Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Skeesix on December 26, 2015 at 5:04am

Some kind of Strat style single coil should fit the bill. 

They are on the tall side, so be aware that you'll need to add some extra wood to the neck inside the box, and also extending and inch or two beyond the box (something that looks like a neck heel) to accommodate a pickup which is placed close to the neck. 

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on December 26, 2015 at 11:01am

I've tried a little of everything in mag pickups and for my money you can't beat the Gitty "Toaster" gold humbuckers. I use them for clean sound with basically zero hum and for some pretty heavy overdrive distortion. I've come to the point it is the only mag I want to use.

Check them out Toaster Buckers

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Permalink Reply by Sean on December 26, 2015 at 12:03pm

For blues and early rock, you can't really go wrong with a P-90, a gold foil style pickup, or the lipstick you mention. They are all single coil, pretty sure all three are under $20. P 90 will have a little more thick sound in the neck, the gold foil demos I've heard are more lo fi, and a lipstick will be more chimey or bright sounding. I prefer P 90's for single coils, they just sound like the early blues and rock pickup to me.

You can always use a different pickup in your next one!

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Permalink Reply by Jim Saraceno on December 27, 2015 at 1:49pm

Thanks for the info. It sounds like I can't hardly go wrong with any of them.

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Permalink Reply by Sean on December 27, 2015 at 7:36pm

You really can't. Unless you have a preference in guitar pickups or are going for a really specific sound; i.e. you love Texas blues and want two or three Strat pickups, etc. I used pickups I had in my parts bin for my first two builds, and they sound fine. It was only after that my guitar - bass pickup OCD kicked in and I started doing builds around specific pickups or sounds I wanted.

The nice thing about CBG's is that they are one of a kind, home made instruments. Like Wayfinder says above, there's something about the whole thing that makes any pickup you're happy with perfect for your own personal instrument.

I have pickups that cost  $6 (Chinese Strat - CBG style), $15 (Delta Grooves diddley bow single coil-single pole), and $40 (Guitar Fetish / GFS Wild Dog mini humbucker), and piezos I built for free out of junk, and I'm happy with the sounds of all of them. And the one guitar I don't like the pickup in, I'm upgrading to a humbucker.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on December 27, 2015 at 3:45pm

As far as sound goes, single coils are brighter. They can cut threw with a good crisp sound. Humbuckers have a richer midrange and less highs. Gives them a midrange punch that also cuts threw both live and recorded music. The P90 and P13 are fat single coils. They lay somewhere between a single coil and a humbucker. 

If you can go to a music store and play both single and humbukers  threw the same amp. Undistorted so you can really hear the difference for your yourself. 

Here's a good vid that really demos the difference well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88-ENIlfTZI

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Permalink Reply by Bristol Blue on December 27, 2015 at 5:00pm

You may also consider a good Telecaster neck pick up..... Not heard one in a CBG,  but it is certainly an awesome sounding pickup in my Amercian Vintage '52 Tele. Clean or with moderate distortion it's really underated and is ideal for Blues especially if you're like me and aren't really a pedal user. It's really quite expressive without being really "loud" . Strat pickups IMO can sound very thin in some situations - even in a good Strat !  P90's are a sensible & cool choice, "soapbar" or "dog ear" . If hum cancellation is a must, Gibson also make (or did?) a P100 which is basically a mini humbucker like the old Les Paul Deluxe had but in a P90 casing ... Anyone tried Rickenbacker pickups in a CBG?

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Permalink Reply by Bristol Blue on December 27, 2015 at 5:10pm

Huh ? Ricky pickups are not that expensive.... My 330 came fitted with 2 free with the guitar ! ;-)

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Permalink Reply by john mackay on December 27, 2015 at 11:40pm

I've bought a chinese bass pickup(you get 2) for about 5 uk pounds.

I've split them and used both  on my guitars ,they sound lovely.

as for flat pups I'd only used them on solid guitars but for box type such as cbg's either a piezo or a single coil pickup etc.

I would say that the single coil pickup does sound better than a piezo.

everybody has their own opinion on what sound good to them.

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Permalink Reply by john mackay on December 28, 2015 at 5:17am

the reason is cost. paying $50 plus is a bit much for me to swallow.

I dont mind paying if its a one off like my olive guitar but not for box's.

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Permalink Reply by Bristol Blue on December 28, 2015 at 8:18am

$50  - $150 for quality pickups ? Everything in the USA is half price.. ah yes it's because anything worth buying is made there...  . and it's not raining all the time . Sorry just being a whining Brit ;-)

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Permalink Reply by john mackay on December 28, 2015 at 9:25am

most of my guitars are given away or sold cheap just to cover the cost and fund my hobby.  the box guitar cost me roughly $57 to make/finished and that is using a cheap piezo and jack plus frets..we don't have any local shop like you guys have.I have to buy off the net inc wood.local joiners only interested if your buying bulk.I've said before I'm not in it to make money only to cover cost.I don't think they're good enough to sell for more.postage is also a killer too even from cb gitty.

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