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DarkStar Pick Ups

#201
RDagBasses said:
? I remember I saw somewhere in talkbass some photos of a curtis novak whith two bobins and where it was said that the central four pole pieces were just "cosmetic"? it's probably another kind of mudbucker in disguise by Curtis?
Click to expand...

Hmm, I know you also made your own clones (iirc), so to hear you say that, makes me a little concerned I got ripped off. Like I said, not able to hear it for a while, plus I don't have BS's sitting around to compare to.

Just pulled out the multimeter to test and the DCR is 6.8k. My non-pickup-building self thinks that means it's at least not a mudbucker. Any other way for me to see if I got hosed for $200? I know you and David really know your stuff, so I'm asking sincerely.
 
#202
andertone said:
Hi:

If Guild is making the pickup, it would be excellent to see if they would sell individual pickups without the bass. I'm not holding my breath

If not, when you say Guild, they no longer are the same company, but are now just another corporate entity. I heard they gave the Koreans the spec's to "recreate" them. What wire, magnets, ohms?? Many things go into these pickups. From what I've seen regarding aftermarket Korean/Chinese duplicates, I would hope Curtis Novak, or the Daguet single coils or of course Fred himself could get these back into circulation.

I would love not to be disappointed, but need to know!
Click to expand...

From what I read on the internet (therefore must be true) the corporate entity formerly known as Guild will be selling the pickups on the RI Starfire separately. These were supposedly cloned from the originals. Are they? Same wire? magnets? dunnknow.
 
#203
astack said:
Hmm, I know you also made your own clones (iirc), so to hear you say that, makes me a little concerned I got ripped off. Like I said, not able to hear it for a while, plus I don't have BS's sitting around to compare to.

Just pulled out the multimeter to test and the DCR is 6.8k. My non-pickup-building self thinks that means it's at least not a mudbucker. Any other way for me to see if I got hosed for $200? I know you and David really know your stuff, so I'm asking sincerely.
Click to expand...

You didn't get hosed. Curtis is a stand up guy. He only used the Mudbucker covers to get the pickup out on the market. He's finally making the correct looking versions now that he's got the correct covers made for it.
 
#204
astack said:
Hmm, I know you also made your own clones (iirc), so to hear you say that, makes me a little concerned I got ripped off. Like I said, not able to hear it for a while, plus I don't have BS's sitting around to compare to.

Just pulled out the multimeter to test and the DCR is 6.8k. My non-pickup-building self thinks that means it's at least not a mudbucker. Any other way for me to see if I got hosed for $200? I know you and David really know your stuff, so I'm asking sincerely.
Click to expand...

I'd say Curtis Novak has no need to sell anything that's not what he says it is. If your pickup looks like the one David linked it's the BiSonic Novak makes.
 
#205
Astack: No worries you are not stuck nor hosed if you dont like the pickup as always I gladly take the back. No the EB-BS it is not a humbucker it is like the Bisonic pickup in the EB form factor. Oh and David they are not ceramic magnets, not sure where that info came from..
The pickup Daguet is referring to is the EB-AA which is the exact opposite to a mudbucker it gives more of a Piano like tone very clear clear tone. I know it can get confusing b/c I make quit a few different EB style pickups, and a lot of custom one offs. Yeah I wound that one to the 6.5k range, I have seen a number of old Hags that were also wound 12k range, but most people that want an alternative to the Mudbucker are wanting the milder 6.5k

As for the Bisonics many of you know I have been working on this for a number of years, and am in the final stages of production, just waiting on the final metal parts to arrive. I have gone to great expense and detail to get this one done right. I am making the bobbins in house and the cool thing is I will be able to make other colors besides just black, I will also be able to do them in other string spacings, and even the 6 string model.
Here are a couple pics of the bobbins. The first is in black the second is more if a Tie-Dye pattern, I am also planning a Cream with Gold hardware.
cncp-bs1.jpg

cncp-bs.jpg


Thanks,
curtis
 
#208
Very cool Curtis, so glad you are doing this right. I assume you will have a size to fit in the original Guild 30.5" scale Starfire bass, right? I have a DS-3N and DS-3S Fred Hammon, and the 6.5 ohm
winding is perfect, especially if you put a preamp in front of it.

Let us know ballpark pricing when your cost studies are completed, I'm sure you'll get some attention quickly

PS: I sent you Eric Heuschele for that telecaster single pole
pickup in the "pine-slab" bass he is creating, great project
 
#210
Thanks guys for the responses. Sorry, Curtis for that. Again, the DCR should have laid to rest that worry alone.

There's been a lot of talk over on the Amps forum lately about wether or not it's enough for builders to say their product is great or if they have to prove it with measurements, etc. I don't want to drag that into this thread, but just to say it's made me a bit more cautious / paranoid.
 
#211
Curtis Novak said:
Oh and David they are not ceramic magnets, not sure where that info came from..
Click to expand...

Hi Curtis, I'm not looking to spread misinformation!

I was going by this photo, which clearly shows ceramic magnets, with the North pole painted white.

EB-BS-2.jpg


It's not a big deal, because for that size magnet, as compared to the larger magnets in the Bisonic, the ceramics would get you the power you want.

Obviously that's a different design, since it doesn't have the laminated keeper in the middle, and the poles are smaller in diameter, but I'm sure it sounds very similar to the real thing.

A lot of the parts on the real pickup are unnecessary.
 
#212
Yeah I will let you know the price soon...

Yeah I agree it is not enough to just say your stuff is good, but I do not agree specs tell you any more. I have actually run off or turned away customers b/c they want WAY too much specs and technical info. My problem with it all is I find people that go too far down that rabbit hole listen too much with their eyes and not their ears. I am not one that believes there is ever a bad sounding pickup, amp or what ever, nor is there a holy grail that ALL have to measure up to. They are simply tools to sense and generate tones. You pick the one that works for you, and you have the best. So how I deal with all this is I have a very, very liberal return, exchange policy. As I told you earlier you are not out $200 or are stuck with something you dont like. If you dont like it, I will gladly take it back. Iit is no skin off my back, nor do I take it personal if I cant make you something that does not match the tone in your head or heart.

Dave, I was not upset nor felt you were trying to mislead people. Now that I see your pic I see why you thought that was ceramic. That white you see is just a glare on the magnets. They surely are not ceramic, I personally am not a fan of ceramics in most situations.

curtis
 
#213
astack said:
Hmm, I know you also made your own clones (iirc), so to hear you say that, makes me a little concerned I got ripped off. Like I said, not able to hear it for a while, plus I don't have BS's sitting around to compare to.

Just pulled out the multimeter to test and the DCR is 6.8k. My non-pickup-building self thinks that means it's at least not a mudbucker. Any other way for me to see if I got hosed for $200? I know you and David really know your stuff, so I'm asking sincerely.
Click to expand...

I had Curtis rebuild some ripper pups into bisonic specs and they are great. Wired them VVT like a j bass and added a series/parallel switch were the rotary thing used to go. Bass sounds great. here is a bad pic

PC200027_zpsd96384e6.jpg
 
#217
Here are a couple of pictures I snapped of my Novak BiSonic before I installed it. Even though the photos don't show it as clearly as I had hoped, I can assure you that the magnets are shiny silver, and not grey; this would imply that they're AlNiCo and not ceramic. Perhaps the photo on Curtis' site is of a pre-production testing model?

DSC00904.jpg


DSC00905.jpg
 
#219
Yeah it is sort of like a P-90, but actually it is more shares way more specs of the Bisonic than a P-90. It has the same coil dimensions, same size magnets, same resistance, really the only thing it is missing is 1/4" rods. But this was not meant to be an exact replica to a Bisonic, it was only designed to give a cool alternative to the EB pickup.

curtis
 

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