Custom Pickup

[Ainzrocker]

I'm in the process of building a new Strat-style guitar with an Ash body and Walnut top. I'm looking for as bright and clean a sound as I can with as little noise interference as possible, but am struggling to find the suitable pick-ups.

Ideally I'm looking for the below:

- noiseless single-coil
- blade style
- active circuitry
- very low output
- Alnico 2 or 3 magnets

My technical knowledge is limited to knowing that these features are likely to give me the time I'm looking for but not sure if even feasible for them all to come together.

Any suggestions?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Custom Pickup

welcome to the forum!

active pups usually have higher output rather than lower. i dont know of any pup that fits all those criteria. the duncan livewire ii is an active pup that is bright and clean and uses alnico 2 magnets but it has rod magnet pole pieces and doesnt have very low output although the output isnt overly high for an active pup.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Custom Pickup

Classic EMG SAs will do it, once you ignore the unnecessary criteria for A2 or A3 magnets and very low output.

You don't need very low output with active pickups, because you can turn down the volume on them without directly affecting the e.q. And for the same reason, magnet type doesn't matter that much. Part of what makes actives technically superior is that you don't need to worry so much about a lot of the technical minutia that you have to consider with passive pickups. They are "blank slate" pickups that let you dial in whatever you want from the same pickup, as opposed to having e.q. and output "oddities" built in to each pickup design, like with a passive pickup. The problem is that the inherently balanced/flat e.q. means that all the responsibility for crafting the e.q. is on the player. You have to really know how to tune e.q. in order to get what you want. Passive pickups already have an inherent "character" built in, i.e. they already "lean" a certain way before you even start tweaking the e.q. In other words, a fair amount of the e.q. and output characteristics are already there for you, and don't need to be dialed in manually.

Technically the EMG SAs are not humbuckers, but they are noiseless IME. I've never had even the tiniest buzz from my set, which I've been using since the early '90s.

And FWIW, they do use a thick blade magnet (Firebird style, in the bobbin). I assume that this criterion is based on your fear of losing volume during long bends.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Custom Pickup

As far as Duncans go, the Livewire II Set is really your only choice, and still doesn't have blades. If you absolutely need blades, the Custom Shop can probably build them.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Custom Pickup

I'm throwing in another vote for the LiveWire Classic II set.

Those pickups tick all of your boxes aside from the blades...not sure why you want those anyway?

If you can forgo the active tech, but still want "noiseless" with blades, look into Zexcoils or the real Bill Lawrence stuff (aka: Wilde USA, not "Bill Lawrence USA"): LINK

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: Custom Pickup

You're overthinking it IMO.

You want noiseless and active, AND low output, and blade, and and and.

pick the sonic attributes and go with it.

EMG, Livewires, Kinman, Zexcoil, Custom Shop.... I think you have many options.
None will give you 100% of what you're asking for.

 

[Ainzrocker]

Re: Custom Pickup

Thanks all. Taking on board the guidance and recommendations sound like the Live Wires will do what I'm after if I sacrifice the preference for blades.

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: Custom Pickup

That would be my choice. I don't think you'll notice the fact they don't have blades.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Custom Pickup

I'm in the process of building a new Strat-style guitar with an Ash body and Walnut top. I'm looking for as bright and clean a sound as I can with as little noise interference as possible, but am struggling to find the suitable pick-ups.

Ideally I'm looking for the below:

- noiseless single-coil
- blade style
- active circuitry
- very low output
- Alnico 2 or 3 magnets

My technical knowledge is limited to knowing that these features are likely to give me the time I'm looking for but not sure if even feasible for them all to come together.

Any suggestions?

- noiseless single-coil
- blade style
- active circuitry
- very low output
- Alnico 2 or 3 magnets

https://www.fishman.com/products/series/fluence/fluence-single-width-pickup-sets-for-strat/

It's got an alnico 4, granted, an no blade. Other than that, it's got exactly what you wish. It's noiseless, it's got a very low output (despite being active), it looks like a normal strat pickup to boot, they're active and they sound PHENOMENAL!! Super clean and bright. amazing tones. Highly, highly recommended.