lightningblues427
New member
Just posted this in a different BK thread but thought there may be guys out there that may want to know about or respond to the subject so:
O.K. I have the ABRAXAS set in a Mahogany Tele body with quartersawn maple neck?ebony fretboard for about a year now so I feel comfortable giving my two cents on my one set of BK's that I have tried.
1. ABRAXAS neck and bridge humbuckers....thought the interesting Bareknuckle A4 magnet theory about alot of Gibsons old school magnet humbuckers = A4 magnet yada yada yada b.s. ment i would be playing Santanaish old school humbuckers that sounded ahhhh....Santanaish old school humbuckerish...
what I know now, b.s., and I now know that I dont like A4 or as (Seymour Duncan comments go), there is no A4 magnets,...that refleccts my feelings a little better in a nice way, not to mention when interviewed Tim of BK said we have a really good marketing campaign.....nugh said.
2. build quality looked premium to me, so dont know where the build quality ever came in as an issue, I've never heard anyone say they were anything but rock solid.
3. after trying the ABRAXAS and knowing the Sacred MULE's are also A4 whatever that means, tells me I wont be buying them even though I love Warren Haynes.
4. the Stormy Monday clips or the PG models seem more to my liking looking back introspectively, but unfortuanantly my only comparisons were a few you tube clips and BK sound clips, and after a long time finally settled on the ABRAXAS set, note my ears were taxed to non descript by the time I finally decided on a selection, .....taught me that clips are a bogus way to buy a pickup and that I would be better off going with a long time maker that had longevity and mass reviews to stear me more accurately toward a pickup I would probably like more so due to mass appeal based on (hey I love classic rock and this is the best SD's reported to be used for that type of sound theory).
5. Do I hold fault with BK or anybody for that matter ? heck no, why? I bought a pickup set in hopes of getting a certain sound, didn't work out, welcome to the world of gear heads.
6. the Bridge is very articulate, something I have heard said alot about BK pickups in general, and at first that sounds like a good thing, the arguments being it made me a better player or it really showed my weakness etc. etc. this taught me that a really good pickup, isnt necessarily really articulate, especially if classic rock or blues is your bag...ie. Mine.
7. the neck almost seems like a good classic rock humbucker, but lacks the dirty shine and forgivness that are the true hallmarks of a really good classic humbucker, thus it falls flat there and that would be a very accurate description of the ABRAXAS set, its an almost but no cigar type of sound, you almost like it, but its lacking in character and far from unique so it dosn't even stand on its own as being different, which is all thats left after the dosn't sound like Santana or classic rock, for my needs book.
8. all in all I would call the ABRAXAS set a datsun pickup or maybe an El comino in the hands of a very accomplished player, but more so not quite a real truck but not just a car either, but your sure not going to pull your buddies junker out of the dicth with it, and your sure not gonna put this set in your go to guitar.
9. lots of power in the bridge but thin and punny would be accurate descriptions compared to an old school PAF. unless of course your ripping on some hardcore power chords/ rhythm's or some super effect heavy leads where guitar tone comes second to processing ability.
Will some guys swear its the shit, sure they will when you spend $400 on a set of pickups your destined to believe anything to convince yourself you didnt just get sacked with a set of humbuckers you know damn well you won't be keeping...how do I know, because I almost convinced myself of the same thing, until I became honest and said to myself, if these are so damn good, then why do I keep thinking I dont like them every time I play....duh....subconscious knowledge.
Just bought a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbuckers and it feels so right.....Im so glad to be back in America.
O.K. I have the ABRAXAS set in a Mahogany Tele body with quartersawn maple neck?ebony fretboard for about a year now so I feel comfortable giving my two cents on my one set of BK's that I have tried.
1. ABRAXAS neck and bridge humbuckers....thought the interesting Bareknuckle A4 magnet theory about alot of Gibsons old school magnet humbuckers = A4 magnet yada yada yada b.s. ment i would be playing Santanaish old school humbuckers that sounded ahhhh....Santanaish old school humbuckerish...
what I know now, b.s., and I now know that I dont like A4 or as (Seymour Duncan comments go), there is no A4 magnets,...that refleccts my feelings a little better in a nice way, not to mention when interviewed Tim of BK said we have a really good marketing campaign.....nugh said.
2. build quality looked premium to me, so dont know where the build quality ever came in as an issue, I've never heard anyone say they were anything but rock solid.
3. after trying the ABRAXAS and knowing the Sacred MULE's are also A4 whatever that means, tells me I wont be buying them even though I love Warren Haynes.
4. the Stormy Monday clips or the PG models seem more to my liking looking back introspectively, but unfortuanantly my only comparisons were a few you tube clips and BK sound clips, and after a long time finally settled on the ABRAXAS set, note my ears were taxed to non descript by the time I finally decided on a selection, .....taught me that clips are a bogus way to buy a pickup and that I would be better off going with a long time maker that had longevity and mass reviews to stear me more accurately toward a pickup I would probably like more so due to mass appeal based on (hey I love classic rock and this is the best SD's reported to be used for that type of sound theory).
5. Do I hold fault with BK or anybody for that matter ? heck no, why? I bought a pickup set in hopes of getting a certain sound, didn't work out, welcome to the world of gear heads.
6. the Bridge is very articulate, something I have heard said alot about BK pickups in general, and at first that sounds like a good thing, the arguments being it made me a better player or it really showed my weakness etc. etc. this taught me that a really good pickup, isnt necessarily really articulate, especially if classic rock or blues is your bag...ie. Mine.
7. the neck almost seems like a good classic rock humbucker, but lacks the dirty shine and forgivness that are the true hallmarks of a really good classic humbucker, thus it falls flat there and that would be a very accurate description of the ABRAXAS set, its an almost but no cigar type of sound, you almost like it, but its lacking in character and far from unique so it dosn't even stand on its own as being different, which is all thats left after the dosn't sound like Santana or classic rock, for my needs book.
8. all in all I would call the ABRAXAS set a datsun pickup or maybe an El comino in the hands of a very accomplished player, but more so not quite a real truck but not just a car either, but your sure not going to pull your buddies junker out of the dicth with it, and your sure not gonna put this set in your go to guitar.
9. lots of power in the bridge but thin and punny would be accurate descriptions compared to an old school PAF. unless of course your ripping on some hardcore power chords/ rhythm's or some super effect heavy leads where guitar tone comes second to processing ability.
Will some guys swear its the shit, sure they will when you spend $400 on a set of pickups your destined to believe anything to convince yourself you didnt just get sacked with a set of humbuckers you know damn well you won't be keeping...how do I know, because I almost convinced myself of the same thing, until I became honest and said to myself, if these are so damn good, then why do I keep thinking I dont like them every time I play....duh....subconscious knowledge.
Just bought a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbuckers and it feels so right.....Im so glad to be back in America.