I'm having a little trouble searching this. I'm trying to build a magnetic coil pickup for a violin. Because of the radius of the violin's neck, I'm thinking four, individual, single-pole pickups that I could mount at different angles would be the way to go. I'm up for building the mounting bracket for this set up but winding the actual pickups is more than I want to get into right now. I remember seeing someone who was selling single-pole pickups in the past but now can't seem to find it, Can any of you good people point me in the right direction? Much obliged.
-Steve
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Yes - I already googled that chupachup - that's a one-piece 4-coil; great for pizzicato but low-low bowing output. The whole instrument will be very "microphonic" when "pumping up" the bowed sound with a preamp - and the output signal will "explode" plucking a string. My collegue Manfred tried that back in the early 80ies! - And that one was adjustible with those three spring-supported screws sunk into the surface of the fingerboard (sorry - I didn't take any fotos of the instrument back then ...). I don't know how to show a pic like above here in the forum - so here comes a link
I forgot: As to strings - I'm using Helicores or Pirastro Flexocor/Permanent for e-, a- and d-strings. My favourite choice for g is a Thomastik Dominant: plastic core but double wound: first steel or nickel, then silver. Has great magnetic properties. For viola or 5-string the Dominant c-strings have the same fine mag. prop. as the g. Caution: the Dominant d- and a-strings don't have any mag. prop.!
as was said, there was a functioning and nice sounding magnetic humbucker for violin by Skip Malley ("bowtronics"). A high- and a low- impedance model. I had both and still have the lo-imp. It is very difficult to adjust (distances strings to coils) properly.
It saved me a stage musician's job 8 years ago, but I was longing for something freely adjustable. So I asked an audio technician friend of mine to develop something made to measure for pro-violinists. The result is called "REBO". Please have a look and listen to the sound files: http://www.uli-boesking.de/rebo/
One of the problems with magnetic pickups is the limited choice of strings available that will work. They must be steel wound strings. Another problem is the way a violin string moves when bowed, this means it is important that the window of the pole on the pickup be wide enough to sense the movement of the strings. There used to be a builder named Bowtronics but they have gone out of business. You have probably noticed violin pickups to electrify are piezos. a link to one build http://www.grbfst.dds.nl/violin/pickup/pickup2.htm
I have built and wound my own violin pickups so I know others can also. I used a curved flat blade style pickup.
Good luck, Don
I just found Ted Crocker's stuff and am going to look into it. Anyone with any other particular insights into this kind of project, please do comment. Thanks Again.
Replies
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/bowtronhiimp-1?context=user
Reckmeyer_vln_pu80ies.jpg
Cheers
Uli
as was said, there was a functioning and nice sounding magnetic humbucker for violin by Skip Malley ("bowtronics"). A high- and a low- impedance model. I had both and still have the lo-imp. It is very difficult to adjust (distances strings to coils) properly.
It saved me a stage musician's job 8 years ago, but I was longing for something freely adjustable. So I asked an audio technician friend of mine to develop something made to measure for pro-violinists. The result is called "REBO". Please have a look and listen to the sound files:
http://www.uli-boesking.de/rebo/
Cheers
Uli
http://www.grbfst.dds.nl/violin/pickup/pickup2.htm
I have built and wound my own violin pickups so I know others can also. I used a curved flat blade style pickup.
Good luck, Don