Bare Knuckle Pickups Nailbomb Humbucker Set

A Tone Weapon Reforged for Modern Mayhem

Alright, gear disciples, gather ’round. We’re diving deep into the molten core of one of Bare Knuckle Pickups’ most notorious humbucker sets – the Nailbomb. Now, I’ve tangoed with plenty of BKPs over the years, but this set? It’s one of the early recruits that got battle-tested in my rig. Spoiler alert: it’s still here for a reason.

Strat Resurrection

The whole thing started when my trusty Fender American Standard Strat finally tapped out. Too many years, too many mods, too much righteous abuse. The soul was willing, but the body was toast. Enter the savior: a Warmoth poplar replacement body. Why poplar? Because sometimes, you want that extra snap and brightness without leaning into full-on maple treble assault.

I had pickups in there that were fine—fine—but as any tone snob worth their soldering iron knows, “fine” is never good enough. So I took a hard look at the BKP lineup. I needed something that could handle articulate aggression, defined low-end, and lead work that didn’t smear out. The Nailbomb set kept popping up in the feedback loops—praised for its raw edge but refined enough to cut a mix. Sounded like my kind of monster. Lemons? Meet lemonade.

Installation: FrankenStrat With a Pulse

Let’s talk wiring before we plug anything in.

I’m rolling Alnico V magnets in both neck and bridge—yep, you can go ceramic in the bridge, but I didn’t want the added harshness for this build. The controls? We’re talking a Switchcraft 12120X 3-way toggle, push/pull on the neck volume for series/parallel voodoo, and a Switchcraft #11 output jack to send all that tone fury downstream.

Oh, and in case you thought this was just some vintage spec wankery, this Strat also features an ’80s German Floyd Rose double-locking trem. That’s right—this thing dives like a coked-up peregrine falcon and comes back in tune. Try that with your boutique Jazzcaster.

Tone Test: The Nailbomb Unleashed

Now, the Nailbomb bridge is not here to mess around. It brings searing top-end bite, rich upper mids that growl, and a low end that’s big but still keeps its shoes clean. High-gain tones? It handles them with the same disdain a bounty hunter has for small talk.

In the neck, this thing surprised me. Alnico warmth with just the right amount of snarl. There’s sustain for days, and—this is big—the midrange doesn’t mush out. That can make or break a neck pickup, and the Nailbomb nails it. Think soaring leads with enough clarity to cut through dual rectos and detuned mayhem.

But here’s where it gets spicy: despite the Alnico V heart, this pickup set has an aggression and percussiveness that borders on ceramic territory—if your right hand is up to the task. I had a conversation with a die-hard ceramic pickup fan who’s now preaching the Nailbomb gospel after trying it in his shred sled. Proof that tone is about synergy, not dogma.

Clean Tones: Because Yes, You Might Use Them

Flip your amp to a clean setting and brace yourself. The bridge Nailbomb will push the front end hard—maybe even into breakup depending on your amp’s headroom. But switch to the neck in parallel mode and it gets real pretty, real fast. There’s a woody strum quality, big-but-controlled low end, and sweet highs that chime without getting glassy. A solid clean platform that doesn’t neuter your signal.

Specs

Demo

What’s the difference between the alnico and the ceramic version?  Check out this video from BKP:

And this demo of the Nailbomb in a metal setting:

Final Verdict: A Hard Rock Swiss Army Knife

In this configuration—a Warmoth poplar-bodied Strat with a Floyd—the Bare Knuckle Nailbomb set is flat-out killer. Articulate yet punchy, big yet focused, modern but dripping with vibe. For fans of classic high-output humbuckers like the JB, this is a next-level evolution. In fact, I’d put the Alnico Nailbomb bridge in the same tonal arena, but with a bit more edge and clarity.

Who’s It For?

Let’s lay it out:

• Genres: Blues rock, garage, punk, hardcore, stoner rock, hard rock, progressive metal, thrash, death metal—you name it.
• Configurations: Available in 6, 7, and 8-string versions.
• Looks: Get ‘em open-coil or go full style lord with covers like nickel, raw nickel, aged nickel, chrome, black, gold, burnt chrome, camo, tyger, and more. Seriously, it’s like a buffet for your aesthetic tastebuds.

TL;DR? The Nailbomb is an apex predator in the BKP lineup. It’s a brutal but articulate pickup set that responds to your playing style, demands a worthy guitar, and rewards you with tone that can go toe-to-toe with the best in high-gain heaven.

Want tight rhythm chops, singing leads, and a pickup that’s just as comfortable in a Floyd-modded Strat as it is in a full-on metal axe? The Bare Knuckle Nailbomb should be on your radar.

For reference, this Bare Knuckle Nailbomb humbucker pickup set evaluation was conducted with the following: Fractal Axe-Fx II XL+ featuring Celestion Impluse Responses and Fractal MFC-101 MIDI Foot Controller. ADA MP-1 Tube Pre-Amp loaded with Tube Amp Doctor ECC83 Premium Selected tubes, using the ADA MC-1 MIDI Controller. Fryette LX II Stereo Tube Power Amplifier. Physical cabs use are Marshall 1960B, Mojotone British, and Peavey 6505 cabs loaded with Celestion Classic Series Vintage 30s and Classic Series G12M Greenbacks.

Bare Knuckle Pickups Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

7 string 16Ω 59 Airbucker Alnico 2 Alnico 4 Alnico 5 Alnico 8 Bare Knuckle BKP Boot Camp Brown Sound Celestion Ceramic Custom Shop David Shepherd DiMarzio Dual Resonance EVH Fishman Floyd Rose Fluence Gibson HSP90 Humbucker Ibanez JB Jimmy Page John Petrucci Les Paul MJ Mojotone P90 PAF Pariah Pickup Satch Seymour Duncan Singlecoil Single Width Speaker Steve Vai Tech Tip Tremolo Virtual Vintage