watt blues deluxe no pedals

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: can be used for any style

Comments: fantastic sounds highly recommended.I have a les paul with S/duncans a jazz and JB they are ok but the bareknuckles outperform them easily to the extent I now only use the L/P for slide.remember for the same money (in the UK) you get a hand wound pick up rather than something churned out for slave wages in korea or wherever

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 8.5k

Model of guitar or bass: '76 Yamaha Les Paul copy mmm
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Stock Yamaha
Other pickups on guitar: Yamaha gold-covered neck
Artists using this pickup: Tim Mills himself! Others too but I forget the names.
You musical style(s): Bluesy, and non-cheesy rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup was nice, but too weak really. It lacked bite and the ability to really sing with a little bit of gain.

Perceived output level: It's only 8.5k so it's not super 'hot', but a lovely overwound version of the PAF.
Tone: Balanced. It has all the midrange of a humbucker but has a lovely top end and bass response. Its perfect.
Sonic evaluation: I play through a valve practise amp, about 20 watts, and so it tends to be driven nearly full pelt when I'm playing with other people. On my own i turn the gain and volume down to about the same level, and use the guitar's volume knob to add bite if necessary. The pickup is lovely, and it everything I wanted and expected and more. For the first time ever there is nothing else I want to change about my sound. It's so good that it can be used for crunchy rhythm fills, the pickup is balanced and a joy to listen to. The top end is bright but not harsh, the midrange is responsive, and the bass end doesn't dominate like other pickups. It's exactly what I wanted, and restores my faith in more expensive after-market parts. I can't reccomend Bare Knuckle enough.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues and decent rock, or anything that tickles my fancy, and it stands up like a big heavy thing that doesn't fall over.

Comments: If it was lost or stolen I would dance aimlessly in sorrow for a while. Then I would save for another. I have been playing for about 4 years probably, and have bought or played many posh pickups and think them all crap in comparison to my Mule. I love everything about it, hate nothing, and would probably write love letters to Tim were it considered normal by society. The only problem now being that I've got to save up another ?90 to buy a neck pickup - the Mule makes it sound pretty pathetic.

Pickup features: Passive Humbuckers Alnico IV magnets
Impedence or other specs: Calibrated Set (7.85K neck, 8.75K bridge)

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Standard 1990
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Rio Grande Genuine Texas Humbucker
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues Rock, Southern Rock
Reason for pickup change: Rio Grandes lack dynamics and clarity. They are very smooth when overdriven hard for solos and can give a reasonable crunchy rythym sound, but there is no edge. Not so good for cleaner sounds.

Perceived output level: Lower than the Rio Grandes, higher than the original stock pickups
Tone: Natural, tight full bass, no added mids, treble clear and chimey but not piercing.
Sonic evaluation: I have fitted these pickups to a Gibson Les Paul Standard 1990. I use 10-46 and a heavy pick. I play through a Top Hat Club Royale (newer 11" deep cab), using a Roger Mayer Red Lion Wah upgrade, Blackstone Mosfet Overdrive 2SV3, Roger Mayer Voodoo-1 in that order. I would usually run the amp at around half on both Volume and Master, which gives an excellent warm mostly clean sound, use the Voodoo-1 (with Gain minimum and Output high) to get overdrive for riff/rythym playing then add the Blackstone (Output maximum, gain low) for solos.
These pickups are incredibly natural sounding, the output seems to convey all of the detail and complexity of the unplugged sound of the guitar with exactly the same tonal balance. No added mids, no smoothing of pick attack, no low end muddy mushiness, no high end harshness. In fact, since fitting these pickups I have adopted a combined pick and 2nd/3rd finger pick style because it just sounds so good - lead runs just get so much more interesting. The clarity of these pickups also means I can get the most musical harmonics and feedback when I face my amp up close - not the super-strat kind that leaps out at you from an octave or two higher, but that full grungy unpredictable sound where you turn the guitar this way and that and it sings back to you. In the neck position, the sound is almost like that of a Stat neck pickup with more punch and without the midrange roundness. I had no idea before that it was possible to get such a musical clean sound out of a Les Paul. When used with the Voodoo-1 or the Blackstone, sound is almost identical to the Top Hat amp when overdriven without pedals, class A EL84 perfection - higher output pickups would overwhelm these pedals and result in metal mahem.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues Rock, Souther Rock

Comments: These pickups convey as much detail as single-coils without the noise. I had almost given up on the Les Paul because of the lack of dynamics, but it is now the guitar I always reach for.
Tim at Bare Knuckle was very helpful. I explained what I wanted/liked/disliked and he recommended the Mule, with a guarantee to change them if they were not right. No need, they are perfect. He also made them the day after the order and I received them the day after that. After fitting the pickups, I decided to rewire the pickup selector and replace the old caps (to remove any last remnant of noise) - Tim sent wire and caps through the post on trust and I mailed back the money - alright, it was only three pounds, but it shows you this company is fantastic to deal with.
I would replace the Mules if stolen. I have been playing 14 years.
Note: I'm not sure if a I have remembered the impedence correctly - the bridge one was a smidge below the standard Mule and the neck one was lower again.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: About 8K - custom wound with Alnico3 magnets.

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez SX470DX
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: All BKP
Artists using this pickup: See BKP homepage
You musical style(s): Blues to Rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock was lifeless

Perceived output level: Normal. Less than the Hot Stock pup
Tone: Pure clean beauty. Very Peter Green.
Sonic evaluation: After discussing what I wanted with 'Tim Mills' he offered to use Alnico 3 magnets and wind them to give a cleaner sound. Well that's exactly what he delivered. They sound 3 dimensional, open, perfect balance across the strings, stay clear as the volume knob is turned down and have low noise in comparison to other brands. They have the most elusive of pickup qualities ? an eerie, haunting, open vocal quality.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Ideal for clean to light overdrive.

Comments: How often have you bought a Wah, distortion pedal etc and though it was great but was a little bit noisy, a little bit harsh or picked up too much background hiss? You liked the item but a few things niggled you. So eventually you decided not to use it and felt if only those niggles were sorted out you would have been closer to achieving your ?hallmark tone?. Well, the top players do use the same pedals and guitars as you or I, but the difference is that they send them off to their ?electronics/guitar wizard? to replace noisy components, put in higher specification parts and set them up properly. Sure, the overall design is the same but the attention to detail is far greater.
Attention to detail, care and a bit of pride/love go into making things great.
At any price (If you order more than one pickup, they work out the same to slightly less than the major manufacturers), these are truly magnificent pickups ? and that goes for any of the three different models I have tried. I have installed about 20 pickups from different manufacturers and of course tried many, many stock pickups. If you live in the UK, you would be out-of-your-mind to buy from any other manufacturer. I honestly wouldn?t consider buying any other type. My main guitars only have BKP in them.
Make you and your guitar proud, speak to ?Tim Mills? and discuss what type of music you admire and buy a set of Bare Knuckle Pickups.