Oliver Roden pickup companies should make pickups that fit the RELISH guitars for demoing at guitar center or other brick and mortar stores. No need to wonder how mismatched pickup configurations would sound anymore
Wouldn’t really help. Pickups sound different from guitar to guitar. A lot of different factors come into play. Even string type/gauge. I’ve had a set of pickups that sounded like utter garbage in one guitar, but rocked out in another. Actives are a bit different though. EMGs usually sound like EMGs in most guitars. Most. But there can be slight variances. But the general idea would be cool (GC pickup tester/relish guitar). But I’m sure it’s ridiculously priced. But it would be cool to mix and match pickups/brands and see what you come up with🤘🏻
@@Wargasm644 EMG do not sound the same at all in all guitars, I don't get were that idea came from. They have a pretty big range. What I think is that people don't know how to use them, and this weird ideas came around. The "Classics" can be used for any style, but they are easiest to dial in for use in Jazz and Heavy Metal.
Now THIS is the way to compare pickups! 1 - RELISH "on-the-fly" system close up look 2- Bare Knuckle vs Seymour Duncan 3:45 3 - Solo with real-time pickup swaps throughout 6:49 4 - Final Thoughts - 9:49 Guitar Link - imp.i114863.net/ezraX Enjoy :)
Thanks so much. The only question I have is how were you playing with neck and bridge pickups missing?.. I'm guessing there's also a saddle pickup system...
Hey Darrell! Man your videos are excellent. Excellent production, excellent content, and super interesting. You obviously put a ton of work into these and just wanted to let you know it is appreciated. Great work man!
Darrell, Thank you so much for the close ups of how this actually works like at 2:14. This helped me understand what is going on so much better. Right now at Sweetwater is their lower end model for like $1200 that is made of basswood in Asia and has open back cavities for the pickups which is the one I've got my eyes on. Thanks again.
The setup you threw on in the end is exactly what I thought sounded best, bareknukckle sounded great on the neck, and the SD in the bridge seemed to capture more frequencies than the bareknuckle did.
David West 👍 my thoughts exactly. I've got the SD alnico 2 in the bridge slot on my horizon now with a 59 in the neck, probably gonna have to swap that one for a bare knuckle.
The design of this guitar is pretty cool,for easy access to the electronics.Aristides has a similar construction,where you can take of the entire backplate,but they still use screws not magnets. About the pickups: The S.Duncans Alnico Pro II are what Slash uses for ages,his ''AfD'' L/P is loaded with them and he puts in pretty much all his custom shop L/P's. They're great for blues/rock/hardrock,they still have the characteristics of a trad.PAF but with a little more output,but still lower then a JB or Distortion. The BKP Emeralds,are supposed to be designed to recreate the classic 70's rock tone(Thin Lizzy ''Emerald'' anybody) they remind me of the DiMarzio 36 Ann.PAF which are also Alnico 5 humbuckers, Both great pickups but the BKP are way too expensive,you can get the Duncans or the aformentioned DMZ 36 Ann. PAF set for almost half the money and they will get the job done just as good.
after listening to both several times...scrolling to jump back and forth to really hear them in and out...my ears prefer the Seymour Duncan pickups...the bridge pickup distortion sound was very close...all the others were won by Seymour Duncan...very cool guitar and you are a very cool dude !!! thanks !!!
Nice work! I would like to add that the Emerald pickups are wound hotter and have alnico 5 and 4 bridge and neck respectively. Where Seymour Duncan’s use Alnico 2 magnets and are rated with a lower DCR. They both sound great in their own way, but I would recommend comparing similar pickup materials and wind for better apples to apples. comparison. 👍
May not be for everyone, nothing ever really is, but if this scratch's your itch man is it a cool design. It's a good thing I don't have money cause I'd be giving it hand over fist to the Swiss for sure! Great video, look forward to seeing it in more of your content Darrell. Peace!
I think the Bare Knuckles look (simply aesthetically) really cool but gotta say the SD's have more of that rasp (better match for metal or distortion/overdrive)
Thanks for this - very handy option for busy studio guitarists! Tried the 'custom' Bare Knuckles they made in the Eastman Juliet and VERY impressed! Also like what I have heard from their PG Blues on a number of YT demos - considering a set to bang into a PRS SE Tremonti - basically a Les Paul with Trem, Gibson Scale Neck and the BK 'Greeny' option at a reasonable price (PRS stuff on sale here in HK!).
Listening to this, I give the BK a slight edge. They sound pre eq'd or something. Admittedly I have and love BK pickups. But I've also used my share of SD pickups and never had problem with those either. Overall an awesome vid. Thanks.
Surprisingly the SD and the Bare Knuckle pickups didn't sound significantly different. If I had to choose, I'd take the SD pickups since they sounded a bit hotter in the bridge position and I couldn't tell too much difference in the neck position.
I just had a set of BKP Signature Rebel Yell pickups installed into my PRS Custom 24. It's pure heaven!! I just ordered a Riff Raff (Bridge) / and Mule (Neck) set from BKP for my LP. I will tell you this. If you want the magic of the BK pickups then you need to order the humbucker install kit with the 550K pots and oil/paper caps. They are best pickups made, hands down, imo. Warning the BKP 550K pots have a 3/8" shaft, so (preferably a luthier) will likely have to drill out your guitar. They did on my PRS.
ok, I watch a LOT of pickup comparison videos. Usually I identify my favourite and then I see comments saying "there is no difference" and assume they don't have ears. This one was the first time I found myself in their shoes, and about time too, you have to learn where your own personal discernment capability ends , and I am certain it ends here. I really want you to try Entwistle pickups, I have an advantage as I'm in the Uk and they are comparatively local, so the dreaded "import tax" doesn't hit me. The reason I want you to try them is that as far as I am concerned they make the best humbuckers in the world , despite their lower price tag. There is an important caveat, they make the best pickups AS INDIVIDUAL items, as soon as you buy a "set" that is supposed to match you wonder why they were declared "matching" because the neck pickup always massively overpowers the bridge, but if you mix & match to bring the neck pickup down in wind count you get something truly stunning. I'd recommend a HV58+ (B) in the bridge and a HV58 (N) in the neck to anyone. And while taste is unique to every person I think all will understand why I made this recommendation just by ears alone. If you want shimmer & sparkle and an unexpected "3D" sound from the same old humbucker format, if you want a real surprise, try an (individual) Enwistle humbucker. I am unlikely to buy another Seymour Duncan again... did you just see the size of that statement? (* respondent is not affiliated)
Awesome comparison as always! Thanks Darrell! Now that's really on-the-fly pickup swap and comparison. I'm thinking of Obsidian Wire and Relish working together to create an even more modular design. Instant wiring control swap. Haha! Oh wait, forgot about including the Journey bolt-on neck design. Haha! Love the way you turned over the guitar to show the open back side with the Relish brand. That was the money shot! Cheers!
Not a criticism, relying on those numbers (magnet type/strength ie Al2 or 5) is not the firm rule it’s believed to be. They can change just because of room temperature for example. So you might not get the sound you want just by buying what they tell you too. So it’s good Darrell gives high quality sound examples like this, it’s really helpful!
Interesting. They sounded similar on clean tones. But put in some gain, and the Bare Knuckles sounded fatter. Clear and dynamic but with some mid range fatness. To be honest though, I am biased. I have a pair of Mules in my Gibson Lucille and a set of Trilogy Suite in my strat. Both from Bare Knuckle. I've been a fan and customer of theirs for over 10 years and I always try to spread the word to anyone I can.
I wonder if those magnets that hold the back affect the magnetic field produced by the pickups and thus the tone... but anyways, that is by far the most interesting guitar I've seen in quite a while, such innovative ideas! If only they had a greater variety of body shapes (that one doesn't appeal to me at all...)
You're a real advocate for this instrument, Darryl, and I applaud your effort to promote a modern instrument in a market that prefers anachronism to innovation. That being said, I wonder if you'd personally want one of these as your number 1. Not saying you wouldn't, just curious.
Definitely like that guitar! In this comparison the winner was.... the piezo! :D Well, OK. As a fan of Seymour Duncan I really have to say I preferred the Bare Knuckle's sound here.
Honestly I would love to try the guitar as a possible buy. I love my classic models, but I am all for innovation. Which is where my classics came from. Excellent design, looks, and sounds. Thanks for such a good job showing it and the well recorded sounds!
For me, handwounds are the best option and the reason some of the vintage guitars might sound better. Everybody who plays my axes prefers the handwounds despite some decent Texas Specials in one of the strats. It can be somewhat subtle but it is there and noticeable. Bareknuckle for my humbuckers and I choose local or regional winders for singles as I am in the South.
Hands down the bare knuckles out classes and sounded better than the Seymour's. Seymour's are very muddy In high end response , I have a set of slash alnico twos in a lespaul, they are harsh but good at low volume. Love that relish quick change Darrell! Nice video as always ! Thank you. How about doing a comparison on the hot rail humbuckers, and covered ??
Super cool! Couple thoughts though. It looks like you can't flip the pups over, which may matter to some people. Also, I wonder about the durability of the components. SD wins my vote. Awesome guitar, and awesome video!
Duncans are underrated, which is a weird thing to say about such an iconic company. They'll hang with any pickup at any price. It's just a matter of finding the right one... they make, what, 5 million different models at this point?
I love the way you described the sounds of the two Pickups I have never felt in such an agreement with someone testing out Pups...I can't Believe this Guitar are you saying the Pup's switch out with no adjustments needed at all...Darrell, I really Enjoy Your Post...Was wondering if you knew of Erich Andreas of ('YOURGUITARSAGE ) ?? He Has a Lot of Posts On Here and He has Been Having Guest On You Two Would Make Such A Great Show Together .....
i see why their called emerald's. they have a kinda crystaly quality on the neck. super clear and articulate even with the distortion. i really like them actually, feel super sharp and bright and they have some soul to them. might have to get a set one day
I didn't hear Darrell mention it (though I'm not done with this post as I'm typing) but I was thinking during the first post with this guitar that it looks like everything beyond the 20th fret is almost inaccessible. I've got big, meaty hands and everything high up on the fretboard looks like a nightmare to reach. Maybe I'd have to play one to see.
the system for interchance the pickups is amazing, I like a lot and the pickups in this video, Seymour Duncan I liked more great video, greetings from mexico
If you think about it they could probably do single coils on a mount that would fit in there too. It might look a little awkward but im sure they could make the mount fill in the extra space and that way you could switch between your favorite hum and single coils.
Neat innovation in the guitar and pickup changeout options. But as for the pickups, the Seymour Duncans sounded good - but the Bare Knuckles sounded great. The bridge on the Bare Knuckle had more bite and clarity, while the neck was smoother and sweeter. I just wonder how the magnets holding the pickups in place might affect the sound. (What we heard sounded awfully good, so if it does affect the tone it doesn't seem to have hurt it at all.)
I'll never be able to afford a Relish, but I'm impressed by the technology and design. Cool stuff! For what little it's worth, I thought the Bare Knuckle were just a tiny bit brighter in "light overdrive" and "distortion" mode, but to my ear, there wasn't a lot of difference between BK and SD when played clean. And, of course, the piezo is a reminder that no one's dreadnought has ever sounded like that…
Fascinating! Thanks for exposing us to this innovation! Curious: where does the tonality fall since there isn’t all that “tone-wood” affecting the vibrations?
Thanks for video! Your conclusion surprised me, because I think Emerald should be more powerful (because of the Al5 magnet and more DC resistant) and Seymour should be more smother because of their Al 2 magnet. Maybe you confused ?
Yeah the price is really out of some range. But that goes for almost all designer guitars from europe, be it germans or french or whatever. They all are over the top when it comes to price. Sadly.
Count Blue it might have to do with it being overseas. American made gear like ebmm and (especially) mesa boogie in europe is ridiculously expensive compared to in the us
@@yoelbeaucaire7655 Oh I know I am from Austria. Here you pay twice the money for a MIM made Strat than in US even a regular Squier is around 400 EUR. Thats why I got only used low budget guitars. Bullets and Affinity are my price range. ;-)
What might be really interesting would be to put some well-regarded cheap and mid-price pickups in this guitar and then see how they compare with the expensive ones. The usual objections that 'something else' must be affecting the tone don't apply: it's even the same strings, recorded within seconds of the pickup change in exactly the same room conditions. I don't suppose anything will persuade some people that expensive pickups don't fully justify their much higher cost - but let's hear the proof.
Thank you very much for wonderful video. I just wonder if you can do comparison among Stormy Monday, Seth Lover and Gibson 57 classic as ultimate alnico 2 battle. I love Alnico 2 PUs. Most of my guitars with humbuckers have Gibson and Duncans, but I did not know about Bare Knuckles until recently. Stormy Sounds seems to be wonderful.
You can have no idea how much I would like to be able to try pickups in a guitar without soldering! I have hardly used my soldering skills since high school, which was over 40 years ago for me! I wish that more guitar companies would come up with similar schemes which make swapping pickups easy -- especially THAT easy. Thank you very much, Darrell, for this information!😎
Hey Darell good morning (for me). My suggestion in my opinion that you should put a warm light that going to your signature to make it stand out more. Anyway nice!
I am debating on which Bareknuckles to get for my Relish. I think I am going to go with either the Emerald set or Ragnorak set. Overall, I like the stock Relish set, but the neck is a little muddy.
For some reason my first though was of blues harp players who have to change harps on the fly for key changes. I can just me carrying a little satchel of pickups to swap in and out.
I'm already acquainted with Swiss Relish guitars. Beautiful designs and innovative. , The HB comparison was surprising, very little to choose (apart from cost perhaps) between the models. Yes, the BK's have the slight edge, with that 'smootheness', but given the variations in guitar type and amp configuration, is it worth two fist-full of dollars and a full wagon load of dead Mexican banditoes more?
What about the Opti-Pick Electric guitar pickups plus the electronics that can process the sound and sent it to the amp or send MIDI signals to the synthesizer to allow you the play the synthesizer from the guitar and can give a longer sustain as there is no magnets to cause drag on the strings and you can also use catgut,nylon or conventional steel strings.
I don't like when I get this way. I am so impressed with the ingenuity and style of this guitar that I fail to see that although it sounds great, it's comparable to other high end guitars, not really better. That being said, I have to have one. Reverb, here I come! kevin
I did the same thing with my Ampeg/ Dan Armstrong yrs ago with Dimarzio/ Seymour D's/ etc, not much different from each other when your guit's not made of wood !! But Seymours are the best- I.M.O.
Can't go wrong with either one of them. The differences are minor. If you closed your eyes while this video was playing you would have a difficult time identifying which PU is which,.
This technology is the future for guitar. Imagine a guitar that you can simply change pickups within a minute, no soldering, no mucking about. You could have one guitar, for one song you have single coils, the next humbuckers, you could change the configuration between songs.. You could have one flexible guitar, for playing multiple genres, that sounds great.
Nonsense; you can use different guitars. I don't understand why people buy guitars and keep changing the pickups; just buy another guitar; you can get 4 or 5 for the price of one of these.
Hey Darrell u always have great tones. I know it's verys with everything but some days I struggle to find the sweet spot for whatever I'm playing that day. Just a idea idea could you post your tone settings for every comparison for each amp it could even be just picture like how you do when u show amps or guitars while playing.I have a hughes and kettner and it's eq is quite sensitive compared to any solid state amp. Love your videos man
I cannot state enough how it is FAR overdue for modular guitars that can swap pickups but for tone i need more meat on the bones which means i need the warmth of wood. I didn't like the tones of the stock pickups and the SD's and BN's are definitely better in terms of warmth but there's just a hollowness to the notes and I don't know if its materials, pickups, or too much magnetic interference overall but i couldn't for the price pick one of these up. I LOVE the concept and idea but my thoughts would be front loading pickups so you didn't have to route all the way through the body just so you could load pickups in the back. If you need to switch pickups in the middle of a song or even between songs something is wrong. I want a telecaster to look, sound, and feel like a telecaster without compromise so i'm hopeful that someday they'll finally do something like this. These guitars to me sound like they'd be great for metal if that's what you're into but if it's anything bluesy i really think you need a wood based guitar. anyways, i kept an open mind and ears and ended up about where i thought i'd be so no surprises and i'm certainly no expert. I think it's a really cool idea and maybe they're just a few steps away from getting it right. I really look forwards to seeing what they bring in another generation to two.
Wow, gotta say that I really like this axe. It has a nice tone regardless of the pick ups stalled and even a nice tone without any pick ups at all ... I was wondering what it would sound like without any installed. Overall, for the shear convenience of on the fly swap outs it's a winner. Inasmuch as the difference in pick up high/low end is concerned ... I think that would lead to a boatload of experimenting around for personal preference, but then that's the idea of creating your own sound, right? Yes, it's a bit pricey, but so isn't a Paul Reed Smith ... and who wouldn't want to own one of those? IMHO, on the limitations of this demo, I'd be leaning toward another guitar out of my league that I want to have, lol. Be well all and rock on ...
I love the idea and if it catches on (which I hope it does) I can’t wait for it to filter down to cheaper alternatives. Good luck reaching those higher frets 😂
Every guitar store should have a relish guitar with a load of pickups for you to try.
Oliver Roden pickup companies should make pickups that fit the RELISH guitars for demoing at guitar center or other brick and mortar stores. No need to wonder how mismatched pickup configurations would sound anymore
Wouldn’t really help. Pickups sound different from guitar to guitar. A lot of different factors come into play. Even string type/gauge. I’ve had a set of pickups that sounded like utter garbage in one guitar, but rocked out in another. Actives are a bit different though. EMGs usually sound like EMGs in most guitars. Most. But there can be slight variances. But the general idea would be cool (GC pickup tester/relish guitar). But I’m sure it’s ridiculously priced. But it would be cool to mix and match pickups/brands and see what you come up with🤘🏻
It would be way too easy for people to steal the pickups. Guitar center already has problems with people walking out with entire guitars lol
@@Wargasm644 EMG do not sound the same at all in all guitars, I don't get were that idea came from. They have a pretty big range. What I think is that people don't know how to use them, and this weird ideas came around. The "Classics" can be used for any style, but they are easiest to dial in for use in Jazz and Heavy Metal.
Nah. Once people realize the pickups determine majority of the sound a lot of guitars won't sell.
Now THIS is the way to compare pickups!
1 - RELISH "on-the-fly" system close up look
2- Bare Knuckle vs Seymour Duncan 3:45
3 - Solo with real-time pickup swaps throughout 6:49
4 - Final Thoughts - 9:49
Guitar Link - imp.i114863.net/ezraX
Enjoy :)
you definitely need to do this with more pickups... a great section for you channel
Thanks so much. The only question I have is how were you playing with neck and bridge pickups missing?.. I'm guessing there's also a saddle pickup system...
Don't mess with Darrell, he ripped a guitar apart with his bare hands. I guess he has alot of "braun".
Stahp
You belong in jail.
Well played, sir.
Groooooan! ;)
Don’t mess with Ray Ross; he has two first names.
YES, finally some distorted Piezo! :D
I really like it, how subtle Darrell is with his love for Teles...
Hey Darrell! Man your videos are excellent. Excellent production, excellent content, and super interesting. You obviously put a ton of work into these and just wanted to let you know it is appreciated. Great work man!
I thought the bare knuckle was very much more lively overall. More soul in the tone of that makes sense 👍
yea i couldn't tell much of a difference but the bareknuckle has more clarity but not by alot
The ones he used have the perfect eq settings for a full band mix too.
Darrell, Thank you so much for the close ups of how this actually works like at 2:14. This helped me understand what is going on so much better. Right now at Sweetwater is their lower end model for like $1200 that is made of basswood in Asia and has open back cavities for the pickups which is the one I've got my eyes on. Thanks again.
The riff at 6:34 kinda sounds like the riff from bombtrack-rage against the machine in an alternate universe
come for the technology, stay for the multiverse cover versions xD
thanks for showing the piezo pick up too. interesting system.
super awesome comparison - got one of these guitars on the way and considering bare knuckle, so, thank you for the great review!
This is the first time I watched one of your comparison videos and can’t tell the difference between
The setup you threw on in the end is exactly what I thought sounded best, bareknukckle sounded great on the neck, and the SD in the bridge seemed to capture more frequencies than the bareknuckle did.
David West 👍 my thoughts exactly. I've got the SD alnico 2 in the bridge slot on my horizon now with a 59 in the neck, probably gonna have to swap that one for a bare knuckle.
The design of this guitar is pretty cool,for easy access to the electronics.Aristides has a similar construction,where you can take of the entire backplate,but they still use screws not magnets.
About the pickups: The S.Duncans Alnico Pro II are what Slash uses for ages,his ''AfD'' L/P is loaded with them and he puts in pretty much all his custom shop L/P's. They're great for blues/rock/hardrock,they still have the characteristics of a trad.PAF but with a little more output,but still lower then a JB or Distortion.
The BKP Emeralds,are supposed to be designed to recreate the classic 70's rock tone(Thin Lizzy ''Emerald'' anybody) they remind me of the DiMarzio 36 Ann.PAF which are also Alnico 5 humbuckers,
Both great pickups but the BKP are way too expensive,you can get the Duncans or the aformentioned DMZ 36 Ann. PAF set for almost half the money and they will get the job done just as good.
after listening to both several times...scrolling to jump back and forth to really hear them in and out...my ears prefer the Seymour Duncan pickups...the bridge pickup distortion sound was very close...all the others were won by Seymour Duncan...very cool guitar and you are a very cool dude !!! thanks !!!
Nice work! I would like to add that the Emerald pickups are wound hotter and have alnico 5 and 4 bridge and neck respectively. Where Seymour Duncan’s use Alnico 2 magnets and are rated with a lower DCR. They both sound great in their own way, but I would recommend comparing similar pickup materials and wind for better apples to apples. comparison. 👍
Exactly 5s to 2s? Wow
@@christebo7305 What if someone is trying to decide between getting 5s or 2s?
Seymour in the BRIDGE FTW.. Take it to the BRIDGE, Seymour. Fantastic showcase, D.B. The changing of those PUP's was way cool, Daddy-O. Peace.
I’ve really been enjoying your channel! Super chill and lots of good content. I’ve been learning a lot and I thank you for that!
Thumbs up for showing this Darrell! It must be my lack of experience but I haven't found a problem yet for this excellent solution.
May not be for everyone, nothing ever really is, but if this scratch's your itch man is it a cool design. It's a good thing I don't have money cause I'd be giving it hand over fist to the Swiss for sure! Great video, look forward to seeing it in more of your content Darrell. Peace!
I was a die hard Duncan fan, but damn! Those bare knuckle pickups are no joke.
Playing with no pickups weirded me out... 😲
....until I remembered about the piezo. 😅
what does a piezo do?
imo
Another good vid...as usual from DB.
Hell of a guitar concept that seems to be beautifully executed.
imo
I love the innovation and your playing is addictive brother. Rock on!!!
I think the Bare Knuckles look (simply aesthetically) really cool but gotta say the SD's have more of that rasp (better match for metal or distortion/overdrive)
I have never seen anything like this. Very slick, Thank you-Great job.
Thanks for this - very handy option for busy studio guitarists! Tried the 'custom' Bare Knuckles they made in the Eastman Juliet and VERY impressed! Also like what I have heard from their PG Blues on a number of YT demos - considering a set to bang into a PRS SE Tremonti - basically a Les Paul with Trem, Gibson Scale Neck and the BK 'Greeny' option at a reasonable price (PRS stuff on sale here in HK!).
Couldnt care less about the comparison on this one but I enjoy hearing your guitar playing every single time! Still checking out every video
I love how clean the Bareknuckle sound
Listening to this, I give the BK a slight edge. They sound pre eq'd or something. Admittedly I have and love BK pickups. But I've also used my share of SD pickups and never had problem with those either. Overall an awesome vid. Thanks.
I really love how the BKP’s are voiced, they a sweet classic rock sound.
never seen anyone that smiles so much while speaking. its hard not to like you
Surprisingly the SD and the Bare Knuckle pickups didn't sound significantly different. If I had to choose, I'd take the SD pickups since they sounded a bit hotter in the bridge position and I couldn't tell too much difference in the neck position.
I just had a set of BKP Signature Rebel Yell pickups installed into my PRS Custom 24. It's pure heaven!! I just ordered a Riff Raff (Bridge) / and Mule (Neck) set from BKP for my LP. I will tell you this. If you want the magic of the BK pickups then you need to order the humbucker install kit with the 550K pots and oil/paper caps. They are best pickups made, hands down, imo. Warning the BKP 550K pots have a 3/8" shaft, so (preferably a luthier) will likely have to drill out your guitar. They did on my PRS.
ok, I watch a LOT of pickup comparison videos. Usually I identify my favourite and then I see comments saying "there is no difference" and assume they don't have ears. This one was the first time I found myself in their shoes, and about time too, you have to learn where your own personal discernment capability ends , and I am certain it ends here.
I really want you to try Entwistle pickups, I have an advantage as I'm in the Uk and they are comparatively local, so the dreaded "import tax" doesn't hit me. The reason I want you to try them is that as far as I am concerned they make the best humbuckers in the world , despite their lower price tag.
There is an important caveat, they make the best pickups AS INDIVIDUAL items, as soon as you buy a "set" that is supposed to match you wonder why they were declared "matching" because the neck pickup always massively overpowers the bridge, but if you mix & match to bring the neck pickup down in wind count you get something truly stunning. I'd recommend a HV58+ (B) in the bridge and a HV58 (N) in the neck to anyone. And while taste is unique to every person I think all will understand why I made this recommendation just by ears alone. If you want shimmer & sparkle and an unexpected "3D" sound from the same old humbucker format, if you want a real surprise, try an (individual) Enwistle humbucker.
I am unlikely to buy another Seymour Duncan again... did you just see the size of that statement?
(* respondent is not affiliated)
Awesome comparison as always! Thanks Darrell! Now that's really on-the-fly pickup swap and comparison. I'm thinking of Obsidian Wire and Relish working together to create an even more modular design. Instant wiring control swap. Haha! Oh wait, forgot about including the Journey bolt-on neck design. Haha!
Love the way you turned over the guitar to show the open back side with the Relish brand. That was the money shot! Cheers!
That was an awesome demo for that guitar. Love your videos.
Thanks Paul!
1:27 Darrell, those pins are called pogo pins. quite useful little device
Very cool guitar, thanks for sharing. I don't think I'd ever have known of its existence otherwise.
Playing like that on stage
Everyone : whats that dude doing?...
Not a criticism, relying on those numbers (magnet type/strength ie Al2 or 5) is not the firm rule it’s believed to be. They can change just because of room temperature for example. So you might not get the sound you want just by buying what they tell you too. So it’s good Darrell gives high quality sound examples like this, it’s really helpful!
Cool way to demo pickups
Interesting. They sounded similar on clean tones. But put in some gain, and the Bare Knuckles sounded fatter. Clear and dynamic but with some mid range fatness. To be honest though, I am biased. I have a pair of Mules in my Gibson Lucille and a set of Trilogy Suite in my strat. Both from Bare Knuckle. I've been a fan and customer of theirs for over 10 years and I always try to spread the word to anyone I can.
I wonder if those magnets that hold the back affect the magnetic field produced by the pickups and thus the tone... but anyways, that is by far the most interesting guitar I've seen in quite a while, such innovative ideas! If only they had a greater variety of body shapes (that one doesn't appeal to me at all...)
I love the Emeralds. I had a set in a Les Paul. They are fantastic pups.
Seymour Duncan clean. Bare knuckle overdrive & distortion. Great content 👍
Absolutely useful chanel and video!
You're a real advocate for this instrument, Darryl, and I applaud your effort to promote a modern instrument in a market that prefers anachronism to innovation. That being said, I wonder if you'd personally want one of these as your number 1. Not saying you wouldn't, just curious.
Definitely like that guitar! In this comparison the winner was.... the piezo! :D Well, OK. As a fan of Seymour Duncan I really have to say I preferred the Bare Knuckle's sound here.
Honestly I would love to try the guitar as a possible buy. I love my classic models, but I am all for innovation. Which is where my classics came from. Excellent design, looks, and sounds. Thanks for such a good job showing it and the well recorded sounds!
its like $5k, lol... could buy 10 guitars for that.
For me, handwounds are the best option and the reason some of the vintage guitars might sound better. Everybody who plays my axes prefers the handwounds despite some decent Texas Specials in one of the strats. It can be somewhat subtle but it is there and noticeable. Bareknuckle for my humbuckers and I choose local or regional winders for singles as I am in the South.
This is the Best comparison video I ever seen. And I really like the OnTheGo movement.
Hands down the bare knuckles out classes and sounded better than the Seymour's. Seymour's are very muddy In high end response , I have a set of slash alnico twos in a lespaul, they are harsh but good at low volume. Love that relish quick change Darrell! Nice video as always ! Thank you. How about doing a comparison on the hot rail humbuckers, and covered ??
Super cool! Couple thoughts though. It looks like you can't flip the pups over, which may matter to some people. Also, I wonder about the durability of the components.
SD wins my vote. Awesome guitar, and awesome video!
You should have warned us, these Relish guitars are $3500/$5500+...yikes !
Cy Brunel innovation comes at a cost, but yeah.
Lol for all that id rather just buy the extra guitars and call it a day
Check out Somnium Guitars. Similar idea but more versatile for a lot less. Although a lot less than 5 grand doesn't necessarily mean cheap!
Hey ...don't worry. I am sure there's a cheap sweatshop factory in China working on a clone
@@drosa4612 For $300. LOL.
4:57 SD Neck Clean
5:17 BN Neck Clean
Duncans are underrated, which is a weird thing to say about such an iconic company. They'll hang with any pickup at any price. It's just a matter of finding the right one... they make, what, 5 million different models at this point?
I love the way you described the sounds of the two Pickups I have never felt in such an agreement with someone testing out Pups...I can't Believe this Guitar are you saying the Pup's switch out with no adjustments needed at all...Darrell, I really Enjoy Your Post...Was wondering if you knew of Erich Andreas of ('YOURGUITARSAGE ) ?? He Has a Lot of Posts On Here and He has Been Having Guest On You Two Would Make Such A Great Show Together .....
i see why their called emerald's. they have a kinda crystaly quality on the neck. super clear and articulate even with the distortion. i really like them actually, feel super sharp and bright and they have some soul to them. might have to get a set one day
I didn't hear Darrell mention it (though I'm not done with this post as I'm typing) but I was thinking during the first post with this guitar that it looks like everything beyond the 20th fret is almost inaccessible. I've got big, meaty hands and everything high up on the fretboard looks like a nightmare to reach. Maybe I'd have to play one to see.
the system for interchance the pickups is amazing, I like a lot and the pickups in this video, Seymour Duncan I liked more
great video, greetings from mexico
9:41 / 11:34
Seymour Duncan for me!
If you think about it they could probably do single coils on a mount that would fit in there too. It might look a little awkward but im sure they could make the mount fill in the extra space and that way you could switch between your favorite hum and single coils.
Brilliant comparison platform.
Totally forgot about the Piezo 😅
Neat innovation in the guitar and pickup changeout options. But as for the pickups, the Seymour Duncans sounded good - but the Bare Knuckles sounded great. The bridge on the Bare Knuckle had more bite and clarity, while the neck was smoother and sweeter. I just wonder how the magnets holding the pickups in place might affect the sound. (What we heard sounded awfully good, so if it does affect the tone it doesn't seem to have hurt it at all.)
As others have said your playing is tasty, but this guitar really impresses me. What an innovative design!
Get two of them! Support the company, because no one else will.
I'll never be able to afford a Relish, but I'm impressed by the technology and design. Cool stuff! For what little it's worth, I thought the Bare Knuckle were just a tiny bit brighter in "light overdrive" and "distortion" mode, but to my ear, there wasn't a lot of difference between BK and SD when played clean. And, of course, the piezo is a reminder that no one's dreadnought has ever sounded like that…
Fascinating! Thanks for exposing us to this innovation! Curious: where does the tonality fall since there isn’t all that “tone-wood” affecting the vibrations?
I've wanted a video that explains the difference between these brands, thanks Darrell
Thanks for video! Your conclusion surprised me, because I think Emerald should be more powerful (because of the Al5 magnet and more DC resistant) and Seymour should be more smother because of their Al 2 magnet. Maybe you confused ?
I could feed myself for a year maybe 2 for what these cost. LOL Out of my range. Cool idea tho.
Yeah the price is really out of some range. But that goes for almost all designer guitars from europe, be it germans or french or whatever. They all are over the top when it comes to price. Sadly.
Count Blue it might have to do with it being overseas. American made gear like ebmm and (especially) mesa boogie in europe is ridiculously expensive compared to in the us
@@yoelbeaucaire7655 Oh I know I am from Austria. Here you pay twice the money for a MIM made Strat than in US even a regular Squier is around 400 EUR. Thats why I got only used low budget guitars. Bullets and Affinity are my price range. ;-)
Count Blue same here in the netherlands :(
Why not sell in Singapore?
What might be really interesting would be to put some well-regarded cheap and mid-price pickups in this guitar and then see how they compare with the expensive ones. The usual objections that 'something else' must be affecting the tone don't apply: it's even the same strings, recorded within seconds of the pickup change in exactly the same room conditions.
I don't suppose anything will persuade some people that expensive pickups don't fully justify their much higher cost - but let's hear the proof.
Thank you very much for wonderful video. I just wonder if you can do comparison among Stormy Monday, Seth Lover and Gibson 57 classic as ultimate alnico 2 battle. I love Alnico 2 PUs. Most of my guitars with humbuckers have Gibson and Duncans, but I did not know about Bare Knuckles until recently. Stormy Sounds seems to be wonderful.
I wonder if the magnets used for the mounting system affects the magnetic field of the pickups. Sounds great either way.
I thought about that too, and the rim magnets?
You can have no idea how much I would like to be able to try pickups in a guitar without soldering! I have hardly used my soldering skills since high school, which was over 40 years ago for me! I wish that more guitar companies would come up with similar schemes which make swapping pickups easy -- especially THAT easy. Thank you very much, Darrell, for this information!😎
Love that run at 8:20...stealing that!!
Imho I like SD for strings 4-6 and BK for 1-3, listen for yourself, bass strings are tighter and treble strings are warmer.
Hey Darell good morning (for me). My suggestion in my opinion that you should put a warm light that going to your signature to make it stand out more. Anyway nice!
Hiii! Nice review! Keep it up!
I am debating on which Bareknuckles to get for my Relish. I think I am going to go with either the Emerald set or Ragnorak set. Overall, I like the stock Relish set, but the neck is a little muddy.
For some reason my first though was of blues harp players who have to change harps on the fly for key changes. I can just me carrying a little satchel of pickups to swap in and out.
As if there will be a big difference in sound when it's in the mix. I can't see too many guitarists wanting to change pickups mid-song. Silly stuff.
I'm already acquainted with Swiss Relish guitars. Beautiful designs and innovative.
,
The HB comparison was surprising, very little to choose (apart from cost perhaps) between the models. Yes, the BK's have the slight edge, with that 'smootheness', but given the variations in guitar type and amp configuration, is it worth two fist-full of dollars and a full wagon load of dead Mexican banditoes more?
What about the Opti-Pick Electric guitar pickups plus the electronics that can process the sound and sent it to the amp or send MIDI signals to the synthesizer to allow you the play the synthesizer from the guitar and can give a longer sustain as there is no magnets to cause drag on the strings and you can also use catgut,nylon or conventional steel strings.
I wouldn't even call myself a beginer player. But, I like the bare knuckle sound between the two.
Cool video and very handy system. The SD’s definitely sounded nice, but to me BKP clearly is the winner.
I don't like when I get this way. I am so impressed with the ingenuity and style of this guitar that I fail to see that although it sounds great, it's comparable to other high end guitars, not really better. That being said, I have to have one. Reverb, here I come!
kevin
I know it´s a matter of taste, but I love the SDs.
Cool design. Does the horn on the upper bout poke into your chest?
Only when you play it, so leave it hanging on the wall.
I did the same thing with my Ampeg/ Dan Armstrong yrs ago with Dimarzio/ Seymour D's/ etc, not much different from each other when your guit's not made of wood !!
But Seymours are the best- I.M.O.
I thought you could of managed to explain the no pick-ups trick!?! Way to leave us hangin Darrell ! 😆
Piezo
Can't go wrong with either one of them. The differences are minor. If you closed your eyes while this video was playing you would have a difficult time identifying which PU is which,.
This technology is the future for guitar. Imagine a guitar that you can simply change pickups within a minute, no soldering, no mucking about. You could have one guitar, for one song you have single coils, the next humbuckers, you could change the configuration between songs.. You could have one flexible guitar, for playing multiple genres, that sounds great.
Nonsense; you can use different guitars. I don't understand why people buy guitars and keep changing the pickups; just buy another guitar; you can get 4 or 5 for the price of one of these.
Does the magnetic backing on the Relish interfere with the magnets from the pickups, and influence tone at all?
Hey Darrell u always have great tones. I know it's verys with everything but some days I struggle to find the sweet spot for whatever I'm playing that day. Just a idea idea could you post your tone settings for every comparison for each amp it could even be just picture like how you do when u show amps or guitars while playing.I have a hughes and kettner and it's eq is quite sensitive compared to any solid state amp.
Love your videos man
Bare knuckle for cleans and Seymour Duncan for distortion
Ugh the price was a stab through the heart
I cannot state enough how it is FAR overdue for modular guitars that can swap pickups but for tone i need more meat on the bones which means i need the warmth of wood. I didn't like the tones of the stock pickups and the SD's and BN's are definitely better in terms of warmth but there's just a hollowness to the notes and I don't know if its materials, pickups, or too much magnetic interference overall but i couldn't for the price pick one of these up. I LOVE the concept and idea but my thoughts would be front loading pickups so you didn't have to route all the way through the body just so you could load pickups in the back. If you need to switch pickups in the middle of a song or even between songs something is wrong. I want a telecaster to look, sound, and feel like a telecaster without compromise so i'm hopeful that someday they'll finally do something like this. These guitars to me sound like they'd be great for metal if that's what you're into but if it's anything bluesy i really think you need a wood based guitar. anyways, i kept an open mind and ears and ended up about where i thought i'd be so no surprises and i'm certainly no expert. I think it's a really cool idea and maybe they're just a few steps away from getting it right. I really look forwards to seeing what they bring in another generation to two.
Wow, gotta say that I really like this axe. It has a nice tone regardless of the pick ups stalled and even a nice tone without any pick ups at all ... I was wondering what it would sound like without any installed. Overall, for the shear convenience of on the fly swap outs it's a winner. Inasmuch as the difference in pick up high/low end is concerned ... I think that would lead to a boatload of experimenting around for personal preference, but then that's the idea of creating your own sound, right? Yes, it's a bit pricey, but so isn't a Paul Reed Smith ... and who wouldn't want to own one of those? IMHO, on the limitations of this demo, I'd be leaning toward another guitar out of my league that I want to have, lol. Be well all and rock on ...
I love the idea and if it catches on (which I hope it does) I can’t wait for it to filter down to cheaper alternatives.
Good luck reaching those higher frets 😂
Was just thinking the same thing