BKP Riff Raff vs VHII vs MCP Detroiter

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Jnewt90

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Hey all, this is my first post so apologies if its a tired old subject!

I am currently using a set of unpotted BKP Mules in my Gibson LP studio, and although I love them I am looking to swap out the bridge pickup for something a little more versatile when it comes to metal (I regularly play songs by Death, Metallica, Mastodon etc), the mules actually don't do a bad job with these styles and don't seem microphonic with high gain and volume which is great but they're a little too polite and rounded which I guess is normal for Alnico 4 pups.

I have been burrowing down the pickup rabbit-hole and tbh the best I've heard is the MCP Detroiter BUT contacting Wade has proved basically impossible so I'm not sure its a goer! I have been looking into the BKP Riff Raff and VHII as they both seem tight enough but what I really liked about the Detroiter was the low mids grind I could hear on this clip of the Black Dog VS Detroiter:


The Detroiter just seems "chewier" on the chugs and I can't move on from it as it does seem like the exact sound I'm after. Does anyone have experience of both the BKP VHII and Detroiter? The VHII seems to have a good amount of bass response which perhaps could be similar/chewy and definitely seems like a tight pickup, the Riff Raff sounds great but I think its a bright and open pickup with high mids much like all BKP's so not sure it would fit the bill here.

It's worth noting I want to keep the bridge pickup within the Hot PAF category, around 9k and using 42AWG plain enamel so the instrument is still true to vintage specs/versatile.

Gear:
Gibson Les Paul Studio
Orange PPC112
Orange Dark Terror

Thanks for any input! And if anyone has a Zebra Detroiter bridge pickup they want to sell hit me up!

Josh
 
I put a Detroiter in a Les Paul Custom and love it. I've had VH type pickups in the LP but they didn't fit for the LP sound

I think the Detroiter would be perfect for what you're looking for.
 
Thanks, I was afraid that would be the answer! Hopefully Wade will take my order soon then!
 
I ordered a 2nd Degree Blackbelt from Wade not long ago. He will answer emails, but on his own time. I received the pickup in about 2.5 weeks ordering directly from his website.
 
Soundstorm said:
I ordered a 2nd Degree Blackbelt from Wade not long ago. He will answer emails, but on his own time. I received the pickup in about 2.5 weeks ordering directly from his website.
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Thanks, I wasn't able to order through his site as I am outside the US so I've contacted him via Facebook/Instagram. I think it's worth the wait as I don't want to settle for something less.
 
I love the Detroiter, but I recommend the Wolfetone MKII. It’s similar, but a little more clear. Plus you can get it in a week or two.
 
EyesOfTheSouth! said:
I love the Detroiter, but I recommend the Wolfetone MKII. It’s similar, but a little more clear. Plus you can get it in a week or two.
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Yeah, I’ve not tried that particular model, but I found all the Wolfetone’s I’ve had across the board to have a more organic, better quality tone than MCP’s or BKP‘s, but some of them like the Marshallheads aren’t as tight. For the price I think the Wolfetone’s & Wagner’s are hard to beat, although if budget isn’t a concern I would just get either Tone Specific’s or various vintage stuff. That’s all I use now myself
 
If you're outside of the US and BK's are readily available, I would try a Rebel Yell or a Miracle Man.
 
Alnico Nail Bomb..have them in 4 of my guitars....not polite AT ALL...
 
VHII is a good pickup but I wouldn't put it in a LP personally. My recommendation would be a SD Distortion.
 
Ratou said:
VHII is a good pickup but I wouldn't put it in a LP personally. My recommendation would be a SD Distortion.
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I might be the only guy out there that hasn't tried these higher-end boutique pickups. I'm still interested in experimenting and several have recommended the BK Miracle Man to me. That said, the standard Duncan JB, Custom and my EMGs have always sounded so good with my LPs that I'm a little hesitant. Do you guys really find a noticeable difference with the BKs, Motor Citys. etc.???
 
angelspade said:
I might be the only guy out there that hasn't tried these higher-end boutique pickups. I'm still interested in experimenting and several have recommended the BK Miracle Man to me. That said, the standard Duncan JB, Custom and my EMGs have always sounded so good with my LPs that I'm a little hesitant. Do you guys really find a noticeable difference with the BKs, Motor Citys. etc.???
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I've put BKPs in a couple guitars and they do sound good but I've been gradually moving back to SD & EMG. Also, to note that here in the UK Seymour Duncan and other US brands are the same price and often more expensive than BKPs and are considered a premium brand.
 
Ratou said:
I've put BKPs in a couple guitars and they do sound good but I've been gradually moving back to SD & EMG. Also, to note that here in the UK Seymour Duncan and other US brands are the same price and often more expensive than BKPs and are considered a premium brand.
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Thank You...Very interesting.
 
angelspade said:
I might be the only guy out there that hasn't tried these higher-end boutique pickups. I'm still interested in experimenting and several have recommended the BK Miracle Man to me. That said, the standard Duncan JB, Custom and my EMGs have always sounded so good with my LPs that I'm a little hesitant. Do you guys really find a noticeable difference with the BKs, Motor Citys. etc.???
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The main difference with those 2 brands over what you have now will be clarity & detail, but they can also come off a bit dry or less fun to play at first, but really I feel these 2 brands are very overrated imho and far from being the best pickups out there. They just have good branding I think. If you get either Wagner’s, Wolfetone’s or much better yet Tone Specific’s or the good vintage stuff (if you can afford those latter 2) you will not only get the improvement in clarity & detail (even more so than BKP & MCP), but also a better, more 3D tone, with much better feel and connection between the notes. Just my opinion though from my experience (100’s of pickups at this point having gone through)
 
braintheory said:
The main difference with those 2 brands over what you have now will be clarity & detail, but they can also come off a bit dry or less fun to play at first, but really I feel these 2 brands are very overrated imho and far from being the best pickups out there. They just have good branding I think. If you get either Wagner’s, Wolfetone’s or much better yet Tone Specific’s or the good vintage stuff (if you can afford those latter 2) you will not only get the improvement in clarity & detail (even more so than BKP & MCP), but also a better, more 3D tone, with much better feel and connection between the notes. Just my opinion though from my experience (100’s of pickups at this point having gone through)
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Also very helpful...Don't mean to high-jack this thread. But based on my current tastes in Duncans (JB and Custom) and EMGs (81, 85 Hets), what models do you believe might suit me from the companies that you recommend? Thanks!
 
angelspade said:
Also very helpful...Don't mean to high-jack this thread. But based on my current tastes in Duncans (JB and Custom) and EMGs (81, 85 Hets), what models do you believe might suit me from the companies that you recommend? Thanks!
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Well those are all hotter pickups, so Tone Specific doesn’t have an equivalent for that right now. Of the stuff made today honestly I don’t think anything is really that great. The Wagner Iron Man would probably be the best one I’ve had of stuff made now, but there’s so many ‘70’s & ‘80’s hot pickups you can buy for the same price that sound & feel just so much better such as the ‘70’s & ‘80’s Bill Lawrence’s (500L, XL, 550L, XL, L90, L100 (my favorite of the bunch)), Tim Shaw Dirty Fingers, Mighty Mite 1400. Seriously these current made pickups sound so bland & sterile, almost dead in comparison. These others are much more full of life, response and more importantly quality of tone while being more aggressive & raw. I challenge anyone who says their BKP or whichever recent made pickup they like to compare in the same guitar to one of the my recommendations and see if they don’t sound neutered and bleh in comparison
 
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