SGD Lutherie Pickups

[SGD Lutherie]

OK... finally.

They are ready.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Coming real soon, EMG-45 size, Bartolini BC4 and BC5, and MM 4 and 5 string (with tabs).

EMG-35 and 40 sizes are ready now.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

EMG-45 size, Bartolini BC4 and BC5 sizes available now... website is not updated yet.

 

[greenboy]

Are you using 4 screw-holes on the EMG 45-size? I sure prefer that to messing with graduating the mousepad bits in the route cavity.

 

[12bass]

Are you using 4 screw-holes on the EMG 45-size?

Doesn't look like it from the pic:

 

[greenboy]

I know the smaller sizes weren't, but was hoping maybe on the largest size that the case tooling had been changed : }

These and Q-Tuners are the only pickups I am considering using for my fretless Six V-Bass host that will likely also get an Audere this winter.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Are you using 4 screw-holes on the EMG 45-size? I sure prefer that to messing with graduating the mousepad bits in the route cavity.

At the moment they are exactly like EMG's. Eventually I want to use three or four screws.

You don't have to get them as close to the strings as some pickups, so on that bass in the photo there isn't an issue with them having to be tilted.

They come with those black sponge "springs".

 

[greenboy]

Thanks, David!

 

[busmandan]

Looking forward to receiving my order, along with the Audere 3ZB I'll be hooking them to.

-- Dan --

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Looking forward to receiving my order, along with the Audere 3ZB I'll be hooking them to.

-- Dan --

Oh was that you Dan? Cool. I'm finishing them up right now... should go out in the next couple of days.

 

[kraigo]

I have a SGD "35" in my Artcore bass, the neck pickup. I've got it on an DPDT on/on/on switch for parallel/single/series coil switching. It went in pretty smoothly. The cavity in the Artcore is fairly shallow. The dimensions of the pickup were perfect for the bass. I still have to drill the hole for the switch.

I hope to use the bass at a rehearsal tomorrow night. I'll put up a recorder (Zoom H2) if I do and then post clips. My opinion? So far I like it, but I haven't had as much time to play with the bass through an amp as I'd like. I haven't had a chance to A/B it with my trusty P-Bass, which is what I use to "cleanse the aural palette". I like it, but I haven't had it out of the house.

I can tell you that David was very easy to work with and gave me help in getting the switch wired properly.

More to come - pix when I get the switch mounted and clips when I have some.

KO

 

[SGD Lutherie]

I'm glad you like the pickup Kraig. I'm looking forward to hearing the clips! I haven't tried them in any semi hollow body basses yet. It should get a pretty convincing Phil Lesh or Jack Cassidy tone. I like Phil's round bouncy tone, and also Ray Shulman's (from Gentle Giant) tone for a neck pickup.

The first bass I designed was supposed to be a hollow body, but it had other ideas and followed along.

 

[quickervicar]

So how would your ND3-35 set sound in a Hamer 12-string? I'm looking for big, snarling tone. (but not too big to be unusable)

 

[SGD Lutherie]

I think they would sound great. One of the first pickups I made were for my 8-string bass. These would work well because they are bright but not harsh, which is an issue with 8 and 12 string basses.

 

[12bass]

Although I'm not familiar with the SGD's, I can attest that the EMG 35P and 35DCs were indeed bright and harsh, especially on the octave strings of my Hamer Chaparral 12. The LP M3.5Ws are actually clearer and more open, but overall much more natural and balanced sounding, and not harsh at all. The EMGs had a nasty, sterile, upper midrange, lower treble brashness, which was not flattering to the chimy 12-string voice IMO.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

And to add to that, I designed these pickups to replace the EMGs I had in my basses. I wanted to get rid of the harsh brittle top end, and wanted the low end to be fatter and go down farther, while still having an open clear tone.

It seems that often you have fatness at the expense of clarity, or an open sound that is a bit thin.

I'm a fan of old Hi-A pickups, which was before they were Bartolini. The Hi-A pickup I have is bright and fat. The he went to fat or bright.

I want both. And louder too. I already did the low output+preamp thing (though I will be revisiting that design soon).

It took me three years to get here, but I think I have it.

These really are my own personal pickups, it's the sound I like, but I like them so much I figure other people might like them as well.

I get to use try them out on stage on New Year's Eve when I sub as bassest in a friend's band, TRAX.

 

[quickervicar]

It seems that often you have fatness at the expense of clarity, or an open sound that is a bit thin.

That is what I've found to be true--especially with guitar p'ups. "Hot" means muddy and "clear" means thin. I want to avoid the harshness of the octaves, especially on the G strings.

Could you explain a bit more about the Wal-inspired preamp?

 

[busmandan]

I have a pair of David's EMG-40 size installed now, wired to an Audere 3ZB. I haven't had a chance to play through any of my amps yet (only an Ampeg BA-115 that's at my practice space), but so far I'm liking it. I'll report back once I play out with my stage rig (Kern/QSC 2402/Schroeder 412R).

-- Dan --

 

[SGD Lutherie]

 

[Versatek6]

Details?