Here's a new one (to me, at least): Pickup @ the nut

dje31 · #1 10-27-2011, 02:19 PM

Okay, I haven't seen a thread like this before, but I've only been here since late '08...and admittedly spend more time in the Basses section, where i first posted this. But perhaps this is the more appropriate place for it.

Has anyone seen a pickup installed at the nut of a bass (or any other stringed instrument, for that matter)? So when fretting a note, the main pickup sounds for the note between the fret and the bridge...while the secondary pickup gets whatever residual, note / harmonic / undertone? between the fret and the nut.

The secondary tone would be much quieter than the picked / plucked / slapped / thumped normal tone, unless you press down hard and quick on the fret. Might be interesting in a tapping style with the left hand, or an Entwistle typewriter-style on the fretboard.

Testing it out acoustically, fretting on the G octave (12th fret), the nut side seems to be G# / Ab.

I'm guessing it's impractical, and probably cacophonous...just a "what if?" type scenario I was pondering. I can't be the first to think of such a dopey idea.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

sharpbass · #2 10-27-2011, 02:22 PM

Yep, just you.

skychief · #3 10-27-2011, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharpbass

Yep, just you.

+1

bassbenj · #4 10-27-2011, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dje31

I'm guessing it's impractical, and probably cacophonous...just a "what if?" type scenario I was pondering. I can't be the first to think of such a dopey idea.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Impractical. (have to run the wires down the neck! not to mention that the vibrations for any fretted notes are down the string toward the bridge)

Cacophonous. (I play slide bottleneck guitar. And I can tell you right now that the notes from the slide back toward the nut are NASTY and AWFUL! That is why you always have to hold the slide so that your hand damps those "wolf" tones. Same thing on a bass I presume)

Hence idea is dopey on an instrument fingered like a bass or guitar. On the other hand on a weird instrument like one of those Japanese whatever they are or Indian Sitars where the strings are divided by bridges in the middle and BOTH sides are played then there may be something that could work.

darkstorm · #5 10-27-2011, 02:45 PM

Not sure but I thought one of the midi equipted guitars that either John Mclaughlin or Allen Holdsworth used had sensors at the frets. That be the closest thing I can think of.

SGD Lutherie · #6 10-27-2011, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dje31

...and probably cacophonous...

Yes, very.

Frank Zappa had piezo transducers installed in the neck of his Strat.

dje31 · #7 10-27-2011, 04:54 PM

I could see some of the avant garde experimental virtuoso types on some of the fringe-y labels whose names escape me right now...Manring comes to mind ...as well as some of the progressive-y types with their side projects.

It probably lends itself more to fretless basses.

**line6man** · #8 10-27-2011, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dje31

I could see some of the avant garde experimental virtuoso types on some of the fringe-y labels whose names escape me right now...Manring comes to mind ...as well as some of the progressive-y types with their side projects.

It probably lends itself more to fretless basses.

Yeah, Michael Manring has something at the nut of one of his Hyperbasses, along with three piezos (Or was it four?) in the body. He uses them for drum-like sounds, though.

walterw · #9 10-27-2011, 07:33 PM

not new at all.

i'm thinking of the new york "noise guitar" art-rock improv guys like fred frith or elloit sharp, or even sonic youth; i read years ago where somebody (i forget who) had rigged a guitar pickup near the nut to capture the "back-string" sounds.

definitely a source of cacophony, as none of the resulting pitches would be close to in tune with any scale.