Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by carverman on November 22, 2010 at 6:07am

Thanks for giving the full info..it puts an end to speculation, but shortens the discussion
and I always find the discussion of pickups facinating.

I remember an interview that was typed up and put on a website (sorry I've lost the link),
but in it SD discusses the origin of the Gibson hbucker
When SL indicated that the main purpose of the magnet was to magnitize the string
area above the pickup, I did some research on it and captured a few pics of the iron filing pattern around that portion of the strings. Very interesting.

As far as any "magic", no there isn't any.. as coil winding/no of turns/type of bobbin and magnet
types/strengths are the key ingredients...but...some players swear there is some "mojo" associated withcertain pickups..so maybe ...that's good for the industry.

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Permalink Reply by Mister Scott on November 30, 2010 at 7:24am

I really love this idea. But it begs the question: where do I get a steel slab like the bottom one?


John Drake said:

Can also use a steel bar to create a narrower field. Use one of the cheap Ebay 6 string pickups, but instead of mounting at an angle on the top of the box, mount under the top with a steel bar of required width as shown in diagram below. If you want to engage all six poles then have wide base to bar and narrower top, but probably easier to just have the bar spanning across the centre 4 poles.

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Permalink Reply by John Drake on November 30, 2010 at 1:00pm

Hi Scotty,

I just used a plated angle bracket from a hardware store. Get one to match the desired width. For 4 string about 40 mm wide. I think the bracket was about 50x50 x 3.5 thick and 40 mm wide. For sitting over a 6 string pickup you will need a bit wider - but you might be able to find a length of bar that you can cut it out of - use an angle grinder with a steel cutoff disk. You don't have to have the fancy rounded internal corners - infact probably easier to fit if you cut square. Don't forget that aluminium (aluminum in US) is not magnetic so it doesn't work!

Here is photo of another one of mine which does have a 6 string pickup but I still kept to a 40 mm wide bar (cut off a bracket) so it only sits across the middle four poles of the pickup. It works well. The pickup was one of those cheap Ebay purchases from China. Complete with volume and tone control and fully wired for less than $ 10 delivered.

PS Got my first batch of jack plates and jacks from China. Look good. $ 3.80 for jack and plate together including delivery. About 7 days to deliver to Australia. See earlier post in this discussion. John D

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Permalink Reply by John Drake on November 30, 2010 at 1:19pm

Another view. I didn't make it clear in the above discussion that I cut off and used the ends of the bracket using an angle grinder. Not the whole bracket or angle.

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Permalink Reply by Mister Scott on November 30, 2010 at 8:34pm

She's a sharp lookin one, John! Hows the sound, acoustically vs electrically?

John Drake said:

Another view. I didn't make it clear in the above discussion that I cut off and used the ends of the bracket using an angle grinder. Not the whole bracket or angle.

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Permalink Reply by GARAGE HERMIT on December 1, 2010 at 2:50am

used an old bass p/u on this 3-stringer, sound's just fine,,

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Permalink Reply by Mister Scott on December 1, 2010 at 3:50am

That is
BADASS. What did you use for the body frame???


GARAGE HERMIT said:

used an old bass p/u on this 3-stringer, sound's just fine,,

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Permalink Reply by GARAGE HERMIT on December 1, 2010 at 7:20am

Scotty C. said:

That is
BADASS. What did you use for the body frame???


GARAGE HERMIT said:

a piece of 1/2" thick alloy plate i found in my garage, left over from when i was customising my hd shovelhead,

used an old bass p/u on this 3-stringer, sound's just fine,,

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Permalink Reply by rockcity on December 2, 2010 at 2:59am

Absolutely...

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