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MikeB

In my younger more reckless days I put BKs in a Chapman ML1. 

PhilKing

I've got a set of Bare Knuckles in a Richwood Explorer and also a pair of BK Strat pickups in a Squier Duo Sonic that I picked up for $150.  I did have the BK Strats anyway at the time.

Philly_Q

I bought a few pickups directly from Joe Barden which seemed very expensive at the time.  One of them didn't work properly and although he was reluctant to accept there was anything wrong with it, I had to send it back to the States for a replacement.  That was for a Gibson SG-X which was a fairly cheapish guitar - about £450 I think.

The Bardens probably weren't any more expensive than Bare Knuckles... maybe a bit more allowing for inflation.  I look at the BK site now and I think they're too pricey.

JayGee

Bare Knuckles Slow Hands in a mid ‘80s Japanese fotoflame Strat. Don’t regret it one little bit...

earwighoney

eoinzy said:

Lestratcaster said:

I've got a set of Oil City single coils in the neck and middle positions plus a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge of my 1997 Squier Strat. The guitar probably cost around £150 back in the day but as I have kept it so long and wouldn't ever sell it I wasn't bothered about how much money replacement pickups would cost. The Oil City single coils are fantastic and weren't as much as the branded companies. If the pickups work for the particular guitar's wood and set up then they work. 

Sometimes though you will get higher priced pickups that you can put in a guitar and they just don't work. For example I have a set of BKP pickups in my Telecaster but I'm swapping them out for something else.

That's a good point on guitar wood and set up. Do you know if any of those Oil City pickups are well suited to Basswood and Maple neck/fretboard?

IMO, ask Oil City Ash and he'll be more able to give a better recommendation than anyone here I imagine.

***

I spent over £250 on an Oil City harness and Mojo Speedbumps for my Epi LPC and even though the guitar itself isn't the best, it's a lot of fun to play and I do not regret the decision once.

Lestratcaster

markv said:

I put some Iron Gear pickups (cost, including pots etc, about £80) in an old, early 90s MIK Squier Strat that I got for free. So, mathematically speaking, the pickups cost an infinite number of times more than the guitar.

Do I win something? ;-)

I'm in a similar position with a guitar a mate gave me that he doesn't use anymore. Just need to decide what pickups to actually put in it!

Pabcrane

I've got a set of Irongear Strat pickups in a Vintage I picked up for £20

And a set of Blackguard Bare Knuckles in a Korean Tele.

Both improved the guitars immeasurably

Greatape

Seymour Duncans and Dimarzio in a Mexico strat. 

hollywoodrox

Two Seymour Duncan slash signature  in a 90s epiphone that beloved to my late uncle , 

TTBZ

Philly_Q said:
I look at the BK site now and I think they're too pricey.

Yeah I think bought new they're priced out of my range for now which is a shame as each one I've tried has sounded great! I wouldn't mind trying some of their Boot Camp pickups out but they're still a lot. My next set of new pickups will probably be from Oil City though, more reasonably priced and still top quality. I might also try some Irongears but feels a bit wrong having such cheap pickups in a Gibson!

I don't really rate Seymour Duncan pickups. They've all sounded muddy and unremarkable to me. 

NelsonP

I have a Squier J Mascis with Seymour Duncan hot JM pickups in it. But it was like that when I bought it.

elusivelight

Put a Tone Zone and Air Norton in a Cort X2 which was my first guitar. It ended up being gifted to my 14 year old cousin to learn on, I did not swap the pickups back out.   

skullfunkerry

TTBZ said:

Philly_Q said:
I look at the BK site now and I think they're too pricey.

Yeah I think bought new they're priced out of my range for now which is a shame as each one I've tried has sounded great! I wouldn't mind trying some of their Boot Camp pickups out but they're still a lot. My next set of new pickups will probably be from Oil City though, more reasonably priced and still top quality. I might also try some Irongears but feels a bit wrong having such cheap pickups in a Gibson!

I don't really rate Seymour Duncan pickups. They've all sounded muddy and unremarkable to me. 

That's how I feel about them. I had a Custom 5 for a while which I quite liked, but the JB/59 sets I've had in various Jacksons and Charvels have always been ripped out and replaced.

Having said that, the Alpha & Omega set in the PRS that I've just sold were absolutely spectacular sounding

Jeremiah

My partscaster has a body that was found lying in a field - I spent about £100 on a Mighty Mite neck and £150 on pickups.

It's still my best sounding guitar, though it's a bit of a dog to play, and I can't help wondering if the pickups would sound even better in a proper wood body (this one is plywood.)

TTBZ

skullfunkerry said:

TTBZ said:

Philly_Q said:
I look at the BK site now and I think they're too pricey.

Yeah I think bought new they're priced out of my range for now which is a shame as each one I've tried has sounded great! I wouldn't mind trying some of their Boot Camp pickups out but they're still a lot. My next set of new pickups will probably be from Oil City though, more reasonably priced and still top quality. I might also try some Irongears but feels a bit wrong having such cheap pickups in a Gibson!

I don't really rate Seymour Duncan pickups. They've all sounded muddy and unremarkable to me. 

That's how I feel about them. I had a Custom 5 for a while which I quite liked, but the JB/59 sets I've had in various Jacksons and Charvels have always been ripped out and replaced.

Having said that, the Alpha & Omega set in the PRS that I've just sold were absolutely spectacular sounding

I have a Custom 5 in my rubbish old strat, it's probably the most valuable part of the guitar! When I first plug it in it sounds ok but soon get tired of the super scooped and muddy tone. The Alegree in my SG is night and day difference. I've never liked the JB when I tried it either. Been spoiled by using Bare Knuckle pretty much since they started, as at the time they were cheaper than SD etc.

Lestratcaster

TTBZ said:

Philly_Q said:
I look at the BK site now and I think they're too pricey.

Yeah I think bought new they're priced out of my range for now which is a shame as each one I've tried has sounded great! I wouldn't mind trying some of their Boot Camp pickups out but they're still a lot. My next set of new pickups will probably be from Oil City though, more reasonably priced and still top quality. I might also try some Irongears but feels a bit wrong having such cheap pickups in a Gibson!

I don't really rate Seymour Duncan pickups. They've all sounded muddy and unremarkable to me. 

Strangely I’m kinda wanting to try more SD pickups. For humbuckers BKP are pretty good. The only SD one I use is the JB in my Strat and it’s great for playing Green Day songs  lol. For single coils however I ain’t completely convinced BK work for the guitars I have.

Moleman

I’m meaning to get a couple of Seymour Duncan humbuckers (Custom Custom and Pearly Gates) installed in an Indonesian made Hamer XT Monaco Elite to replace the Duncan Designed units that are currently in there.

merciful-evans

I put a set of Creamery Domino Split Coils into a 2005 Squier Esprit (a Gibson style build- carved top/binding/TOM etc).
They cost £150. The guitar was £375.

I still have the Duncan Designed originals, but I shan't sell the Esprit. Last year I had the opportunity to buy an original 80's MIJ Fender Esprit, but it had nothing on the MIK Squier.