Inflames626
New member
So my chance encounter upon a Les Paul Menace showed me that clear pickup bobbins are a thing.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Clear bobbins
- Thread starter Inflames626
- Start date
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Is it just the angle, or is the insulation on one of the coils on the pickup to the left different than the other? One looks like enamel, the other looks like something else.
Inflames626
New member
Dunno, but seeing the coil bugs me, just like direct mount pickups without rings bug me.
It's like seeing an unattractive person naked. Go home, 2020s guitar. You're drunk. Please, cover those coils and put on a pickup ring.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Yep, different wire. AFAIK Gibson doesn't do that - I don't think those are the ones from the LP Menace.
First saw clear bobbins on one of the 60s P90s that hamerfan mentioned.
IMO seeing the coils is cool. Just posted over on the LP Menace thread that to me it looks sort of steampunk.
Inflames626
New member
Would look cool with some kind of clockwork/gear overlay on the paint. Maybe etched.
Something like this late Roman/Byzantine type of niello artwork.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
I'm with you on transparent coils looking bad, but a well done wood mounted pickup looks way better than a pickup ring. Rear mounted pickups look even better.
I don't particularly care for pickup covers either, at least not shiny metal ones.
Inflames626
New member
I prefer to see the ring--even for it to be metal and chrome. It's like a picture with a frame.
I will occasionally cover a pickup if it is a PAF in an attractive (usually gloss black) guitar. However, there is a slight tone difference between covered and uncovered (covered sounds a little more nasally to me). Usually black bobbins with a logo are good enough for me (I don't like DiMarzios not having a logo).
Of course, if money were no object, there would always be options. I admire pickup covers that are incorporated seamlessly into the paint scheme. I am guessing this is challenging to do.
And, I pretty much require pickup rings now because I insist on Triple Shots on nearly everything.
Wound_Up
New member
Those are Porter Pickups' "Blender Pickups". They say, they use 4 types of wire among the set of neck & bridge pickups or something. I found the clear bobbin pickup on their website, also.
https://www.porterpickups.com/products/pickups/humbucker-pickups/blender/
Wound_Up
New member
Here's the clear bobbin 'Blender Pickup' at their website
https://www.porterpickups.com/custom-shop/clear-bobbin-humbucker/
https://www.porterpickups.com/custom-shop/clear-bobbin-humbucker/
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I don't mind direct-mounted pickups visually. That's on the right guitar, though. on a Les Paul, yeah, no. No way. On a Strat either. Nope. But on something like a modern superstrat, I'm fine with it. Even on the EVH Wolfgangs because that's they'te supposed to be like, while neither Les Paul nor Strats are supposed to be like that.
The problem I have with those is more functional. There is a lot more incompatibility when pickup swapping, and you know I like to swap my pickups.
The clear bobbins look fine on that Les Paul to me. Wouldn't be my first choice, but I bet they'd look cool in the right guitar. But I guess at the time when those guitars came out, those transparent iMacs were all the rage. And the transparent Gameboy.
What I hate personally visually speaking on pickups is those "camo" BKP's that looks like someone vomited on them.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
I guess I'm a traditionalist now. I like the classic look with rings on a Les Paul.
Not as particular when it comes to covered vs uncovered, or matching bobbins vs zebra.
My LPs are all over the place. A couple even mix covered with uncovered.
I think clear bobbins on a regular LP might bother me; not positive though, I'd have to see it.
On a less traditional guitar - or even a superStrat with no pickguard - the direct mount look doesn't bother me at all.
PS: I really like some of the cover treatments that are out there nowadays; even those BKP camo covers look good to me.
From more than a foot away they don't really look like camo to me. Maybe it's just the novelty of something completely different.
I've been seeing a lot of mighty cool etched covers now that laser etchers have become affordable and common.
PPS: I've heard good things about Porter pickups. Haven't owned any myself; already have way more pickups than I can use.
One of these days I'll have to sell off thirty or forty of the unused ones.
It's like the extra pedals, though - my inner voice says, "I might still want that at some point..."
Not as particular when it comes to covered vs uncovered, or matching bobbins vs zebra.
My LPs are all over the place. A couple even mix covered with uncovered.
I think clear bobbins on a regular LP might bother me; not positive though, I'd have to see it.
On a less traditional guitar - or even a superStrat with no pickguard - the direct mount look doesn't bother me at all.
PS: I really like some of the cover treatments that are out there nowadays; even those BKP camo covers look good to me.
From more than a foot away they don't really look like camo to me. Maybe it's just the novelty of something completely different.
I've been seeing a lot of mighty cool etched covers now that laser etchers have become affordable and common.
PPS: I've heard good things about Porter pickups. Haven't owned any myself; already have way more pickups than I can use.
One of these days I'll have to sell off thirty or forty of the unused ones.
It's like the extra pedals, though - my inner voice says, "I might still want that at some point..."
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Inflames626
New member
Also, I hate seeing pickup ears and mounting screws on a direct mount guitar.