Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

[millsart]

Jimi as I'm sure we all know, was a lefty who used a right handed guitar strung in reverse and flipped upside down.

In doing so his pickups were reversed, particullary the bridge which would be at an opposite angle of the typical strat pickup. This means the treble side was closer the bridge.

Many claim this setup helped to contribute to his unique tone. Never tried it so I can't say for sure myself.

Theres the old Fender VooDoo strats that are basically set up as upside down righties with reverse headstocks, pups etc but they are rather hard to find (and expensive)


Has anyone experimented with doing their own reversed bridge pup ? Assuming you were using a cheap guitar that did have each pup routed out separately all you would need is a blank pickguard and I belive reverse wind a pickup ?

Question that comes to mind though is that since this is certainly possible to do, why doesn't anyone do it ?


In reading the HC reviews of the VooDoo strat every owner raves about how they've never heard a strat so good before. Its the greatest thing since sliced bread so to speak.

But if it really opens up the sonic potential that much and has such advantages, then why does no one else do it ?

You'd think if there really was something to it, you'd see it far more often

 

[Aceman]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

I've played a voodoo next to a regular before. I really noticed the difference and liked it! Doesn't take much of a change down near the bridge to have a big impact...

 

[subanots]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

we right handed dudes would need a lefty wound pup upside down.... if that makes sense. i want to try this.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

Guitar Center has a MIM Fender '69 Strat- I think it's a custom run for them- but it's the same specs as the Voodoo strat- reverse angle bridge pickup, reverse headstock, I think the bridge is the same though. The cost $699

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

I tend to agree with Kinman that Jimi had a great sound in spite of the right handed stagger as opposed to due to the stagger. (Do you really want your D to be that much louder than your A?) However, the reverse angled bridge pickup would change the sound. Warmoth can cut a reverse angled bridge in a pickguard, you guys that are interested in it, just throw your current pickups in the new guard.

 

[MattPete]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

I always thought that the reverse angle would make more sense than the standard angle. After all, Strat bridge pickups are known for being thin, particularly on the high notes. Moving the high-E end of the pickup closer to the neck should ticken up the tone on the higher strings. Also, since Strat bridge pickups are A5, there probably isn't too much bass lost if the bass side is moved closer to the bridge.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

I have a lefty MIM strat that I have set up for right handed playing. I have a JB jr bridge, Dimarzio Brian May middle and Dimarzio Brian May neck.

 

[millsart]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

How do you guys think it would affect the "quack" in the notch position ?

Is there really any difference in right or left handed strat style pickups for what its worth ?

Certainly could be a fun use of $28 to have Warmoth cut a pickguard for the reversed bridge, though it may take a little extra routing work as well.

 

[subanots]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

...though it may take a little extra routing work as well.

bet on it.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

How many Strat bodies are routed for S-S-S? Only the vintage RI's or are all of them now? The Strats I've worked on have been swimming pool or HB bridge rout.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

You would think the reverse slant would sound weird with the JB jr but it doesn't. The treble strings sound much smoother and fatter, while the bass strings are punchy, but not shrill. The control placement on a reversed guitar is a pain in the ass though.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

we right handed dudes would need a lefty wound pup upside down.... if that makes sense. i want to try this.

It actually doesn't make sense. They don't really make left or right handed pickups.

 

[guitarspaz]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

I suspect that reverse headstock had alot to do with it too. More String length between the tuners and the nut on the bass side. Had to hove some effect. Hendix always had a big boomy yet very open low E string tone.

 

[Dirt123]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

He was a pretty good player, too. That may have had something to do with his tone.

 

[Jumanji]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

Jimi was clever he installed his amp with a polarity switch, did anyone know that?
Apparently this was to reverse the polarity of his pickups.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

No, but I have a '68 in the middle of my White J. Vaughan.The '68 was a reverse pickup that Fender put in the Hendrix reissue. Its an excellent reversed Strat pickup .

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

Guitar Center has a MIM Fender '69 Strat- I think it's a custom run for them- but it's the same specs as the Voodoo strat- reverse angle bridge pickup, reverse headstock, I think the bridge is the same though. The cost $699

I was just looking at these yesterday. Maybe it's the same thing?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-60s-Reverse-Special-Strat?sku=512595

 

[millsart]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

Dumb question but what exactly all does a reverse pickup do ? being a single coil, I can't really understand the right vs left handed thing, aside of course from if its got staggered poles, but barring that, wouldn't the pickup work/sound the same regardless of if its in a right or left handed guitar ?

Obviously the bridge angle being switched I understand and that would have an effect on the tone, but how do the other pickups work into that ?


Im curious to how the reverse headstock would factor as well.

Maybe I could try a Warmth neck as they do reverse headstocks, and a new pickguard with the reverse cut bridge.

I've got a set of '69 pups already that should be pretty accurate as far as pickups go, barring of course that it may make a difference in regards to the revese thing I dont fully understand.


Still though, reverse neck and pickguard would sure be alot cheaper than trying to spend $1500+ for a voodoo strat

That MF/GC one really doesn't intrest me either as I really wouldnt want a neck with a 7.5" radius and vintage frets. Maybe Jimi could play on it but me, I need something flatter and with big fretwire.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

There are two things happening:

1) the staggering, the height of the pole pieces, is the other way round. That just sounds wired, but then I don't like the standard staggering either (H string too quiet). A "left-handed" pickup would be staggered the other way round but has the cable on the usual side.

2) the lower strings now have the pickup farther away from the bridge than the low ones. Standard is opposite.

I experimented with standard, reverse and straight with my li' screamin demon in a hardtail Strat alike and found it doesn't really matter. As you go up and down the fretboard the individual harmonics picked up change rapidly anyway, by bigger percentages than the pickup angling causes.

Some humbucker-in-strat users have the bucker angled like a standard strat bridge pickup, but again that doesn't seem to matter much. Eddie Van Halen has both kinds in his main guitars. In addition, some might do this mainly to solve the polepiece spacing problem.

I have the slight suspicion that Leo did the angled bridge pickup back in the days mainly to have a bigger coil, hence get more wire onto the pickup in an attempt to make it less shrill.

 

[millsart]

Re: Anyone ever do a Hendrix style reversed bridge pup ?

Thanks for the insights uOpt, all certainly makes sense to me. You do always have to take some of what you read about Hendrix and the Voodoo strat with a grain of salt I'm sure. When someone just spent $1800 for one its not surprising that the review is going to say "this is the best sounding guitar I've ever heard" lol

Not that there aren't some valid difference, but you know what I'm saying


Whats your take on the reverse headstock aspect ?