# Bare Knuckle Nailbomb vs Aftermath comparison clip



## -Nolly- (May 17, 2011)

<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15429920"></param> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15429920" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/nolly/nailbomb-vs-aftermath">Bare Knuckle Nailbomb vs Aftermath</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/nolly">Nolly</a></span> 


This is a comparison clip of the Bare Knuckle Nailbomb and Aftermath bridge pickups playing through a high-gain sound. The guitar used is my burl-top Blackmachine B2, and everything other than the pickups are kept the same between the clips (same strings included). Both pickups are uncovered and have zebra bobbins (for extra safari tone). First up is the Nailbomb, then the Aftermath, then finally the Nailbomb again, but I've turned up the Axe-FX's input gain to compensate for the extra heat of the Aftermath so you can hear the pickup voicing on an equal playing field.
The playing is sloppy and whatnot, I just recorded a take of roughly similar 
playing with each.

The Axe-FX patch was made by "Soultrash" on the Andy Sneap forum. It is available here: another AXE-FX 5150 firmware 11 clip - Ultimate Metal Forum.
I figured it was a good idea to use a "neutral" sound that I didn't make so the sound wasn't dialled in to suit one pickup over the other.


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## ZXIIIT (May 17, 2011)

Nailbomb sounds big and clear! hmm


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## OrsusMetal (May 17, 2011)

I think I liked the 3rd clip with the Nailbomb the best. The Aftermath seemed a bit scratchier in a way.

Thanks for all the awesome clips and patches, Nolly. I really appreciate what you contribute as it gives me a better idea of how to tweak sounds and create patches better.


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## Menigguh (May 17, 2011)

Aftermath has a better djent. But Nail Bomb seems clearer.

THANKS NOLLY!!


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## kmanick (May 17, 2011)

Nailbomb sounds smoother and more "open" to me.
I hated the aftermath in my BRJ, loved the Nailbomb in my Carvin.
these BKS really are sensitive to what wood they are in.


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## SirMyghin (May 17, 2011)

Thanks Nolly, digging the bomb more.


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## -Nolly- (May 17, 2011)

Yeah, I agree. I think the clip basically just reinforces the common opinions on the pickups, but it's good to be able to hear it for oneself. Itself interesting to note that despite being alnico the Nailbomb's low end is really rather tight, it's more the way the Aftermath's upper midrange pops on chugs that makes it sound very percussive (and you can hear how easily a chug turns into "djent" when I choke up on the mute early on).
FWIW, I'd happily use either for this kinda sound! The Aftermath's brighter top end could easily dialled back a tad, I tend to judge pickups on the midrange voicing and low end response


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## SirMyghin (May 17, 2011)

Makes sense, a good mid range (aka the one you want at the time) is really difficult or sometimes even impossible due to the inherent harshness/roundness, or compressed/open quality of some pickups compared to others. The moral of the story, we all need more guitars. And maybe some more BKPs? (but why stop with just one brand of pickups, 30 guitars here I come! I will only play 2 or 3, but need all 30.)


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## tr0n (May 17, 2011)

I do dig the sound of the Aftermaths, a real gnarly chug, but going by the BKP site I think the Nailbombs are a little more versatile and sound damn good for high gain as it is. I think I'm only a couple of weeks from my B6!


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## Lorcan Ward (May 18, 2011)

Thanks for the clips Nolly!! I'm ordering my BKPs today and wasn't sure if the Alnico Nailbomb was tight enough compared to the ceramic but this clears it up.


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## fps (May 18, 2011)

Interesting. I have a ceramic Nailbomb in my Carvin now and that is certainly a fair representation of the kind of tone, whether this one here is Alnico or not. The aftermath sounds very "modern" (i hate the term, it's surely meaningless by now when you consider its usage since the 1920s, but there we have it), very much part of the computer recording djent sound.


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## Emperoff (May 18, 2011)

Awesome clips. I like the Nailbomb a lot more, sounds more "alive" to me. The Aftermath stays much more defined under high gain though. I like the sound of the "lower output" Nailbomb (1st clip) the most


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