Dark Stars?

[zackthompson]

Does anyone have any sound clips of some dark stars in their bass? Most of the sound clips have been taken down from the zombie threads.

[ChristoMephisto]

youtube

Dark Star bass pickups demo - YouTube

[xaxxat]

TB'r Codger has the Lakland Decade with Dark Stars sound files archived here:

https://docs.google.com/#folders/0B5...M0MDIyOWU3ZDE5

[DaSnowman]

Im currently rebuilding a 68 Guildstarfire 2 Bass with the original working Bi Sonics.was wondering if anyone can tell me the type of push button switch that was used on that model?The only schematics i could get was from Fender and it didnt include that push button Baritone switch.its not a problem i can figure the wiring out just cant figure where i can get a nother push button .is it just a general push button?

[DaSnowman]

Recently read a thread about a guy named Roger Dauget and he makes his own basses and pickups that are a hybrid Dark Star and will be making in the fall exact copies of the old style Dark Stars.But for now the new style which Look Amazing should be availible in 2 weeks he says.Im going to order two for a Les Paul Hybrid im putting together.I have a 78'Gibson Kalamaz0o Les Paul Neck and a new eppiphone Body with two of his new Darkstars.

[GlennW]

That looks more like a P-90 than a DS. Outside of being black, I don't see much in common.

[Top_Ten]

Originally Posted by DaSnowman

Recently read a thread about a guy named Roger Dauget and he makes his own basses and pickups that are a hybrid Dark Star and will be making in the fall exact copies of the old style Dark Stars.But for now the new style which Look Amazing should be availible in 2 weeks he says.Im going to order two for a Les Paul Hybrid im putting together.I have a 78'Gibson Kalamaz0o Les Paul Neck and a new eppiphone Body with two of his new Darkstars.

Roger posted this on Facebook today: Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by GlennW

That looks more like a P-90 than a DS. Outside of being black, I don't see much in common.

If you remove the magnet height adjusters from a Bi-Sonic this is what it would look like. They are pretty much built like a P-90.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by DaSnowman

Recently read a thread about a guy named Roger Dauget and he makes his own basses and pickups that are a hybrid Dark Star and will be making in the fall exact copies of the old style Dark Stars.

You mean Hagstrom Bi-Sonics. "DarkStar" is is the trade name used by Hammon Engineering for his Bi-Sonic replicas.

[EricF]

It's really too bad that Fred Hammon hasn't done a better job with his product. As it stands right now, the DS pups are essentially impossible to get unless you can find it on the used market (usually installed in a bass). I had a Dark Star-loaded P-bass until recently, and it really sounded like nothing else. The DS pup is an amazing beast.

[mc_muench]

WAIT! HOLD THE PHONE! Someone is going to remake, Bi-sonics again? OH HAPPY DAY!

[GlennW]

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

If you remove the magnet height adjusters from a Bi-Sonic this is what it would look like. They are pretty much built like a P-90.

Maybe so, but from the pics I've seen I never made that connection. The DS's have a stack of metal plates and the poles off center.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by GlennW

Maybe so, but from the pics I've seen I never made that connection. The DS's have a stack of metal plates and the poles off center.

The poles are only off center because half of the pickup is dedicated to the adjusters. The poles pass through the stacked keepers, and the magnets stick on either side.

Here's a P-90. It has thinner poles and a solid keeper bar.



Here's a DarkStar. It has thicker poles, a laminated keeper, and the springs and lifters:





They are actually very similar pickups. The P-90s are wound hotter though.

Here's MPUs Bi-Sonic clone. That strips down the pickup to it's essential parts. Everything else is just for the adjustable poles and window-dressing.

[GlennW]

Hey David, thanks a lot for the detailed info and pics.

I found the Bi-Sonic pic I remembered, but it's protected so I had to paste the whole page. If you scroll down to the bottom and work your way back up it's just after the pic of the Hag amp (going up). It's on a Coronado Bass VI.

ManfredGraeder

What's that stack of five metal plates?

Edit: I think I just figured it out. Does that pic show the laminated keeper, with one magnet removed? I had been thinking that they had one magnet on one side, and the stack of plates on the other.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by GlennW

Hey David, thanks a lot for the detailed info and pics.

I found the Bi-Sonic pic I remembered, but it's protected so I had to paste the whole page. If you scroll down to the bottom and work your way back up it's just after the pic of the Hag amp (going up). It's on a Coronado Bass VI.

ManfredGraeder

What's that stack of five metal plates?

It's not protected on my end:



The stacked plates is the keeper. Because the poles are steel, and they have to move, they slide through the keeper, which is the same thing you see on the P-90 above.

There are two possible reasons for the laminations. The usual thinking is that it's to reduce eddy currents. Eddy currents are small swirling electrical currents that form on conductive surfaces in the presence of a magnetic field. These currents then produce their own magnetic field which opposes the field from the main magnets. This has the affect of dulling the high end from the pickup.

Laminating the steel reduces eddy current formation. This is also done on transformer cores.

You can see that MPU also used a laminated keeper on his design.

Another reason might be that it was easier for them to stamp out thinner plates of steel and then stack them up. If it's really laminated to reduce eddy currents, then the laminations need to be electrically isolated from each other. I've never seen one of these pickups in person, so I don't know if that's the case or not.

[GlennW]

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

It's not protected on my end:



The stacked plates is the keeper.

Thanks again. I was editing my previous post when you replied.

Before, when I looked at the pic, I didn't realize a magnet was removed. That's why I was confused.

[jumbodbassman]

Originally Posted by Top_Ten

Roger posted this on Facebook today: Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More

we eagerly await your review of the pups. Lots of folks love DS pups (myself included) and would gobble up some if the new ones are close to Fred's.

[DaSnowman]

From What Roger says they should be availible for sale in about 2 weeks.The picts I posted were of his new bi sonics.But he told me in the fall he would be selling the old school style of Hagstrom bi sonics .I own a 68 Guild Im rebuilding and have the original Hagstrom pups they work great too.so if your not into his new design look, you could wait for the fall.I'll post a image of the ol school ones he sent me also

[DaSnowman]

This is a picture of the ol School bi sonics.prices around the same as Fred's Pups were.

[DaSnowman]

Also not divert from the Conversation I also had a question about the wiring for my Hagstrom Bisonics and my Guild Starfire 2.want to know if anyone can tell me the right push button switch to get.Or will any particular push button work?Any help would be appreciated.