Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stephen J. Walther Jr. on April 18, 2009 at 4:13am

I just found Ted Crocker's stuff and am going to look into it. Anyone with any other particular insights into this kind of project, please do comment. Thanks Again.

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Permalink Reply by don on April 19, 2009 at 10:11am

One of the problems with magnetic pickups is the limited choice of strings available that will work. They must be steel wound strings. Another problem is the way a violin string moves when bowed, this means it is important that the window of the pole on the pickup be wide enough to sense the movement of the strings. There used to be a builder named Bowtronics but they have gone out of business. You have probably noticed violin pickups to electrify are piezos. a link to one build
http://www.grbfst.dds.nl/violin/pickup/pickup2.htm
I have built and wound my own violin pickups so I know others can also. I used a curved flat blade style pickup.
Good luck, Don

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Permalink Reply by Uli Bösking on October 25, 2009 at 8:27am

Hi Steve,

as was said, there was a functioning and nice sounding magnetic humbucker for violin by Skip Malley ("bowtronics"). A high- and a low- impedance model. I had both and still have the lo-imp. It is very difficult to adjust (distances strings to coils) properly.
It saved me a stage musician's job 8 years ago, but I was longing for something freely adjustable. So I asked an audio technician friend of mine to develop something made to measure for pro-violinists. The result is called "REBO". Please have a look and listen to the sound files:
http://www.uli-boesking.de/rebo/

Cheers
Uli

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Permalink Reply by Uli Bösking on October 25, 2009 at 8:36am

I forgot: As to strings - I'm using Helicores or Pirastro Flexocor/Permanent for e-, a- and d-strings. My favourite choice for g is a Thomastik Dominant: plastic core but double wound: first steel or nickel, then silver. Has great magnetic properties. For viola or 5-string the Dominant c-strings have the same fine mag. prop. as the g. Caution: the Dominant d- and a-strings don't have any mag. prop.!

Cheers
Uli

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Permalink Reply by Uli Bösking on October 28, 2009 at 10:22am

Yes - I already googled that chupachup - that's a one-piece 4-coil; great for pizzicato but low-low bowing output. The whole instrument will be very "microphonic" when "pumping up" the bowed sound with a preamp - and the output signal will "explode" plucking a string. My collegue Manfred tried that back in the early 80ies! - And that one was adjustible with those three spring-supported screws sunk into the surface of the fingerboard (sorry - I didn't take any fotos of the instrument back then ...). I don't know how to show a pic like above here in the forum - so here comes a link

Attachments:

• Reckmeyer_vln_pu80ies.jpg, 106 KB

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Permalink Reply by Uli Bösking on October 28, 2009 at 10:49am

http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/153093136?profil...

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Permalink Reply by Uli Bösking on October 28, 2009 at 11:06am

her comes a cigarbox-link to a pic of my bowtronics hi-impedance PU (please send me a mail how to insert ...)

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/bowtronhiimp-1?context=user

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