Lipstick Pickup Help

[cmac]

This is somewhat of an obscure thought, but something I’m also very intrigued in.

If properly routed, could 4 or 5 vertical lipstick pickups (or rail pickups) placed side by side produce an acceptable pickup sound in a guitar?

I feel like this would make a visually interesting looking guitar, but does anyone have insight on how this might sound?

Thank you!

[Mincer]

You mean to cover more than 6 strings? Like for an autoharp?

[cmac]

No I was thinking a traditional six string although it may be a low cost option for 7-8 string guitars.

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^the tube pickups will be arranged like that, or maybe a tube pickup vertical for each string

[jeremy]

so parallel to the strings? not sure how well that would work but ive never tried it

[cmac]

so parallel to the strings? not sure how well that would work but ive never tried it

Yes indeed! Parallel to the strings, with 4-6 pickups to cover the max string spacing, I’m uncertain how it would sound either, but it seems like a fun project to undertake. Single lipstick pickups can be found pretty cheap!

[jeremy]

it could work as long as you have enough of them. might be a bunch of magnetism on the strings though since each has a bar magnet. the originals used alnico6

[PFDarkside]

Depending on the spacing you may have uneven string magnetism and therefore unbalanced output string to string.

[cmac]

Depending on the spacing you may have uneven string magnetism and therefore unbalanced output string to string.

I’m planning to have them butted up next to each other as close as possible to try and cut down on this, if and when I get to that build I’ll try and upload a sound sample

[beaubrummels]

Has been done before.

Golden Age

https://www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickups/shop-all-our-pickups/electric-guitar-pickups/golden-age-lipstick-pickup.html

GFS

https://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Pro-Tube-Lipstick-Humbucker-Pickup-Cool-Chimey-Tone-Chrome_p_21831.html

Dragonfire

https://dragonfireguitars.com/Lipstick-Hummers-Alnico-5-A5-AV-Specialty-Humbucker-Pickups-12096.htm

The Curtis Novak variant doesn't preserve the look, however

https://www.curtisnovak.com/shop/lipstick-hmb/

[ICTGoober]

Has been done before.

The OP can correct me, but I think he means 1 pickup for each string, running under the strings the length of the pickup.

[jeremy]

right, parallel to the strings rather than perpendicular. i feel like it might cause some weird magnetic field properties

[Mincer]

I am guessing they would be wired in parallel. It would be cool if you had a little mixer to send each pickup to a breakout box.

[beaubrummels]

The OP can correct me, but I think he means 1 pickup for each string, running under the strings the length of the pickup.

Nearest thing to that is Zex Coil or Ubertar. Not sure why anyone would want to to this with lipstick pickups. I don't believe they could fit side-by-side like that and pickup each string individually. The pickup 'sensing window' along just one string would be as wide as the neck. Not sure if there would be any clarity with that.

[idsnowdog]

Having more lipstick tube pickups doesn't make them any better.

[Mincer]

Having more lipstick tube pickups doesn't make them any better.

This is true...I am not a fan of the tone, either. But their lower power might be a plus if they were mounted vertically. Is there a problem you are trying to solve by doing that, or is it just a 'wouldn't it be cool' idea?