# Bare Knuckle Juggernaut vs. Nailbomb vs. SD Pegasus/Sentient



## imnotnollynollynolly (Mar 18, 2016)

Hey guys,

Just ordered a DiMarzio tone zone which unfortunately ended up not working properly and I got a refund. I liked the pickup but figure I'll experiment a bit more since I'm trying to find my ideal pickups. Im looking for neck + bridge pickup for a Music Man Steve Morse Y2D w/Floyd Rose (maple top, poplar body, bolt on maple neck w/rosewood). I'll be running it into an EVH 5150 iii 50 watt and playing modern metal and prog metal (Killswitch Engage/LoG/Protest the Hero) as well as some older rock (Van Halen, Scorpions etc.). I typically stick to standard tuning though I also go down to drop C. I want something warm and fat but with a bit of character on the high end for leads on the bridge pickup. The Tone Zone was pretty close but a bit stale on the high end for leads I found, but I also didn't have a chance to play it through my main rig. My main thing is the EVH has so much treble and presence that I don't want the pickup to sound ice picky and painful on my ears for leads with the bridge pickup. 

I'm a big fan of Misha's tone and figure his signature model is pretty close in construction to my guitar. The clips I've heard of the Juggernaut sound promising and they seem versatile. I was recommended a ceramic Nailbomb set before the juggernaut was released and im wondering at how those two would compare now. From what ive read, my amp tends to prefer alnico pickups for their warmth and so id consider an alnico Nailbomb as well. I'm also a big fan of Wes Hauch's tone and noticed he uses the SD Pegasus which is an alnico pickup (I'm sure a lot of me liking his tone is his insane playing ha-ha) and they also seem to be geared to prog metal and are clear and relatively warm. I'm leaning towards the Juggernaut set mostly because they seemed to be geared to the genre and my type of rig but was wondering if you guys had any input before I pulled the trigger on them. 

Thanks and sorry for the long winded rant!


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## RuslanK (Mar 19, 2016)

Of these, I would choose Nailbomb. 
Here is a video with a good comparison:


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## narad (Mar 19, 2016)

Wow, great video. As far as the more aggressive riff in that segment (the one that gets repeated later) - the Juggernaut sounded the worst to me. Ceramic Warpig crushed it.


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## imnotnollynollynolly (Mar 19, 2016)

RuslanK said:


> Of these, I would choose Nailbomb.
> Here is a video with a good comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSoDFyYSauc



Interesting, the ceramic Warpig definitely won that one. The juggernaut seemed very different in that video from what I've heard in other videos. My main thing with a ceramic Nailbomb is I think it would be too harsh for leads through my amp which is already pretty bright. The juggernaut seems to be a big less aggressive for leads on the bridge pickup which is why I'm leaning towards it.


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## Guamskyy (Mar 19, 2016)

The warpig and blackhawk sounded completely different when it was ceramic vs. alnico. I thought the c-pig was aggressive as hell but I think that the a-bomb would probably suit my tastes best.


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## Lorcan Ward (Mar 19, 2016)

imnotnollynollynolly said:


> I'll be running it into an EVH 5150 iii 50 watt and playing modern metal and prog metal (Killswitch Engage/LoG/Protest the Hero) as well as some older rock (Van Halen, Scorpions etc.). I typically stick to standard tuning though I also go down to drop C. I want something warm and fat but with a bit of character on the high end for leads on the bridge pickup. The Tone Zone was pretty close but a bit stale on the high end for leads I found,



It sounds like Dimarzio Dominions are what you're looking for. They are tight and full across the board so they're ideal for metalcore with the typical dimarzio rounded high end so its perfect for PTH style leads on the bridge. The nailbomb would be more suited to older rock and it gets a little too bright/thin for PTH leads/tones.


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## nistley (Mar 19, 2016)

imnotnollynollynolly said:


> Interesting, the ceramic Warpig definitely won that one. The juggernaut seemed very different in that video from what I've heard in other videos. My main thing with a ceramic Nailbomb is I think it would be too harsh for leads through my amp which is already pretty bright. The juggernaut seems to be a big less aggressive for leads on the bridge pickup which is why I'm leaning towards it.



As a happy owner of Juggernauts, that's definitely authentic, considering the overall EQ of the sound chain exaggerated the mid low end and further underplayed the high end, its basic qualities, so it came out weird, but if you think about, it showed the most low end punch and chug, which is what I love about it. If some leads were played, it also would sound very sweet, and others would sound scratchy and thin.

If I had to pick based on the sound samples here, I would also pick Ceramic Warpig... or Aftermath.


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## nistley (Mar 19, 2016)

edit; ugh how do i delete unintended commetn


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## Alex79 (Mar 19, 2016)

I have both these pickups at the moment, but as they're in tonally quite different guitars, I can't compare them directly. 
They both don't feel too different, they both have a quite mid-rich tone at the core, with tight low end and in both cases they definitely have that character on the top end you're looking for. 

I replaced a JB and Miracle Man directly with the Nailbomb (Alnico) in a Voodoo Les Paul, and it sounds less harsh than both of the previous pickups. I think it is more versatile than the Juggernaut, it is a bit raspier and more aggressive and the top end is throatier.

I use the Juggernaut in a baritone and it is very impressive how it brings out the low notes and the attack even on the low strings. It has a quite modern sounding mid character to it, which makes it difficult to describe it (and I think this is what polarises many people about this pickup). But the high end is very nice, it is not too far off from a JB (or other very fluid pickups).

I think you can't go wrong with either pickup. Both aren't hideously overwound or supertight like some other metal pickups and that is what gives them the character you are looking for - the perfect blend between power and tone.


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## imnotnollynollynolly (Mar 19, 2016)

Alex79 said:


> I have both these pickups at the moment, but as they're in tonally quite different guitars, I can't compare them directly.
> They both don't feel too different, they both have a quite mid-rich tone at the core, with tight low end and in both cases they definitely have that character on the top end you're looking for.
> 
> I replaced a JB and Miracle Man directly with the Nailbomb (Alnico) in a Voodoo Les Paul, and it sounds less harsh than both of the previous pickups. I think it is more versatile than the Juggernaut, it is a bit raspier and more aggressive and the top end is throatier.
> ...



Awesome thanks. Im gonna listen to some more clips, I've heard the Juggernaut bridge sound really good depending on the clip and setup but on paper it really should fit my needs! I figure if I don't end up liking the bridge much I can send it back and possibly trade it for a Nailbomb and see how those work out (I seem to remember reading they'd do that).


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## imnotnollynollynolly (Mar 21, 2016)

Ordered the Juggernaut set! I'll film some comparisons with the stock pickups once they're installed. Here's hoping they're worth the $$$ haha.


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## jerm (Mar 22, 2016)

Riff Raff sounds pretty nasty (in a good way), awesome grind.

Painkiller is awesome but kind of honky.

Miracle Man is pretty nice but pretty scooped.

Juggernaut are pretty bad in that clip, zero grind, no balls.

Holy Diver sound like a Miracle Man with more mids to me?

Emeralds sound similar to the Juggs.

Cold Sweats are sweet but lots of high end

Warpigs-Ceramic, just straight up grinding brutality.

Warpigs-alnico, pretty brutal but honky

Black hawk-ceramic, pretty sweet.

Black Hawk-alnico, nice but a little honky

Nailbomb-ceramic, really nice all around

Nailbomb-alnico, nice but little bit of a honk.

Aftermath, holy high end and honk.

Black Dog, fizzy top end.



For me it's definitely the C-Pig, C-Hawk and C-Bomb that take the cake. Juggs probably being the worst.....isn't it ironic haha


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## cmtd (Mar 22, 2016)

I own both the c-pigs and juggernaut set. Yes, the c-pig does sound that crushing, the video does it justice. However the Juggernaut does not sound weak/flubby/etc like in this video. It definitely has some high end roll off when compared to the c-pig, and a boost in the low-mids. Don't think the juggernaut isn't capable of crushing metal tones, because it completely is, that clip does not do it justice. I would also say the juggernaut outshines the c-pig in clean tones.


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## imnotnollynollynolly (Mar 22, 2016)

cmtd said:


> I own both the c-pigs and juggernaut set. Yes, the c-pig does sound that crushing, the video does it justice. However the Juggernaut does not sound weak/flubby/etc like in this video. It definitely has some high end roll off when compared to the c-pig, and a boost in the low-mids. Don't think the juggernaut isn't capable of crushing metal tones, because it completely is, that clip does not do it justice. I would also say the juggernaut outshines the c-pig in clean tones.



Ya that's what I figured. Like in this clip, I know what an 81 sounds like (played them many times) and the Juggernaut sounds quite a bit better to me.



The Juggernaut didn't shine much in that shootout video above but something seemed off there. I imagine a C-Pig being more of a traditional high output metal pickup (somewhat like the 81) with the super crushing lows and mids but I have other guitars that have a similar tone and want to try something else a little more clear. Also I really like what I've heard of the Juggernaut neck. If the Juggernaut doesn't hold up in person I'll probably give the C-Pig or Nailbomb a whirl in this guitar in the bridge to see what happens.


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## Spicypickles (Mar 23, 2016)

That "shootout" vid up top has some balls audio quality. Go to their website and listen to modern metal - that's where these came from.


Based on that, BKP Painkillers coming my way in the near future.


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## Kryss (Mar 24, 2016)

wow I thought the nailbomb sounded the fullest overall. best tone from that video. thanks for sharing. previous to hearing what that video showed I probably would have went with the juggernauts but they sounded the worst of the bunch imo. if I ever get some bkp's i'll have to look at those nailbombs down the road.


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## cmtd (Mar 24, 2016)

Kryss said:


> wow I thought the nailbomb sounded the fullest overall. best tone from that video. thanks for sharing. previous to hearing what that video showed I probably would have went with the juggernauts but they sounded the worst of the bunch imo. if I ever get some bkp's i'll have to look at those nailbombs down the road.



AGAIN, that's just a result of that particular video's quality/settings/recording setup etc. The Juggernauts do not sound like that.

After listening to it again, that whole video really is pretty rubbish in the quality department. Great idea, but poor audio quality, and I would not advise using it to decide what pickups you like or dislike in the BKP range. Just my opinion.


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## imnotnollynollynolly (Mar 24, 2016)

cmtd said:


> AGAIN, that's just a result of that particular video's quality/settings/recording setup etc. The Juggernauts do not sound like that.
> 
> After listening to it again, that whole video really is pretty rubbish in the quality department. Great idea, but poor audio quality, and I would not advise using it to decide what pickups you like or dislike in the BKP range. Just my opinion.



Funny enough though, on the BKP website for the "Modern Metal" clips, the leads on the Juggernaut sound better to me than with any of the other pickups. Not sure if that's because the rhythm track is so dialed back and the leads could shine through, or if it's someone else playing but they sounded really good.


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## Kryss (Mar 24, 2016)

ya on the main bkp page the juggernauts sound incredible to me.


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## Lorcan Ward (Mar 24, 2016)

I'm 99% the aftermaths and juggernauts modern clips were Nolly's B2 while the rest are Tim's Les Paul so remember to take that into consideration. I think Juggernauts are also with the Axe-II as oppose to the rest which were the Axe-Fx Ultra.


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## imnotnollynollynolly (Apr 16, 2016)

Just got the Juggernaut set and tossed them in my guitar. Played for a tiny bit through my 5150 iii, sounds really good! Tuned to drop d and it sounds as I expected, actually a bit more dark and snarly but that fits the amp pretty well. Leads on the bridge sound good and not harsh at all. Feels very nice to play through, good dynamics on the picking hand for rhythms. Big chords ring through very nicely through high gain. Overall it's a great match for my amp, I also haven't even set the height yet and they're super low so I imagine once I get that going it'll be even better.


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## MoonJelly (Apr 17, 2016)

Can anyone suggest a BKP or other make that has a really fat, fat sound? I have a build I'm doing on Jatoba and it's a very bright wood, I want something to balance it out. 
I'm thinking nailbomb but I'm interested in other opinions... 25" scale, ebony fretboard, SS frets. Due to the weight of jatoba, I've shaved a lot of mass off the body, and It may come out really shrill sounding if I don't choose my pickups right.


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## imnotnollynollynolly (Apr 17, 2016)

MoonJelly said:


> Can anyone suggest a BKP or other make that has a really fat, fat sound? I have a build I'm doing on Jatoba and it's a very bright wood, I want something to balance it out.
> I'm thinking nailbomb but I'm interested in other opinions... 25" scale, ebony fretboard, SS frets. Due to the weight of jatoba, I've shaved a lot of mass off the body, and It may come out really shrill sounding if I don't choose my pickups right.



Juggernaut is pretty fat I would say, though still fairly balanced. I also had a Dimarzio Tone Zone in this guitar which was actually somewhat similar to me in that it's fairly warm especially compared to the Dimarzio Steve Morse, here're a few clips:

The Tone Zone:

https://soundcloud.com/lettuceshredder/tone-zone-bridge

The Juggernaut (slightly faster but same riff):

https://soundcloud.com/lettuceshredder/juggernaut

Both were two tracks of BIAS Desktop one panned 100% left and the other 100% right with a Mark IIC+ model and TSE808 in front. 

Another good pick is the Dimarzio Super 3 if you want super fat, but it's a bit 'too' fat almost depending on your amp. I'd also look into the BKP Warpig ceramic if you want super fat tones. I wouldn't consider the Nailbomb very fat from the clips I've heard, bit more balanced and with a stronger high end than the others I've heard.

The Juggernaut so far is impressing me, if you have the budget give BKP a shot and see if you like them. I'd email the BKP guys and tell them what you want and ask them about the Ceramic Warpigs to start. Otherwise, I'd look at some DiMarzio stuff.


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## MoonJelly (Apr 17, 2016)

I like the Juggernaut, between the 2. I worry about the treble side of the EQ having too much tooth for a really bright wood. It's similar in density to oak.

I think in the original video the Black Hawk alnico just sounded like mud, but wonder if a really bright wood like maple or oak (or jatoba) would bring out more dynamics in it.

*sigh* ultimately I'll prob just put a p90 in it


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## jerm (Apr 18, 2016)

Dimarzio Super Distortion 7 test, in case you're interested in those.

[SC]https://soundcloud.com/horussound_jeremy/pickup-test/s-PGda0[/SC]


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## Womb raider (Apr 18, 2016)

MoonJelly said:


> Can anyone suggest a BKP or other make that has a really fat, fat sound? I have a build I'm doing on Jatoba and it's a very bright wood, I want something to balance it out.
> I'm thinking nailbomb but I'm interested in other opinions... 25" scale, ebony fretboard, SS frets. Due to the weight of jatoba, I've shaved a lot of mass off the body, and It may come out really shrill sounding if I don't choose my pickups right.



You'd be hard pressed to find a pickup that has as much low end as a c-pig. In bright woods (alder basswood) they sound great, mahogany not so much.


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## MoonJelly (Apr 18, 2016)

jerm said:


> Dimarzio Super Distortion 7 test, in case you're interested in those.
> 
> [SC]https://soundcloud.com/horussound_jeremy/pickup-test/s-PGda0[/SC]



The super distortion has crossed my mind, I know those are very beefy in general.


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## P-Ride (May 13, 2016)

What did you guys think of the Painkiller?

Listening to this video and the website clips, the Painkiller sounds pretty responsive/chunky.

That said, even the website suggests the Painkiller might not be a great choice for cleans.. whereas the Juggernaut's cleans are nice.


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