Prototype pickup

crookedpinky

Having built my first prototype pickup I thought I'd upload a quick sound clip. Please please please don't comment on the playing - I know it's crap - but I'd be interested to hear your views on the tone of the pickup.

It was mounted on a Harmsworth & WIllis oval hole with Phillipe Bosset strings ( 10s ) and played through a Bugera Vintage 5 tube amp with onboard reverb straight to disk.

This is my first ateempt at buidling a pickup and the next one will be even better.

Thanks for listening and commenting if you choose to do so

Alan

Bones

Wow, nice tone!

Any pictures of the process and/or finished product?

What kind of amp?

crookedpinky

Here;s a picture of the prototype -

I spent last night drawing the individual components needed for production and that means it will be a slightly different shape but - crucially - it will still be only 7mm thick. I have a Harmsowrth and Willis oval hole which doesn;t have enough string clearance for my Stimer.

Also - despite my best efforts - I still have an issue with G string drop out on the Stimer despite trying all sorts of string combinations, this design goes a long way to addressing that - it's still not perfect and I need to do a little bit of work on improving that. I would say that the current string balance response of the pickup - with Argentines - is like this with 1 being equal volume

Low E =1 A = 1 D=1 G=0.8 b=1.1 E=1

I can improve this and that's part of the design process which - as I'm sure you'll understand I'm keeping close to my chest as I hope to turn this into a commercial idea.

As for the amp, it's one of these

A Bugera V5 by Behringer - more information here http://www.bugera-amps.com/

This is a pretty cheap amp but certainly when used with the Stimer delievrs a useful range of Django type tones from clean through to quite crunchy. It's also a great little blues amp.

I'll post an update when the next prototype is up and running. Thanks for your response

Alan

crookedpinky

Still looking for opinions on the tone of my prototype pickup and info on string spacing and clearance as per my previous email. Any opinions gratefully received, thanks

Alan

Steveareno

Good luck with the pickup design and development. I have a Big Tone in my Dell Arte (US made) which I really like and a Schertler Basik (very good and versatile for a natural acoustic sound) but I also like the more funky magnetic pickup tone. The Stimers sound great to me but look a little clunky, with the clips and volume control. Don't think you really need a volume control. I also think sticking them on with putty (like the Schertler green stuff which I think Krivo also uses) is a good way to attach them. I like the look of Whit Smith's DeArmond stuck on his Gibson archtop. And a good heavy duty cord with solid connections just stuck into the pickup and straight into a little amp. No muss no fuss. Don't have any specific measurements for you, but I think silence of operation is important (no buzzing or hum) and of course minimizing potential feedback. To my ear, a SelMac style guitar with a magnetic pickup thru a small tube amp is a very attractive, warm sound and can cut it in most electric "jazz" settings. A chrome cover would add some visual appeal and provide a more vintage look, but try to keep the weight down. I was interested in the Miller pickup (and still am) but they're a little expensive. My 2 cents.
Swang on,

crookedpinky

Thanks for that, that's really helpful. I had the same line of thinking around size and shape and as uncomplicated as possible. My latest design is more akin to a Miller or the Stimer St51.

Thanks again, watch this space

Alan