Lemmy Signature Pickups

[HeebHammer70]

New from Seymour Duncan
http://customshop.seymourduncan.com/lemmy-kilmister-signature/

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he use stock Ricks early with Motorhead and then switch the pickups out for stock Thunderbird models? Also $350 for a pair, sweet frickin Lou

 

[callofcthulhu]

Just got some spam about this in my email.

I am VERY curious. Hope there's a demo vid forthcoming.

My undestanding is that the "classic" Lemmy mod is a Thunderbird pickup (mudbucker?) in the neck but a stock bridge pickup. Not sure when he moved to three pickups, but it must have been before Ric made his signature bass, since those are three pickup basses and supposedly they're based on what he was using at the time. I believe the sig basses use three Ric humbuckers, so I guess this is the SD take on those pickups?

Description leaves something to be desired - does the bridge pup fit under a stock 4001/4003 bridge cover?

 

[MotorTed]

Lemmy early on used a Thunderbird pickup yes. Mudbucker is a different Gibson pickup. I wonder if the Pickguard model in the background would mount to a Thunderbird? These would look killer on a Blackbird!

 

[MotorTed]

 

[CircleOfCrows]

Actually really interested in these- has anyone tried them yet?

 

[JackBass421]

I realize this thread has been silent a while but I always heard Lemmy never installed his Duncan Signiture pickups in his basses before his death. I found proof this is not true. Was looking at Lemmy pictures trying to see his pickup selector setting. Whether he mostly used neck middle or bridge. Anyway by accident I notice Lemmy's bridge pickup has pole pieces unlike the middle and neck. So it's easy to see he's using the Duncan Lemmy signiture in the bridge position only. Middle and neck is stock Rickenbacker HB 1 pickups. See for yourself he did use his signature pickups a bit afterall. The Duncan Lemmy pickups are supposed to be very similar to Rickenbacker HB-1's but with pole pieces better lined up to the string spacing on a rickenbacker

 

[sc_precision]

I realize this thread has been silent a while but I always heard Lemmy never installed his Duncan Signiture pickups in his basses before his death. I found proof this is not true. Was looking at Lemmy pictures trying to see his pickup selector setting. Whether he mostly used neck middle or bridge. Anyway by accident I notice Lemmy's bridge pickup has pole pieces unlike the middle and neck. So it's easy to see he's using the Duncan Lemmy signiture in the bridge position only. Middle and neck is stock Rickenbacker HB 1 pickups. See for yourself he did use his signature pickups a bit afterall. The Duncan Lemmy pickups are supposed to be very similar to Rickenbacker HB-1's but with pole pieces better lined up to the string spacing on a rickenbacker

I spoke to Seymour Duncan yesterday and they mentioned having Lemmy's actual 4004LK in the shop when they did the pickups so he definitely used them live 2014-2015. I personally prefer the original Ric pickups used before switching them out in his 4004LK. You can tell by listening and watching Motorhead performances. Btw, can't be sure 100% if Lemmy only used bridge pickup in the early days because it wouldn't make sense after Lemmy installed a Thunderbird pickup in the neck. Would be pointless if he only used the bridge. I did find out Lemmy used medium gauge strings up until the early 2000s when he switched to the dean strings in a heavier gauge. In the 2009 Lemmy movie btw, you see Lemmy test the Marshall amp and cab..you can clearly see he keeps the pickup selector in the middle setting while playing. Lemmy's custom walnut bass (the 4004LK) uses walnut so the sound is a bit warmer too. Tastes change and pretty sure Lemmy would experiment here and there.

For me it's hard to pick a favorite Ric sound. I love the maple Ric's with the original trebly voicing but the walnut Ric's light weight and smooth neck are appealing to me also since heavier basses (anything over 9lbs) is a bit too much for my shoulder these days.