Whats the advantage of this? ...TiM!

[varkunus]

https://www.carvinguitars.com/catalog/guitars/index.php?model=dc135 look at all carvin pups and u can see they have two magnets per string or w/e. Could someone tell me (preferably tim) if this makes any difference to sound, if so why. And if it would be good does BK do anything similar

[il˙ti]

With one polepiece per string, you'd pull the string between the polepieces when you bend it. This method ensures that when you bend the string, it still runs over a polepiece. Suposedly, this gives better sustain to bended notes. It's not a problem I've ever encountered though, so I doubt it makes a big difference. Nevertheless, Carvin has kept making their pickups this way since forever.

[HairyChris]

I've owned a number of Carvins (their stock pickups aren't bad but not everyone's cup of tea) and haven't noticed any different in consistency of sustain when played against a guitar with regular pickups. Tonal differences, yes, and differences in sustain between instruments, yes, but under bent string conditions? Not obvious!

[Davey]

FAIK, supposed to help with the volume dropoff, when you bend a string. similar to rail type pickups.

though, i never had a problem with volume dropoff .. ever, so they just look different for the most part :P

[varkunus]

so its only really for bending, do they give any tonal difference? and do they have an official name

[Spitfire]

seymour duncan put a similar design of pickup out

[Philly Q]

There's no generic name for that type of pickup, because nobody else makes them as far as I know, but most of the model names have "22" in them - C22, M22, H22.  Except the 7-strings, which are "26".

http://www.carvinguitars.com/comparepickups.php

I doubt they make any significant difference to tone or sustain, bending or otherwise.  The only time I've ever noticed a volume drop due to the polepieces is on guitars with narrow-spaced humbuckers and trem bridges, where the E strings are outside the polepieces altogether.

[WezV]

carvin really started out doing a lot of aftermarket parts  for people wanting to mod things.... having a pickup design that can be used with any string spacing is pretty good way of ensuring it will work for these early tinkerers

not sure its that beneficial but it certainly creates a unique look thats recognisably carvin

[gwEm]

I notice a difference when I play a blade humbucker, but in fact volume dropoff with a conventional screw pickup doesn't bother me. nevertheless, the few blade pickups I tried I quite liked. I wonder if Tim will create one one day.

[varkunus]

you talking bout levisson blades?

[Tim]

There are pros and cons with all systems that deploy magnetism towards the strings.Mini twin poles tend to be fiddly to adjust and sound less focused than a single pole in my experience.Blades are a relatively simple idea-one continuous  pole so in theory no string to string drop out although in practice if the pole spacing is correct you don't get drop off with single screw pole designs.Blades nearly always need to be ceramic powered too for a good result. I've never gone down the blade route simply because I think the traditional design of screws and slugs sounds better, is more adjustable and works better with options, ie covers, bobbin types and magnet options.

[ericsabbath]

what about a new bk blade/rails model? :D

[Philly Q]

what about a new bk blade/rails model? :D

I think Tim's answer to that isn't too hard to find...

I've never gone down the blade route simply because I think the traditional design of screws and slugs sounds better, is more adjustable and works better with options, ie covers, bobbin types and magnet options.

[QS-Nalle]

I've asked Tim that same question.....many times.
He's not going to make them and he's not going to make
single coil sized humbuckers either........ leave the man alone  :D  :D  :D

[jms8250]

This typifies one thing that I love about BK pickups.  When you go back to doing it the right way again, a lot of "new technology" that has come about over the years to correct for run off the mill or inferior mass marketed pickup designs, becomes insignificant or unnecessary.  

Peerless Tone
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