The first noiseless single coil?

[Gamera]

Anyone know what the very first commercially available noiseless single coil pickup was?

The reason I ask is I was trying to describe the sound of noiseless singles to a friend. It's easy to describe vintage singles and can point to dozens of artists for examples of the tone. Almost all of the single coils I own are noiseless and to my ears they have a slightly more "modern" tone with more bottom end and less top end twang. I was trying to think of an artist with a signature sound that uses noiseless single coils. Ritchie Blackmore came to mind but then I started to wonder who proceeded him and what they may have used. Anyone know?

 

[uOpt]

Re: The first noiseless single coil?

I guess it was one of the blind coil systems where you place a Strat pickup without magnets elsewhere in the guitar (same principle as a Stack but without trying to squeeze everything into the pickup cover).

Might have been the Alembic system but I haven't been around at the time.

 

[jmh151]

Re: The first noiseless single coil?

Maybe Bill Lawrence

 

[Gamera]

Re: The first noiseless single coil?

Maybe Bill Lawrence

Hmmm...an article on Bill's site seems to back this up as well as a wikipedia entry (which seems to be lifted directly from his site.) It claims Bill invented a rail pickup called the l220 sometime in the mid 70's. Here's an alleged picture of one from a thread on Bill's forum.

I'd love to hear what one of those sound like, just out of curiousity.

 

[Grandturk]

Re: The first noiseless single coil?

Blackmore used the Duncan Quarterpounder for years, no? I know he had Lace Sensors in his early Fender Sigs, but I thought he used the QP for a long time? Not aware of him using any other noiseless, though it would make sense.

 

[uOpt]

Re: The first noiseless single coil?

Blackmore used the Duncan Quarterpounder for years, no? I know he had Lace Sensors in his early Fender Sigs, but I thought he used the QP for a long time? Not aware of him using any other noiseless, though it would make sense.

No, what looks like Quarterpounders in some Blackmore photos are Schecter F400s. The Quarterpounds have awg43 coils like SSL6s, the Schecters have vintage style coils, just the big magnets.

The Lace Sensor Golds are only half hum canceling. Dunno what construction they have in there.