Bare Knuckle quality?

[Gatormike]

Tim just made me a set consisting of: ColdSweat Neck and Abraxas Bridge that I installed into my MIJ Epi Les Paul to be my "modern" LP. They sound amazing! I cannot understand why there would be any question of quality. I requested only two-wire conductor wire as I don't split my humbuckers in any les paul format. I'm not a high gain/drop-tuning metal guy by any stretch; nor can I sweep-pick. But, I must say that the ColdSweat Neck is one of the best neck pickups I have ever heard ---clean or dirty; it just sings with amazing clarity. The Abraxas Bridge is no slouch either by any means. Gets me great early VH and early AIC tones with gain settings and rings nicely on my clean channel just on the verge of breaking up. The middle position with these two pickups really sounds nice two (I always favor the neck pickup more with my 50's wiring set up).

Again, I see no reason why there is any question of quality and I just received my pickups in May 2011. Peace. Mike

 

[chrisuk]

I have never heard anyone question BKP quality to be honest apart from once in this thread. My Mules are fantastic and Tim was great.

 

[5F6-A]

This is Tim:

Great player and winder. He personally wound my Strat pickups ( underwound Apache set ) and they sound stellar.

 

[dudu]

Although the BKs I tried weren't what I was looking for, I couldn't help noticing the stellar build quality.

 

[BrazenPicker]

Here's a good read (interview with Tim Mills).

Sevenstring.org interview - Tim Mills of Bare Knuckle Pickups - Sevenstring.org

 

[Midnight Blues]

I just ordered the PG Blues HBs yesterday and have been corresponding back and forth with Tim. I had a lot of questions for him and he's been very accommodating and pleasant to deal with. GREAT guy!

 

[sidious911]

I own a nailbomb, and a BK Mississippi Queen P90. I put them in my Epiphone les paul, and before I did, I was on the fence about selling my guitar, getting a Gibson LP, and possibly replacing my marshall with a higher end one...

After getting the nailbomb in the bridge, I could NEVER part with my guitar, it sounds amazing, as does the P90...

Order them online and you can get your exact specifications of what you want, including some options for some AMAZING looking pickup covers that are very specific to BK pickups.

Tim's a ton of help if you have any questions, and will do almost anything to get you exactly what you want! They shipped really quick from UK to Canada too, I got them in just over a week from ordering!

 

[jimbob137]

Here's a good read (interview with Tim Mills).

Sevenstring.org interview - Tim Mills of Bare Knuckle Pickups - Sevenstring.org

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with mass produced pickups, they all reproduce a tone and as such are useable, it’s just by handwinding our coils and in particular scatter winding them, we can allow the pickups to be more responsive so they reproduce more frequencies off the string. By winding each coil and making each pickup by hand, one at a time, we are able to spend the time making sure our pickups reproduce the tone of the guitar to their optimum.

Explains why my Mississippi Queens at about 7.7k sound so loud and full, like they are hotter than they are but in a better way!

 

[joeobrien]

I own a nailbomb, and a BK Mississippi Queen P90. ...
After getting the nailbomb in the bridge, I could NEVER part with my guitar, it sounds amazing, as does the P90...

Tim's a ton of help if you have any questions, and will do almost anything to get you exactly what you want! They shipped really quick from UK to Canada too, I got them in just over a week from ordering!

I already purchased Mules for my R7 and Irish Tours for my Strat and am a devoted fan of BKP. The Mules are so, so good.

However, I fancy a set of P90s in my LP Studio. How are the Mississippi Queens? Not sure if I like them or the Stockholm's.

 

[jimbob137]

However, I fancy a set of P90s in my LP Studio. How are the Mississippi Queens? Not sure if I like them or the Stockholm's.

Well the Mississippi Queens were the first HB p90 pickups made by BKP's. The Manhattan p90's give a softer jazzy tone, while the Stockholm p90's give a more focused edgy kind of tone.

Honestly in sure any of these would be really nice. The manhattan and stockholm models sit either side of the Mississippi Queens on the tone scale.

 

[5F6-A]

BKP P90s are stellar. I love the manhattan 99% the tone of a great p90 in HB shape.

 

[moodyedge]

Your post is the first occasion I've seen something negative said about Bare Knuckle pickups - certainly when I did business with them a year or two back, Tim was exceptionally helpful in listening and interpreting what properties in a pickup I required for my guitar, and Lord knows I'm not the most articulate person in the world trying to describe a sound. He seemed genuinely dedicated to providing the best solution for my needs with no attitude and no bullshit. I don't believe that has changed.

What he said.

 

[framos]

After installing The Mules on my Trad, upgraded all other guitars to BKP (except the 60´s tribute with P90).

 

[chrisuk]

After installing The Mules on my Trad, upgraded all other guitars to BKP (except the 60´s tribute with P90).

That's a common 'problem'. I am hankering after strat pups after putting in my Mules.

 

[Cpt_Gonzo]

Yeah, 'nuther one here...after having one set of BKs, I'm biased.

It's just that the bar is raised really high now.

 

[Midnight Blues]

I'm the proud owner of a set of PG Blues. Just recently had them installed in my '76 Deluxe. Love 'em!!!!

+10000 on the customer service!

 

[joeobrien]

That's a common 'problem'. I am hankering after strat pups after putting in my Mules.

After putting Mules in my LP I went on to get the Irish Tours (whole set with pickguard, pots etc.) for my Strat. Very pleased with those too.

Good luck.

 

[chrisuk]

After putting Mules in my LP I went on to get the Irish Tours (whole set with pickguard, pots etc.) for my Strat. Very pleased with those too.

Good luck.

I was considering the pat pend 62/3s but haven't heard enough clips on those - I like the Mother's Milk sound but my Strat has a maple board. It also has a locking trem and I'm not sure if that changes the scratchplate cutout shape.

To be honest there is nothing wrong with its sound - unlike the lester - but it just makes me really curious as to how good it could be.

 

[peach64]

Kenny Fischer of Trainwreck Amps raved about Tim's work, especially the P-90's. I have and have had them, they are stellar.

 

[HOT-BRIT]

some statements are not even worth responding to