B/H Round Table & Misc

[big_teee]

Anyone got any good ideas to make pickups for a 3 string Bass?
I was contacted by a TalkBass member about making some pickups for a double neck 3 string bass.
He wants to make a double neck bass with a couple of 3 string necks, one would have Frets, and the other would be fret-less.
I was thinking about maybe some guitar sized blade pickups.
I think they would be close to the right length?
All ideas appreciated!
T

[Alberto]

What about cutting flatwork to the desired length and using rod magnets?

[big_teee]

Yes that is an idea, how would you mount the pickups?
Most bass pickups mount with pads and covers with cover mounting holes?
He was asking about multi-coils, but without covers to put them in, more issues?
Thanks,
T

[Alberto]

I would mount them in a P90s fashion, with wood screws, and leave them without a cover. You can even wrap them with cotton string like a tele bridge, to make them look nicer.

[big_teee]

I have limited tools, and don't know If I could make something from flatwork that would look decent.
He is also leaning toward hum canceling.
Minibuckers would also be an option, with mini pickup ring mounting?
I will have to think about it some more?
T

[big_teee]

Here's a hellofa Deal on a B-stock Deluxe Tele, at $89.95.
These SX guitars make great pickup test guitars.

SX Furrian MN HH CAR B Stock - RondoMusic.com

[big_teee]

Anyone making much?
It's been wet and cool here in Mid-South.
a few inquires but no one spending much.
The music stores all said it has been slow!
What's going on in your Area?
T

[SonnyW]

Anyone making much?
It's been wet and cool here in Mid-South.
a few inquires but no one spending much.
The music stores all said it has been slow!
What's going on in your Area?
T

It hasn't been very slow for me here lately. Over about the last month or so I have sold three strat sets of various specs, one P.A.F. set and 2 rewinds, plus a strat neck re-fret and an acoustic flattop setup/repair. Also sold a few vintage and repro capacitors and other parts online. That's really a banner month for me, maybe the best in years. Most of the repairs are local, but the pickup orders have nearly all come from previous customers located on the west coast.

[kayakerca]

Anyone making much?
It's been wet and cool here in Mid-South.
a few inquires but no one spending much.
The music stores all said it has been slow!
What's going on in your Area?
T

Been a slow few weeks here as well. Only one Strat set out the door and a Tele bridge. A few rewinds though. The '73 J-Bass, half of a '73 P-Bass, '65 Strat and a '67 Tele bridge. Did get to meet a few really good guys through that as well, a local pedal and amp builder and another professional musician that does guitar tech for one of the local retailers as well and a guitar tech from one of the smaller nearby towns. All excellent experiences! The retail music business has been hit pretty hard here lately with 2 long time shops closing their doors over the past couple months. Starting to CAD up some bobbins so I can take a serious crack at fabricating my own bobbins/flatwork. Bit of trial and error out of the gate, but it's definitely going to work in the long term, especially a year from now when that laser lands at the doorstep!

[big_teee]

It's been discussed in other forums, that some Squiers, and some MIM strats have 48mm, 50, & 52mm pickups.
I ran across a china SX with a bit narrower neck, but not all three? These were bobbin pickups.
Is everyone still making all pickups the same spacing with the same covers?
T

[big_teee]

Guitar center guitar sale!

Guitar Center 20% off of all guitars, ends Sunday 11/8/2015.
The TV add said sale good on all guitars.
The ad says up to 20% on select guitars.
I guess go and see what they have?
http://www.guitarcenter.com/?source=...4333x132788413
T

[elipsey]

Any opinions on the Mojo Covers?

I just bought a couple kits, I might leave the covers off if they suck tone...

[big_teee]

All covers do effect tone.
Brass covers effect tone the most.
IME the thinner the cover the better, the bare nickel unplated are the thinnest, and IMO sound best.
The Nickel plated or chrome are next.
To compensate, I charge the magnets hotter, and in some cases use A5 instead of the weaker magnets to make up for the cover.
You will need to experiment.
Cover brand doesn't matter, it is thickness, and metal type that IME matters.
To test, you can try a cover without soldering to see what it sounds like.
Then solder the cover on.
Guys do differently on potting, but I pot my humbuckers with the cover on the pickup.
I pour the excess wax out the corner holes.
If the bobbins are taped well the wax potting mainly just dampens the metal parts.
This helps on the microphonics, but the coils still sound good IME.
YMMV,
T
**This is the B/H forum, and We explain things here.
If you already know the above, please disregard!

[Stratz]

Lately I've been using RTV silicone for my non potted covered HB's and it seems to be working well.
I cover the slug bobbin with blue painters tape, squeeze 3 dabs of RTV on the tape, clamp the cover down tight in my jig and solder it up.

Much, much easier and faster than using wax and since there's tape over the bobbin the cover can be removed and the bobbins are free of silicone and wax.

[big_teee]

Well that's a different approach.
If you used enough RTV, maybe not have to even solder them.
I wax pot everything.
No more covered pickups that I make, I'll keep waxing them.
I keep a commercial hair dryer on the bench, and you can wipe the wax right off.
I like the covers seated as tight on the bobbins as possible.
Everyone does everything a bit different.
T