Description
Bare Knuckle Halcyon 6-String Humbucker Set in Black Gloss with Dual Rails. Mike Stringer signature pickup model. This set features tri-tab mounting feet and 4-conductor wiring
Thinking outside the box: Halcyon
Halcyon humbuckers were born out of an intense R&D session with Mike Stringer, Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood and Tim Mills during a stopover in the UK on Mike’s intense Spiritbox touring schedule. The brief was to create a humbucker set designed primarily for 7 string guitars tuned down to F# and to embrace not only Mike’s massive driven tone, but also his unique approach to using bridge and neck pickups together for his clean tones.
The die was cast and Mike went back on tour for some heavy beta testing. By the end of the run all of Mike’s live guitars featured the new Halcyon pickups. Halcyons are built on a twin blade pole design which allows for even string to string balance, no matter the string gauge or tuning, whilst being extremely practical for multi-scale fitment too. The bridge is powered by a trio of custom size ceramic magnets which help to control the bottom end response, working in conjunction with the hot wind to deliver an incredibly dialled in mid-range and high end attack. Utilizing a more moderate wind, the neck pickup is powered by an isotropic Alnico V magnet to increase dynamic headroom and combine with the bridge for Mike’s ambient clean tones. Both pickups are designed to have exceptional coil split tones and work equally well wired in parallel.
“The Halcyons suit Mike’s style and needs perfectly. The bridge is an outrageous riff machine with unreal output, aggressive attack and masses of taut low end that give single note riffing satisfying thickness, while not overwhelming the clarity of the ultra-low chugs Mike is known for. The neck lives in another sonic dimension with a woody and bright, but not spiky voice, refined to combine with the bridge for Mike’s signature, almost slap bass-like, clean parts.
During the R&D session with Mike we knew these were the pickups for him when he fell about laughing with glee as he tried them… trying them myself I could see why: the sheer power of the sound they produce is so addictive, and hearing your playing come back at you with such attitude and drive regardless of how low you tune is an experience you really need to have to understand!” Nolly
“The Halcyons are everything I’ve been looking for in a set of pickups. Working with Tim and Nolly, we’ve been able to come up with something very special, an extremely high output pickup that almost reacts like an active. I’ve been through many different passive, and active, sets over and beyond the last decade, and I can confidently say these are perfect for my needs. From crushingly heavy tones, to glassy cleans, I get everything out of them without compromise. Playing primarily in low tunings, I’m always aiming to get the most clear and consistent tone, so I can sit in the mix where I need to. The Halcyons do a lot of the heavy lifting, making it so I can run low gain on my amp, and get the regular amount of push and clarity that lower output pickups don’t usually provide.” Mike
Halcyon humbuckers are all hand wound and assembled by hand at the Bare Knuckle workshops in Cornwall U.K., and are available with the full range of Bare Knuckle humbucker colours as well as custom finishes, blade colours and covers.
The Axe Palace is an authorized dealer of Bare Knuckle Pickups and has been for 15 years. We have installed hundreds of their pickups into an incredible variety of guitars over the years. Give us a call if you have any questions or are looking for recommendations for your guitar’s next upgrade. (508) 921-9973
