Triptych: The Power of Three.
14th April 2023
Unveiling the new Rabea Massaad signature single coil set.
Following on from the incredible success of the Rabea Massaad Silo signature humbuckers it was only logical to work on a set of pickups for another of Rabea’s favourite squeezes, the Strat.
We are beyond excited to announce the release of Rabea’s next signature pickup set, the Triptych single coil set for Strat.
This is the 12th addition to the Bare Knuckle signature range, a huge milestone for us in our 20th anniversary year, and we couldn’t be prouder to mark the event by working with Rabea again on this exciting single coil set.
Rabea is renowned worldwide for creating absolutely massive guitar tones through his work as a music producer and live performer. His enviable finger tone, technique and phrasing is instantly recognisable on the multitude of recordings he’s been involved with. It was on the run up to Rabea’s "Totemist" project that we initially started talking about where we could take his Strat in terms of breaking new ground tonally; the seed for Triptych was planted.
Over a year of R&D and beta testing went into creating the Triptych set, with the final prototype coils being put to the test on numerous records and sessions. We settled on a unique combination of using original vintage-spec Alnico III magnets in the bridge coil and Alnico V on the middle and neck with coils of 42 AWG plan enamel wire, which are, as always, scatter-wound by hand.
In addition to the specially balanced coil windings we opted for zinc plated steel baseplates specifically on the bridge and neck coils to further add depth and a touch more output.
It was this individual approach that gave Rabea access to all the classic woody vintage Strat tones he loves, but also the versatility to be able to push the boundaries of Strat single coil tone into uncharted territories for super heavy fuzz-drenched riffing and searing single note work.
“For me, the perfect Strat tone has been an ongoing journey for the last few years, and I’m happy to say that the journey has ended with the Triptych single coils!
I wanted to create a set of pickups that would satisfy my love for early to mid '60s Strat tones, referencing guys like SRV, John Mayer and Philip Sayce, but also provide enough depth, power and clarity for me to play heavier music and chunky riffs!
The Triptychs do this with ease and I couldn’t be happier!
Thank you Tim & Bare Knuckle Pickups!” Rabea Massaad.
Be sure to check out Bea’s jaw dropping play through of the Triptych coils, we absolutely guarantee you’ll have not heard a Strat played like this before!
