Bare Knuckle Pickups The Boss Tele Set

Submitted at: 13:09, 10/27/2005

Product Info

Pickup features: passive
Impedence or other specs: 8.2k bridge,7k neck
Price Paid: sterlin Ł125
Purchased from: Tim at bare knuckle

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Tomson tele
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: fender nocaster custom shop
Other pickups on guitar: as above
Artists using this pickup: various
You musical style(s): classic rock,blues,r'n'b country rock
Reason for pickup change: fender pick ups sounded weak and to bright\hard

Sound

Perceived output level: hot vintage
Tone: perfect balance.its the sound of all the recordings i have loved for years.
Sonic evaluation: I've had the guitar for a year now and it's never had the sound in my head.NOW IT DOES.sound wise it has blown me away.I have been playing for about 25 years and have tried most pick up makes even had some rewound.man if you crave the best in tone,ring Tim at Bare knuckle,that man delivers.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: any track you have heard on cd that is a telecaster,these pick ups can do.

Overall Rating

Comments: I would ring Tim and have them replaced asap.I use Rivera jake\rake amps and cabs,and a 1985 fender princeton reverb2.i have a bare knuckle 'crawler, set on my gibson les paul custom and that transformed that guitar.now Tim has done it again with my tele.not the cheapest but the best.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Dave Taylor <bassclef36@hotmail.com>

Submitted at: 3:20, 10/20/2005

Product Info

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs:
Price Paid: sterling (UK) 125
Purchased from: Bare Knuckle

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: 1963 Telecaster relic LTD Edition
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Relic vintage Telecaster
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Alternative / Indie/ Rock
Reason for pickup change: Poor performance from stock pick-ups

Sound

Perceived output level: Slightly more than stock
Tone: Fantastic! Clarity, tone, bite.
Sonic evaluation: Ok- Currently using a Bad Cat Black cat 30 watt (similar to an AC30) Fulltone Fatboost Fulltone Fulldrive II Telecaster custom relic Ltd Edition (100 being made)-Fender Custom Shop To be honest with you, you dont need pedals with the Tele (fitted with Bare knuckle pickups) and this amp. The combination has that 'inspiring' effect that only 'that' tone gives. This set up proves that you dont need a Les Paul to sound 'meaty'

ALWAYS FIT A 4 WAY SWITCH TO YOUR TELECASTER

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: belting tone, clarity and warmth from the neck, just the right amount of bite from the neck. Fitted with a 4 way switch (cant believe that this is not standard on all Telecasters!)

Overall Rating

Comments: I cant believe that a guitar that retails at Ł3600.00 ($6400.00) requires a pickup change right out of the box, but believe me it did! This is my first experience of bare knuckle and I cannot talk highly enough of the results. I have a lot of very, very good gear (cunetto Telecasters, bluuesbreaker amps, badcat etc) and these pickups are right up there with the best of them.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Rob Rhodes <robertr@vdotcom.co.uk>

Submitted at: 13:10, 8/23/2005

Product Info

Pickup features: Passive single coils
Impedence or other specs: DC bridge 8.2k & neck 7k
Price Paid: UK pounds Ł125
Purchased from: Direct from Tim Mills

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Home made telecaster (Warmoth neck and body, Callaham & Schaller hardwear)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: Me!
You musical style(s): Rock spanning anything from blues to heavy contempory styles
Reason for pickup change: I needed a set of pickups that would allow a telecaster to be used in pretty much any style of music, since I love the telecaster sounds but needed greater versatility and superior tone.

Sound

Perceived output level: Output is about what you'd imagine from soapbars, they retain all the qualities of telecaster pickups... but more.
Tone: Classic tele sounds are there, but with more meat and weight in the midrange.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using this with an all valve amp, the guitar is ash bodied with a maple neck, and my effects chain is an Ernie Ball volume pedal through an Electroharmonix Big Muff Pi and lastly a wah pedal.

With both the volume and tone maxed you get a very spanky, twangy classic telecaster sound with a lot of bite and it avoids sounding thin or shrill as some telecasters do. Rolling the tone backwards there's still twang, but it's the kind of sound you'd imagine from a tele with soapbar style pickups, and rolling it all the way off some smokey jazz sounds can be had with the neck pickup.

Using the volume knob with a valve amp with medium gain (AC/DCish) the sound can be cleaned up brilliantly, the best part of this is that it doesn't get muffled or wooly as some pickups are known to do.

Although not standard, mine are hooked up to a 4-way switch, the 4th position being both pickups in series as opposed to the normal parallel, this gives a sound far ballsier and heavier than any telecaster with single coil pickups has a right to be, great stuff.

All in all this pickup set allows you to cover any musical territory you want to using telecasterish sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play blues, classic rock, stuff like Oasis, Rage Against the Machine, Queens of the Stoneage, anything pretty much... and these perform admirably throughout.

Overall Rating

Comments: I've been playing 3 years and this is my first really "professional" instrument, but by waiting I've found a sound that's exactly what I wanted and all that I imagined. There is nothing to dislike about these pickups, I bought them with the fact that telecasters generally don't do heavy, but these will if you treat them right. With a Big Muff pi things get a bit monstrous sounding.

I am 100% satisfied with these, and the customer service is peerless, beyond fantastic and second to none. Tim Mills responded to my e-mails quickly and was very polite and chatty on the phone and by listening to what little information I was able to convey using all the normal adjectives he was still able to get me the exact sound I wanted. Kudos for such a well run business.

I've tried other telecaster pickups, Fender ones were just thin and lacking in cajones by comparisson, and SDs little 59 takes away from the natural qualities of a telecaster, it's not bad as such... but if you want a meaty telecaster sound that can go toe to toe with humbuckers you need look no further than Bare Knuckle, if you e-mail or phone Tim Mills and tell him what you want, he can deliver.

This kind of tone, build quality and customer service is a snip at Ł125, do yourself a favour and give Tim a call, you owe it to yourself and your guitar.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Phil <original.voodoo.chile@gmail.com>

Submitted at: 14:07, 7/24/2005

Product Info

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: DC Resistance 8.1k bridge and 7.4k neck
Price Paid: pounds sterling Ł125
Purchased from: Direct from Bare Knuckle

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: US Standard Tele (ash body)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Fender US standard tele
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Post punk, Roots rock, alt country
Reason for pickup change: Standard pickups didn't do the guitar justice

Sound

Perceived output level: More guts than standard tele pups, I'd say about 25% more output
Tone: heaven
Sonic evaluation: I use an ash bodied Fender US Standard Tele > ZVex Fuzz Factory > Barber Ltd low gain overdrive > Peavey Delta Blues (soon to become Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special 2x12).

For the record I play mainly clean or with a bit of dirt from the Barber Ltd.

I came to changing, because I felt that the standard pups sounded very anaemic. But I held off for 6 months because firstly I tried to solve the problem with different amps, and secondly didn't want to alter the tremendous cutting tone of the guitar. I wouldn't have gone for the ash bodied, maple neck if I didn't want a bright sound. Thing is, it didn't have any balls, just mushy mids.

So after reading a few reviews I phoned Tim from Bare Knuckle, who is the most helpful and affable bloke I've ever had the pleasure of speaking to in this industry, and he actually took the time to listen to what I WAS LOOKING FOR. He recommended The Boss pickups to me when I said I wanted to keep the bright tone but clear up the mids and tighten up the bass. (And I'm a Springsteen fan, so there's a sign)

I love the pure tele tone and this is what I've been looking for. My tele is still as bright as the guitar will allow but now has the most balanced and descriptive lows and mids. The treble is all there but has an extra dimension. Oh, and even the middle pickup selection has come alive!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Overall Rating

Comments: Fender can be shakey with some of their products but I chose from a handful and got the most beautiful grain of wood you can imagine. (Didn't go for the '52 because I want to play guitar, not baseball). I always thought it was capable of more but the tone now astounds me to be honest.

I've never felt compelled to write a gear review in 18 years of playing, and being from the North of England I am a true cynic at heart, so let me reassure you; I'm not an employee! But if you buy the perfect product from a good bloke then you can't be happier. I'm self employed myself and a good recommendation from a satisfied customer goes a long way.

I have faith that all his products are quality, and will be replacing the pups on my P90 guitars with Bare Knuckles.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Dan <danielswalmsley@hotmail.com>

Submitted at: 16:00, 6/13/2005

Product Info

Pickup features: single coil active pickups
Impedence or other specs: don't know but they are hotter than vintage
Price Paid: pounds Ł125
Purchased from: direct from Bareknuckle

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Melancon Vintage T (with chambered body)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Melancon originals
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: Don't know, but many will follow
You musical style(s): classic rock, blues etc
Reason for pickup change: The chambered body on a tele style guitar has great sound, with more harmonics, Lovely deep bass, lovely highs, but I find the chambers slightly scoop the mids, so I wanted a pickup with a bit more clout in the mids to compensate

Sound

Perceived output level: very much more pronounced and aggresive than vintage, GREAT bottom end.
Tone: Very Very Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I use this guitar through a keeley compressor, a custom shop Fulltone Fulldrive 2 and an original 70's EH memory man into an early Musicman 2x10 65 watt combo with Celestion vintage 10's fitted. Totally excellent sound. The bridge pickup gives a great meaty but original tele tone with thunderous bottom and sweet highs but not the oh shit turn the treble down highs. The mids are very focused. The neck is lovely again with a little more meat but not so muddy as lots I've tried. Great inbetween tone, excellent funk tone. Throw these pickups through the Fulldrive 2 and it is sonic heaven. This is what tone is all about. Fat aggresive but clear balanced tone. This is so FAR better than those muddy humbucker tones. To me this is THE electric guitar tone!!! The neck pickup even sounds good with the drive and can give a great bluesy tone. Switch back to clean though and the great tele twang is still spot on, albeit with a little more oomph!! I must admit that these pickups are helped here by the fantastic grade Swamp ash used on the Melancon and the maple top over the hollow chambers, but altogether a total mind blowing tone. This is the best I have heard.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Classic Rock, Country, Folk "Born To Run", Southern Rock, Blues. Suits all styles

Overall Rating

Comments: If these pickups were damaged or stolen, I would definately buy another set. The build quality is second to none, and let me tell you, I have tried them all. I love good pickups and will seek them out!! I searched ages to find a set of Abigail Ybarra Custom Shop Masterwound pickups (300 sets worldwide, and expensive) and I am now thinking of ripping them out and getting some Irish Tour strat pickups installed. Tim's pickups are the best. Usually the brass plate on a tele bridge pickup is fitted flimsily. Tim bolts them on useing allen head screws. These plates are going nowhere. I have seen all the best pickups but have never seen so perfectly put together units. This is now the benchmark for replacement pickups. I do not think that it is possible now to do anything better with a stock passive pickup. They are reasonably quiet too, and I did not take the reverse wound option as I feel it softens the mid position. But they are still quiet. Customer service could not be improved on. This is perfect. You might think I am going over the top here, but you must SEE and HEAR these pickups to beleive the quality. There is a lot of nonsense hype about pickups, but in this case I do feel it is justified. This brand is going to take the world by storm. I hope Tim can keep up with demand.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: D Cowie

Submitted at: 10:16, 5/3/2005

Product Info

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: DC Resistance 8.1k bridge and 7.4k neck
Price Paid: Ł 125
Purchased from: www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Squire Affinity Telecaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Pickups
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: I don't know of any
You musical style(s): Indie and rock
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickups were very weak. The bridge was virtually unsuable especially with any gain.

Sound

Perceived output level: Output much higher than the stock pickups but still versatile
Tone: The bridge has a really nice open trebly sound but still has a good solid base sound and the bridge is well rounded and warm and reacts to gain well.
Sonic evaluation: I have a very modest set up of Marshall MG15DFX and Squire Affinity Telecaster. This maybe limiting but it has highlighted the difference the pickups have made all the more as there is nothing else to get in the way. The neck position is good gor lead ad reacts to gain well while the middle and bridge are really good for rhythm as they don't lose all their definition when you add a little gain like the stock pickups did.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play indie and rock and the pickups cope with this very well.

Overall Rating

Comments: These pickups really have changed my guitar from a pretty lacklustre basic model into my prized possesion which I love playing. I haven't been playing very long but was already fed up of not being able to use all the pickup positions on my existing guitar effectively and was going to replace my guitar. Well these pickups are much cheaper than any decent replacement tele and Im pretty sure would ffol more experienced ears than mine in a blind sound test. The customer care from Bare Knuckle is also awesome. They are very fast replying to questions and very helpful when they do.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Sam Parker <Samjparker@aol.com>

Submitted at: 4:34, 2/3/2005

Product Info

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:
Price Paid: English Pounds 65
Purchased from: The Manufacturer

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Telecaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Series 2 Squier PUPS
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: N/A
You musical style(s): Rock,jazz, eastern, heavy, blues
Reason for pickup change: The Standard PUPS were too thin sounding.

Sound

Perceived output level: Hotter than a Tele Pickup, sort of half way to a humbucker
Tone: Bright yet a good thick midrange in the Bridge PUP, the neck is very clear and round
Sonic evaluation: A Line 6 Flextone 111 and a Behringer Vintager 112...mainly studio use, plus software amps on my Powercore and UAD card.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I want to use it for clear but grunty chordal work and some soloing

Overall Rating

Comments: If it were stolen I would be devastated...especially as I just completely rebuilt the Tele as well, nice spray job with binding and I re fretted it with jumbo frets etc.. I have been playing at least 35 years and used to practice about 8 to 10 hours a day. I have loads of recording gear and about 11 guitars, strats,teles, ES 295, Ibaneze, Variaxe etc.. I also bought the Apaches Set (see my review on those) anyway these PUPS are more aggressive and punchy than the Apaches...kind of almost like a humbucker, but still with the Tele twang. The thing I really like is they have character, bend a note and you can hear the nuances...even on fairly heavy overdrive. I would describe these pickups as nasty, twangy, punchy and versatile...much better than any other tele pickup I have heard. They are awesome even for soloing in a rock style...generally teles are too thin and bity for this, but not the Boss set. I am very happy...these are great PUPS. I have the Tele sound I want and more, I will be looking no further.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Harvey Mann <harvey_mann@hotmail.com>

Submitted at: 14:09, 1/30/2005

Product Info

Pickup features: Singl;e coil
Impedence or other specs:
Price Paid: Sterling Ł60
Purchased from: Direct from Manufacturer

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Tokai Breezysound
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fender Custom shop "relic" Nocaster
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio Twank King (neck)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock / pop
Reason for pickup change: I wanted more output without going the hotrails route and still wanted to keep the Tele tone.Having purchased Bareknuckle pickups before I was aware that these are probably the best pickups in the world.

Sound

Perceived output level: Traditional Tele pickups with taller alnico magnets and redesigned
Tone: As stated, a higher output pickup than norm, but very balanced .
Sonic evaluation: Tele into Mesa Boogie,Excellent pickup in fact I would recommend Bareknuckle pickups to anyone who wants the best tone available.Very strong and hold its own in a 3 x piece band .Cleans up nicely when the volumn knob is rolled back and very defined. This pickup rocks! Just as good as the excellent Bareknuckle "Brown Sugar pickup set" I recently bought and fitted to another Tele but musically different. Tim explained in great detail over the phone, its his own design and they are manufactured these with alnico magnets.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Used for rock and pop.This pickup will cover every style though.

Overall Rating

Comments: I don't intend to buy any other pickup other than the products on offer from Bareknuckle.The whole range are serious bits of kit picking up rave reviews in UK guitar mags and are very sought after. A local Fender dealer has some Bareknuckles fitted to a LP and C/S Tele and the difference compared to the standard guitars is very noticable. These pickups are very sought after, the talk of most guitar shops and designed and built by a musician who takes pride in his products. First class service. If have a LP/SG/Strat/Tele then ring Tim immediately, buy them, fit them and prepare yourself to be stunned.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Bob Holland <robert.holland3@btinternet.com>

Submitted at: 2:35, 1/30/2005

Product Info

Pickup features: Passive single coil Telecaster set
Impedence or other specs: Bridge Alnico 5, 8.2K - Neck Alnico 5 7.24K scatterwound
Price Paid: UK Pounds 106.38
Purchased from: Bare Knuckle Pickups Ltd

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Tom Anderson Hollow T Classic
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Tom Anderson TV1 and TV3
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock, Punk
Reason for pickup change: The Tom Anderson Hollow T Classic is a very special Tele style guitar and I wanted to see if I could make it even more perfect.

Sound

Perceived output level: Slightly hotter than the TA pickups
Tone: Bright, punchy, open and well balanced, bringing out the full harmonic richness of the guitar with
Sonic evaluation: I play the Hollow T Classic through a VHT Pittbull 45 (a great amp!). I bought the Tom Anderson because I wanted the best Tele sound available. I was nervous about replacing what are already great pickups. Could they really be improved? Would I turn it into something that sounded great, but not like a Tele? Well believe me I needn't have worried. The Boss set give you everything you could ever want from a Tele style guitar. They don't turn it into something it's not, they just seem to add extra dimensions. The bridge pickup is everything a Tele should be and more, while the neck pickup is perfectly balanced in terms of output with a sweet and open sound that's capable of real drive when pushed. Anyone who's ever played a Tom Anderson will know how they seem to have a harmonic richness that other guitars don't even hint at. Add Bare Knuckle pickups and somehow you take it up another gear.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Buy a Rolling Stones DVD, put it on and play along... you'll convince yourself you should be up there on stage with them!

Overall Rating

Comments: I'm a Bare Knuckle fan. They provide wonderful personalised service, the best imaginable pickups, have a great image and a good price. Putting Bare Knuckle pickups on a guitar convinces you that you've got the best it's possible to have. If you want the sound your music deserves check out their web site and buy some. You won't be disappointed.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted at: 10:51, 11/15/2004

Product Info

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:
Price Paid: Pounds Sterling 110
Purchased from: Direct from Bare Knuckle

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Squier Standard Telecaster MII 2003
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Alnico set
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Don't think they've been around long enough yet, but I won't be surprised if these are successful.
You musical style(s): Roots, Punk, Funk, Jazz
Reason for pickup change: GAS is part of it, but I knew that the Squiers were good guitars that could be made better with better quality electronics.

Sound

Perceived output level: When I first plugged into a boutique tweed tube amp, I noticed a definite increase in output, and this was even before the pickups were height adjusted. It was a great sound with all of the individual strings crisp and defined, clear and true.
Tone: It is warmer, more ornery with no icepick. Different pick attacks yield different sounds; it seems that raising the neck pickup has less of a sonic difference than moving the bridge pickup. March the tone off and the neck pickup has some great Jazz potential. It has the tele twang and yet not the thin high flavor that I really noticed in the Squier, and if that wasn't enough; all out on the volume control gets a nice little breakup, gritty but articulate, a well struck chord will put a smile on your face.
Sonic evaluation: I use Vox SS amps and a small boutique tube amp as well as a Randall half stack and a Roland JC with 2 12s in my playing situations at home, and stuff with my band. I am looking for the ultimate overdrive still, but my pedal set is only a Dano Cool Cat Chorus and George Dennis Wah-Wah, and I intend to keep it small. The Randall is only good for the power, so it is important that the guitar can get a good variety of tones. I am pleased to say that with the Boss set, it does. There are Springsteenian ( a new word?) growls and no harsh icepick sounds; I guess that the sound is influenced somewhat on the Barden set that he plays now, but I listened to some stuff from 1978, prime Esquire material, and I can recognize the tone, and emulate it. With a Vox amp I am finding the greatest surprises. Whether on a Pathfinder or a Valvetronix with the AC30 settings - damn, I just want to play more and more!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: In a band that plays Rock with more a leaning to Roots and Funk, as well as soundtrack work that covers electronica, world and some jazzier stuff, I haven't found a situation yet that these pickups can't find the sound, my sound. It is really great to find so many sweet spots with only adjustments to the volume and tone knobs. But that is why Tele's rule; so much variety in such a simple set up.

Overall Rating

Comments: These pickups are very new; I originally was looking at the Brown Sugar set, but after a talk with Tim @ Bare Knuckle, he told me about these new pickups they just introduced at some trade show, not even on the website yet. I thought about it a bit and pulled the trigger. I do not regret it, and in my next guitar I will go with Bare Knuckles. As far as other Tele pickups go, I know just the Fender products, so I wouldn't say I'm any authority. But I do know that these pickups are what I was looking for to transform my guitar into something that I could just be happy with and get on with my music.

Pickups are a funny business, there are very few agreed upon views or opinions, and tastes change and then there is the cult of the winder and the flavor of the month status that gets passed around. But check out the other reviews folks; Bare Knuckles do seem to have captured lightning in a bottle. I get the impression that they do take their business seriously, have a passion for what they do, and they make great sounding pickups. These days, some used boutique pickups go for over 500 bucks on fleabay, and some makers might make you wait months before you are worthy to receive. I was notified when my funds arrived, when they were shipped out, and a few days later they were brought to my door. The whole process took about 2 weeks, and we are talking about the other side of the world here. I've been playing for over 30 years, and for most of the time I have been lucky enough to find the gear that works for me, and have the good sense to stick with it. If I was careless enough to lose this guitar, I'd be back on the phone for another set.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted at: 13:31, 11/8/2004

Product Info

Pickup features: single coil
Impedence or other specs:
Price Paid: UK pounds 125
Purchased from: Bareknuckle

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: 78 tele
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: texas specials
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: its just come out
You musical style(s): blues
Reason for pickup change: the tex specials were good but I wanted something sweeter with a better response, specially at the top end

Sound

Perceived output level: more than the stock fenders, less than tex specials
Tone: great, even and true
Sonic evaluation: 78 tele + bassman RI

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: the combination is great, the boss pups bring out the best in the amp

Overall Rating

Comments: very satisfied, I`d like to try Lindy Fralins for a comparison but he`d have to go some to beat these. Specially at the price this is tremendous value for a hand wound pickup.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: AC

Submitted at: 6:15, 10/14/2004

Product Info

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:
Price Paid: GBP 125
Purchased from: Bareknuckle Pickups, N.Devon, UK.

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster USA.
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Both the neck and bridge positions.
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan Little59 (bridge) standard Tele (neck)
Artists using this pickup: Five Furious Fish
You musical style(s): Reggae, rock, blues, cajun, celtic, funk.
Reason for pickup change: Just totally fed up with the standard Tele's lack of clarity for rhythm work and the Little 59's, 'wasp in a bottle' lead sound, also needed proper balance between pickups, which seemed totally lost.

Sound

Perceived output level: Immediately impressed with the renewed 'bite' the guitar had, these are still single coil pickups but they seem a good 10% more powerful than my previous set up.
Tone: Beautifilly balanced, all tones completely useable and pleasing musically.
Sonic evaluation: I use a Standard USA Tele though a Yamaha DG80 amplifier. I'm not the World's greatest guitarist by any stretch of the imagination but I do play a wide variety of styles and as such I need an array of lead and rhythm tones. I need clean, typical Tele sounds for funk, country, reggae cluck lines, etc, I need lot's of convincing crunch for rock rhythm playing and lead tones that scream but still manage to sound smooth polished and coherent. On top of all this I required a good balance between the outputs of both pickups, the bridge being just that little bit hotter than the neck so that volume adjustments can be kept to a bare minimum. Let me just say this, in every respect the 'Bareknuckle Boss' pickups surpassed all my expectations and hopes, I really enjoy playing my guitar now and love experimenting with it's delicious palette of pleasing tones. Thanks Tim for a wonderful product and for your better than first class service.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Reggae, rock, blues, cajun, celtic, funk etc, these pickups are totally suitable for all styles in all positions.

Overall Rating

Comments: If my guitar was destroyed or stolen, I'd probably think it was God's way of telling me to shut up, if however I bought another guitar with stock pickups fitted I would definitely replace them with Bareknuckles. Ive been playing for over thirty years and I own too much other gear to list, I run a small recording studio based round a Korg D1600 mk2 linked to a PC running Cubase, my other main guitar is a Taylor acoustic. I love everything about these pickups, including the cute 'Bareknuckle' logo engraved on the neck pickup cover. I chose this product after reading reviews on this site and listening to many a sincere recommendation from local musicians and music stores alike. As far as I'm concerned these pickups do possess 'that sound' my search is over.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted at: 23:52, 10/11/2004

Product Info

Pickup features: Single Coil Tele replacement
Impedence or other specs:
Price Paid: GBP 125
Purchased from: Direct from Bare Knuckle

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: 52 Reissue Tele
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Just me!
You musical style(s): Rock/Blues
Reason for pickup change: Not happy with stock pickups, a bit weak sounding and lacking in character.

Sound

Perceived output level: slightly hotter than stock
Tone: beautifully balanced, not harsh
Sonic evaluation: Plugged directly into my Marshall TSL601 these pickups have made me fall in love with my tele all over again. They are designed to emulate the sound of a certain American rock star (see pickup name for a clue) and they definitley have that full tone. The neck is smooth and clear, good note definition. The bridge does not have that harshness associated with some tele bridge pup's, it cuts nicely without too much top. Both positions clean up great with the volume backed off.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For rock rhythm or lead on a tele, these are perfect.

Overall Rating

Comments: Tim from Bare Knuckle could not have been more helpful. He let me have a set of these pickups even thouhg they weren't officially "on the market" yet. I will use Bare Knuckle in all my guitars whenever I decide to replace the pickups in them. Give him a call!

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted at: 8:40, 9/22/2004

Product Info

Pickup features: Single coil, hand wound.
Impedence or other specs: Bridge: 8.22k, Neck: 7.35k
Price Paid: Ł 125
Purchased from: Direct from Tim Mills (Bare Knuckle Pickups)

Instrument

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster '52 RI
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: -
Artists using this pickup: ??
You musical style(s): Blues/Classic Rock/Hard Rock
Reason for pickup change: The stock bridge pickup lost some output. It probably could have been fixed quite easily but I decided that it was a good time to try some replacements.

Sound

Perceived output level: Both pickups are hotter than stock, the neck seems slightly less so.
Tone: Bridge pickup handles the hard rock styles that I play yet still retains that traditional Tele flavour and twang. It cuts through without ever sounding harsh as was the case with the stock pickups. It also has greater detail in the mids whilst still sounding ‘raunchy’ as a good tele should. The neck pickup is excellent in that it retains that sweetness that I loved in the stock pickups but it has slightly more power which means I can use it playing live without it getting lost in the mix or the bass turning to mush.Mid position works really well for rhythm playing and the fact that it’s slightly darker than normal works well for my style.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using this guitar with a THD Flexi-50 and 2x12 cab with a Teese Picture Wah and Legendary Tones Time Machine Boost. One of the great things about the Flexi is how well it cleans up with changes to the guitars volume. One of the things I discussed with Tim was the ability for the pickups to clean up well with the volume pot on the guitar and it does this excellently despite being hotter than stock.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great all rounder. I happen to think that Teles are far more versatile than most people give them credit for so, to my mind, a good Tele pickup is very adept at a range of styles. My concern was that these pickups dealt with the heavier styles I play whilst still sounding like a Tele. I'm pleased to say that they do.

Overall Rating

Comments: Overall, I’m quite surprised at the difference they have made. My previous experience with pickup swaps has been less than great so I was rather expecting to be a bit disappointed. Happily, they sound great and I am content that the guitar sounds as good as possible. I can't say that I've tried all the options such as Fralins or the pickups du jour such as Hamels and Lollars but I don't feel compelled to after installing these.

Tim Mills is a class act who answered my initial e-mail within 1 hour of me sending it and then talked to me at length about the options available, how to install the pickups and just generally chatted about his business. His enthusiasm and knowledge shone through.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Peter Taylor <the_pman28@hotmail.com>