Four Pickup Guitar

[staybobo]

I want to build a four pickup style Switchmaster. What do you think of this pickup and switching combonation?

Pickups

• Bridge: Seymour Duncan Antiquity 2 Firebird
• Middle: Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Johnny Smith
• Middle Neck: Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Charlie Christian Humbucker
• Neck: Seymour Duncan Antiquity 2 Mini Humbucker

Wiring

1. Bridge
2. Middle
3. Middle Neck
4. Neck

Push/Push Pots

• Neck Volume {Neck & Middle}
• Neck Tone {Neck & Middle Neck}
• Middle & Middle Neck Volume {Middle & Bridge}
• Middle & Middle Neck Tone {Middle & Middle Neck}
• Bridge Volume { Bridge & Neck}
• Bridge Tone {Middle, Middle Neck, & Neck}

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

Will your guitar have enough space for 4 humbuckers??
I can just fit 3 on my build...

 

[staybobo]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

Not a Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster guitar but, a Switchmaster control layout.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

3 is too many.

Really? ....... 4??

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

Steve Howe has a four HB Les Paul. If I recall correctly, each pickup has its own volume control. The selector switch toggle makes way for a master tone pot.

 

[jmh151]

Four Pickup Guitar

Sounds like Spinal Taps's Mr Horsepower.

Doesn't the EBMM Steve Morse model have 4 pickups too?

 

[B2D]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

Sounds like Spinal Taps's Mr Horsepower.

Doesn't the EBMM Steve Morse model have 4 pickups too?

Both are Music Man guitars, interestingly enough. I think the Morse model has something like 10 combinations?

Staybobo - what are you going to be using this guitar for? That will help a lot with our suggestions. At a glance, it seems like you're gearing the guitar for jazz, possibly?

 

[MrTondo]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

Yep, just the general questions:
- What type of guitar will this be in? What kind of woods, scale length, bolt on/set neck?
- What type of sound are you going for?
- Why four pickups? On a more serious note: Do they all need to be small HB size (since you mentioned only those) or do you want HB's, p90's or strat pups?

And since you only mention expensive CS pups, why not go for two silver zephyrs instead?

 

[blueman335]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

3 is too many.

Really? ....... 4??

+1. It's highly debatable if all the PU's on the average 3 PU guitar usually get used. Four seems like a lot. And packed like sardines, you may have magnetic fields overlapping and causing tone quality issues. You're not going to get 4 PU's sitting properly under the strings, and one or two will be in poor locations for reading vibrations and getting good tones. The way a PU sounds in the bridge or neck, is very different than how it sounds in the middle. Why have 4 PU's when 2 may sound like crap?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

Even in Strats, some people say they never use the middle pup. (I actually like the middle strat position, but I really don't like a middle bucker pup).

 

[kilphody]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

3 is too many.

Really? ....... 4??

WTF? FOUR?

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

I use all the combinations. There's a reason they're there.
The morse guitar is just confusing though....
I like hsh combos with coil tap.
I can't afford to have a guitar for each sound hence my affinity for as many combinations on one guitar. My gibson and my fender are the same guitar

 

[bazie]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

Even in Strats, some people say they never use the middle pup.

So I am one of them. I have two guitars with middle single coil, and I use it mainly with out-of-phase combination with either neck or bridge humbucker (coil-tapped or not). However, when I started playing Ibanez RG270, I liked the single as it somehow resembled the sound of my previous hand-made guitar which had two humbuckers.
I think it's a matter of taste.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

What magnet material is in the Custom Shop CC pickup? Soft Iron?

The output levels of some of the pickups will be considerably lower than others.

 

[Securb]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

The output levels of some of the pickups will be considerably lower than others.

Could be the desired effect :33:

 

[ExplorersRock]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

I actually like the middle strat position, but I really don't like a middle bucker pup.

+1

 

[staybobo]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

Q. What type of guitar will this be in?

A. Gibson L-5 CES {Florentine Cutaway} with Viceroy Brow Sunburst Finish. TonePros Wraparound PRS Bridge and Locking Stud Set Satin Gold, GENUINE GRETSCH GOLD "ARROW" JEWEL KNOB, and No F Holes. 15.5" Lower Bout and 2.25" Wide.​

Q. What kind of woods, scale length, & bolt on/set neck?

A. Sapele Back & Sides. "Bearclaw" Spruce Top. Adirondack Spruce Bracing. 25.75" Scale Length, 22 Frets, and Set Maple Neck with Rosewood Fingerboard.​

Q. What type of sound are you going for?

A. Jazz, Blues, Swing Blues, & Rhythm & Blues.​

Q. Why Four Pickups?

A. Because of the sound combonation I'm after.​

 

[teleblooz]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

I like you're way of thinking.....more is better! Great selection of pickups that should generate some very unique tones. It's a very cool idea and I hope it works well for you. Please post pics and tone results.

 

[staybobo]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

Do you know anyone who can build this guitar for me?

 

[tonaholic]

Re: Four Pickup Guitar

I used to have a HSH+Piezo guitar that I had designed to be able to do a little bit of every flavor and it did but it always had me wanting the real thing. Now I have 4 guitars loaded with Duncan Liberator pots and an AxeFX. I'd put the versatility of this rig up against anything.