The medium-output pickups feature unoriented alnico V magnets and feature four conductor hookup for a wide range of wiring and coil-splitting options
(Image credit: Bare Knuckle)
British boutique pickup brand Bare Knuckle has teamed up with former Periphery member and all-round production wizard Adam "Nolly" Getgood for a set of signature electric guitar pickups – the Polymath.
Available as either single neck/bridge pickups or as a complete set, the Polymath humbuckers are dubbed by the brand as “an antidote to scooped, harsh or boomy tones” and aim to offer up everything from classic cleans to brutal chugs.
Of course, these are Getgood's pickups, and so such bold claims of boundary-blending tones probably aren’t wide of the mark, especially given Nolly’s own sonic repertoire.
In action, the bridge humbucker seeks to serve up chunky attack and harmonic richness tuned to bringing out the nuances in your picking, while the neck pickup is all about deep, woody cleans and articulate gains.
Check out the video below to hear the Polymath pickups in action.
Said to be suitable for any solidbody and semi-hollow guitar that requires depth and control, both the neck and the bridge humbuckers feature an unoriented alnico V magnet, with the latter carrying a DC resistance of 14.2 kiloohms. The neck pickup, meanwhile, has a DC resistance of 11.9 kiloohms.
The medium output pickups can also come equipped with a choice of custom finishes and covers, including Getgood’s own Nolly-style etching.
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And, in terms of assimilating them into your own rig, the Polymath’s feature four conductor hookup, meaning a whole load of wiring options – including coil splitting – are available. Possible configurations include parallel-coil sounds, which are said to be situated somewhere between "hot Tele single-coils and P-90s".
(Image credit: Bare Knuckle)
“When I was just starting to put myself out there,” said Getgood, “Tim (Mills, Bare Knuckle founder) was probably the first industry person to give me the time of day and to offer some support and that’s something I’m incredibly grateful for to this day.
“I’ve been lucky to have had a fair bit of involvement with Bare Knuckle over the years,” he continued. “I’ve gone from demoing the pickups to being on the development for some of the signature pickups for other artists.
“It’s just a dream come true to be able to work on a pickup set of my own this time, especially given Tim’s incredible ear and experience, the quality of what Bare Knuckle do and our long history.
"I can’t thank Tim enough for the opportunity and I really hope those that choose Polymath sets for their guitars feel the pickups speak their musical language."
There are no official US prices, though the neck and bridge pickups are both available for £186 each, or as a set for £358.80.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
