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Bare Knuckle VHII vs DiMarzio Mo' Joe

high confidence

We found no spec differences between them worth calling out.

Specs side by side

differs marks specs where they part ways
SpecBare Knuckle VHIIDiMarzio Mo' Joe
DC resistancediffers7.9k9.76k
Inductancediffers4.83 H (measured, 1 reading)5.16 H (compiled)
MagnetAlnico 5Alnico 5
CoilHum-cancellingHum-cancelling
Bass (tone chart)differsEach maker grades its own chart, so read these within a brand5 / 104 / 10
Mids (tone chart)differsEach maker grades its own chart, so read these within a brand6 / 105.5 / 10
Treble (tone chart)differsEach maker grades its own chart, so read these within a brand7 / 104.5 / 10
Slotdiffersneck humbuckerhumbucker
Traitsvintage outputvintage 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
91
measured inductance
Magnet
100
both Alnico 5
Coil
100
same coil type
Brightness
92
each against its maker's average
Mids
95
each against its maker's average
Bass
97
each against its maker's average

Videos

Bare Knuckle VHII

DiMarzio Mo' Joe

What players and reviewers say

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.”
Darth Phineas · Jul 29, 2026Darth Phineas ↗ (opens in a new tab)
“Raising the pickup adds additional punch and midrange authority.”
Darth Phineas · Jul 29, 2026Darth Phineas ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Everything on the Bare Knuckle VHII →

On the DiMarzio Mo' Joe

“Mo Joe is a Fred but a little hotter, more aggressive, and has slightly less highs.”
alex1fly · 2008-07-21Seymour Duncan forum ↗ (opens in a new tab)
“It has an aggressive presence but somehow it's smooth and not too bright just like the Mo Joe, except without the lower midrange quality the Mo Joe has..”
UberMetalDood · 2011-05-13Seymour Duncan forum ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Everything on the DiMarzio Mo' Joe →

Full reviews