Is this the future of pickups???

[rhgwynn]

You decide.

-Rob

[copperheadroads]

Here's thread about it started some time ago
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t29960/

[Chuck H]

I have a hard time believing there is much manipulation of the ferro fluids with the amount of energy the pickups and strings exchange. The same effect may be possible if the fluid chamber were filled with a ferrite slug. The only way to know would be a controlled experiment with two identical "liquid pickup" chambers. Clearly the ferro fluid is contributing something because even wooden "liquid pickup" chambers adhere magnetically to the pickup. But is the ferro fluid reactive enough in it's viscous properties to actually sound different from a ferrite slug? I dunno. But I doubt it. So the end effect may only be (and probably is) eddy currents and a reduction in gauss.

[RedHouse]

Wow, a choke-chain for pickups!

Either a nice fairly-normal Strat sound ...or... this new cool throw-a-Navy-blanket-over-the-speaker sound! can't wait to see/hear those down at Guitar Center.
('cause I wouldn't be putting 'em on my Strat)

YMMV

[Spence]

Just found this post which raised my interest especially as I'm in print talking about ferro-fluid pickups. Amazing how this guy quotes me word for word.
However, I applaud the effort that he's gone to here. He has actually tried to do something different which most people never do.
My only criticism is that he has made a good guitar sound shit.
That's not the fault of the ferro fluids, the guitar or amp.
Anyone can make a pickup without any understanding of what they're doing or why they're doing it.

[Possum]

You got that right...

[mcgruff]

Is this some kind of dastardly plot to make electric guitars sound like a banjo?

Interesting idea though. Good luck with the ferro fluids research.

[Spence]

The first time I ever mentioned ferro fluids in a pickup to people they all fell about laughing as of course they're all so much cleverer than me.
The pointed out that as soon as you sand up with your guitar slung around your neck the fluid will all run to the bottom of the tank.
Proper belly laughs. What a fool!
That's what you're up against when developing something new. Others know best and if you're lucky they won't tell anyone that you don't really know what you're doing.
In the case of the guy in the video, he has made some mistakes and then broadcast them.
I certainly wouldn't do that.
It isn't the end for ferro fluids in a pickup but anyone watching that video will probably turn away.

[Steve Conner]

Ferrofluid is mostly used in hi-fi tweeters. A small amount is put in between the voice coil and the magnet pole pieces. The magnetic field is strong enough that it's trapped in there by magnetic forces and can't run out. The effect is to damp the resonance and help with cooling. As far as I know, it is only used in tweeters because the excursion of a woofer would overcome the magnetic forces and fling it out.

It's not at all obvious (to me anyway) how this would translate to guitar pickups where the gaps are much larger and the field weaker, and they don't get hot. I guess they do resonate mechanically but wax or epoxy potting is usually used to damp that.

[Chuck H]

I was thinking the same sorts of things. People often do things just because they can. As in 'pickups are magnetic devices. And ferro fluid is something used to make magnetic devices sometimes.' The correlation isn't necessarily wrong, but it's not necessarily right either. Sort of like trying to explain to the nice officer that you weren't exceeding the posted miles per hour because you weren't planning to be out that long.

Perhaps Spence will post up some ferro fluid/pickup ideas that make more sense.

[Steve Conner]

To me, the metal chambers do the same as turning down the tone control a bit.

[David Schwab]

There used to be these little metal things made by one of the Lace brothers (Melvin Lace/APC - Adder Plus Corporation) that did the same sort of thing. You stuck them on top of your Strat pickup. They had the little fingers like the comb on the other Lace pickups.

[Spence]

I'll do it one day. But right now I had better get on with what I'm already tasked with.
I'm releasing some new stuff any time soon so the ferro fluid pickups will have to wait a bit longer.
I certainly wouldn't release them into the wild sounding like that shite.