Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Crazy Eddie on January 24, 2006, 08:46:39 PM

Title: Advice on pickup proximity
Post by: Crazy Eddie on January 24, 2006, 08:46:39 PM

Ok.
I'm looking for technical advice here, so thanks for any help you can give.
I have this pickup configuration in mind for some versatile (if fugly) options.
(http://server3.uploadit.org/files/crazyeddie-LesPaulFadedTobaccocopy3.jpg)
Rather poor PS job, but you get the idea. According to my calculations you can get a Trisonic in at Brian May distance from the bridge, and still have a P90 in LP Junior position. Well, almost. Maybe 1/2 an inch out. The two bridge pickups could be RW/RP to allow them to function as a rather weird humbucker. Well, hum-cancelling, certainly.
My question is not wether this horrible beast would sound good (though you're welcome to give opinions on that), but wether the pickups' close proximity to each other - and so their magnetic fields' proximity - would have a negative effect. If necessary, could they be magnetically 'sheilded' from each other?

I know this is rather left-field, and I'm sorry if it's pure idiocy.

Thanks again,
 - Ed

Title: Advice on pickup proximity
Post by: PhilKing on January 24, 2006, 10:14:08 PM

Nathan Sheppard has a guitar with 2 BK P-90's touching and wired as a humbucker.  Depending on the strength of the magnets in the trisonic and the P-90. I think you should be ok.  They will run the risk of phase cancelling though (depending how you wire them).

Title: Advice on pickup proximity
Post by: HTH AMPS on January 24, 2006, 10:44:40 PM

I would personally go with the P90 in the 'correct' bridge position and use the Trisonic somewhere in the middle.  

and/or...  have Tim wind a HOT P90 tapped at around 8k for a typical P90 tone (as well as the full-winding roar)

 :twisted:

Title: Advice on pickup proximity
Post by: infinite1funk on January 25, 2006, 11:23:18 AM

I like it! I've often wondered about pickup placement in proximity to the bridge. A lot of bridge pickups look too far away too me. I guess it's from being a fender guy where the slant make the pickup closer.
   Brian May's lead pickup is very close to the bridge on his Red Special but it is a shorter scale. He probably has my favorite tone.  I'm in favor of it but maybe you should wait until Tim chimes in.

Title: Advice on pickup proximity
Post by: Crazy Eddie on January 25, 2006, 06:10:38 PM

(http://www.mondoguitars.com/Red_Special_offset_body2.jpg)

Thanks guys - as you can see, there's very little space between the bridge pickup and the bridge itself. I really like Bri's bridge tone, but I'd like some smoother/different options for other things, and so I'm not limited to sounding like Queen. Also, pickup combinations might yeild some useable new sounds. Or they might not. I've long ago decided against the finish above, btw - settled on worn/crackled creme.
 - Ed

Title: Advice on pickup proximity
Post by: Tim on January 25, 2006, 09:47:06 PM

You're going to have to watch how the magnets of the P90 and Trisonic work so close together.If opposing polarities are forced together they'll discharge.

Title: Advice on pickup proximity
Post by: Crazy Eddie on January 25, 2006, 11:56:13 PM

...so I want the pickups' magnets arranged N-S? How does that affect RW/RP?
I see the Nathan Sheppard guitar you mean, Phil - obviously works there...
Thanks again,
 - Ed