Soundhole Humbucker

paulmcevoy75 · September 16

So here's the BoucheBucker wired up. 1 volume, no tone. This is through a Princeton Reverb.

The pickup is a cheap Guitar Fetish old style PAF. I have another pickup on the way. The sound is pretty clean.

It doesn't seem to feedback, the amp is on 6 and I'm pretty close to it. There is some hum...it would be a pain to ground the strings, but I don't think it's super noticeable.

https://youtu.be/MjgyF1v8RYc?si=rbFSPqWLcs3BJPut

voutoreenie · September 16

Dude. Sounds awesome. Would love to hear it with just a bit less reverb but man, she sings (and swings).

Buco · September 16

This is really good. If I had something like this, I'd put in a wireless module right on the pickup plate somewhere. That way there is no fussing with cables and trying to plug in anything.

littlemark · September 16

I'm trying not to be a Debbie Downer. 🧐

You really need to ground the strings. What's the point of humbucking with a ground hum? If you had a traditional selmer or busto tailpiece it could be grounded at the input jack to the tailpiece. It would drive me crazy. (Says the guy with only single coil pickups).

As already stated, I think it needs to be demonstrated without reverb. You can't hear what the pickup actually sounds like.

The concept is good but i don't think a paf style pickup would work for Gypsy Jazz.

What is the goal? If you want to play straight ahead jazz but not get another guitar. I guess it's fine and would work. I can see the use for that. The single note lines work.

But for la pompe, I think it's a non starter.

It's nice how the bridge matches the pickup surround. I'm surprised no one has noted that.

As you all probably know by now, I'm pretty conservative with my tone choices.

paulmcevoy75 · September 16

littlemark · September 16

You should probably read what I wrote again.

Forgive me for not heaping praise. I don't offer praise liberally. Nor do I critique unless asked.

You like, literally didn't just wire it up for the first time today. You posted the start of the thread more than a week ago. I didn't say anything then because I had nothing constructive to say.

If you just want just want sycophantic responses, a public forum may not be the best place to post. You have sought people's opinions on your experiments in the past. Perhaps you only wanted praise.

Asking what the goal is, is a pretty innocuous question and it was sincere.

If your goal actually was to hear how it sounded, you had accomplished that Sept 7.

Buco · September 16

Yeah, I still think it sounds fine for rhythm. I'm not getting what's not good about the sound when playing rhythm...it's sounds pleasant to me. Fat and chimey. But, contrarians sometimes get you to think further and try harder, more so than compliments.

littlemark · September 16

Well, now that you've deleted your post, I sound like a crazy person. 🤪

I don't think this is the first time you've done that, to one of my posts.

Anyway...

Dog tax 🐕

paulmcevoy75 · September 16

Sorry. I keep trying to write a reply but it's boring. Long story short, I make stuff to please myself and see what I can do within the Selmer tradition. This pleases me. I didn't ask your critique.

Tbh man, I don't know who you are. I'm not sure what you're talking about about deleted posts. I deleted my post because it was hard to reply without appearing defensive and rude but I'm reading over this looking to see if I was looking for critique and I didn't.

For whatever its worth, I don't know if people realize how hard it is trying to make first class instruments. It is the hardest thing I've ever tried in my life. To put 2 or 3 months of full time work into something when you don't know whether it's going to be a success or not is really stressful. I find it very emotional and difficult. I do it because I really want to and I enjoy making things better but it is absolutely hard. I'm lucky I have a job that pays my way but I lose so much money doing this it's ridiculous.

It would be SO MUCH EASIER to make Selmer copies. They would be easier to make and easier to sell. I wouldn't have to worry that one of my experiments doomed a guitar I had two months into.

But I actually believe that there's a lot of space with these guitars to make them better. Bigger sound, more beautiful sound and more versatile, while still doing all the Selmer\Django stuff. That interests me. Making copies of older guitars mostly does not interest me. There are plenty of people who do that well.

Anyway, when I'm seeking critique, I ask for it. Usually in June when I can be around some pro players. Or when I go to Paris.

It is always funny to me though when someone offers me unrequested critique about how I should do something. At shows sometimes someone will sit down and play my guitar and clearly not be a very good player and then tell me what they think I should change. It is a cringy conversation because I honestly don't give a shit. Ultimately I make the instruments to please me. If people like them and buy them, that's great. If they don't, making less of them will save me money because I lost a shitload on every one I sell. At this point I make instruments I want and I try to make each one better than the last. If I stop making guitars at some point I want to have instruments I've made to play for the rest of my life.

Anyway, long story short, unless I'm missing something, I wasn't asking for critique. When I do, I ask particular people whose opinions really matter to me and who I know are ridiculously honest (Tcha! Cough cough). Mostly I don't give a shit. If people like what I'm doing, that's cool and if not, that's cool too but maybe just don't buy it. I'm going to keep doing it one way or the other.

littlemark · September 16

I didn't really give my critique.

However, by posting on a forum you are implicitly asking for responses.

I don't think you are only making stuff too please yourself. If that were the case you wouldn't even tell anyone. Or take a photo or try and sell anything. I think @Jangle_Jamie truely makes stuff to please himself.

You seem to be trying to make a go as a luthier. I applaud that. It's not easy. But you don't continue to shill your guitars if you are doing it just to please yourself. You don't buy a guitar for 500 bucks (with damage) and turn around and try and sell it for nearly 3k after we all saw how you bought it for. Yes you fixed the neck. (I don't remember the exact numbers)

Tbh man, I don't know how to respond. I've been on this forum for enough years that I suspect most people have read my posts and have some image of who I am. Though may not have met me.

To your deleted post, I too prefer people who try and put things into the world rather than just complain. However, the point of a message board to is to discuss ideas and share. A mutual masturbation group is not particularly interesting to me, though sometimes useful.

@Buco is always encouraging and a positive contributor to this board. I appreciate it.