are bareknuckle pups overpriced?

YuriK · Post by **YuriK** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:06 pm

People seem to like them, but dat price doe. Are they worth it? They seem to be calling me even though my conscious mind says theyre overpriced

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:08 pm

I have a Mustang I which rate quite highly.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:12 pm

Snort.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:24 pm

YuriK · Post by **YuriK** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:27 pm

benecol wrote:I have a Mustang I which rate quite highly.

I hope thisll only last a week.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:34 pm

Overpriced? Guess it depends on your perspective and exactly what sound you are trying to achieve. They are not the most expensive pups out there but they are certainly not cheap. They are the clearest most responsive pickups I have ever played, as a result they probably feel less hot that similar pickups from other companies - if you want a really compressed sound, which some people do, there are others that do it better. The guys are really helpful and give great service. I only have one guitar left that doesn't have BKPs in it so I'm fairly biased - I think that they are great. They are unforgiving and I like that.

YuriK · Post by **YuriK** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:35 pm

I like a trashy but not super thin distorted tone, kinda thwappy.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:39 pm

Any example bands for reference? And what guitar are you looking to upgrade? What amp do you use?

YuriK · Post by **YuriK** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:42 pm

Im not looking to upgrade, I was nust asking about them in general, but that guitar that kicks in on the chorus of search and destroy in the left ear is pretty much what im going for.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:48 pm

I keep meaning to upgrade my Tele with some sort of P-90 and Tele bridge combo from them but I don't know what to go for.

To be fair, the guitar sounds great as it is and I think the only reason I want to do it a silly notion I've had since I got the Matamp that if I have The Best Amp in the World then I ought to have a guitar with The Best Pickups in the World to play with it.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:45 pm

"Are they overpriced" and "are they worth it" are two different questions. They're absolutely grossly overpriced. So are $60-$80 pickups. There just isn't that sort of parts/labor in a Gibson/Fender-footprint conforming pickup anymore. It's all either a big corporation doing business as usual or a guy in his garage who doesn't want to work at McDonalds.

ykk211 wrote:I like a trashy but not super thin distorted tone, kinda thwappy.

Try a DiMarzio Super Distortion first. They're the original aftermarket/"hot"/ceramic bucker and what you described is basically what they do.

I'd previously considered myself someone who would buy a BKP without losing sleep because I take plunges on nice pickups sometimes, but this thread had me checking the actual BKP retail prices for the first time and there is just no way I could ever justify that. The only way is if someone who had the same guitar as me installed one, I tried it through my rig and went "I've NEVER heard that sound before and I like it" (which is not even the aim of about half the BKPs, with the remaining half probably occupying space that DiMarzio or Duncan have ventured into before). So if you're not actually looking to "upgrade" and just want to change the sound a bit, fuck some BKP dude.

YuriK · Post by **YuriK** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:53 pm

paul_ wrote:"Are they overpriced" and "are they worth it" are two different questions. They're absolutely grossly overpriced. So are $60-$80 pickups. There just isn't that sort of parts/labor in a Gibson/Fender-footprint conforming pickup anymore. It's all either a big corporation doing business as usual or a guy in his garage who doesn't want to work at McDonalds.

ykk211 wrote:I like a trashy but not super thin distorted tone, kinda thwappy.
Try a DiMarzio Super Distortion first. They're the original aftermarket/"hot"/ceramic bucker and what you described is basically what they do.

I'd previously considered myself someone who would buy a BKP without losing sleep because I take plunges on nice pickups sometimes, but this thread had me checking the actual BKP retail prices for the first time and there is just no way I could ever justify that. The only way is if someone who had the same guitar as me installed one, I tried it through my rig and went "I've NEVER heard that sound before and I like it" (which is not even the aim of about half the BKPs, with the remaining half probably occupying space that DiMarzio or Duncan have ventured into before). So if you're not actually looking to "upgrade" and just want to change the sound a bit, fuck some BKP dude.

Thanks. the only guitar ive played with the super distortion is the kurt jag and I love that guitar so maybe ill pop those in some cheap sg type.

dub · Post by **dub** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:22 pm

The prices on the BKP website include tax. so you can knock off 20% if you're outside the UK

HeartfeltDawn · Post by **HeartfeltDawn** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 5:22 pm

No. The Stormy Mondays are brilliant. Â£200 for great pickups makes a lot more sense than Â£200 on some TS9 inspired wanky overdrive.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 8:43 pm

HeartfeltDawn wrote:No. The Stormy Mondays are brilliant. Â£200 for great pickups makes a lot more sense than Â£200 on some TS9 inspired wanky overdrive.

The Stormy Mondays are named after a live Allman Bros blues track that featured a stock '59 Les Paul straight into a Marshall so no, it doesn't really make any more sense than say, buying a special TS9 touting SRV tones.

It's a stormy monday because it's rainin' snakeoil on us.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:39 pm

i keep thinking of one of their p90's for my tokai. the stock pickup is pretty good, just think i could get it even better. that and some better tuners.

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:50 pm

Progrockabuse wrote:i keep thinking of one of their p90's for my tokai. the stock pickup is pretty good, just think i could get it even better. that and some better tuners.

My Gordon Smith has a bare knuckle P90 in it, you are welcome to try it out and see whether you like the sound.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:55 pm

that sounds like a plan mr d. and in keeping with the theme of ex-benecol guitars lol

meltedbuzzbox · Post by **meltedbuzzbox** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 10:26 pm

I have some in my strat and I would never entertain the thought of swapping them. I adore the sound of them.
They are pricey but for how good they are I would pay that money every time.

Honourable mention of mojo pickups. Better pricing, really nice guy to deal with and his JM pups are amazing.

Noisy Cat · Post by **Noisy Cat** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:03 pm

meltedbuzzbox wrote:Honourable mention of mojo pickups. Better pricing, really nice guy to deal with and his JM pups are amazing.

+1

I've got some of his 'pre-CBS' pups in my Squier VMJM â€“ they're grrrreat.