Tone Test of the Bare Knuckle Black Dog Humbuckers by Dan Stevens
Compare
Bare Knuckle Black Dog vs Bare Knuckle VHII
Bare Knuckle Black Dog
bridge humbucker
89 match
high confidence
Bare Knuckle VHII
bridge humbucker
Compared with the Bare Knuckle Black Dog, the Bare Knuckle VHII has hotter output and scooped mids.
Specs side by side
differs marks specs where they part ways| Spec | Bare Knuckle Black Dog | Bare Knuckle VHII |
|---|---|---|
| DC resistancediffers | 9.4k | 8.9k |
| Inductancediffers | 5.03 H (measured, 1 reading) | 5.67 H (measured, 1 reading) |
| Magnet | Alnico 5 | Alnico 5 |
| Coil | Hum-cancelling | Hum-cancelling |
| Bass (tone chart)differs | 6 / 10 | 5 / 10 |
| Mids (tone chart)differs | 8 / 10 | 6 / 10 |
| Treble (tone chart) | 7 / 10 | 7 / 10 |
| Slot | bridge humbucker | bridge humbucker |
| Traits | vintage output, mid-forward | moderate output |
How close on each spec
100 means identical on that spec. The score weighs these, and counts anything we couldn't compare as a typical difference. How scoring works
Output
83
measured inductance
Magnet
100
both Alnico 5
Coil
100
same coil type
Brightness
100
tone charts on the same scale
Mids
67
tone charts on the same scale
Bass
83
tone charts on the same scale
Videos
Bare Knuckle Black Dog
Bare Knuckle Pickups Official : Bruce Dickinson Black Dog/ Riff Raff
Bare Knuckle VHII
VHII Humbucker Set Tone Test with Dan Stevens
Bare Knuckle Pickups VHII demonstration by Dan Stevens
What players and reviewers say
On the Bare Knuckle Black Dog
“I had some hesitation going in, since descriptors like “deep” and “smooth” often mean muddy or sluggish.”
“It’s bright enough to cut, thick enough to punch, and never strays into brittle harshness.”
On the Bare Knuckle VHII
“As Eddie Van Halen's playing evolved through the 80s, his tone became more open and articulate because his technique demanded a voice that could keep up.”
“Raising the pickup adds additional punch and midrange authority.”