Finally Found a Home For My Bardens

[DanD]

After being in both an Alder bodied Rosewood neck HT and an Alder bodied Rosewood neck trem Strat, the Bardens have finally found a home.

I wasn't impressed by them in either of the Rosewood necked guitars but they really came to life in this Classic 60s / JV partscaster.

I still can't say if they're worth $400 + for a new set, but if'n you find some used at half that I'd jump on 'em.



Very clear and bell like tones and absolutely no noise. I guess the guitar Gods were smiling on me today as these pups never did it for me in the other two guitars I had them in.

[chuckocaster]

funny how sometimes pups may not sound good in one guitar and totally shine in another. congrats on getting them in something where it works.

[DanD]

Thanks Chuck. I picked the Bardens up on a whim because I had heard good things about them but never actually got to play a set.

After tryin' 'em in my RC and US Strat I was about to write 'em off as another set of good pups, but nothing really stood out as special about them in either axe.

They were just kinda hangin' around and I was considering offin' em on the 'bay.

When I was putting the JV partscaster together it was either the Bardens or the JV Tex Mex pups that I had laying around to go in her and I'm really less impressed with the Tex Mex pups than I was the Bardens so I gave 'em another shot.

The Barden site states:

"... greatly expanded fidelity and a balanced frequency response. Of course, hum and noise are completely eliminated. These pickups are incredibly sensitive, giving you a wide range of tones and output levels simply by adjusting the distance of the pickup from the strings.

With S-Deluxe pickups, the "in-between" positions are wonderfully hollow..."

Well I could hear the expanded fidelity and noiseless operation in the first two guitars but no great 'hollow" sounds and the "sensitivity" Barden speaks of also wasn't outstanding.

All the claims made are spot on for the JV Maple necked partscaster tho. I may need to play with the pup heights some more but so far no real "quack". But Barden doesn't claim that.

The hollow sounds are outstanding now and pinch harmonics are too easy. They'll also move into growl mode by just changing your pick attack. The cleans are clear and bell like and the pups don't get muddy when you add dirt like the twin blade Gotohs in my ESP.

I've swapped pups in and out of several guitars over the years and never noticed this much difference between any two.

Both of the other guitars sound good with the pups that are in them now. The RC has its originals back in and the US Strat has a set of Fat 50s which sound excellent in that guitar.

Just wondering if it's unusual to see such a dramatic night/day type change between different axes with pups.

[chuckocaster]

as many pup swaps that i've done, there are times when there is a night/day difference. most of the time it seems that if you use quality stuff the differences are minimal. BUT, sometimes before you write something off try it out of context or in something else. i almost sold my melody maker before stringing it with 13's and tuning down a whole step. now it sounds like a big angry telecaster.

[DanD]

That being the case, I know I've probably off'd some quality gear over the years...

[chuckocaster]

well, i have to. but you have to let things go, hang onto everything and eventually you'll be out of space! sucks man, but that's the way it is.

[DanD]

I know all about the space thing!

Goin' out today after work to look at an early '64 Allen organ two piece (boh huge cabs) Leslie style cabinets. The bottom has 4 x 15" old blue Jensens and the top looks to have 3 x 12" Jensens and a horn.

Unlike a Leslie, the speakers do not rotate. There is a large solid disc in these cabs with a cutaway that rotates in front of the speakers. The 4 x 15 cab has the power amp for both pieces (all tube) in the bottom of the cab.

Supposedly they are in working condition. But man are they big, heavy and ugly! They were made to be built-in so it's basically just two plywood boxes painted brown. If'n I want 'em they are mine to take.

I know will be pleased...