Irongear Blues Engines?

DefaultM

Are these actually good, or just 'good for the money'?
I'm interested in a set for my LP Custom because I've heard great things, but I can't tell if it's a case of the above.
Which well known branded pickup would they be comparable to? BKP Mules?

Grumpyrocker

I owned lots of different Iron Gear pups and they were simply fantastic. Not "for the money" but just great full stop.

paulnb57

I put a pair in my Epi 335 Dot and am very happy with them, Ive never played "real"Gibson pickups so can't compare, but also have IG's in a Strat, which do compare favourably with Bare Knucke Single coils, not quite as good but close.....
Not just good for the money, they really are good.....

stimpsonslostson

I had a Dirty Torque & Blues Engine pairing in my old LP copy.  
Transformed the guitar vs the stock pickups...
My jam buddies said it sounded like a new (better) guitar. Shame the IronGears couldn't do anything about my playing or the guitar weighing more than I do! 

usedtobe

I had a tele set, once, and I preferred them to a bkp set, I'd had in the same guitar.. No experience with the buckers though, but people seem to really rate them..!

TTBZ

I had a Rolling Mill and it was really good, better than the BKP I had in at the time. Would have kept it if I didn't want something hotter  perhaps should have got the overwound version.

andy1839

I have two guitars with the Blues Engine/Dirty Torque set with 'Page' wiring in and a pair of the Tesla Sharks in an Chibson LP Custom.  
As mentioned before they're certainly an upgrade on stock unbranded pickups but I think they're a long way off Gibson own pickups and Seymour Duncan's stuff. 

Ive got a 2014 LPC that had the 490/498 pickups in and don't think the Iron gears would be an upgrade for you.  They seem to lack a bit of character for me. 
I settled on a SD Custom Custom in the bridge and Gibson '57 Classic in the neck, very happy with that one now. 

 I've had a set of BK Emeralds which I really hated,  but loved their slowhand SC set, so it's probably down to giving them a try if you can. 

DefaultM

I didn't really like the stock pickups because they were too hot. So far in there I've had a Suhr aldrich bridge and 59 neck. Really hated the Suhr, the 59 was good. Then I've had the oil city forces sweethearts which I loved, but I got plain black open coils and I should have got gold so I've just sold those. 

TTony

I'll add my 2p ...

Absolutely great and unbeatable - at the price point.  For a few years, they were virtually the only p'ups that I bought, as my ears couldn't justify the price differential to BKPs, although I'd say that some models (the Blues Engine is a perfect example) are probably "better" than others.

Now I'll buy Oil City p'ups - the price differential is much smaller, and there's always the chance that Ash has got, or can wind, a slightly variation on his stock units that's closer to what I want.

TTBZ

Similar price to Oil City are Axesrus pickups which I've been really happy with. I half thought they'd be a bit rubbish for some reason but they're not at all. Great customer service from them as well - tell them what you want and they'll get back to you with a detailed recommendation. Completely customisable as well which I loved, had a hard time finding a company other than BKP that does the matte black painted covers.

DefaultM

The irongears are £70 and the oil citys are £138 plus postage, so about double the cost. However I do know that I like the oil city ones.

I'm tempted to try the blitz spirits this time as well. Just can't seem to get in touch with Ash for the past few weeks.

Fortheloveofguitar

I have the blues engines in a lea Paul and they are fantastic 

I also have the steam hammers in an ibanez jem and they are also fab pickups

oil city may be good but are also practically double the price. There's more value with the Irongear unless you're looking for custom spec

professorben

The other guitarist on our band just had some put in his Jackson, a Hot Slag and a Mill something or other, sounded absolutely brutal. 

sawyer

Got one in bridge of a Strat. Love it!

DefaultM

Oh great, they're out of stock in gold haha.

WezV

For me, "good for the money" describes them pretty well.   I would even go as far as "really good for the money".

They are not good enough to stop me spending more money elsewhere.

thomasw88

I think they're excellent. I've had humbuckers. tele pickups, strat pickups, p90;s from most of the bigger names.   Pickups can sound very different in different guitars  but some pickups just sound good in general!  

blues engine is one of those - and it pairs very nice with the alchemist P90.  Thats what I have in one of my guitars and see no reason to replace it at all.

jdbwales

I have them in my LP Custom - after trying Bare Knuckle, DiMarzio, basically every Duncan, Gibson, Suhr Aldrich, Oil City and all kinds of other bits, the Blues Engines in neck and bridge are just perfect for this guitar. Don't care about 'for the money', these simply sound better than everything else I've tried for rock, pop, soul stuff.
It's most likely this particular guitar; as I've written before, it's ridiculously huge and powerful sounding to the point where hot pickups are just overkill. However, the Blues Engines are really balanced with just the right amount of fatness and cut - you can hear every note in a chord even with loads of gain. They love overdrive (I stack a Blues Driver and Vox Ice 9 for solos) and handle modulation effects without muddying up, plus sound beautiful clean. Split tones actually get in the Tele ballpark for me too. 
I can't recommend them enough for my tastes and needs but it's obviously a case-by-case basis for each guitar; knowing these are going in a Custom though I'd say they're at least worth a try; great sounds, versatile, solidly built, perfectly potted with no unwanted feedback.

professorben

jdbwales said:

I have them in my LP Custom - after trying Bare Knuckle, DiMarzio, basically every Duncan, Gibson, Suhr Aldrich, Oil City and all kinds of other bits, the Blues Engines in neck and bridge are just perfect for this guitar. Don't care about 'for the money', these simply sound better than everything else I've tried for rock, pop, soul stuff.
It's most likely this particular guitar; as I've written before, it's ridiculously huge and powerful sounding to the point where hot pickups are just overkill. However, the Blues Engines are really balanced with just the right amount of fatness and cut - you can hear every note in a chord even with loads of gain. They love overdrive (I stack a Blues Driver and Vox Ice 9 for solos) and handle modulation effects without muddying up, plus sound beautiful clean. Split tones actually get in the Tele ballpark for me too. 
I can't recommend them enough for my tastes and needs but it's obviously a case-by-case basis for each guitar; knowing these are going in a Custom though I'd say they're at least worth a try; great sounds, versatile, solidly built, perfectly potted with no unwanted feedback.

I doubt that Ice9 sounds good mate. 
Bag of.........
better sell it to me. 

Evildurka

Necro bump here @jdbwales what were the bare knuckles you had used before the blues engines? Reading between the lines the spec looks almost identical to the mule so I'm guessing it's a clone of them.

DefaultM

I got sick of waiting for these to come in stock and ended up going for Oil City Nightfighters. 
Waited for at least a month for them to get a gold set in.