Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

[ItsaBass]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

If that's the case would we really want to waste an opportunity of a new forum pup to simply add a singular new while to a pickup that's been around for a decade?

If the CS does approve this, I think we should use it to make something new and exciting.

It would be far from a waste, IMO. I don't care about "new and exciting" in theory. I care about what I, and a lot of other people, could actually use. These forum pickups get overthought and overengineered to death, without there ever really being a useful real-world functional goal.

I don't dismiss other ideas, but I am very clear about my own here.

Lots of people love PAFs. Lots of people love the '59/C. Put them both in the same pickup, with the simple flip of a switch.

 

[bigcupholder]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

I'd say asking the Custom Shop to look into a tappable design with two different wiring gauges would be worth doing. That way you could tap the pickup in a way that actually changes the tone in a way other than losing bass and volume.

I'd say making both of the coils tappable would actually detract from this design. If you only tapped one coil you could have three main tones to focus on: series, series tapped, and the split tone on the untapped coil. If you had to worry about having a good tapped single coil as well as a good double tapped split tone, it would be too difficult to balance the winding to make all 5 tones sound good. It would also require 6 conductors at least, whereas my three sounds could be done with 4.

To be clear, regardless of whether both coils are tapped, the idea is to get just TWO distinct voices out of the pickup. Sort of a passive answer to the Fishman Fluence pickups.

I was simply saying to leave the option up to the custom shop on whether both coils would be tapped or not, and whether either/both coils would use different wire gauges to achieve this. I agree that two taps would make wiring a bit more work, but it could potentially make the design easier since they wouldn't have to use really unbalanced coils.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

I think adding the tapped option to the 59/Custom makes the "Plaguebuckers" that much more appealing and unique, rather than paying an upcharge simply to have the Custom Shop wind you an otherwise production pickup with a mag-swap.

Either way, a hybrid neck to match would be great...I think nearly all of us can agree on that!

Let's keep this conversation going...and be sure to vote for the "Plaguebuckers" if you like a two-voiced, coil-tapped pickup as a possibility

EDIT: One thing that was also stated in the original suggestion, but wouldn't fit in the very short description that the poll allows, were matte bobbins. Could be fun!

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

To be clear, regardless of whether both coils are tapped, the idea is to get just TWO distinct voices out of the pickup. Sort of a passive answer to the Fishman Fluence pickups.

You're right, but part of the great thing about the Fluence design is that you can get the 3 distinct sounds of each unit just by deciding which of 3 output wires to use. With two taps that just isn't possible, and with the 59/C its not worth it to tap the 59 coil.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

Tapping the Custom coil could also be designed to give you something like a Screamin' Demon/'59 hybrid.

 

[Driver Blues]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

I think one of the flaws in this design process so far is that the leading contenders are trying to design a pickup based around uncharted designs while still clinging to traditional tones that we've grown accustomed to.

You can't have both, but why should we want to? If I was spearheading this design process I would want something completely fresh and exciting not based on something we already have. And I'd bet the Custom Shop would too, given all their listed pickups are very different from production models. If you want a modded production model you have to call them.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

Well, that's the problem, isn't it?

You have 50% of the forum that knows what they like already and don't want anything more than a small tweak or two to existing designs they enjoy, then you have the other 50% that see an opportunity like this as a chance to go hog-wild and make something no one would normally think to request.

Either way, the process can't please everyone.

Plus, I want to point out what a great job SD has done in filling gaps in their product offerings over the past 10 years or so. It's getting harder to come up with something truly "new" without resorting to extremes like the Fuglybuckers.

As for me, I'm a little sad to see my QuaranTele set is starting to lag behind, but I plan to see this through and will likely purchase whatever gets made (if it makes it that far)

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

I will purchase the forum pickup/s if I have a use for them. It's as simple as that.

Every forum pickup so far, I have had no use for. I hope that is different this time.

I know that if the pickup I am envisioning gets made, I have immediate use for at least one set, and probably two.

But everyone can probably say that...otherwise they most likely wouldn't have envisioned their suggestion in the first place.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

I think one of the flaws in this design process so far is that the leading contenders are trying to design a pickup based around uncharted designs while still clinging to traditional tones that we've grown accustomed to.

You can't have both, but why should we want to? If I was spearheading this design process I would want something completely fresh and exciting not based on something we already have. And I'd bet the Custom Shop would too, given all their listed pickups are very different from production models. If you want a modded production model you have to call them.

About 15 years ago, that's how Lace came up with the Alumitone design.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

I will purchase the forum pickup/s if I have a use for them. It's as simple as that.

I think that's totally reasonable

 

[Driver Blues]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

About 15 years ago, that's how Lace came up with the Alumitone design.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

That's a completely different situation. The Alumitone was designed by a professionals who wanted a radical departure in construction while still having a great modern hifi sound that cannot be achieved with copper wire.

This is a different case, we have a bunch of amateurs trying to stack every gimmick we can think of on already existing designs. Mixing coils and adding thicker magnets from popular production pickups is not an optimal design strategy.

Meanwhile, the only good idea the Parallel Axis for Tele, completely gets overshadowed because it doesn't have the flashy buzzwords of the other designs. We could make a modern Tele pickup, which Seymour Duncan lacks, or we could continue in the current direction of reinventing the 59/C with a one-trick pony gimmick that makes it a PITA to wire.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

That's a completely different situation. The Alumitone was designed by a professionals who wanted a radical departure in construction while still having a great modern hifi sound that cannot be achieved with copper wire.

This is a different case, we have a bunch of amateurs trying to stack every gimmick we can think of on already existing designs. Mixing coils and adding thicker magnets from popular production pickups is not an optimal design strategy.

Meanwhile, the only good idea the Parallel Axis for Tele, completely gets overshadowed because it doesn't have the flashy buzzwords of the other designs. We could make a modern Tele pickup, which Seymour Duncan lacks, or we could continue in the current direction of reinventing the 59/C with a one-trick pony gimmick that makes it a PITA to wire.

Cool.
But not quite in the spirit of the thread.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

Mixing coils and adding thicker magnets from popular production pickups is not an optimal design strategy....Meanwhile, the only good idea, the Parallel Axis for Tele, completely gets overshadowed

You bring up some good points. To help address your frustration...

First, the Parallel Axis Tele set would definitely be cool and it IS a missing feature of the current SD lineup. But then, so is a proper S-S-S Parallel Axis set for Strats! On the plus side, the QuaranTele set is in the 3rd spot and has a good chance at this point of moving forward. If you like it, make sure you vote on it! I want it to win, but I'm biased because it was my entry...and I don't even have a Tele, ha ha!

Second, I didn't put restrictions on the suggestions. I did request new ideas, but people came into this effort with different wants, needs, and knowledge about pickup design. This forum is HUGE on mag-swaps and hybrids, so that's what we're seeing reflected in a strong way. Nonetheless, I think several of these concepts could result in something unique and different, even if they seem a little "inside the box" as it were.

Lastly, don't lose hope on the outcome of this just yet! Any "winning" design will be subject to further discussion and potential modification in future polls and/or following SD's input.

:beerchug:

 

['59]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

First, the Parallel Axis Tele set would definitely be cool and it IS a missing feature of the current SD lineup. But then, so is a proper S-S-S Parallel Axis set for Strats! On the plus side, the QuaranTele set is in the 3rd spot and has a good chance at this point of moving forward. If you like it, make sure you vote on it! I want it to win, but I'm biased because it was my entry...and I don't even have a Tele, ha ha!

I voted for the Quarentele concept, but I feel that we could get a lot more support for the Strat concept. Seymour Duncan has tried many modern takes on humbuckers, but we don't see that with their Strat or Tele lineups.

Hifi, Parallel Axis, noiseless single coils would be a big win in my book, especially if you wound them with the bridge the hottest and the middle the coolest so you could solo on the neck, get nice bell-like 2 and 4 tones, and a thick bridge.

For the Tele, I don't know how you could give them a more modern sound, but I'd like to find out what all of you guys would think.

 

[BlackhawkRise]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

First, the Parallel Axis Tele set would definitely be cool and it IS a missing feature of the current SD lineup. But then, so is a proper S-S-S Parallel Axis set for Strats! On the plus side, the QuaranTele set is in the 3rd spot and has a good chance at this point of moving forward. If you like it, make sure you vote on it! I want it to win, but I'm biased because it was my entry...and I don't even have a Tele, ha ha!

This idea has me intrigued, what are the advantages of parallel axis polepieces, especially in a Tele?

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

Well, in the neck position, the PA poles would function in their normal way, essentially boosting the magnetic field along the sides of each string, which reduces direct string pull from the magnet and eliminates note drop-out when bending.

For the bridge, one of two things could happen...if SD was willing to create a proper P.A. Tele bobbin, the poles could likely be canted to accommodate the angle of the pickup, which would actually make it a pretty cool looking design, in my opinion. This could also work to their benefit if they were to use the design for a Strat set in the future.

Alternatively, the existing PA single coil bobbin could probably be adapted to the Tele rout, which would place the polepieces at an angle to the strings. That might deviate from the intention of the P.A. design slightly, but it would still yield benefits of separating and expanding the sensing area of each string. Plus, I believe the design of the P.A. poles also serve to increase inductance over traditional pole pieces, which helps them tame brightness and increase output, regardless of how the poles are oriented.

The QuaranTele idea probably requires the most input and willingness for SD to work with us on creating something "new", but it's been 30 years since they have done anything with their Parallel Axis technology! Time to do something fun and new with it, if you ask me.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

Angled PA poles would be the only way that “makes sense” to me. Isn’t the way the polepieces align with the strings an important part of the design? The “parallel” part?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

I looked up the Parallel Axis stack single to see what they did with that one, but it would appear they only made it for the neck and middle positions.

 

[bigcupholder]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

That's a completely different situation. The Alumitone was designed by a professionals who wanted a radical departure in construction while still having a great modern hifi sound that cannot be achieved with copper wire.

This is a different case, we have a bunch of amateurs trying to stack every gimmick we can think of on already existing designs. Mixing coils and adding thicker magnets from popular production pickups is not an optimal design strategy.

Meanwhile, the only good idea the Parallel Axis for Tele, completely gets overshadowed because it doesn't have the flashy buzzwords of the other designs. We could make a modern Tele pickup, which Seymour Duncan lacks, or we could continue in the current direction of reinventing the 59/C with a one-trick pony gimmick that makes it a PITA to wire.

How is a pickup with two distinct voices a "one-trick pony"?

This process doesn't work if people whine when other people don't want the same things. I agree with you that we shouldn't be throwing bizarre spec lists together, but you're complaining about the wrong suggestion here.

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[chadd]

Re: Forum Pickup Poll #2: Everything Else

Meanwhile, the only good idea the Parallel Axis for Tele, completely gets overshadowed because it doesn't have the flashy buzzwords of the other designs. We could make a modern Tele pickup, which Seymour Duncan lacks, or we could continue in the current direction of reinventing the 59/C with a one-trick pony gimmick that makes it a PITA to wire.

Pretty much sums up how it looks to me. Other than the tele set, nothing is much use to me. I like the concept of something specific to pair with the 59/C, but most of these just seem like kludging stuff together at random or in service of a name.