Requirements for an Under-Pickguard (Stealth) Pickup

[Drak]

I was just curious if there were certain features in a pickup that would make it better suited to an under-pickguard install.
Like...on an Esquire or something.
And let us say that although possible, we would not be drilling 6 separate holes through the guard to raise the polepieces up through.
It would be a totally stealth job.

Typical SC's have the polepieces (magnets) sitting right at the top of the pickup...
Maybe would have a 'higher' (?) sensing field, since the magnets come right to the top of the pickup itself.

Or, maybe a ceramic magnet job would have more 'field strength' for reaching out.
What attributes would be the most prominent to consider in such a situation.

Your thoughts on the matter...

 

[idsnowdog]

The problem with under the pickguard pickups is that the pickups are too far away from the strings so I would think Neodymium bar magnets would be a good choice because they are very strong. It would also make sense if the pickups were active pickups.

 

[ICTGoober]

Duncan just came out with a pickup that does that.... I think it's called the Secret Agent? Seymour did it for Brad Paisley's Esquire?

 

[Mincer]

The Secret Agent was designed for this. I bet they could build one for a Strat, too. Read about it here.

 

[CaptainWhizz]

The Secret Agent was designed for this. I bet they could build one for a Strat, too. Read about it here.

A Strat middle pickup Secret Agent could be useful for people that find then regular one gets in the way.

 

[ICTGoober]

Hell, just use the Tele one in the Strat. It's supposed to be overwound.

 

[allstarrme]

That secret agent pickup looks to be a ceramic bar instead of pole pieces through the whole pickup. No cover to get in the way.

Having a large ceramic bar is probably the only way to get it to sense anything from that far, short of routing the neck pocket deeper and lowering the bridge to get the strings closer to the pick guard.