To my ears, the Josefina clips are significantly louder than the clips from the other pickups. Our brains will almost always prefer the louder sound. I would recommend running your clips through a loudness meter and verify the levels are matched before making a decision. Love your videos and your playing, and thanks for taking us along on your tone journey.
Ultimately proves that the pups/tone are entirely subjective and your choice should be based on personal tastes/experience. The Josefinas I reckon sound more identifiable as 'stratty(?)'. They're familiar in tone to the legends who've played/popularised strats and have some sort of a.. comforting quality about them perhaps? I'll be honest, I love the way they sound. But the 63s sound really solid in your hands. If you don't mind me saying, in my opinion they brought an aspect of your playing out that I'd be quicker as a fan to identify as 'sounding like Bea'. Which equally is satisfying to listen to as a viewer. They give you a specific edge. I'd personally probably be likely to stick with the fender pups, but I honestly think your playing suits the 63s better! Something about them really blends well with your style, the fender pups almost sounded a little harsh in a few places. Obviously it's your call and I realise this probably doesn't help much, if at all. Just my 2p 😂✌️ All the best 😊
Rabea...so revisiting this with a note. In the 2 years since I commented last I've experienced (both with a Fender Custom Shop Strat and a Master Built Ron Thorn Tele) what a metal (aluminum) pickguard does to single coils. Apologies for this long post. The Strat had hand wound Fat 60s and I thought they sounded dull and muddy, so I swapped pickups 3 times. Nothing worked. Even my guitar tech was not sure why we couldn't get a clean Strat sound (even removed the tone circuit). It had a lovely anodized pickguard. So, frustrated after a few months, I sold it. Got the Ron Thorn Masterbuilt Tele (with an anodized pickguard). Amazing, except the Josefina wound neck pickup sounded muddy and dull. Switched it to another (bought on Reverb) Josefina hand wound neck pickup...still dull. Removed tone circuit...a little better, but still not like my other Teles. Beyond frustrated I reached out on instagram to Ron Thorn, who responded. He chatted live with me online and asked me to plug the tele into my amp and remove the metal pickguard. As I a slid the pickguard away from the pickup...it sounded clear and articulate and open. Ron said that metal can reduce the overall frequency of the pickup and make it less open. Which is why on the tele, it was only the neck pickup. On the previous Strat..it was ALL the pickups (because the pickguard surrounds all three). Anyway...something I learned and prob why the Bare Knuckle set in this video seems slightly less harmonic than the Joesfinas. Not to say the Josefinas wouldn't still win the comparison, but the metal pickguard will absolutely affect the tone of all three pickups. Wanted to share to anyone watching this great video! Cheers.
This video was crystal clear for me. The CS Josephinas won hands down and going away. So much fuller and airier and more dynamic. I love the bite you get with them when you dig in that the Bareknuckles just don’t. It’s like there’s a blanket over them in comparison.
Definitely the josefinas for me. A lot more clarity with a gritty edge and punch when you need it. They also sounded really nice with your melodic playing 🤘
The Josefinas sound a little fuller to me, with the Bare Knuckles having a bit more bite. That said, they're really very similar and it could just be down to what I perceive to be a slight volume difference between the two clips. Go with what you want, chap. Your playing is absolutely beautiful on this video. I could honestly listen to your noodling all day.
The Josefinas all the wasy! A shoot-out of your 'old' Chapman sig model where you compare the stock pups with the BK Silos would be awesome... maybe even throw in a 3rd option? Thinking of getting a ML3 BEA second hand since I missed the sale on the Chapman website and they're not available anymore. It would go great together with my VX Kraken. BTW, you're my biggest inspiration guitar-wise since I discovered Zakk Wylde when I was 16 :-). Let the power of the riff compell you!
My 1957 custom shop came with "50s stratocaster single coil pickups" and my nut was made with micarta instead of a bone. But in fairness it was $3500 instead of a $4000 custom shop (one of the cheaper fcs's on sweetwater). Great guitar but i had to go with the barenuckle apache. To me it sounds way better than the 63 and even the josefinas
IMO, its not even this simple, but it comes down to who made what part. I own a 1969 relic reverse headstock Fender custom shop reissue, and i am lucky they came with Josefinas. Josefina campos is a legend... when I took apart the pickguard to confirm it was hers I was blown away by how tidy and clean all the wiring was, no tight angles, perfect solder joints, no burns anywhere on the cloth wiring, and the sound is simply stellar... nothing comes close for me as well. josefinas ftw every time!
The BN 63's sound draws my ears in to listening and wanting to hear what will come next. The joe's from fender tend to push and attack my senses and there for feel aggressive and a little put off feeling. Probably just me! Either way you decide to go, thanks for the ride and allowing me to enjoy it.
He is an aggressive player at heart and the pickups that offer brighter attack typically suits his style. The other set he had in were Ron Klein Gray Bottoms were really what he was digging into, They were even more treble heavy and louder than the Josephines, arguably the best suited set he tried so far
Man, I dunno if it's just an EQ issue but the Josephinas just sound more harmonically complex and clear, regardless of gain. The Bare Knuckles are great but there's something magical about those Josephinas.
The copper. What an amp! I appreciate you releasing this follow up video even after the series. Loved the swapped metallic pick guard and the new pickups were stellar. Just awesome to have the Original set done by the best in the business.
I actually bought a anodized plate because of this lol. And I also threw in a set of custom shop 69s in my 08' Olympic White roadworn 60s strat and I am in love again........ for now lol 😂 cheers all
I just have to say your playing continually inspires me and leaves me in awe. I saw an ad for a modeling program and had to find your channel. You and Danish Pete are two of my favorite players for sure! Very inspiring to challenge myself.
Up vote a further 4 part series of how you dial your 3-4 “core strat tones” and/or strat vs the world.....how u dial a strat to approximate a tele bridge (clean+crunch) LP crunch tone, a LP neck solo, any others u cook up. You’re a god among youtube midgets Rabea. Bulk love n vibes to u 😎
maybe the best video and best guitar recording i ever saw from you. alive not very processed and you can hear the true sound of the fender and the pickups!!!
I like the Josefinas in the neck, middle and particularly bridge because they have a bit more body and warmth. They sound a little bit more congested in the mixed positions though, I prefer the ‘63 Veneer Board for those sounds as the extra sparkle and slightly less midrange helps those sounds speak more. If I was chasing Knopfler it'd be the 63's if I was chasing Hendrix it'd be the Josefinas.
That only really works for one of their guitars. Hendrix, as far as I remember, didn't even turn up in the UK with a guitar - so something off the shelf? An lots after the first year. And Knopfler was on Shecters at one time wasn't he? I think it's incredibly hard to chase down a tone. Don't you remember the time (was it years) that everyone thought Led Zep 1 was recorded using a LP - turned out to be mostly a Tele.
I'm just commenting on how I hear those two sets of pickups in that particular guitar and pointing to some well known sort of strat references. Nothing more. As a guy who spent a long time working in guitar stores & a bit of a notorious pickup swapper, I can certainly attest to the fact that the same set of pickups will sound very different in different in different guitars and what suits one won't neccessarily suit another....depending on taste/user case.
This is the comparison video I was waiting for! Love the tone of your strat through the Copperhead! The Josefinas still sound best IMHO... I was reading comments and everytime I heard a tone I liked and scrolled up, the Josefinas appeared to be in the guitar. They sound awesome, they need to be in that guitar. Sometimes a journey ends with the fact that the guitar already was the best it could be. That's not a waste of time though, it is good being able to realize that!
The Josefina's sound way better to my ears. Maybe it might be different using gainier settings or gainier amps, but for cleans and slightly overdriven sounds, the Josefina's sound so much better. Whatever makes you happy, that's the most important thing.
I think Josefina. However, they were louder (which human ears tend to associate with better) and I'm not listening on a very high quality device. If you're happy with the '63's then I guess you're done. If you're not done, you're probably gonna have to put the Josefina's back in - this would also test if the metal scratch plate is a factor (the '63's sound more attenuated/muffled, to me?). If so, I'd recommend trying to control for as many factors as possible - record some new playing on the '63's, swap pickups, do the same playing on Josefina's. Same amp, same performance, same day, same recording session - only difference is the pickups! Really enjoyed watching this journey - maybe it has one more episode in it? :-)
They've all sounded great because your playing is amazing but I have to say that the bridge of the Josefina was miles away better to my ears. Thanks for including us on your tone journey Bea!
@@ForeverDownByLaw yes, Mick mentioned when he was doing his pickups that he never uses the full pickguard shielding plate, as he thinks it cuts out too much top end. That's pretty much all that Bea IS using on his. His pickguard is the shielding plate.
I would agree. AFAIK, the guitar signal is produced by the metal strings distorting the magnetic field in the pick-up. As the mag field "vibrates" it induces a current in the pup wire. When a magnetic field changes, it sets up eddy currents in anything metal within it scope, and these eddy currents (in the metal scratchplate) will act to oppose the changing mag field - i.e dampening it. Only one way to find out :)
If the scratch plates is Aluminum as I think your all wrong, Aluminum do not attract magnets, it may react in certain way only with strong magnets like neodymium. Science is not an opinion 😜 sciencing.com/materials-do-magnets-repel-6872613.html
I discovered you this year and you are becoming my favorite player, with Andy Timmons. Your « slow » playing is so bluesy and musical, but in a modern way, and your tone is amazing. You are the only guitar youtuber that I could sat and listen noodle around as if I was listening to an album.🙌🏻
it still seems that there are different settings on audio interface or somewhere else. The Josefina clips sound way more "alive" if I can say. And I believe that this is not due to the pickups. So, this experiment/jounrey seems like a failure in terms of "science", but hey, there is no evolution without mistakes! After all, you (and us) had a great time =)
Rabea , Honestly the Josefinas sound the best. they are more open than the other pick ups besides its Fender, they know what they are doing and the other brands are only trying to copy what Fender has mastered. I would stay with the originals that came with the guitar and call it a day.
The Josefinas still are the most pleasing however, they all did sound great ! A lot of the tone still comes from those hands of yours Bea, your technique and style are top shelf brother thanks for the great videos keep them coming for us Cheers
Rabea, for an exquisite expressive player like you this question is worth asking and I would say the BK's sound best. For most of us knuckle headed pentatonic plonkers it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference! Great journey dude. Stay safe.
All the pickups sounded good in their own way. I've watched enough of your videos to notice that you do have a liking for a clean, expansive, ethereal Strat sounds. That is something the Josefina's can deliver, but the other's can't. It's easy to add breakup, overdrive, dirt, etc. to your tone with a pedal. You can't make a dirty pickup sound clean unless you turn the pots way down, but then you give up on the rich tones you get by having the pots wide open. If you want those beautiful clean tones, then of the pickups you've tested, I think the Josefina's would be the best choice. Thanks for sharing your tone journey, which many of us have made numerous times.
this was an experiment, not a mistake. Its a mistake when you are tired and you put gasoline in a diesel car ...you dont learn anything from that. You already know what to do, but you fk it up anyway because you are tired.
Good job you subtitled which pickups you were using as I lost track. Fell down the rabbit hole of your playing. I do like the Josaphinas though. Having said that I'm no expert.
It's amazing being able to close my eyes and hear that crystalline snap from the Josafinas and feel the creamy warmth of the Bare Knuckles as the difference is clear to me. Thank you for the spec talk at the beginning as well, I have never gotten a good grasp on Aug differences on pickups and would love to hear more of these hyper focused A B tests between different brands
I've learned after spending WAY too much currency on this stuff, that it's best to let a strat just be in its natural state. One strat can't be all strats. It's better to own multiple strats for different duties.
You had "THE" face when playing the Mother's Milk set and it's the only set that gave you "THE" face.. I think it's "THE" sign.. 😉 That set on that guitar is one of the best strat sounds I ever heard, guitar singing at each pickup position, harmonics resonating all over the register.. Pure Love !! Love and Light to you and your dear ones Bea ✨✨✨
From Leo: Great sounding rig with either set. Great playing skills too. I prefer the bare knuckle '63 tones. Having lots of good choices is a fine thing.
Experiments like this with pickups are never wasted time, it just gives you a better idea of what you don’t like, more than what you do like. Plus it gives you something to do while we are all in quarantine! Be well, my friend!
The josefinas are great sounding. I would have bet one the others would have won. Looks like I was wrong. Great video series btw. Thanks for making them. Enjoyed watching and listening
Wow mate, you're a lucky guy! Both sound amazing, I'm not sure I'd pick one as "better"than the other. They each have their own nuances, sure; but I'd be happy with the clean sound either can deliver. If you get too "cork-sniffy", you might waste a lot of time for minuscule improvements - and there are just so many tone-shaping options out there left to explore. Of course, it's you that has to be satisfied with the results before the quest ends, (if it does!) I do hope you find yourself enjoying the journey.
U can tell how each set of pickups inspires u to play in different ways. Each set inspires a different approache. Either way, be glad 2 B blessed with the fortune to have both or one. Nice playing.
And I'll throw in my two cents.. or pence, I really dig the BK. The Josefina's are killer, but I think you should try out the Bare Knucks for awhile and see how you dig em, since you were previously not as happy with the original pick ups. but also, would love a 5th episode. Really inspiring to see someone with the means and resources try all these changes. I've made one pick up change in my Strat, but love watching you and Mick fall down the rabbit hole together! Cheers from SF Bay Area CA
All the pickups you put in that guitar have sounded great. It's been three different flavors of EXCELLENT strat sound. Take your pick. They are all winners
Thank you for another great comparisson! Love your playing, Rabea! I've got a "theory", that maple fingerboard and rosewood fingerboard have totally different character (Attack, middlerange, very liquid sound with maple, mid scooping with rosewood), and Leo Fender optimized pickups to get best (full ? consistent? ) tone for the type of fingerboard. And it's a good idea to use 50's type of pickups with maple fingerboard, and 60's with rosewood fingerboard. Using of 60's picups with maple fingerboard may give you inconsistent results. But your test shows, interestingly, that ‘63 Veneer Board pickups sound very close to Josefina 50's model. Not being you, as a player, we can say nothing about the difference in feel. But soundwize both sets sound similar to me. But I think, It feels like being at home with Josefina pickups. And a lot of commenters likes Josefina better. There is totally something to my "theory" :) Thank you so very much for your experiments, Rabea!
Josefina's by a mile for full, sweet vintage Strat tone. Reminds me of Clapton's sound all over the Layla record and beyond. Your Strat with the Josefina's is the sweetest one I've heard in ages...all of the other ones have a more muted or muddy tone to my ears.
Josefina's my preference in the comparison. The bends got a nice ring/twang/response to your playing I like and a little more open overall. Dare I say something in between the two sets! Look forward to your take. Liking this little vid exploration series.
Love your playin' Bea!! I know you "steer clear" of playing "slow dancing in a burning room"..but man..I'd love to hear you and the gang, Hannah, Dave, Ben do a take on it. Cheers from the U.S. \,,,/
Great demo !! I've been on a strat tone journey myself for about 3 years now. But primarily just on the neck and middle pups . Landed on Fender custom shop Tex Mex which I really enjoy but those Josefina's sound like I may need to give them a try. Thanks for this Rabea !! Great playing as well !!
Rabea, your such an Awesome player that you can make anything sound Great. I do prefer the Josefinas personally. They just seem to fit the Guitar and sound like they were made for you and the Guitar. God bless my friend and Thank you for taking us on this Journey with you 🎸🎸
Both sound great, but probably prefer the Josefinas. Just curious what humbucker you think would work well with either of these pickups in an HSS Strat?
Both sound great (especially with you playing!) but like many on here, I prefer the Josefinas. But which set are they specifically? Fender CS has a variety of pickup models under the Josefina name, as far as I can tell. (Sorry if this was already answered elsewhere in the 1.1K comments.) Thanks!
Both sound great in your hands Rabea. The Josefina pickups feel a little woolier to me while the Bar Knuckles have a sort of crisp clarity. Which is the "right" choice? I'd say that is entirely a function of what you're looking for in your own sound. If I were choosing for myself, I'd go with the Bare Knuckles (mostly because it's generally pretty easy to add grit/wooliness but you can never create clarity that isn't there to start with).
The Josefinas win for me too. They sound fuller and more crisp and more stratty and makes it sound more like a 50s strat. Plus the history that goes with them as she was trained by Abby. The bare Knuckle Pickups would sound great on a rosewood veneer strat though! Always enjoy your content
Bought my first strat 2 years ago, after 20 years of playing. This is such a confortable and well conceived timeless design. I wish I had done it before. But the pickups are quite not what I'm looking for. I feel like the Josefina should definitely be something to give a go.
You're bang on with your findings... the Bare Knuckle's are considerably warmer.... but (sorry), it's still the Josefina for me too because personally I like the ability to cut instead of boost/add... love to you young man !
Hi Rabea! Big fan of your playing. Great feel & articulation. Congrats! I've got a long ways to go hopefully one day & lots of practice I can be 1/2 as good as you. :) In my opinion (which don't mean much because tone is subjective) I'd have to go with the Josefina pickups. They seem a bit warmer and twangier sounding, notes come alive and hit you in the right spot. The 63 Veneer Board seem Andy Timmons like which by all means is not a bad thing, perhaps a bit more modern sounding. Either way you sound amazing playing through both of them. Can you please let me know the model of the Josefina pickups and if I can purchase them without having to buy a Fender CS Guitar, thank you so much.
To my ears those Josefinas win. Their tone almost seems to have layers.
for me, they sound different but great anyway
there's nothing like an amazing strat tone
Dude LOVE the new Esquire
Robert Baker - oh hey, man. didn’t see you there. 🖐😬 #GerbilShuffle
@@ebathurst9216 uhhh, Esquire?
agreed!
To my ears, the Josefina clips are significantly louder than the clips from the other pickups. Our brains will almost always prefer the louder sound. I would recommend running your clips through a loudness meter and verify the levels are matched before making a decision. Love your videos and your playing, and thanks for taking us along on your tone journey.
This exactly!
Yup. When I turned up the volume to match I preferred the bare knuckles
The Josefinas win IMO. They are a little louder and have more definition and sound more open. But - the rabbit hole is open and very deep!!!
I totally agree
Loudness is always a trick to the human ear.
Do you guys know Josefina set these are? Cheers!
Ultimately proves that the pups/tone are entirely subjective and your choice should be based on personal tastes/experience. The Josefinas I reckon sound more identifiable as 'stratty(?)'. They're familiar in tone to the legends who've played/popularised strats and have some sort of a.. comforting quality about them perhaps? I'll be honest, I love the way they sound. But the 63s sound really solid in your hands. If you don't mind me saying, in my opinion they brought an aspect of your playing out that I'd be quicker as a fan to identify as 'sounding like Bea'. Which equally is satisfying to listen to as a viewer. They give you a specific edge. I'd personally probably be likely to stick with the fender pups, but I honestly think your playing suits the 63s better! Something about them really blends well with your style, the fender pups almost sounded a little harsh in a few places. Obviously it's your call and I realise this probably doesn't help much, if at all. Just my 2p 😂✌️ All the best 😊
100% agree
Still the Josefina for me. The veneer boards sound a bit too polite.
nailed it
I agree with that completely.
Same here.. Those through the VC is amazing..
Hm. Sounds like it's a little less volume on the '63 take though.
Agreed
Spot on.
Rabea...so revisiting this with a note. In the 2 years since I commented last I've experienced (both with a Fender Custom Shop Strat and a Master Built Ron Thorn Tele) what a metal (aluminum) pickguard does to single coils. Apologies for this long post. The Strat had hand wound Fat 60s and I thought they sounded dull and muddy, so I swapped pickups 3 times. Nothing worked. Even my guitar tech was not sure why we couldn't get a clean Strat sound (even removed the tone circuit). It had a lovely anodized pickguard. So, frustrated after a few months, I sold it. Got the Ron Thorn Masterbuilt Tele (with an anodized pickguard). Amazing, except the Josefina wound neck pickup sounded muddy and dull. Switched it to another (bought on Reverb) Josefina hand wound neck pickup...still dull. Removed tone circuit...a little better, but still not like my other Teles. Beyond frustrated I reached out on instagram to Ron Thorn, who responded. He chatted live with me online and asked me to plug the tele into my amp and remove the metal pickguard. As I a slid the pickguard away from the pickup...it sounded clear and articulate and open. Ron said that metal can reduce the overall frequency of the pickup and make it less open. Which is why on the tele, it was only the neck pickup. On the previous Strat..it was ALL the pickups (because the pickguard surrounds all three). Anyway...something I learned and prob why the Bare Knuckle set in this video seems slightly less harmonic than the Joesfinas. Not to say the Josefinas wouldn't still win the comparison, but the metal pickguard will absolutely affect the tone of all three pickups. Wanted to share to anyone watching this great video! Cheers.
To my ears it seems like each take where you go back to the Josafinas it just sounds better in every way.
Do you know what Josafina set these are cheers!
This video was crystal clear for me. The CS Josephinas won hands down and going away. So much fuller and airier and more dynamic. I love the bite you get with them when you dig in that the Bareknuckles just don’t. It’s like there’s a blanket over them in comparison.
Still I think the Josefina set is the best sounding.
me too!
Me too bubz
Yep! Clear to me anyway...warmer and a bit more mids
The custom shop got it right
I agree, the Josefina's are the best.
Definitely the josefinas for me. A lot more clarity with a gritty edge and punch when you need it. They also sounded really nice with your melodic playing 🤘
The Josefinas sound a little fuller to me, with the Bare Knuckles having a bit more bite. That said, they're really very similar and it could just be down to what I perceive to be a slight volume difference between the two clips. Go with what you want, chap.
Your playing is absolutely beautiful on this video. I could honestly listen to your noodling all day.
This is exactly what I wanted to write except you wrote it perfectly I am just going to agree with you 100%
Just put the Josefina's back in and be done with it! Those have much more character if you ask me.
The Josefinas all the wasy! A shoot-out of your 'old' Chapman sig model where you compare the stock pups with the BK Silos would be awesome... maybe even throw in a 3rd option? Thinking of getting a ML3 BEA second hand since I missed the sale on the Chapman website and they're not available anymore. It would go great together with my VX Kraken. BTW, you're my biggest inspiration guitar-wise since I discovered Zakk Wylde when I was 16 :-). Let the power of the riff compell you!
The Josefinas got that grail tone. Hands down winner over and above all in the demos.
I'm just happy to see you playing a Strat 🙂
The lesson here is don’t mess with a Fender custom shop - they’re already superb!!
My 1957 custom shop came with "50s stratocaster single coil pickups" and my nut was made with micarta instead of a bone. But in fairness it was $3500 instead of a $4000 custom shop (one of the cheaper fcs's on sweetwater). Great guitar but i had to go with the barenuckle apache. To me it sounds way better than the 63 and even the josefinas
The fender custom shop are definitely the ones. The barenuckles sound more modern and thinner to me.
IMO, its not even this simple, but it comes down to who made what part. I own a 1969 relic reverse headstock Fender custom shop reissue, and i am lucky they came with Josefinas. Josefina campos is a legend... when I took apart the pickguard to confirm it was hers I was blown away by how tidy and clean all the wiring was, no tight angles, perfect solder joints, no burns anywhere on the cloth wiring, and the sound is simply stellar... nothing comes close for me as well. josefinas ftw every time!
The BN 63's sound draws my ears in to listening and wanting to hear what will come next. The joe's from fender tend to push and attack my senses and there for feel aggressive and a little put off feeling. Probably just me! Either way you decide to go, thanks for the ride and allowing me to enjoy it.
He is an aggressive player at heart and the pickups that offer brighter attack typically suits his style. The other set he had in were Ron Klein Gray Bottoms were really what he was digging into, They were even more treble heavy and louder than the Josephines, arguably the best suited set he tried so far
Man, I dunno if it's just an EQ issue but the Josephinas just sound more harmonically complex and clear, regardless of gain. The Bare Knuckles are great but there's something magical about those Josephinas.
Love those tones, I'm more of a Josefina guy. And I also love the notes you choose to play, makes me think about a Sitar or Egypt. 💙
The copper. What an amp!
I appreciate you releasing this follow up video even after the series. Loved the swapped metallic pick guard and the new pickups were stellar. Just awesome to have the Original set done by the best in the business.
Plot twist, the anodised aluminium scratch plate affects the tone... :)
I was wondering about that.
Absolutely. I have a strat with one and one with a regular plastic guard.
My favorite sounding Strat pickups are mounted on an Auminum Pick Guard.
I actually bought a anodized plate because of this lol. And I also threw in a set of custom shop 69s in my 08' Olympic White roadworn 60s strat and I am in love again........ for now lol 😂 cheers all
Yep it makes a huge difference. Not snake oil stuff it genuine robs top end and bite
I just have to say your playing continually inspires me and leaves me in awe. I saw an ad for a modeling program and had to find your channel. You and Danish Pete are two of my favorite players for sure! Very inspiring to challenge myself.
Up vote a further 4 part series of how you dial your 3-4 “core strat tones” and/or strat vs the world.....how u dial a strat to approximate a tele bridge (clean+crunch) LP crunch tone, a LP neck solo, any others u cook up. You’re a god among youtube midgets Rabea. Bulk love n vibes to u 😎
maybe the best video and best guitar recording i ever saw from you. alive not very processed and you can hear the true sound of the fender and the pickups!!!
I prefer the josefinas but if you want to play something like this ruclips.net/video/BjLVDzWON1I/видео.html the 63 veneer board might be better!!
I like the Josefinas in the neck, middle and particularly bridge because they have a bit more body and warmth. They sound a little bit more congested in the mixed positions though, I prefer the ‘63 Veneer Board for those sounds as the extra sparkle and slightly less midrange helps those sounds speak more. If I was chasing Knopfler it'd be the 63's if I was chasing Hendrix it'd be the Josefinas.
That only really works for one of their guitars. Hendrix, as far as I remember, didn't even turn up in the UK with a guitar - so something off the shelf? An lots after the first year. And Knopfler was on Shecters at one time wasn't he? I think it's incredibly hard to chase down a tone. Don't you remember the time (was it years) that everyone thought Led Zep 1 was recorded using a LP - turned out to be mostly a Tele.
I'm just commenting on how I hear those two sets of pickups in that particular guitar and pointing to some well known sort of strat references. Nothing more. As a guy who spent a long time working in guitar stores & a bit of a notorious pickup swapper, I can certainly attest to the fact that the same set of pickups will sound very different in different in different guitars and what suits one won't neccessarily suit another....depending on taste/user case.
This is the comparison video I was waiting for! Love the tone of your strat through the Copperhead! The Josefinas still sound best IMHO... I was reading comments and everytime I heard a tone I liked and scrolled up, the Josefinas appeared to be in the guitar. They sound awesome, they need to be in that guitar. Sometimes a journey ends with the fact that the guitar already was the best it could be. That's not a waste of time though, it is good being able to realize that!
The Josefina's sound way better to my ears. Maybe it might be different using gainier settings or gainier amps, but for cleans and slightly overdriven sounds, the Josefina's sound so much better.
Whatever makes you happy, that's the most important thing.
I think Josefina. However, they were louder (which human ears tend to associate with better) and I'm not listening on a very high quality device.
If you're happy with the '63's then I guess you're done.
If you're not done, you're probably gonna have to put the Josefina's back in - this would also test if the metal scratch plate is a factor (the '63's sound more attenuated/muffled, to me?). If so, I'd recommend trying to control for as many factors as possible - record some new playing on the '63's, swap pickups, do the same playing on Josefina's. Same amp, same performance, same day, same recording session - only difference is the pickups!
Really enjoyed watching this journey - maybe it has one more episode in it? :-)
Josefina’s sound sweeter with a bit more “life” and articulation. Both sound decent, and everyone’s ear is different but that’s what I would go with.
They've all sounded great because your playing is amazing but I have to say that the bridge of the Josefina was miles away better to my ears. Thanks for including us on your tone journey Bea!
Both sound great but the Josefina's just have something magical about them.
Bro the winner is YOU! Such amazing musicianship God bless you!
Also need to try the Josefina’s in the gold ‘plate as the metal affects the sound through the magnetic field of the pickups...
I mentioned that last vid. Seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
@@ForeverDownByLaw yes, Mick mentioned when he was doing his pickups that he never uses the full pickguard shielding plate, as he thinks it cuts out too much top end. That's pretty much all that Bea IS using on his. His pickguard is the shielding plate.
I would agree. AFAIK, the guitar signal is produced by the metal strings distorting the magnetic field in the pick-up. As the mag field "vibrates" it induces a current in the pup wire. When a magnetic field changes, it sets up eddy currents in anything metal within it scope, and these eddy currents (in the metal scratchplate) will act to oppose the changing mag field - i.e dampening it.
Only one way to find out :)
If the scratch plates is Aluminum as I think your all wrong, Aluminum do not attract magnets, it may react in certain way only with strong magnets like neodymium.
Science is not an opinion 😜
sciencing.com/materials-do-magnets-repel-6872613.html
Upvoting this in the interest of science
Josefina has the most personality. It seems like the best fit for that Strat. Thanks for taking us on your journey!
There's something in the BK's mids that I like. Especially when things get dirtier
The Josefina pickups sound awesome. I have watched the videos. Did I miss it? What Josefina pickups do you have in your strat.
Josefina's! Somethings missing from the Bare Knuckles 3:01 3:10
Jeff G is it a touch of mid-range added in BK?
@@mattflickinger8151 yes could be.
I discovered you this year and you are becoming my favorite player, with Andy Timmons. Your « slow » playing is so bluesy and musical, but in a modern way, and your tone is amazing. You are the only guitar youtuber that I could sat and listen noodle around as if I was listening to an album.🙌🏻
it still seems that there are different settings on audio interface or somewhere else. The Josefina clips sound way more "alive" if I can say. And I believe that this is not due to the pickups.
So, this experiment/jounrey seems like a failure in terms of "science", but hey, there is no evolution without mistakes! After all, you (and us) had a great time =)
I wonder if it is the material of the pick guard?
Ohhhh for me it has to be the Josefina’s. I was happy to jump into this Rabbit Hole with you. I now want a set of them for my fender hotrod 57 Strat.
Rabea , Honestly the Josefinas sound the best. they are more open than the other pick ups besides its Fender, they know what they are doing and the other brands are only trying to copy what Fender has mastered. I would stay with the originals that came with the guitar and call it a day.
Agreed, However, this is Rabeas Journey he’s sharing with us. Ultimately I hope your happy with your decision. You sound amazing, not the pickup.
The Josefinas still are the most pleasing however, they all did sound great ! A lot of the tone still comes from those hands of yours Bea, your technique and style are top shelf brother thanks for the great videos keep them coming for us Cheers
The Josephine is tastier.
Rabea, for an exquisite expressive player like you this question is worth asking and I would say the BK's sound best. For most of us knuckle headed pentatonic plonkers it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference! Great journey dude. Stay safe.
They both sound great, but I'd say the Josefina's take the win on this.
I’m for the Josefina’s too. They are just so right in that guitar.
Josephinas: they have an attitude, are warm, and just sound like a strat.
All the pickups sounded good in their own way. I've watched enough of your videos to notice that you do have a liking for a clean, expansive, ethereal Strat sounds. That is something the Josefina's can deliver, but the other's can't. It's easy to add breakup, overdrive, dirt, etc. to your tone with a pedal. You can't make a dirty pickup sound clean unless you turn the pots way down, but then you give up on the rich tones you get by having the pots wide open. If you want those beautiful clean tones, then of the pickups you've tested, I think the Josefina's would be the best choice. Thanks for sharing your tone journey, which many of us have made numerous times.
There are no such things like mistakes: it's called learning...
those are "happy little accidents" :)
@@Roni8848 Well Bea almost has the Bob Ross hair.
Josephina sounds more “straty”, if it makes sense.
Aren’t BK on the big dipper side? More Mayer
this was an experiment, not a mistake. Its a mistake when you are tired and you put gasoline in a diesel car ...you dont learn anything from that. You already know what to do, but you fk it up anyway because you are tired.
@@marcorosasnet I absolutely agree, that's just more midrange i think.
Rebea... even the cheapest Strat sounds awesome in your hands. I so much love your style!
I really like the Joesfina's. They seem more tonally rich in every aspect. Great playing as always!
There is something so likeable about rabea! If you keep churning out content mate your channel will be massive in the music world :)
Hello rabea hehe Can you heart this again please♥️
Good job you subtitled which pickups you were using as I lost track. Fell down the rabbit hole of your playing. I do like the Josaphinas though. Having said that I'm no expert.
Josephina hands down. Bare Knuckles sound "held back" somehow.
I absolutely agree - i have these BK's on my strat, and you have to be careful with the setup you run your guitar through
@@Gjuby in what way ?
It's amazing being able to close my eyes and hear that crystalline snap from the Josafinas and feel the creamy warmth of the Bare Knuckles as the difference is clear to me. Thank you for the spec talk at the beginning as well, I have never gotten a good grasp on Aug differences on pickups and would love to hear more of these hyper focused A B tests between different brands
I've learned after spending WAY too much currency on this stuff, that it's best to let a strat just be in its natural state. One strat can't be all strats. It's better to own multiple strats for different duties.
Yep. I own three strats and i'm not even a fender guy.
They just all sounded different.
in complete agreement. just enjoy the fact that they sound different and buy them all
You had "THE" face when playing the Mother's Milk set and it's the only set that gave you "THE" face.. I think it's "THE" sign.. 😉
That set on that guitar is one of the best strat sounds I ever heard, guitar singing at each pickup position, harmonics resonating all over the register..
Pure Love !!
Love and Light to you and your dear ones Bea ✨✨✨
The Josefina sound better to me. Very “straty” without being ice picky.
From Leo: Great sounding rig with either set. Great playing skills too. I prefer the bare knuckle '63 tones. Having lots of good choices is a fine thing.
Experiments like this with pickups are never wasted time, it just gives you a better idea of what you don’t like, more than what you do like. Plus it gives you something to do while we are all in quarantine! Be well, my friend!
Love those Josefinas ! killer pickups
Josefina all the way. Makes you play with more grit, too. Phenomenal playing as always!
Bea, i added a shielding plate to one of my strats and it made the pickups a bit more 'juicy' sounding. try adding a fender shielding plate! :)
Hey Rabea, really enjoyed this series. It's come along at a perfect time for me, I'm just starting a similar journey myself. Thanks for this!
by the way, this was the best of the series. very pure recorded tone! thanks
Cool journey Rabea.. keep the neck pu of the veneer boards, mid and bridge definately the Josephinas ( if it combines....)
The josefinas are great sounding. I would have bet one the others would have won. Looks like I was wrong. Great video series btw. Thanks for making them. Enjoyed watching and listening
I know you are a ‘heavy dude’, but I do love hear you play this way on a Strat (often listen to your Timberlake).
Wow mate, you're a lucky guy! Both sound amazing, I'm not sure I'd pick one as "better"than the other. They each have their own nuances, sure; but I'd be happy with the clean sound either can deliver. If you get too "cork-sniffy", you might waste a lot of time for minuscule improvements - and there are just so many tone-shaping options out there left to explore. Of course, it's you that has to be satisfied with the results before the quest ends, (if it does!) I do hope you find yourself enjoying the journey.
U can tell how each set of pickups inspires u to play in different ways. Each set inspires a different approache. Either way, be glad 2 B blessed with the fortune to have both or one. Nice playing.
And I'll throw in my two cents.. or pence, I really dig the BK. The Josefina's are killer, but I think you should try out the Bare Knucks for awhile and see how you dig em, since you were previously not as happy with the original pick ups. but also, would love a 5th episode. Really inspiring to see someone with the means and resources try all these changes. I've made one pick up change in my Strat, but love watching you and Mick fall down the rabbit hole together! Cheers from SF Bay Area CA
Josefina are so warm! But man for me u have an incredible sound even without pickup
They both sound great, the Josefina’s have a slight edge I like. Rabea your looking fit and healthy brother. Keep it up!
No such things as mistakes, you just confirmed which is the best pickups for your ear. Job done, enjoy the journey.
You didnt make a mistake, just went on an adventure and came back full circle! ;)
Thanks Rabea, Much love
All the pickups you put in that guitar have sounded great. It's been three different flavors of EXCELLENT strat sound. Take your pick. They are all winners
Thank you for another great comparisson! Love your playing, Rabea!
I've got a "theory", that maple fingerboard and rosewood fingerboard have totally different character (Attack, middlerange, very liquid sound with maple, mid scooping with rosewood), and Leo Fender optimized pickups to get best (full ? consistent? ) tone for the type of fingerboard.
And it's a good idea to use 50's type of pickups with maple fingerboard, and 60's with rosewood fingerboard. Using of 60's picups with maple fingerboard may give you inconsistent results.
But your test shows, interestingly, that ‘63 Veneer Board pickups sound very close to Josefina 50's model. Not being you, as a player, we can say nothing about the difference in feel. But soundwize both sets sound similar to me.
But I think, It feels like being at home with Josefina pickups. And a lot of commenters likes Josefina better.
There is totally something to my "theory" :)
Thank you so very much for your experiments, Rabea!
Josefina's by a mile for full, sweet vintage Strat tone. Reminds me of Clapton's sound all over the Layla record and beyond. Your Strat with the Josefina's is the sweetest one I've heard in ages...all of the other ones have a more muted or muddy tone to my ears.
Josefina's my preference in the comparison. The bends got a nice ring/twang/response to your playing I like and a little more open overall. Dare I say something in between the two sets! Look forward to your take. Liking this little vid exploration series.
Love your playin' Bea!! I know you "steer clear" of playing "slow dancing in a burning room"..but man..I'd love to hear you and the gang, Hannah, Dave, Ben do a take on it. Cheers from the U.S. \,,,/
Josefina rules! I got them on my 56 strat and sounds amazing. Nice video.
Great demo !! I've been on a strat tone journey myself for about 3 years now. But primarily just on the neck and middle pups . Landed on Fender custom shop Tex Mex which I really enjoy but those Josefina's sound like I may need to give them a try. Thanks for this Rabea !! Great playing as well !!
Rabea, your such an Awesome player that you can make anything sound Great. I do prefer the Josefinas personally. They just seem to fit the Guitar and sound like they were made for you and the Guitar.
God bless my friend and Thank you for taking us on this Journey with you 🎸🎸
Both sound great, but probably prefer the Josefinas. Just curious what humbucker you think would work well with either of these pickups in an HSS Strat?
Bea, which Josephina set are those? Fat 50’s? 60’s? They sound great. Huge fan of your music and style of play.
Cheers
BK 63 V fits your expression better mate. It truly speaks your dynamics and your musical message comes across more emotionally
Both sound great (especially with you playing!) but like many on here, I prefer the Josefinas. But which set are they specifically? Fender CS has a variety of pickup models under the Josefina name, as far as I can tell. (Sorry if this was already answered elsewhere in the 1.1K comments.) Thanks!
Both sound great in your hands Rabea. The Josefina pickups feel a little woolier to me while the Bar Knuckles have a sort of crisp clarity. Which is the "right" choice? I'd say that is entirely a function of what you're looking for in your own sound. If I were choosing for myself, I'd go with the Bare Knuckles (mostly because it's generally pretty easy to add grit/wooliness but you can never create clarity that isn't there to start with).
Love it Brother, only thing I would suggest is an aged pair of PU covers, the white is a bit striking on the gold. I'm sure Mick has a few extra 😉
The Josefinas win for me too. They sound fuller and more crisp and more stratty and makes it sound more like a 50s strat. Plus the history that goes with them as she was trained by Abby. The bare Knuckle Pickups would sound great on a rosewood veneer strat though! Always enjoy your content
i am learning so much from this series. totally love it 🙌🏽
Hi Rabea. Have you considered trying the 63 Veeners with the original scratchplate? You could get interesting results in my opinion.
Bought my first strat 2 years ago, after 20 years of playing. This is such a confortable and well conceived timeless design. I wish I had done it before. But the pickups are quite not what I'm looking for. I feel like the Josefina should definitely be something to give a go.
Looking great mate!!
Great Review!!!awsome tone by the way what type of custom shop josefina?fat 50 s /60 s ....thanks
Nice video man. In my head a custom shop fender should come with the "right" pickups, so it kinda makes sense
Those Josefina pickups sound great...is there a way to order them? Do you know the specs? Cheers!
You're bang on with your findings... the Bare Knuckle's are considerably warmer.... but (sorry), it's still the Josefina for me too because personally I like the ability to cut instead of boost/add... love to you young man !
Hi Rabea! Big fan of your playing. Great feel & articulation. Congrats! I've got a long ways to go hopefully one day & lots of practice I can be 1/2 as good as you. :)
In my opinion (which don't mean much because tone is subjective) I'd have to go with the Josefina pickups. They seem a bit warmer and twangier sounding, notes come alive and hit you in the right spot. The 63 Veneer Board seem Andy Timmons like which by all means is not a bad thing, perhaps a bit more modern sounding.
Either way you sound amazing playing through both of them.
Can you please let me know the model of the Josefina pickups and if I can purchase them without having to buy a Fender CS Guitar, thank you so much.