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Pickup on a 3-string CBG

I have a 6-pole pickup that I bought from ebay and am intending on using on my first 3-string CBG project.

I am building it along the lines of the 'How To build a 3-string pdf' in the free plans section.

The neck is now finished and I have begun to realise a flaw in my plan - the pickup is going to be too deep meaning that I will have too thin a strip of wood beneath the pickup to give enough strength to the the through-neck. I will know for sure once I have test strung it up without glueing anything but I'm pretty sure that will be the case.

Does anyone have suggestions for how I could go about solving this problem? If I can't I will probably just use a piezo as I have done before in the diddley bows that I've made but I really would like to try a pickup out.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by KaptnKen on August 17, 2010 at 8:55am

If you have a scrap left over of what you used for the neck, you could glue that under the neck section that's in the box for support. If the box is deep enough it would be best to glue it skinny side up...if that makes sense.

Permalink Reply by J-Hob on August 17, 2010 at 9:26am

I do have some ideal scrap left over, not sure why I didn't think of that myself - cheers for the advice!

Permalink Reply by JUJU on August 17, 2010 at 11:44am

what you need is one of these :) - slimline Rail Pickups - surface mount - full wood construction and a total height of 10mm - will fit either a Three of Four string even a five and maybe a six - rail length 50mm

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on August 17, 2010 at 12:06pm

juju, that is one stupid pretty pickup!!! the best, Sam
JUJU AKA SOUNDSSOGOOD said:

what you need is one of these :) - slimline Rail Pickups - surface mount - full wood construction and a total height of 10mm - will fit either a Three of Four string even a five and maybe a six - rail length 50mm

Permalink Reply by JUJU on August 17, 2010 at 12:34pm

Thanks Sam - They sound great too - Randy Rooster has just bought four from me he can't get enough of them :)- i just have two left now !
Cheers mate
juju.

Permalink Reply by Pilgrim on August 17, 2010 at 7:34pm

Very nice pickup, how did you make it?

Permalink Reply by Naz Nomad on August 17, 2010 at 11:28pm

Lee Fields said:

Very nice pickup, how did you make it?

Step 1: Purchase an old steel-works and convert it into a Mad-Scientist's Research & Development Lair ...

... when you've done that, come back and I'll tell you Step 2. :-)

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on August 18, 2010 at 1:10am

juju,

if you decide to make another batch, put me on your waiting list.... let me know price.... the b est, Sam

JUJU AKA SOUNDSSOGOOD said:

Thanks Sam - They sound great too - Randy Rooster has just bought four from me he can't get enough of them :)- i just have two left now !
Cheers mate
juju.

Permalink Reply by JUJU on August 18, 2010 at 11:13am

Well to be honest it's more dedication than anything because there a real pain to make thats why i only make a few - i cant go into exact details on the construction because !
Thanks for your comment
juju :)

Lee Fields said:

Very nice pickup, how did you make it?

Permalink Reply by J-Hob on August 19, 2010 at 1:38am

A few pics of the build in its current state are up here: http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/albums/3stringers-2

You can see the lump of wood I glued to the back of the neck so that I can rout into the first layer to fit the pickup.

Hopefully I can get it finished tonight. Just soundhole to cut pickup to install and wire up, machine heads to fit and a bit of set up left.

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on August 27, 2010 at 3:42pm

Listen guys, I bot one of these pickups from JuJu. It arrived today and it is prettier in person than even the picture. It is drop dead amazing. I wasn't planning on building any time soon, but now.... I just got to design something special to build around this work of art. If you can arm twist JuJu into building one for you, you will not be sad at all. JuJu, thanks for the pup. I'll do my best to build a great CBG around it..... the best, Sam
Wichita Sam said:

juju, that is one stupid pretty pickup!!! the best, Sam

JUJU AKA SOUNDSSOGOOD said:

what you need is one of these :) - slimline Rail Pickups - surface mount - full wood construction and a total height of 10mm - will fit either a Three of Four string even a five and maybe a six - rail length 50mm

Permalink Reply by JUJU on August 27, 2010 at 11:23pm

Hey Sam Glad to hear you got the pickup safe and sound and your pleased with it :) Thanks for your kind words - i must admit the rail pickups are a mission to make but once made they look BOSS and sound cool cant wait to see what you build around it keep me posted Thanks for your custom mate much appriciated juju :)
Wichita Sam said:

Listen guys, I bot one of these pickups from JuJu. It arrived today and it is prettier in person than even the picture. It is drop dead amazing. I wasn't planning on building any time soon, but now.... I just got to design something special to build around this work of art. If you can arm twist JuJu into building one for you, you will not be sad at all.

JuJu, thanks for the pup. I'll do my best to build a great CBG around it..... the best, Sam

Wichita Sam said:

juju, that is one stupid pretty pickup!!! the best, Sam

JUJU AKA SOUNDSSOGOOD said:

what you need is one of these :) - slimline Rail Pickups - surface mount - full wood construction and a total height of 10mm - will fit either a Three of Four string even a five and maybe a six - rail length 50mm