Highlander pickup

arto alho · #1 01-02-2001, 01:06 PM

Hey,
I was visiting my luthier today just to say hello and wish a happy new year. He told me he had just finished assembling a Highlander pickup to someone´s bridge ( the guy had left and does not live where I do..). I got interested and visited their homepage:
http://www.highlanderpickups.com
the constuction seems light enough, even though I have strong suspections to letting anyone to dig grooves or drill holes to my bridges...
My question is does anybody have any comments of this pickup?
Played, heard, seen, smelled, smoked or eaten? Any info will be sincerely appreciated.

rllefebv · #2 01-02-2001, 02:09 PM

Let's hear those reviews! This is the pickup that I plan on putting in a coupla basses that I am in the process of building...an EUB and Semi-Hollow body. I think that some Rob Allen's use them...Any MB-2 owners out there??

-robert

**Francois Blais** · #3 01-03-2001, 06:24 PM

I had a MB-2 for a week.
I think it was using a Fishman matrix natural under the saddle.
See http://www.roballenguitars.com for details.

arto alho · #4 01-17-2001, 02:20 PM

I visited the dealer in Finland last week and asked about their price: it was incredible $ 370 per unit. On the top you can count $ 50 - 100 for the luthier who installs it.

so FEWER RBLS, if ya gonna use it for yer uprights, it´s better sound damn good for that dough. Outta my budget at this moment anyhow. Thanks, though. As always, this forum showed up to be the best place ever to start askin, if you run into something not familiar.

rllefebv · #5 01-18-2001, 09:36 PM

Wow arto...Are those Yankee Dollars?!?! It's $175 in my StewMac catalog for the IP-1 with a volume control...Installation free for us DIY guys...

-robert

arto alho · #6 01-19-2001, 01:31 AM

Genuine greenbacks, man. Counted with the valid rate.
A mail order would be the only way....and still it´s not cheap.

R2D2

chadds · #7 01-21-2001, 11:44 AM

I have a HIghlander in a Dave Maize Acoustic Bass Guitar. It sounds exactly like the instrument miked. His website is available through Harmony Central under manufacturers. I have the one without the additional mike input in the preamp. I had a Rob Allen bass for one day.

chadds · #8 01-28-2001, 04:43 PM

I wanted to clarify my Rob Allen comment. I do not wish to disparage any equipment. I ordered one from a wonderful West Coast store and they gave me a full refund when I returned it. It looks beautiful. The case fit poorly. It's a great idea and someone needs to do this though I feel that in a shallow bodied semi-hollow instrument that Godin has accomplished this feat. The Allen just didn't fall into my hands and feel instantly wonderful or sound all that amazing. Perhaps the body needs to be a little bigger to make that Highlander reproduce some great sound. The old style discontinued Washburn AB-40s and AB-45s do the concept of electric/acoustic bass justice. Thanks

**Francois Blais** · #9 01-29-2001, 06:47 AM

Chadds, your comment seems to establish that the Rob allen uses an Highlander pickup, which is false.
The RA uses a natural matrix Fishman under the saddle.

Just to make things clear and correct.