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Anyone know which Duncan pickups are similar to Bardens? I'm talking about Bardens like the ones in the Gatton Tele, or something that could be used in a Strat.

I don't think you can even buy Bardens anymore, but I'm a fan of SD pups and heard someone that has a nice sounding set of Bardens in a custom Sadowski with three pickups.

Maybe Cool Rails or Vintage Rails? Others?

Tremelo- Nice to hear from another barden lover- I havent found anything very close to them out there, but the good news is the search brought me here and I have found a lot of other nice pups as a result of this board!

Someone needs to take a barden apart to figure out what he was doing, but at 500 a set no ones likely to do this soon- Here's what I've learned-

If you are looking for the range of modernish clarity and classic strat sounds that the barden S deluxes brought to the table, the cool rail is the closest thing that SD seems to make and the crusier seems to be the closest that Dmarzio makes-

The crusier is hotter and must have a few more winds because its warmer as well- Doesnt have quite the chime, but it drives well and cleans up ok, so it's a very useful pup-

The crusier on the other hand sounds about the same output as the bardens, and it's pretty detailed, but it's no where as 'thick' as a barden- With both rails on my, bardens sound very close to a minbucker while the crusier is more strat like- When you roll of the second rail of the bardens they get very strat quacky, while the crusier mainly looses some bass. the crusier will never be 'thick' but I kind of like it in the middle strat position.

I've been told that the lawrence blades are a bit more bardenish, but i've only used the full size blades so not a comparison- Of course, there's a whole world of good tele and stat pups out there including good noise canceling-

But I live in that rolled off 2nd rail space, and have found nothing very close to it- clearly there is a space here for some boutique that wants $500 plus for a set!

Hope to hear what you learn on your journey-
Cheers

there is no other pickup in the world that sounds like a Joe Barden...Duncan makes some damn fine pickups as do several other companies but no body does anything like a Barden...if you want that sounds, save your lunch money and find a set of Bardens.

Interesting... $500 per set? I won't be owning them anytime soon, i.e. not in this lifetime!

I'm contemplating building a two-pickup semihollow Tele with a set of HBs that sound good clean. I was thinking of a full-sized parallel axis '59 at the bridge and something Strat-sized at the neck. A Barden type I thought would go nicely.

Maybe a set of hum-cancelling pups designed for the standard Tele form-factor.

Or maybe two full sized HBs.

What happened to Barden? Far as I can tell, there aren't any Barden pickups being made. Zat true? Is that why they're so expensive?

Bardens... nothing else is like them, sorry to say.

Comparing a Barden to anything, is like comparing a Polytone to a Crate.

Has anyone tried the GFS Barden knockoff?

I've heard the only similarities are cosmetic.

JUST GET THE BARDENS - nothing sounds quite like a BARDEN. They have fullness and midrange but still sound like a TELE.

All indications are that Bardens are not being made. (website's down, listed as not available on sites that sold them, etc) Maybe he's making them OEM for people like Sadowsky.

Soooo, that makes it hard to buy them.

Sooooooo... I'm intereseted in the next best thing.

Since it seems one can't buy Bardens these days.

Unless you know where they are sold. That would be useful information.

But that's why I was asking about alternatives.

I already know they're good.

Trem-
Back to what you are looking for, I may have missed it, but what styles do you play and can you describe what you are looking for? 59 in the bridge would probably be a good humb sound, but what wood and F board? Obviously wll not be very tele like-

On the neck, if you want rails, I would have no trouble recomending the cool rails if you are on the blues or rock side of the house- I think the cruiser woudl be a better choice for cleaner, countryish sounds-

hmmm that's tough ummmmmmmmmm wow
I mean Bardens are very one of a kind, as Danny Gatton would tell you, gGod rest his soul.

ummmmm EMGs are too perfect, but you can get some circuit styles that might kinda simulate it. Hmmmm the Virtual HOT T's from Dimarzio are amazing, but not as middy as bardens. The neck model needs some extra space in the pickguard. A cool rail might kinda do it, because a HOT RAIL might be too hot and too middy. Not sure what neck duncan would offer to give you the barden sound.

wow, am I no help or what?

Nice to hear so many Barden nuts! I know we're out there because I find them left and right with many of the best players I run into.

But since everyone else is recomending pups, maybe we should ask SD to build a Barden like pup for us...

Of course, I'm just kidding, SD needs to build whatever works best accross the board, and by definiation, I think we are a relateively small little niche-

But I'm glad we know what we like!

Anyone know what happened to Joe? Getting him back in the game would be the best answer-

I play Ramp;B. Mostly Fenders (strats) since the mid 60s.

I have a PRS Soapbar that I modified with Seth Lover Antiquities. It has a great jazz sound with the neck pickup and does a fabulous snarly Bluesbreaker thing with the bridge.

I'm looking for something more jazzy, a semi-hollowbody sound.

Probably use a korina/ebony neck and mahogany hollowed or thinline body. I built a Strat with that neck and it has a great resonant tone that's uncharacteristic of Strats.

If Bardens are scarce or simply unavailable, I might just go with a PA '59 Trembucker for the bridge, leaving the neck position open for something complimentary in a single coil size.

The Dimarzio might be interesting for a neck pickup.

Trem- Yeah, the clean to light crunch space is right in the middle of Barden space, but agreed that they wont be affordable in the near future-

Good luck and interested in hearing what you fidn out there!

I haven't personally tried them, but I've heard that some players are happy with the GFS versions......I think they're called Lil Punchers??

They're cheap enough that it's worth a try, and if you don't like them, you'll only lose about $5 or $10 by passing them along. Try'em out, and come back and give a review. I've been curious about those myself.

I just found the auction by guitarfetish. I think the Lil Hot Punchers would sound too hot, but the vintage types are closer to Bardens. Just my assumption.

from : localhost/cgi.ebay.com/Calibrated-Set-T...QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks. I'll check them out.