# NPD! Bareknuckle Aftermath vs. Dimazrio Crunchlab comparison clips!



## Levi79 (Sep 17, 2011)

My birthday is coming up in a few months. A guy sold me a pickup locally probably about 2 years ago now, about 6 months after that I bought a guitar from the same guy. He then became my guitar tech (did setups and such from his home) Long story short, now we're bros and he got me an early birthday present. It came in the mail today. Best. Gift. Ever.
Yes ladies and gentlemen. a Bareknuckle Aftermath 7.















I did some comparison clips of my old Crunchlab and the Aftermath.
Personally I love the Aftermath. Best pickup I've ever played through. Remains the clearest pickup I've ever heard even with the very pronounced crisp midrange. Nice and bright without being harsh and a nice tight low end. Pretty close to perfect in my books.

Crunchlab vs. Aftermath!
Bareknuckle Aftermath vs. Dimarzio Crunchlab by Levi79 on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Sorry for the sloppy playing and beginner recording. While the difference might be subtle through the clips, there's a big difference in the feel when playing.


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## ShreddingDragon (Sep 17, 2011)

Nice playing and congrats on new pickups! Your sound clips - from what I can tell by having a Crunch Lab in my JP6 and Aftermaths in my RGA8 - have a realistic resemblance. There is something common with the two, but especially when you're playing, you can feel and hear a clear difference. The Aftermaths are tighter in response and timbre.


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## ROAR (Sep 17, 2011)

I couldn't really tell a difference, but maybe in person that'd be different.


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## Camer138 (Sep 17, 2011)

crunch lab bar towards the bridge or neck, someone had to ask... thanks for the clips!


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## eurolove (Sep 17, 2011)

the aftermath seems to "fizz" less, i like it. what guitar were they in?


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## Levi79 (Sep 17, 2011)

ShreddingDragon, I totally know what your saying. They do have alot of similar qualities so that's why the clips aren't super different. Trust me, when your playing them the Aftermath is alot different. In a great way.

I had the bar towards the neck

These pickups were in my RG7421


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## ThePhilosopher (Sep 17, 2011)

I like the overtones (I'm sorry if this is the wrong terminology) of the crunchlab more in the clip.


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## anne (Sep 18, 2011)

More low end power in the Aftermath.


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## Quitty (Sep 18, 2011)

Somehow, i always turn up as the only putz able to hear a difference in comparison sound-clips 

Anyway, the aftermath is very much clearer, especially on the chugging portions. The crunchlab just seems to make everything 'mush' together.
Again, this is a very un-scientific comparison but as far as the soundclips go, it sounds better.
On closer inspection, it sounds like the aftermath has a notch in the lower-mid section. I wonder if they tuned it specifically for a low B 

Oh, and yeah. As usual, the Dimarzio sounds fizzy.
I wonder if they aim for it to be this way?..


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## FrancescoFiligoi (Sep 18, 2011)

To my ears, the Crunchlab has more beef and cuts thru a bit better than the Aftermath in this clips, but the Aftermath seems tighter. I've just received an Aftermath 7 to put in my JPXI7 so I'll definitely hear the CL/AM comparison by myself, thanks for posting it


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 18, 2011)

i just got a crunchlab/liquifire pair not long ago, and have barely just installed it and wired it up. i've barely gotten to try them, but i already know i fucking love them. What surprised me, is the fact that they have this deep low end to them that i haven't heard much in guitar pickups before. I can't wait to tune it down to drop A and unleas the growly nastyness that i intended with it 

the Aftermaths sound great too, although the sonic difference is small. I don't think the general sonic character is what makes BKP so great though, as you can get there with other brands too. Where they get it right, is the dynamic response and feel of the pickups. I found out i don't work that well with that specific part of the pickups though, as far as feel and technique goes. I might try it again later still.


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## anne (Sep 18, 2011)

MF_Kitten said:


> Where they get it right, is the dynamic response and feel of the pickups.



DiMarzio's capable of that, too. Mmm, Air Norton...


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## Captastic (Sep 18, 2011)

+1

AM sounds muffled compared to the CL. Not hearing the extra $$$ from that PuP...



FrancescoFiligoi said:


> To my ears, the Crunchlab has more beef and cuts thru a bit better than the Aftermath in this clips, but the Aftermath seems tighter. I've just received an Aftermath 7 to put in my JPXI7 so I'll definitely hear the CL/AM comparison by myself, thanks for posting it


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## leonardo7 (Sep 18, 2011)

By juxtaposition only from these clips, the Crunchlab sounds more full, warm, colored. The Aftermath sounds more transparent, clear, thin.


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## Levi79 (Sep 18, 2011)

In my opinion, alot of the BKPs feel is what makes it for me. If I were to just hear these clips I'd probably say the same thing as most of you, but after having the AM I know it's worth the money. The CL and AM do definitely have alot of things in common, but the AM fixed everything I didn't like about the CL. It gave it the more pronounced midrange bite that I felt the CL lacked, as well as added clarity (a fucking lot of it) and tightness. The feel of this Aftermath is just amazing. I've never been fully wowed by a pickup before and when I wired the Aftermath up and played it for a bit my jaw dropped. I don't really think my recordings are doing it justice since alot of what makes the Aftermath awesome is the feel. I jut want to say, if you were thinking of getting an Aftermath, do it. Even if it doesn't end up being your thing at least you get a sense of what this pickup is really like. The difference may seem small in the clips, but when actually playing the pickups it's really not.


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## Ryan Duke (Feb 9, 2012)

Thank for posting the clips. It's always hard to judge things like this especially if not played exactly the same way in every technique detail. A slight change in hand position can effect the palm mute or how far down the strings you are picking. I have been looking at both in trying to decide a purchase. They both sound great, but the AM has something about it I like better. Less noise overall, a little more growl, and less harsh. I like to play with a good amount of distortion, so the clearer the pickup the better. I was already pretty set on the AM and still am, but this comparison helps. So, thank you.


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## linqua (Feb 9, 2012)

WTF is BLACK HAWK?


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## LeviathanKiller (Feb 9, 2012)

In that comparison I like the Crunch Lab better much to my surprise.


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## Beardyman (Feb 9, 2012)

I can't say I really prefer one to the other. They both sound good in their own right, just different. They do show some similarities, but it sounds like the AM has more low mids, and less extreme highs. Definitely a little tighter as well. I think they'd sit really well in a mix together, and it'd be nice to hear the guitar tracks out of the mix to pick it apart a little more.


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## guitarneeraj (Feb 9, 2012)

What rig are you playing this through ? Why does the AM sound ever so compressed compared to the CL ?


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## bigswifty (Feb 10, 2012)

I definately notice a tighter response in the quick notes in the Aftermath.
Though, both pickups really share some similar characteristics.

You just got me stoked on installing my new Aftermath! (and Coldsweat!)


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## Jzbass25 (Feb 11, 2012)

linqua said:


> WTF is BLACK HAWK?



Nolly has one, it isn't released yet but I was pretty happy when I saw the blackhawk is on the boxes now haha. It is dual rails I think, I've been waiting like exactly 1 year to see it for sale


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## linqua (Feb 11, 2012)

Jzbass25 said:


> Nolly has one, it isn't released yet but I was pretty happy when I saw the blackhawk is on the boxes now haha. It is dual rails I think, I've been waiting like exactly 1 year to see it for sale



yeah after some research, i think its quad rails and periphery has been beta testing them. nolly said on another forum that he can only say that its awesome.


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## Levi79 (Feb 12, 2012)

These clips are so bad haha. They were done with my old Pod HD500 probably 6 months ago. I've since sold both the pickups. I found the Aftermath had too much bass personally. All the frequencies were tuned perfectly, there was just too much low end for me and it sounded too huge if that makes any sense at all.


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