Pickup suggestions for Knaggs Severn - H-S-H

lscottk

lscottk

Experienced
I recently bought a used Knaggs Severn H-S-H with wiring that was modified by someone who didn't know what they were doing. The 5-way switch wiring was reversed (bridge position activated neck pickup) and the pickups in some positions seemed to cancel out portions of the tonal spectrum. The original humbuckers were removed and replaced by unbranded pickups. I did some research and, based upon numbers stamped on the back, I believe that the replacement humbucker pickups are an old set (vintage?) of Maxon pickups. But I'm not 100% on this. Regardless, I don't like how they sound and they only have two conductor wires. According to Peter Wolf at Knaggs customer support, the original pickups were David Allen P51 humbuckers. I'm considering replacement options. David Allen pickups would be a first choice, but their website doesn't specify whether the P51 pickups have two or four conductor wires, and no one from this company has responded to multiple email inquiries about how the P51s are configured. I want 4 conductor wires because I intend to replace the installed 5-way switch with a Seymour Duncan hyperswitch. I have a Knaggs Kenai that also has a factory installed set of DAllen P51 pickups. I like the P51s a lot. They are low output, have an open, chimey top end, and break up really nicely, with lots of harmonics. According to the Knaggs website, the Knaggs Severn currently ships with Bare Knuckle pickups. But man, Bare Knuckle pickups are expensive. A set would run roughly $400, about twice as much as a set of Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, which is on my short list. I'm not sold that the Pearly Gates are a best choice. I've been down the replacement pickup rabbit hole many times over the years. I figured that I'd ask whether any one here has any thoughts on other pickup options that are similar to the tone profile of how I described the P51s. I also want to replace the center single coil. This is my first guitar with a H-S-H pickup configuration and I'm not sure if RWRP is the best option. The Hyperswitch allows pole reversal, so maybe it doesn't matter . . ? I'd like to buy the pickup that would be best with a standard 5-way switch, just in case I don't want to use the Hyperswitch long term on the guitar.

Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
About RWRP, keep in mind that RWRP pickups are both electrically and magnetically out of phase. The Hyperswitch can only switch the electrical polarity, which would only result in an out-of-phase sound and not hum-cancelling.

However, this doesn't matter because both normal and RWRP single coils will be hum-cancelling with one of the two coils in either humbucker. So, when using the middle pickup with either humbucker (not coil tapped) will always be hum-cancelling. When coil-tapping, one of the coils will be hum-cancelling and the other one won't. And, the Hyperswitch will allow you to select which coil of the humbuckers you use if you want to coil-tap.

As far as which pickups, yeah, Bare Knuckles are on the expensive side, but not too far out of line with companies like Lollar or Fralin, or SD's Antiquity line. Personally, I really like almost every BKP I've tried, especially their low and medium output offerings. Knaggs using BKP on their current models is a pretty strong argument, too, at least for me. But... there are a TON a options these days.

What about SD Seth Lovers? Maybe SD Saturday Night Specials? The Pearly Gates are good, too.

If it were me, I'd use a standard 4-pole 5-way switch and splurge on the pickups because the Knaggs is worth it, but that's just me.
 
@Churchhill - Thanks for your response. I already have the Hyperswitch, but maybe I'll just stick with the regular 5-way. After installing some pickups I have lying around I'm still getting tonal anomalies. I know that I have everything wired properly so I'm beginning to think that the 5-way that was in the guitar has some sort of short or something. It seems like there is some kind of phase cancellation. There is no bottom end or mids. The crappy switch is why I was going to use the Hyperswitch. I can pickup a new 5-way locally. I'll have to think about your suggestion to splurge on the pickups. The Knaggs currently ships with a BK Mule in the neck and a BK Aftermath in the bridge. When I've looked at BK pickups in the past the Mule seemed like something I'd dig. I'm not sure about the Aftermath, though. I'm concerned that it is higher output and may not have the upper end chime and harmonics. That's why I was thinking about a set of Pearly Gates. The Seth Lovers are not wax potted (if I remember correctly). I was thinking that wax potting might be best given the volume we're playing at.

Have you used a BK Aftermath in the bridge position? If yes, what was you impression of this pickup? I've never tried the Saturday Night Specials. I'll check them out on the SD site.
 
You could be right about the current switch, could be something in there that's partially shorted or not making proper contact. Impossible to tell without seeing it, but you're right, better to replace it with something better.

According to the SD site, the Pearly Gates are potted, but the Seth Lovers are not. IME, even when playing at loud band levels, potting isn't always necessary, but certainly can squeal. I've been able to work around this with how I position my amp and my volume control, but this won't work for everyone. Potting can take away a bit of that high-end sparkle, though, so as with many things, it's a trade-off. If you play loud with a lot of gain, potting is probably the way to go.

Well, I've got an Aftermath that I'm intending to install in the bridge of my Explorer, but haven't gotten to yet. But, from what you've said, I would agree that this likely isn't what you're looking for. It's pretty high output and I'm not expecting to hear a lot of upper-end chime. I generally don't like ceramic magnets in pickups, too brittle for my tastes. But, I thought I'd give this one a shot because it's similar, on paper at least, to an original Dirty Fingers (not the new ones Gibson is making now), and I do like those.

The Mule is definitely something I can comment on. I've got Mule bridges in several of my guitars, sometimes with a Stormy Monday neck, and one Mule set. I have both potted and unpotted versions, too. Mules have nice chime, great harmonics, and a pretty good kick for a lower output pickup. Very versatile, too, beautiful cleans up to and including '80s metal (just not quite Metallica).

Also from BKP, I'd look at the Stormy Monday and Riff Raff, too. The Stormy isn't quite as powerful as the Mule, but has even better chime. I've got a set in a PRS. It's not terribly far off from the SD Alnico II Pro or Slash pickups, just seems clearer or more defined for lack of a better word. The Riff Raff (got these in an SG) is brighter than the Mule, more upper-mid than mid-mid, but just as powerful. All three are among my favorites, FWIW. I haven't tried the VH-II bridge, but I do have the neck version and expect the bridge version would be really nice, too.

I don't have the SD Saturday Night Specials, but I've heard a lot of good things about them and the demos sound pretty good. I do know that I like Alnico IV in similar pickups (overwound PAF), seems to be more balanced than A2 and not quite a strident as A5.

For that matter, the SD Slash or APH1 might be other options for you to consider. Those two are very similar, I think. I've had APH1s in many of the Les Pauls I've had at one point or another, but mine are older and probably closer to what the Slash is now.

DiMarzio makes several similar pickups, too. I've tried the PAF, PAF Pro, and PAF 36th Anniversary, and while I really like some of their pickups, none of those really did anything for me. They're good pickups, though.
 
FWIW, IMO, Hyperswitch is a waste of great tech, because it can do so much, but only has 5 positions. How would you feel if your Axe had only 5 presets, as a permanent hard-wired limitation?

They should have let you connect a few more switches, and made it able to store more presets. Now THAT I would have been all over, in spades, sold. I have a guitar with 3 humbuckers and 78 electrically distinct pickup combinations, all nominally humbucking. It's not fully functional ATM, because I broke it trying to change something, and it's a nightmare working in there.

An expanded Hyperswitch that could have 3 on-off-on toggles in addition to the 5 way would have made wiring that way more reasonable, and would allow even more possibilities.

Missed opportunities department!
 
Last edited:
I agree completely... if they would've added the capability to support 3 push-pull pots, you could have 40 combinations that would still fit in a standard Strat pickguard. Like you said, 3 mini 3-way toggles and it's 78 with minimal modification.

Disclaimer: I've always lusted over the BC Rich Bich with enough switches to launch the space shuttle. In my defense, though, I equally lust over the Fender Esquire and I love my Charvel Model 1 - 1 knob, 1 pickup, what more do you need? Obviously, all three!! 🤣
 
lscottk said:
I recently bought a used Knaggs Severn H-S-H with wiring that was modified by someone who didn't know what they were doing. The 5-way switch wiring was reversed (bridge position activated neck pickup) and the pickups in some positions seemed to cancel out portions of the tonal spectrum. The original humbuckers were removed and replaced by unbranded pickups. I did some research and, based upon numbers stamped on the back, I believe that the replacement humbucker pickups are an old set (vintage?) of Maxon pickups. But I'm not 100% on this. Regardless, I don't like how they sound and they only have two conductor wires. According to Peter Wolf at Knaggs customer support, the original pickups were David Allen P51 humbuckers. I'm considering replacement options. David Allen pickups would be a first choice, but their website doesn't specify whether the P51 pickups have two or four conductor wires, and no one from this company has responded to multiple email inquiries about how the P51s are configured. I want 4 conductor wires because I intend to replace the installed 5-way switch with a Seymour Duncan hyperswitch. I have a Knaggs Kenai that also has a factory installed set of DAllen P51 pickups. I like the P51s a lot. They are low output, have an open, chimey top end, and break up really nicely, with lots of harmonics. According to the Knaggs website, the Knaggs Severn currently ships with Bare Knuckle pickups. But man, Bare Knuckle pickups are expensive. A set would run roughly $400, about twice as much as a set of Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, which is on my short list. I'm not sold that the Pearly Gates are a best choice. I've been down the replacement pickup rabbit hole many times over the years. I figured that I'd ask whether any one here has any thoughts on other pickup options that are similar to the tone profile of how I described the P51s. I also want to replace the center single coil. This is my first guitar with a H-S-H pickup configuration and I'm not sure if RWRP is the best option. The Hyperswitch allows pole reversal, so maybe it doesn't matter . . ? I'd like to buy the pickup that would be best with a standard 5-way switch, just in case I don't want to use the Hyperswitch long term on the guitar.

Any thoughts or suggestions?
Click to expand...
Really digging my new 3 pickup Firebird set from Q Pickups in Croatia. Maybe a couple of their full size HBs and one of their singles would work.
 
Churchhill said:
You could be right about the current switch, could be something in there that's partially shorted or not making proper contact. Impossible to tell without seeing it, but you're right, better to replace it with something better.

According to the SD site, the Pearly Gates are potted, but the Seth Lovers are not. IME, even when playing at loud band levels, potting isn't always necessary, but certainly can squeal. I've been able to work around this with how I position my amp and my volume control, but this won't work for everyone. Potting can take away a bit of that high-end sparkle, though, so as with many things, it's a trade-off. If you play loud with a lot of gain, potting is probably the way to go.

Well, I've got an Aftermath that I'm intending to install in the bridge of my Explorer, but haven't gotten to yet. But, from what you've said, I would agree that this likely isn't what you're looking for. It's pretty high output and I'm not expecting to hear a lot of upper-end chime. I generally don't like ceramic magnets in pickups, too brittle for my tastes. But, I thought I'd give this one a shot because it's similar, on paper at least, to an original Dirty Fingers (not the new ones Gibson is making now), and I do like those.

The Mule is definitely something I can comment on. I've got Mule bridges in several of my guitars, sometimes with a Stormy Monday neck, and one Mule set. I have both potted and unpotted versions, too. Mules have nice chime, great harmonics, and a pretty good kick for a lower output pickup. Very versatile, too, beautiful cleans up to and including '80s metal (just not quite Metallica).

Also from BKP, I'd look at the Stormy Monday and Riff Raff, too. The Stormy isn't quite as powerful as the Mule, but has even better chime. I've got a set in a PRS. It's not terribly far off from the SD Alnico II Pro or Slash pickups, just seems clearer or more defined for lack of a better word. The Riff Raff (got these in an SG) is brighter than the Mule, more upper-mid than mid-mid, but just as powerful. All three are among my favorites, FWIW. I haven't tried the VH-II bridge, but I do have the neck version and expect the bridge version would be really nice, too.

I don't have the SD Saturday Night Specials, but I've heard a lot of good things about them and the demos sound pretty good. I do know that I like Alnico IV in similar pickups (overwound PAF), seems to be more balanced than A2 and not quite a strident as A5.

For that matter, the SD Slash or APH1 might be other options for you to consider. Those two are very similar, I think. I've had APH1s in many of the Les Pauls I've had at one point or another, but mine are older and probably closer to what the Slash is now.

DiMarzio makes several similar pickups, too. I've tried the PAF, PAF Pro, and PAF 36th Anniversary, and while I really like some of their pickups, none of those really did anything for me. They're good pickups, though.
Click to expand...
Thanks for all of the information. I'm curious to hear what you think about the Aftermath, once you get it installed.

I have a Grosh Retro Classic that had a Dimarzzio Steve Morse in the bridge. That was my main guitar for about 4 years. The Steve Morse is ceramic. Though I've had an aversion to cermic magnets, I liked how the Steve Morse sounded.
 
We're having a yard sale today, so I'm up at 6:00am to get ready. It's going to be mid-80s temperature (Fahrenheit), which is pretty warm for the US Pacific Northwest. So I'm bracing myself for a day in the heat and sun. I'll check in when I can during the day. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think about the Aftermath.

All the best,
Scott
 
Well, crap, I owe you an apology. When I dug out my Explorer today, I realized that, when I bought the pickups, I ended up going with a Painkiller and not the Aftermath. I remember, now, that I was trying to decide between those two and picked that one on the recommendation of a friend. Apparently, I forgot that between then and now (and the move across town in the time between), and so I'm not going to be able to review the Aftermath for you today. Truly am sorry.
 
Churchhill said:
Well, crap, I owe you an apology. When I dug out my Explorer today, I realized that, when I bought the pickups, I ended up going with a Painkiller and not the Aftermath. I remember, now, that I was trying to decide between those two and picked that one on the recommendation of a friend. Apparently, I forgot that between then and now (and the move across town in the time between), and so I'm not going to be able to review the Aftermath for you today. Truly am sorry.
Click to expand...
Sorry for the delayed response. My family was fully engaged in a yard sale yesterday (Saturday). I am sore and exhausted. I didn't even turn on the computer until this morning.

No worries at all about the Aftermath/Painkiller mixup! I appreciate all the information that you've shared. What do you think of the Painkiller?
 
I just read about the Painkiller. I am far from a Djent player, so I don't think that it would be a good match for me. BK also describes the Aftermath as a pickup for the modern metal guitarist. Once again, I'm a classic rock guy, so a modern metal pickup sounds like a mismatch to me. I have a set of Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded Humuckers in a PRS SE Bernie Marsden that I'm planning on selling. I think that I'll try removing those pickups and put them in the Knaggs Severn. The SD website suggests that this set might be a good fit when I go through their web based "pickup selector" app. The set includes a SH-4 JB for the bridge and SH-2n Jazz Model for the neck. Might as well see if this will save some money.
 
No worries, hope the yard sale went well!

As for the Painkiller, if I was either a Djent player or used a ton of gain all the time, I'd probably love it. As it is, it's just too mid-focused and tight for me. It's a great pickup, just not really my style. I typically don't get along well with any ceramic magnets (there are a few exceptions, though), I just find that alnico goes better with the way I play. I love metal, but at heart, I'm more of a blues/classic rock/progressive kind of guy who likes a little bit of give in his pickups.

The JB/Jazz combo works great for a lot of people, and you'll probably like it. The JB's a fairly hot pickup, but it cleans up well and is capable of a lot of dynamics. The Jazz is nice and fat and works well for those big round neck tones.

I think you may be right about the Aftermath, too. In my opinion, most BKP have a fairly modern sound, kind of high-fi but not sterile. They all have a lot of definition and clarity without being overly bright or thin. I'm still considering Aftermaths for my Explorer, but there's a long story behind that which basically boils down to trying to recreate "the one of that got away" back in '94. What I really want is an old set of Dirty Fingers (I have one, but am not willing to take them out of what they're in).

If I were to recommend a set of BKP for you, I'd go with either The Mule or the Rebel Yell, maybe the Crawler. All three are just amazing for classic rock, The Mule being more chime-y vintage output and the Rebel Yell being an overwound hot version of that without being too over-the-top. I've got a set of Rebel Yells in an LP that just screams and a set of Crawlers that are just perfect in a PRS. Crawlers are really well balanced and open. Their new Peacemaker looks interesting, too, but I haven't tried it.

Let me know what you think of that JB/Jazz combo!
 
Thanks a lot for the updated info, @Churchhill

The garage sale went pretty well, but as is usually the case, it was more work than what we got in return. But we're on a clutter removal kick, and my 17 year old son is cleaning out lots of old stuff. So it's worth the effort, even if the pay is below minimum wage.

I'll take a look at the BKP pickups that you mentioned. I may just go for a set. I don't want to spend that much money, but the guitar that they're going in is worth it. I got a really good deal on the guitar, so bringing it up to snuff is worth the cost and effort.
 
I meant to add that I'll let you know. I'm going to at least try the Seymour Duncan set in the guitar. They didn't sound bad in the PRS, but not great either.
 
Yeah, makes sense to try what you already have first. You might be surprised, too. But, I know what you mean, every guitar I've tried with a JB has ended up with something else. Wasn't bad, like you said, but just didn't grab me, either.

FYSA, and I have no idea if this is true, but, the sound samples on the BKP website for the Abraxis and the Crawler sound switched to me. My Crawler set sounds more like the sample for the Abraxis and vise versa. The Mule and Rebel Yell are pretty spot on, though. Personally, I wish they'd get away from whatever modeler they're using for their demos (I sincerely doubt it's a Fractal). It makes all their demos sound too much the same.

Oh, and if you do consider BKP, email them and I'm sure they'll help recommend something. They have always been quick to respond and very helpful, even modifying a few sets for me (magnet swaps, slightly over or under winds, request not to pot something that they normally do). I haven't been there for several years, but they used to have a pretty good forum, too, and I'm sure it's still going strong.
 
I'll check this out. I'm going to remove the old SD pickups today and put them in the Severn. I'll have to pick up a new 5-way first though. I'll report back once I try them out.

BK is sounding appealing, too though. But first, I'll give the SD set a go.
 
I have a set of SD Candys for sale, which are the ones in the Knaggs Eric Steckel Kenai, as well as a set of Saturday Night Specials if you are interested.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom