Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

[scarr]

We have great momentum on a next forum pickup, but the cart is getting a bit wobbly. I've been PMing DarkMatter, and to help keep this moving forward, let's gather all the design contenders in one place. I'll gather them all here in this first post, and that will be the source for the vote on which we're taking to SD as the next forum design.

For any design "recipe" you want, please post the following:
1) Working name:
2) Description:
3) Difference:

See examples below (in THE CONTENDERS). The names are just a working name, so we have something to reference easily in the discussion here, and in the upcoming poll.

Guiding principles:
- Keeping on from the previous polls, we're keeping to humbucker-sized options, focusing on the hotter vintage / lower modern part of the spectrum.
- Anyone can question the "difference" of your design recipe in this thread. Be prepared to defend what you're putting forward.
- If you can't explain why it's different from existing offerings, we'll assume it isn't, and it won't move forward to the poll.
- If the design idea adapts/evolves, I'll tweak the record in this thread appropriately.
- This is not "design by committee". It's possibly tweak-by-committee, but it means we'll be voting on solid ideas for pickups.
- If I missed something, let me know, and I'll update this first post. This post is the master.

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THE CONTENDERS
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1) Working name: Zebro (ex: Zed 90)
2) Description: P-bass style split single coils that fit in humbucker housing. Hotter P-90 tone for bridge, cooler option for neck (or softer bridge).
3) Difference: Less wire than full coil winds means higher peak resonance, which is more like a single coil

1) Working name: Big Wire
2) Description: 41 AWG humbucker set
3) Difference: Fatter wire has less resistance, so you need fewer winds to makeup output loss, so there's less compression and more dynamic range

1) Working name: MatchMaker
2) Description: neck p'up to match the '59/Custom - Could also being presented as a twelve-screw p'up set.
3) Difference: Twelve-screw design to maximum tweakability, nickelsilver cover optional.

1) Name: '59/C Hybrid Neck (SH-16n)
2) Description: Hybrid standard humbucker (i.e. one row of slugs and one row of screws). In the WLH bridge and PG+ to Screamin' Demon neighborhood. Possibly with A3, A4, or UOA5 magnet to soften the edges a hair.
3) Difference: There are no hybrid low-medium output pickups in the catalog. There is no purpose-made match to the '59/C. Different than the Demon because it'll have a significant coil mismatch and standard slugs/screws. Different than PG/PG+/WLH in that it will have higher output, yet more clarity.


See DarkMatter's new thread for continuation.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

- If you're asking for a production floor custom (i.e. basic hybrid of existing pickups), SKIP IT. We can order them at standard prices anyway.

Hybrids are not SFCs. You can get them, but for Custom Shop prices. The same applies to whatever the forum cooks up: you can order it right now, without having to go through a forum voting process. Excluding hybrids of existing coils makes zero sense; the reason for exclusion that you named would also apply to anything else we decide to make.

 

[scarr]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

If that's true, then I misunderstood the level they worked at. I'll take it out. Thanks for the correction!

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

This is basically how this year's forum pickup started. So, we've already done this. DarkMatter culled through everything and picked the designs that had support, then put them up to a vote.

So, if I understand this correctly, we're throwing away everything we've voted on so far, and starting over. Is this the case? And does DarkMatter actually have anything to do with this thread? I.e. is it an "official" part of the forum pickup selection process?

 

[scarr]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

We haven't settled much, other than the "Zed" being a popular option, and medium-ish output humbuckers being popular. The telebro90 just popped up again with a chunk of support, but I can cut it we think we need to stick with humbucker footprint. I can see how that could be seen as resetting the process, which isn't my intention.

Edit: This was discussed with DarkMatter, although there are plenty of details that are my own (so don't blame him). I'm trying to help push this forward, and keep us from running down a maze of feature options like everyone complains about with the Fugly's process. As noted, I can tighten the requirements on this thread's parameters. The more I think about it, the more I think I will do that to avoid confusion.

Edit 2: Guidelines updated. I don't want this losing the directly we've already gone in.

 

[DarkMatter]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

I am ok with this thread but it probably is best that we use it to focus on the successful concepts that already have support.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

Recipe proponent: LtKojak aka Pepe aka The Disrupter

1) Working name: MatchMaker
2) Description: neck p'up to match the '59/Custom - Could also being presented as a twelve-screw p'up set.
3) Difference: Twelve-screw design to maximum tweakability, nickelsilver cover optional.

There you have it.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

1) Here's an idea I have on the "Zed". I'll also give a lot of/most of the credit to King Izzo and uOpt.

2)

- Voiced like a P-90, with growl in the mids and bite on the highs, but hum cancelling
- Adjustable pole pieces and covered; kind of like how the Wide Range humbucker looks
- A "Hot" and "Cool" version of the pickup. That way you could use the "Hot" version in the bridge, and the "Cool" version in the neck, or the "Cool" version as a lower output bridge pickup.
- Since this will obviously sound more like a single coil, let's take advantage of the higher resonant peak and make this one of the most harmonically rich pickups available.

3) It's different because, how many hum-cancelling P90s in a humbucker route are there? It could also save you from the need of buying a P90-equipped guitar, and excuse my Weasel-words, but the Phat Cat is said around the forum to not sound like a normal P90 (although I personally have not tried it - I would still like to though).

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

I am ok with this thread but it probably is best that we use it to focus on the successful concepts that already have support.

Which are, after the latest polls, only two: a low-output Z90, or a humbucker that meets both the hot-vintage and low-output-modern descriptions.

So, sticking to those guidelines, I'll play:

Name: '59/C Hybrid Neck (SH-16n)

Description: Hybrid standard humbucker (i.e. one row of slugs and one row of screws). In the WLH bridge and PG+ to Screamin' Demon neighborhood. Possibly with A3, A4, or UOA5 magnet to soften the edges a hair.

Difference: There are no hybrid low-medium output pickups in the catalog. There is no purpose-made match to the '59/C. Different than the Demon because it'll have a significant coil mismatch and standard slugs/screws. Different than PG/PG+/WLH in that it will have higher output, yet more clarity.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

OOO! I GOT IT! Lets make the SLUG. That hasn't been invented yet right?

 

[Condemned soul]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - '59/C Hybrid Neck (SH-16n)

Re: Forum design pre-vote - '59/C Hybrid Neck (SH-16n)

Really like the 59/C bridge. The Jazz neck just doesn't seem right to me, like it tries to hard to be smooth while the 59/Custom can be downright rude. I'm currently trying a WLH in the neck with a 59/Custom and right now, I am thinking that a little less hair on the WLH would be a better match with the bridge.

I'd be willing to try the following:

1) Name: '59/C Hybrid Neck (SH-16n)
2) Description: Hybrid standard humbucker (i.e. one row of slugs and one row of screws). In the WLH bridge and PG+ to Screamin' Demon neighborhood. Possibly with A3, A4, or UOA5 magnet to soften the edges a hair.
3) Difference: There are no hybrid low-medium output pickups in the catalog. There is no purpose-made match to the '59/C. Different than the Demon because it'll have a significant coil mismatch and standard slugs/screws. Different than PG/PG+/WLH in that it will have higher output, yet more clarity.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

FWIW, I use a WLH neck with my 59/C bridge and it kick total ass in my PRS CE24.

 

[DreX]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

1) Working name: Clean Machine

2) Description: A different approach to the Stag Mag. A PAF type bobbin where the outermost coil is wound however is necessary to get a good single coil tone when split, presumably this means it's hotter than a PAF outter coil, probably an A5 bar, or a double tall bar (like a Filter'Tron or a Super Distortion), and then a second coil that's mismatched to whatever extent necessary for an alternatively good, clean series mode. It might even mean the second coil has to be extremely weak by itself, so that the overall DC resistance is much beyond 9k in series.

3) Difference: Would lack the unconventional appearance like the Stag Mag, as well as the magnetic pole pieces. Would not have balanced coils (I'm not 100% sure the Stag Mag has two balanced coils, but the DC resistance of 16k hints towards this being the case though).

The drawback is that if the coils are greatly mismatched it won't totally humbuck, but the this might be the price that has to be paid pay for a great clean split and a great clean series tone in a single pickup.

The upside is that this could probably utilize conventional pickup parts and be cheap(ish) to make.

 

[DarkMatter]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

Which are, after the latest polls, only two: a low-output Z90, or a humbucker that meets both the hot-vintage and low-output-modern descriptions.

This quote is a very clear and concise description of where we are.

The neck hybrid fits the criteria best for the humbucker side. I highly recommend we try to do this as a set with a bridge pickup that is not just a production 59/Custom.

What is one thing you'd change about the stock 59/custom?

 

[oneblackened]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

1) Working name: Windowbucker
2) Description: One rail coil, one screw or hex bolt coil, meant for very good string-to-string balance and articulation, plus tight low end. Medium-high output, maybe in the range of the Custom or the Full Shred. A8, I think, could work nicely for this one.
3) Difference: This could be a big, crushing sounding pickup, but one that still articulates well under a a lot of gain. Kinda like a fuglybucker, but a more modern sounding.

 

[scarr]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

1) Working name: Clean Machine

2) Description: A different approach to the Stag Mag. A PAF type bobbin where the outermost coil is wound however is necessary to get a good single coil tone when split, presumably this means it's hotter than a PAF outter coil, probably an A5 bar, or a double tall bar (like a Filter'Tron or a Super Distortion), and then a second coil that's mismatched to whatever extent necessary for an alternatively good, clean series mode. It might even mean the second coil has to be extremely weak by itself, so that the overall DC resistance is much beyond 9k in series.

3) Difference: Would lack the unconventional appearance like the Stag Mag, as well as the magnetic pole pieces. Would not have balanced coils (I'm not 100% sure the Stag Mag has two balanced coils, but the DC resistance of 16k hints towards this being the case though).

The drawback is that if the coils are greatly mismatched it won't totally humbuck, but the this might be the price that has to be paid pay for a great clean split and a great clean series tone in a single pickup.

The upside is that this could probably utilize conventional pickup parts and be cheap(ish) to make.

I'm disinclined to list this one, as StagMag variants suffered a pretty crushing defeat in the previous polls. Not a bad idea, just not what the forum polls say the forum is looking for.

1) Working name: Windowbucker
2) Description: One rail coil, one screw or hex bolt coil, meant for very good string-to-string balance and articulation, plus tight low end. Medium-high output, maybe in the range of the Custom or the Full Shred. A8, I think, could work nicely for this one.
3) Difference: This could be a big, crushing sounding pickup, but one that still articulates well under a a lot of gain. Kinda like a fuglybucker, but a more modern sounding.

This sounds like it's running a few notches hotter than the hot vintage / low modern range the forum polls voted for. If I'm misreading it, then please clarify and I'll add it in.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

Whats the purpose of running this thread asking for ideas when your just going to shoot them down and say "well we already voted" if thats the case just close this one and go with the data we already got.

 

[DarkMatter]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

Edge, he started this thread right after I said I was quitting the polling. But then I came back. His intentions were good.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

Edge, he started this thread right after I said I was quitting the polling. But then I came back. His intentions were good.

Yeah i got that... but just seems if we want to push foreward why not flesh out the 2 basic ideas we already got...

Get some direction on the zetabrau idea. Some people want it to sound like a P90 others want it to be low output... get a clear idea of where its headed.

Clear up what to do about the neck humbucker vote since hot vintage and low output modern have the same amount of votes...

This is my thinking anyways

 

[ItsaBass]

Forum design pre-vote - ENTER YOUR IDEA IN HERE

Another submission:

Name: Seymour Duncan Double-Single neck

Description: A pickup to fit a humbucker rout. Designed with the neck position of humbucker-routed Fender Teles in mind, but can be used in any humbucker rout. The pickup will consist of two Fender-style classic/vintage fiber-bobbin single coil pickups mounted on a plastic humbucker baseplate. Coil one (closest to the neck) will be an SSL-1-based neck pickup. The differences between it and an SSL-1 would be: 1) this version has a lowered 3rd string magnet, tailored for modern string sets (i.e. plain 3rd string), and 2) the bottom piece of flatwork won't have that protrusion that normal Strat pickups have. Coil two will use the same Strat flatwork and magnet stagger as coil one, but will have A3 magnets, and be wound like a vintage Tele neck pickup. The two pickups will be spaced far enough apart so that a pair of normal Strat pickup covers can be used to protect the coils. If it can be engineered, individual height adjustment would be cool too.

Difference/benefits: What this does is to provide two basically classic Fender neck pickup sounds (though updated for today's strings), in a humbucker rout. This is NOT a humbucker in concept. It's concept is to provide either a classic Strat neck sound or a classic Tele neck sound, without having to choose installing one or the other. However, it could be set up to be an approx. 12K humbucker if desired. My thinking is that the coils could be selected with an added two-way toggle switch or push/pull, or incorporated into a super switch. A simplified, single-switch version of the triple shot (let's call it a double shot) would be a good option too, though probably not feasible, as it would have to be made by SD.