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Neck Pickup

Posted by Barry Kaatz on October 28, 2013 at 6:26am in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

I've got to build a 4 string Hubcap guitar for a guy who plays in a band  and wants a certain type of hubcap with a mag pickup. The small neck pickup I have attached works in well but I have no experience with them. The one I have trial fitted is non working so I can't test it and before I buy another I need advice if anyone knows how well it will sound . The other thing is because it is metal covered will touching the hubcap be a problem.

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Replies

  • Barry Kaatz October 28, 2013 at 4:04pm

    Thanks Pick I've got some pickups on the way. I'll leave a small gap and also insulate it. With the shape of those hubcaps they do give a bit of a reso sound.

    • Barry Kaatz > Barry Kaatz October 28, 2013 at 8:31pm
      I'll put photos up for sure. I've got two months to build so I want to do a good job of it. I always have the hubcap to the front. It is a pretty big hubcap and looks great polished and repainted.
    • jawbone > Barry Kaatz October 28, 2013 at 5:43pm

      Hey Barry - I hope you will post some pics of the build - how big is the hubcap? will it by the back of the guitar or part of the reso combo?

  • the anonymous pick October 28, 2013 at 8:16am

    you should get  a  nice warm  tone    with that  pickup  mounted towards  the neck .

     you  may  want to  separate  the  pickup  from  the    hubcap   either  by spacing  or   even adding    a material  inbetween  .

     otherwise, in essence , the   entire  hub cap  becomes a  pickup  , and  can  cause some unwanted piezo like  "noise  ".   but   in some  cases   it  can   sound cool  too. it  would read  the  pan  vibes     and also  the  strings .

    some  builders   do  this  on purpose . to  get  the  more   reso  sound    .  instead  of a   mag  sound  only .  .

    ive  even  seen  people  mount    a  pickup  under     the  cap    or  metal  lid   hidden   , but  touching  the lid   .  to  act  more  like  a piezo,  and read  the    hubcap    and not   the strings  .

    so  you  have a  few  choices  depending   on desired    outcome . 

     

    • jawbone > the anonymous pick October 28, 2013 at 11:53am

      Hey Pick - I was doing some experimenting with a reso and finally gave up and went back to rod bridge. I didn't try the mag in between the top plate and the pan - is that what you are suggesting?? I don't think I have electric strings on this one, they attract a magnet tho.306172035?profile=original

      • the anonymous pick > jawbone October 28, 2013 at 1:15pm

        just a  listed " Option "     not  really  a" suggestion"  .

         

        but  its  easy  to  test ,  just   plop a working  pick up on    top     of the  metal  reso  .. and  it  will  tell  you  what it  will sound like  .

        • jawbone > the anonymous pick October 28, 2013 at 1:29pm

          Now why didn't I think of that??? :-)
          To be honest, I've afraid I'm going to have to replace the tuners if I unwind and wind them up too many more times - this poor thing has had so many pick up combinations applied to it that it's starting to wish it was a wind chime!!!!  :-)

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