Bare Knuckle Pig HSP90 Set

Bare Knuckle Pickups has a reverence for crafting high-quality, hand-wound pickups. They cater to discerning guitarists seeking exceptional tone and performance. Among their diverse offerings, the Pig HSP90 stands out as a formidable contender. This bad boy combines the raw power of a high-output humbucker with the articulate clarity of a single-coil P90. This design ensures compatibility with guitars routed for standard humbuckers. This offers players a seamless upgrade path without the need for extensive modifications.​

When Bare Knuckle decided to name a pickup “The Pig,” they weren’t being coy. The Pig HSP90 is unapologetically fat, mean, and snortin’ fire through your amp. As if it just found a truffle made of molten gain. The design crams the burly snarl of a P90 into a humbucker-sized enclosure. The Pig isn’t some dainty, boutique vintage whisperer – it’s a feral, snarling beast with high-output hunger. Under the hood (or cover, if you will), you’ve got dual Alnico V bar magnets and scatter-wound 45 AWG wire. This creates a high-torque torque-wrench of a pickup that’s got clarity to cut and muscle to crush. Think of it as a muscle car with a jazz degree: fast, loud, and surprisingly articulate.

Design and Construction

The ‘Pig HSP90 is engineered to deliver unparalleled output and tonal richness. At its core are custom Alnico V bar magnets, paired with scatter-wound coils utilizing 45 AWG wire. This meticulous construction results in a pickup that not only boasts substantial power but also maintains the nuanced frequency response characteristic of traditional P90s. The attention to detail in the winding process enhances the pickup’s dynamic range and harmonic complexity. As a result, it ensures that each note renders with clarity and depth.​

Tonal Characteristics

The Pig HSP90 lives up to its moniker by delivering a sound that is both massive and articulate. The low end is deep and rich, providing a solid foundation that is particularly beneficial for drop-tuned riffs and heavy rhythm work. The midrange is throaty and pronounced, ensuring that solos cut through the mix with authority. High frequencies are sweet and singing, adding a touch of brilliance without veering into harshness. This balanced tonal profile makes the ‘Pig HSP90 exceptionally versatile, capable of handling genres ranging from hard rock and metal to blues and progressive styles.​

Sonically, the Pig HSP90 serves up a buffet of bold tones. The low end is thick like double-cut bacon – tight and rich, never flabby. The mids come in hot, a tad bold but with enough punch to pop through the mix like a slap from an angry funk bassist. Treble response is more “brilliance” than “ice pick,” with just the right amount of sparkle to keep things interesting without slicing the heads off your audience. It’s a pickup that handles distortion like a champ – notes remain defined and chords don’t turn into a mushy casserole when the gain gets wild. In clean settings, it’s got that unmistakable single-coil presence and bite, just with more meat on the bone. This ain’t your dad’s P90 – it’s the one your dad warned you about.

Applications and Suitability

The ‘Pig HSP90 is particularly well-suited for genres that demand high output and rich harmonic content. Its design caters to styles such as hard rock, shred, metalcore, progressive rock, doom, thrash, death metal, stoner, and other forms of extreme metal. Guitarists who frequently employ drop tunings or seek a thicker, more aggressive tone will find this pickup to be a valuable addition to their instrument.

One of the standout features of this pickup is its ability to handle high-gain scenarios with aplomb. Even under significant distortion, individual notes remain well-defined, and chords retain their clarity and punch. This makes the Pig HSP90 an excellent choice for players who require both power and precision in their sound.

In terms of guitar compatibility, the ‘Pig HSP90 is ideal for solid-body guitars. Even better for those with a naturally bright tonal character. The pickup’s robust low end and controlled highs can help tame excessive brightness, resulting in a more balanced overall sound. Additionally, its humbucker-sized design allows for easy installation in guitars routed for humbuckers. This provides a straightforward upgrade path for players looking to enhance their instrument’s sonic capabilities.

Specs

Demo

For a visual and auditory demonstration of the ‘Pig HSP90’s capabilities, you might find the following video insightful:

Conclusion

The Bare Knuckle ‘Pig HSP90 is a masterfully crafted pickup that successfully bridges the gap between high-output aggression and single-coil clarity. Its meticulous design and construction result in a pickup that delivers deep, rich lows, throaty mids, and sweet highs, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of musical styles. Whether you’re delving into heavy metal riffage or exploring cleaner, more nuanced tones, the ‘Pig HSP90 offers a compelling blend of power and precision that can elevate your playing experience.

Functionally, it’s a drop-in dream for any guitar with humbuckers routes, which means no chiseling or swearing required. Whether you’re into doom, shred, or just want your blues licks to sound like they could scare small children, the Pig HSP90 delivers. It’s particularly at home in brighter guitars, taming harsh top-end while still letting the guitar breathe. And for players who want to stand out in the genre goulash of modern music, this pickup throws a very distinct flavor into the mix—one that says, “Yes, I like tone. But I also like to wreck stuff.” The Pig is proof that you can be articulate and aggressive. Sort of like a Shakespearean actor in a demolition derby.

For reference, this Bare Knuckle Pig HSP90 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.

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