My boutique PUP experience (BKP/Lollar)

[tremulant]

Figured I'd gush about the PUPs in the Warmoth I just built up.

Body: 1 piece Swamp Ash 7/8 Strat
Neck: Unfinished Canary neck and fingerboard
Neck Pup: Lollar P90
Middle Pup: SD Antiquity Surf 2
Bridge Pup: BareKnuckles Nailbomb

Switching setup:
1: Bridge full
2: Middle PUP
3: Neck PUP
4. Split Bridge
5. Middle + Neck

All 3 PUPs are bridge versions which gave me a very balanced sound across all the settings with the Middle solo being a touch quieter.
Positions 4 and 5 were just "for the hell of it," but I tend to use them more than 2 or 3. Position 5 quacks like a duck. The Nailbomb split is so rich and organic that I like it better than the Antiquity.
I had a lot of doubts about the advantages of boutique and they were all washed away at first listen to the Nailbomb. Fricking brilliant.

 

[Lagavulin]

Cool, BKPs absolutely rock! I have a Holydiver in my LTD MH400 and my Miracle Man just arrived for my next guitar that's gonna be a Warnoth Floyded strat. I'm gonna match it with a Trilogy (middle) and a 63' Veneer model (with an EMG after burner for the neck).

 

[stubhead]

That's a real honey! The canary is lighter than I expected, or maybe it's that picture...? There are, dare I say, two different "custom" pickup selections that are becoming almost standard. This is one of them, and the other is the Tele bridge/Strat middle/mini-humbucker neck setup. Does the neck-middle combo quiet the P-90's noise (reverse-wound middle)?

 

[tremulant]

That's a real honey! The canary is lighter than I expected, or maybe it's that picture...? There are, dare I say, two different "custom" pickup selections that are becoming almost standard. This is one of them, and the other is the Tele bridge/Strat middle/mini-humbucker neck setup. Does the neck-middle combo quiet the P-90's noise (reverse-wound middle)?

The neck and fingerboard are separate and both canary. The neck is much darker - I'm guessing that they choose lighter for fingerboards - this one has a lot of thin lines for figuring. I'll try to get a better shot of the neck front and back. I was expecting a darker fretboard, but was really pleasantly surprised with what I got. At the end of the day, it cost the same as a finished maple neck. After playing this unfinished neck, I will never ever ever get a guitar with a finished neck. Never!

I didn't set up the middle to be noise canceling and I think that's why the quack is so defined. The quack sounds meaty due to the P90. The funny thing is that I really built this guitar thinking I'd be playing the pickups solo. I added the split HB and the neck/mid switch settings for the heck of it and I am really glad that I did. The neck+middle sounds so much sweeter than the neck or middle pup solo. Also, splitting the BareKnuckle is well worth it. I am so impressed with its split sound that I am contemplating my next build as a dual HB with splitting set up for both neck and bridge.