Cigar Box Guitar Pickup Options?

[big_teee]

Researching pickup options for 3 and 4 string guitar box guitar pickup.
I have a builder wanting to know what I could make for his builds.
I was thinking a blade in a no holes P-bass cover?
These guitars are primarily used for slide playing.
Trying to come up with short length pickup options.
Got any ideas, I would like to hear them?
Thanks,
T

[rjb]

How short do you need?

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t37623/
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t37934/
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t41005/

DeArmond gold foil style is also pretty flat.
Paint front of a steel backplate with insulating enamel.
Glue a rubber magnet to the backplate, then glue thin plastic flange on top of the magnet.
Wind #43 between the backplate and flange.

IME, if you need "short" (which I would define as about 1/4" max height) you fabricate your own parts.

[big_teee]

I'm not interested in the flat pickup concept.
Want to stay with regular pickups.
When I said short, I meant the length of the bobbin, cause the guitar has 3 or 4 strings.
I'll probably use a strat blade pickup like Mojo sells.
The pickup can be mounted in the cigar box.
Because the action is high for slide there is plenty of room under the strings.
Just trying to come up with ideas before I meet the guy on it.
T

[rjb]

When I said short, I meant the length of the bobbin, cause the guitar has 3 or 4 strings.

Oops. Never mind.

Because the action is high for slide there is plenty of room under the strings.

A few years ago at the Washington (DC) Folk Festival, I heard a guy demo his electric cigar box diddly bow and slide guitars. He gave pretty detailed explanations of building techniques, but it was too long ago to remember. IIRC, some had piezo pickups (under the bridge? at the resonator?) Maybe something like a crude version of a lipstick pickup. In the cigar box subculture, low tech is a virtue. Sorry, not much help.

But you do know about Cigar Box Nation, right?
Cigar Box Nation - #1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

[big_teee]

The piezo is what they are using now.
The guitar shop owner Brent where the builder sells the guitars?
Hates the piezo, and wants him to go to a real electric guitar pickup.
That's where I come in, they want me to come up with something.
I was thinking the 1/2" wide bar magnet mounted in flatwork, but he has such high brace height, don't think it will reach through the lid, to the pickups.
May have to move to a rod magnet pickup, so I can make it taller.
I have some 5/16x3/4" rods I've used on bass pickups.
That may be just the thing.
I'll know more after I meet with him Saturday.
The good news, William at Tone-Kraft will burn me whatever flatwork I need.
T

[mr fab]

I have done a few pickups for cigar boxes.... all of them blade style. if you need extra height I would make the blade high using mild steel stock and possibly a number of small neos to magnetise the blade from underneath

[big_teee]

Thanks,
Whatever I do, it will be a real simple design.
Right now I'm leaning toward 3 big rod magnets in laser flatwork.
I want it to have zero fabricating time.
If I can have it all laser fabricated, then just a little winding and potting time will be involved.

Another question, where is the best position in the body for the pickup location?
T

[rjb]

Another question, where is the best position in the body for the pickup location?

I reckon we'd have to see the CBG; it's not as though there is one standard design.
It all depends on the individual design.
"Best" location might depend more on looks than sound- you don't want to cover the coolest part of the label!
Surface mount might make more sense than cutting a hole in the body.
If the neck is attached with a dowel rod (like a banjo), the pickup might be mounted on the rod.
If the CBG looks like this, you can make the fancy pickup cover the center of attention.


If you Google "cigar box pickup", you'll find tons of images and DIY tutorials.
Some revel in low-tech & like to re-purpose relay coils, wallwart transformers, etc.
The first pic in a page of Etsy images looks a lot like your proposed design.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ciga...p+etsy&imgrc=_

Anyways, good luck & have fun.
-rb

PS- Way back before CBG building became a hip subculture, I built a number of fruitcake tin banjos, a 4-string cigar box mandolin, etc. But I never made pickups for them.

[big_teee]

It's getting more complicated.
I forgot about the neck going all the way through the box.
So that rules out mounting it under the Lid, unless you drill through the neck.
I may choose plan C, and turn and run.
I'm into pickups and tone, never was good at cosmetics.
Yikes!
T

[rjb]

Correction

If the CBG looks like this, you can make the fancy pickup cover the center of attention.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]38776[/ATTACH]

Replying to correct myself:
See the colorful square in front of the bridge- I thought that was a flat metal box containing the pickup.
Now I see the "flatpup" in the neck position.

It looks like a lot of these CBGs are built like the original Les Paul "log" - neck goes thru the body and supports the tailpiece and bridge; body is mostly for show and a place to mount controls & jack.

This could be a fun change of pace. But if it ain't gonna be fun, then no shame in turning it down. IMHO.

[big_teee]

Check this out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3fJ-r7rSRk

[rjb]

Check this out.

"It's so easy when you know how" - wasn't that the title of an old blues song?
It looks like the play list has an installation vid for every type of pickup.
Hey, I just learned how to make a dado cut with hand tools I already own.
But did you notice- he said "capacitator".

[rjb]

For making that slot in the neck, one of these guys could come in handy, used with the plunge blade.

And don't forget these


Both on sale at Harbor Freight thru Sun.

[big_teee]

Tommy came over yesterday, and we discussed his Cigar box guitars.
To date he's sold going on 60 guitars.
He mainly makes 3 string models, but is also working on a 4 string model, in a wood cigar box.
He decided on the strat flatwork with the 2.18" short humbucker magnet, as a blade.
He is going to limit his bridge height to 1/4 inch instead of the 3/8" bridge he currently uses, reducing the brace height.
I will get Tone-Kraft to Laser cut the flatwork for me, with an installed precharged 2.18" A5 humbucker magnet.
I will wind, install leads, pot, put grounded shield foil on the bottom, and tape the coil with humbucker tape.
Should be a fairly easy pickup build.
I gave him a top strat flatwork piece to rout the top of the cigar box.
He's going with a master volume, and master tone 250K pots, trying both .022, and .047uf tone caps.
He may laser grapic a thin piece of plastic to glue on the top of the flatwork with his brand logo.
The finished installed pickup should look pretty slick!
T

[Lyrebird Steve]

Hi Teee,

I'm assuming you've already progressed well down the path with this one ... but a local CBG maker uses a P90 style because you can make them pretty flat to sit under the strings without a major route required.

I'd think modifying an existing kit or making your own based on this style (with a wooden spacer between forbon flatwork) might work well.

YMMV