B/H Round Table & Misc

[big_teee]

Thanks Mr. Fab!
I was even thinking of using Strat Blade-bucker bobbins, built into a mounting like you mentioned.
He plays unplugged some, Then Plugged in, it would be a more conventional sounding electric.
All the youtube vids, show trying to keep the acoustic sound.
Instead of trying to make an acoustic sound more like an electric.
Interesting topic.
Thanks,
T

[Leo_Gnardo]

I've yet to find a pickup that actually translates the sound of an acoustic guitar accurately. Some sound better than others and make for an acceptable tone, but even the lo-tech ones have their charms, like the Markley "Wooden Soap Bar" mr fab mentioned. I mixed a Shawn Colvin show a week after she got her first Grammy, March 1991, she had the Markley and I augmented it with a Sennheiser 441 mic. That combination sounded mighty good if I do say so myself...

Though not members here, far as I know, Fishman has a couple of sound-hole mounted pickups with built in preamps that have sounded fine to me, carrying both the body and brilliance. But not the "ambience" that's so hard to include in acoustic tone. LR Baggs too. Note the John Martyn which leaves out a polepiece under the B string, hmmm, Taylor did the same with the pickup they mount under the fretboard in their ES system. Something to think about, maybe try one like that when you make a couple prototypes for yourself.

Rick Turner is a member here, maybe he could comment. Improving the sound of amplified acoustics has been a life long goal for him, and he has made a lot of progress in that direction. Most of his designs AFAIK are under-saddle but if there's something notable that mounts in the soundhole I'm sure he could tell you.

One of my customers was knocked out some years back by John Hiatt's acoustic tone in concert. He was using the "Sunrise System" so customer went and had his prize Martin fitted with one, never got happy with it. I wonder if Sunrise had some special sauce they got into Hiatt's, maybe some extra effort in voicing his to sound so attractive.

[big_teee]

Thanks Leo:
Like I said, most go way out trying to sound acoustic.
Which is really the harder task.
Sounding electric should be easier, if you keep the pickup weak.
I made and installed a strat pickup once for a resonator guitar.
It sounded good.
I have a few things going right now, but If I get time I will look into it.
I still have my left-hand strat tore a part redoing it, and making a rod bucker to fit.
I have an old big body Ovation lefty with built in electronics.
I will have to fire it up and see what it sounds like.
I can use it to test a pickup.
T

[rjb]

For electrified acoustic blues guitar, you might look into DeArmond designs for mounting and construction ideas.

Early on, Elmore James used a single coil with tab ears; BB King had a monkey-on-a-stick; and Roy Rogers (not the singing cowboy) uses a humbucker with spring mount in a Martin 0-18 with silk-and-steel strings. All are DeArmond pickups.



Notes:
> Small-body guitars tend to have fewer feedback problems.
> Note the duct tape over BB's sound hole.
> A capacitor in series with the pickup can help control feedback by blocking low frequencies. The cap can be shunted by a push button switch (like the "rhythm switch" in a Rhythm Chief control box) or by a 1M linear pot for variable control.
> Remember that most acoustic strings have non-ferrous windings (bronze is most common nowadays).

[Leo_Gnardo]

I have an old big body Ovation lefty with built in electronics.
I will have to fire it up and see what it sounds like.
I can use it to test a pickup.
T

There's your test bed, and Ovations are hard to break. Mostly what I do with acoustic pickups is get the best pickup sound I can get, then put a dab of very short-tail reverb (RT60 0.6 to 1.0 second) dialed way down to get a simulated acoustic "ambience" plus a touch of longer reverb for a room sound. It isn't what you hear with your ears when listening to an acoustic but it's satisfying enough.

The most realistic acoustic recordings I've heard were made with XY pairs of condensor AKG, Neumann, B&K or Schoeps mics, no pickups. You can't really use that technique with a PA or you'd be in feedback zone constantly. A very well recorded album with similar quality custom made condensor mics: V.M.Bhatt and Ry Cooder "A Meeting By The River". Give your ears a treat folks, it's a good 'un! Something to compare your pickups to...

[big_teee]

Great ideas everyone!
I'll give it some thought, and see what I can come up with.
T

[big_teee]

Rod Magnet Diameter?

Has anyone noticed how rod magnet diameter is all over the place?
Length seems to be pretty close, but diameters are not.
I'm mixing and matching some A3s, and A5s.
The mojo 195s, mic .192".
The Magnetic Hold .197s actually measure .197.
I was drilling holes for them thinking they were the same size?
Not so.
Best I remember that the ADFX rods, are a little different too?
So I guess all these magnets are made in different Chinese factories?
So much for consistency?
T

[mr fab]

Thanks Mr. Fab!
I was even thinking of using Strat Blade-bucker bobbins, built into a mounting like you mentioned.
He plays unplugged some, Then Plugged in, it would be a more conventional sounding electric.
All the youtube vids, show trying to keep the acoustic sound.
Instead of trying to make an acoustic sound more like an electric.
Interesting topic.
Thanks,
T

no probs terry

I forgot to mention, that some years ago I put a rewound tele neck pickup in an acoustic I was using for a jazz/blues based band. I was hand winding in those days and if I recall correctly I used VERY thick wire and underwound it. I worked very well in giving bluesy/jazzy tone and not too much output to cause severe microphonics

[big_teee]

Custom Pickguards

I Was going to get Warmoth to make me a custom lefty tele pickguard for a 3 pickup tele?
Tele neck, strat middle, with the ashtray bridge Single Coil.
They want $28 to make one, which I thought was reasonable?
I wanted the bridge cutout left off, so I could make a good custom fit at the ashtray bridge, and not have that big cut out gap.
The rub came when they wanted an extra $15 to not make the cut at the bridge?
That would run up the price to $43 before shipping.
More than I want to spend on a $90 import.
Anyone got any other ideas for custom pickguards.
I'm not equipped to make my own, and want to buy one.
T

[mr fab]

I Was going to get Warmoth to make me a custom lefty tele pickguard for a 3 pickup tele?
Tele neck, strat middle, with the ashtray bridge Single Coil.
They want $28 to make one, which I thought was reasonable?
I wanted the bridge cutout left off, so I could make a good custom fit at the ashtray bridge, and not have that big cut out gap.
The rub came when they wanted an extra $15 to not make the cut at the bridge?
That would run up the price to $43 before shipping.
More than I want to spend on a $90 import.
Anyone got any other ideas for custom pickguards.
I'm not equipped to make my own, and want to buy one.
T

looks like they normally route a std tele guard to make a Nashville.... hence the extra cost if you want the bridge section left intact, as they would have to route it from scratch. $15 extra is not that much if this is the case. have you checked out pickguard heaven? they can route just about any shape you want.

http://pickguards.us/

[big_teee]

Yes I know they probably have to push an extra button on the CNC, thus they attempt to explain the extra $15.
If you get into the deluxe materials, Pickguard H. seems to be higher than warmoth.
Can't justify spending $60 on a $90 guitar.
Looks like I need to cut the extra hole in the existing pickguard.

[mr fab]

yes I have had to do that many times terry

I carefully mark the hole to be cut on the back of the pickguard usually using the pickup cover as the template and using a scoring tool. I then use a small carbide burr with my dremel to rough the hole out, leaving approx. 1mm of material to the marked shape edges. then I carefully use a small sanding drum with the dremel at low speed to finesse it until it looks about right. some wet sand paper then polishes and smooths the hole up. it takes me approx. 20 minutes to do this and one slip and you can throw the guard away. check your work as you statrt to get close using the pickup cover

[big_teee]

I've made a few holes in pickguards, but never looked that professional.
I think I will leave it alone, and just play the 3 pickup strat.
I'm surprised there aren't more 3 pickup Teles.
IMO if you're used to playing a 3 pickup strat, it is hard to be content with a 2 pickup tele.
I have a right hand test tele for folks to play, and it blows my 2 pickup lefty away with all the different sounds and options.
T

[big_teee]

B-Stock Bass

Need a Bass to test Pickups?
Here's a good candidate for a test bass.
The Rondo B-Stocks usually have very minor B-stock imperfections and are usually a good deal, and usually don't last long.
SX Ursa 1 RN CAR B Stock - RondoMusic.com
I have a similar bass in a left hand version, except mine has a maple neck.
I routed holes to test different sized both mid-neck and bridge locations.
Here's my test bass, Equipped with my custom Multi-Coils.
http://music-electronics-forum.com/a...3-p1010030.jpg
T

[NLS Pickups]

Thanks for the link, that is a great deal for a tester.