Bare Knuckles Mule (their PAF-type)

**Jim Soloway** · 01-09-2013, 11:17 PM

I recorded this earlier this evening with a new guitar that we're just finishing up with a Bare Knuckles Mule in the neck position. It was a really Q&D recording but I'm very impressed by the pickup.

**IbanezAS100** · 01-10-2013, 04:29 AM

Sounds great Jim. I'm a fan of BK too, I've got their lower output (vintage PAF) Stormy Monday set on two of my guitars. A great match for a hollow or semi-hollow guitar with great definition/clarity and very sweet highs. I'm pretty sure they would sound wonderful in one of your fully hollow builds, have you tried them?

**jorgemg1984** · 01-10-2013, 06:44 AM

I have them in my 335 and really like how they sound although they are a little "closed" in the cleans... I even use the bridge / neck simultaneous for some extra clarity. But with overdrive it's by far the best pickup I have ever heard...

I also have the Stormy Mondays and the Half-Note on my two archtops and those two are perfect for jazz.

I don't think it's possible for Europeans to get a better value for their money than with BK pickups.

**Frank67** · 01-10-2013, 08:31 AM

I have recently put stormy mondays in my cheapo Höfner VeryThin and found the results absolutely amazing. These Barenuckle pickups are as good as it gets IMHO

**Franz 1997** · 01-10-2013, 09:57 AM

I recently bought a 335 that had a Mule and Riffraff pickup already installed in neck and bridge respectively. My observation is that the Mule would be excellent in a hollow body - the mids are sweet and full - but for a 335, which is a mid-heavy guitar anyway, it's probably a bit too middly for my taste and lacks the bite associated with PAFs. I think Jorge found the same thing.

I find that lowering the pickup in the mount and fiddling with the polepieces can thin out the midrange in most HBs, to taste. Still haven't found a way of adding it, if it's missing...

There are some other European contenders who make very good HB pickups as well - Aaron Armstrong (Kent's son) and Andy Blake of Wizard pickups in the UK are a couple of examples- and at rather more modest prices than BK. I recently got a Jazz Special HB pickup from Aaron, which sounds quite excellent in a Ibanez 175. I guessed that considering his pedigree, it would sound good...

Chris

**jorgemg1984** · 01-10-2013, 06:08 PM

Didn't know those ones Chris... I think my next try will be the DiMarzio 36th (which I think you like a lot Jim, right?). I never tried The Mule in an archtop; I like them a lot in a 335 for rock stuff.. I had the stormy mondays before in the same 335 and they were much more jazz suited. But since I only like archtops for jazz it was a good move, I do need a pop / rock guitar sometimes.

**Jim Soloway** · 01-10-2013, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by jorgemg1984

Didn't know those ones Chris... I think my next try will be the DiMarzio 36th (which I think you like a lot Jim, right?). .

Very much so. I have a 36th Anniversary in all three of my personal guitars.

**jorgemg1984** · 01-10-2013, 09:34 PM

That's what I thought. Any significant differences between them and the Mules?

**Jim Soloway** · 01-11-2013, 12:23 AM

It's hard to say since the Mule is in a very different guitar. The only obvious difference is that the Mule seems to be lower output than the 36th Anniversary. It might also be a bit brighter. They both seem to be really good pickups to me. I had the Mule here from a mistaken order for a customer and it had just been sitting. I didn't like the way this guitar responded to the pickup that we installed initially so it occurred to me to give the Mule a try. Without identifying the pickup we replaced, the difference was night and day. The guitar really came to life with the Mule in a way that it hadn't with the original pickup.

**jorgemg1984** · 01-11-2013, 06:45 AM

Thanks Jim!

**Jimmy Mack** · 01-13-2013, 06:47 PM

Would really be nice to know what p/up didn't do the job there Jim. Just for comparison's sake. I'm interested in the BK line, but comparisons are very much enlightening. If you mention a brand name, that's only a start because they all have so many models - some good for jazz, and some not.

**pingu** · 01-13-2013, 09:08 PM

Jazz Guitars, Amps & Accessories - Jazz Guitars

foulds offers the mule (or the manhatten) as a free fitting option
when you buy a new af371
(they don't offer the stormy monday interestingly)

**jorgemg1984** · 01-13-2013, 09:17 PM

I would recommend the stormy monday over the mule for jazz really... even if you e-mail Tim he will tell you the same!

**JensL** · 01-14-2013, 04:01 AM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

I recorded this earlier this evening with a new guitar that we're just finishing up with a Bare Knuckles Mule in the neck position. It was a really Q&D recording but I'm very impressed by the pickup.

Sounds great. To some degree it is a bit gard to judge how it works if it is guitar by itself?
I have Mules in my Sheraton. As Jorge mentioned they have a pretty heavy mid focus, but that does not have to be a bad thing for guitar IMO. I like the way they cut through, but they can sound a bit honky when playing alone.
My other guitar has a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover in the neck, and that is prettier, but I am sometimes wondering if I miss the mids when gigging an the acoustics are less then optimal.

You might want to check out this guy:
Panucci Custom Guitars - masterbuilt for tone

His pick-ups are great!

Jens

**Jazz_175** · 01-19-2013, 02:14 PM

By looking at the diagrams at the BN website the Stormy Monday PU has the mids depressed with respect to bass and highs,
as opposed to the Mule PU where the relative amount of mids and bass are equal.
So this should give an extra clarity and better notes definition of the Stormy Monday compared to the Mule. I am considering to replace the PUs of the 335 with Stormy Monday pickups.
What do you think.

**Frank67** · 01-19-2013, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by Jazz_175

By looking at the diagrams at the BN website the Stormy Monday PU has the mids depressed with respect to bass and highs,
as opposed to the Mule PU where the relative amount of mids and bass are equal.
So this should give an extra clarity and better notes definition of the Stormy Monday compared to the Mule. I am considering to replace the PUs of the 335 with Stormy Monday pickups.
What do you think.

granted I haven't heard the mules I can positively state that the Stormy Monday are incredibly nice pickups. I put them in a chinese Hofner VeryThin and was absolutely amazed with the result. It sounds incredibly nice now. it is warm and full yet well defined and the pickups have a tight a clear non-boomy bass that I have not heard of another pickup in this form while maintaining sweet highs. I can't imagine anything else but a 335 sounding incredible with these pickups.

**JensL** · 01-19-2013, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by Jazz_175

By looking at the diagrams at the BN website the Stormy Monday PU has the mids depressed with respect to bass and highs,
as opposed to the Mule PU where the relative amount of mids and bass are equal.
So this should give an extra clarity and better notes definition of the Stormy Monday compared to the Mule. I am considering to replace the PUs of the 335 with Stormy Monday pickups.
What do you think.

Well I use Mules and they do come across as being a bit honky or mid-focused so the stormy mondays might be just what you're looking for? I posted a video in some thread of my band playing where you can hear the mid thing quite clearly.

Jens