SGD Lutherie Pickups

[SGD Lutherie]

it's the size of my gb75 humb.(by quick measurements i did back then that differs in 1-1\1.5 mm terms )
gb75 has 19mm string distance ,and i assume that should be lakland size as well.
I dunno if the cover you own have alreay-exposed hole for the poles ,or are closed,though

My covers are closed, and I use blades, not poles. So that would handle anything up to about 84mm (21mm string to string). They also work with any number of strings in that spacing.

I've recently changed the internal parts of all the pickups so they handle wider spacings than before. I haven't updated the website yet.

Here's something new... I don't normally show prototypes, but I'm excited about this one.

 

[Derek Kiernan]

Here's something new... I don't normally show prototypes, but I'm excited about this one.

Looks exciting! Anything you can tell us about it?

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Looks exciting! Anything you can tell us about it?

It's a shrunk down version of it's bigger siblings. It uses laminated stainless steel blades and neodymium magnets. It's not wound up yet, but I made a set of very similar pickups, albeit a bit wider, a couple of years ago, so it should sound very much the same. They were nice and growly. I'll be offering a P pickup made the same way. Just think narrow aperture humbucker. I can stick these in the larger shells too.

I'm also working on stacked Jazz pickups. This was a test of the first working prototype installed at the bridge. I'm still tweaking the design a bit.

Link Removed

My pickup tester bass is a bit buzzy on the open strings (which I actually kind of like). That was straight to the amp, no controls.

I've been getting lots of requests for Jazz pickups, so I should have these two models ready soon.

 

[Darkstrike]

My covers are closed, and I use blades, not poles. So that would handle anything up to about 84mm (21mm string to string). They also work with any number of strings in that spacing.

I've recently changed the internal parts of all the pickups so they handle wider spacings than before. I haven't updated the website yet.

Here's something new... I don't normally show prototypes, but I'm excited about this one.

Oh, my, god!

 

[Human Bass]

Are they wired in series or parallel?

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Are they wired in series or parallel?

You decide.... they have 4 conductor wiring. But series is the default wiring when I'm working on the tone.

 

[PilbaraBass]

sweetness!

Ok...I need two of these in 95mm cases...where do I send the check?


seriously, David...I'm interested...If they can maintain a decent top-end sparkle, I'm interested...

 

[alexlotta]

My covers are closed, and I use blades, not poles

Yep but I also did read for Wal/style you are going to use Use MM covers with exposed poles .
i don't know The spacing Of wallish ones, expecially On 5 string ,
though off course Blades would be safer choice due to the very diffrent string spacing You can have on basses.

In fact i 've already asked And You already Answered me , about the difference between poles and blade in that particular pickup
(some inductance difference,and maybe a little brighter tone if i got correctly) .

...Also, The Little humbucker pic,meant for bridge or neck ?.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

sweetness!

Ok...I need two of these in 95mm cases...where do I send the check?


seriously, David...I'm interested...If they can maintain a decent top-end sparkle, I'm interested...

Patience Grasshopper! I'm going to wind it up today, and then we shall see. I'm anticipating that the top end will be as bright as the small humbuckers you see for Strats and Teles.

I'm going to try a split rail version too.

Right in font of me are the covers for the 4 string set. I measure 94.38mm for the bridge unit. I have five string covers, but I seemed to have misplaced them.

Did you listen to the stack clip? That's very bright. I'm just working at getting the output a little higher.

Yep but I also did read for Wal/style you are going to use Use MM covers with exposed poles .
i don't know The spacing Of wallish ones, expecially On 5 string ,
though off course Blades would be safer choice due to the very diffrent string spacing You can have on basses.

Yes, the Wal will have exposed adjustable poles because the original does. I'm also working on a version with non adjustable neo magnets poles. That will also be a lower profile pickup that wont require as deep a rout into the body, and the neos should add brightness missing in the real pickup.

My original pickups also had poles, two per string like on Jazz basses. I went to blades because I wanted the pickups to work with as many string spacings as possible.

In fact i 've already asked And You already Answered me , about the difference between poles and blade in that particular pickup
(some inductance difference,and maybe a little brighter tone if i got correctly) .

There are a few benefits to blades IMO. The most obvious is freedom from being stuck with one string spacing, or even number of strings. With blades you can fit as many strings at any spacing over the pickup. So if you have a narrow 5 string, a 4 string pickup could work for example.

You also have a bit less string pull, because the magnetic field is more even over the pickup. Poles tend to make taller cone shaped fields.

Lastly, you can have a very thin blade, like 1/16", but a 1/16" diameter pole would be impractical. It would be hard to have the strings lines up over the poles, and if you bend a string you will get drop outs. Being able to have thin blades reduces the inductance, if that's what you are after. The stacked pickup prototype has a .024" blade.

...Also, The Little humbucker pic,meant for bridge or neck ?.

They will come in sets. So I'll have them voiced for neck and bridge, and also in the different lengths, like two long pickups, since some jazz basses are like that. I also have 5 string covers. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the various 5 string Jazz bass pickup sizes, so they might not fit everything out there. I'll have drawings and dimensions on the site when they are ready.

 

[Darkstrike]

How many blades are in the MM style pickups?

And can you do them with exposed blades, on the Jazz style ones, at least?

 

[SGD Lutherie]

How many blades are in the MM style pickups?

2. They are humbuckers. I will be working on some split coil designs in the near future.

And can you do them with exposed blades, on the Jazz style ones, at least?

Not currently, but I have thought about it.

 

[PilbaraBass]

Patience Grasshopper! I'm going to wind it up today, and then we shall see. I'm anticipating that the top end will be as bright as the small humbuckers you see for Strats and Teles.

I'm going to try a split rail version too.

Right in font of me are the covers for the 4 string set. I measure 94.38mm for the bridge unit. I have five string covers, but I seemed to have misplaced them.

Did you listen to the stack clip? That's very bright. I'm just working at getting the output a little higher.

My Squier 5-string active jazz has 94-ish pickups (both same length)...i've begun looking for a nice, sparkly noise-free replacement pickup, as my singles are useless @ church other than @ centre-balance position (those lights are noisy)...

I haven't seen the stack clip...I'll go lookin...

 

[SGD Lutherie]

My Squier 5-string active jazz has 94-ish pickups (both same length)...i've begun looking for a nice, sparkly noise-free replacement pickup, as my singles are useless @ church other than @ centre-balance position (those lights are noisy)...

I'm expecting these to sound very similar to the full size neos, but with a smaller aperture type of tone. I'll have the first one wound tomorrow, so I'll have some clips up soon.

I haven't seen the stack clip...I'll go lookin...

It was up higher in the thread:

I'm also working on stacked Jazz pickups. This was a test of the first working prototype installed at the bridge. I'm still tweaking the design a bit.

Link Removed

My pickup tester bass is a bit buzzy on the open strings (which I actually kind of like). That was straight to the amp, no controls.

It's still a work in progress, but interesting none-the-less. I'm going to be rewinding it soon. It's very bright.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

My Squier 5-string active jazz has 94-ish pickups (both same length)...i've begun looking for a nice, sparkly noise-free replacement pickup...

OK, here's the first prototype. This is the neck pickup solo. I haven't made the bridge pickup yet. Once again it was recorded straight to the mixer, no volume or tone controls. Pretty old strings. Totally noise free.

Sparkly enough?

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This is just the first test, and I have more things to try out.

 

[jbrew73]

that pickup sounds great.
maybe its asking too much but i want THAT sound from the bridge position pickup. p-j basses drive me nut with the thin sounding bridge j. just cant seem to ever get a usable sound from them.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

that pickup sounds great.

Thanks!

maybe its asking too much but i want THAT sound from the bridge position pickup. p-j basses drive me nut with the thin sounding bridge j. just cant seem to ever get a usable sound from them.

I agree! That's why I start with the neck pickup. When I get the tone I want there I make the bridge accordingly. I don't use the same pickup for both locations precisely because of what you were saying.

The closer to the bridge you go, the brighter the tone is, and the strings' vibrations are smaller, so you get less volume. So you can compensate for that by winding the bridge pickup with more turns and thinner gauge wire. This gives a fatter sounding bridge pickup, which then matches the neck better.

So tomorrow I'm going to work on the bridge pickup. This pickup is pretty much following the formula of my full size humbuckers, just tweaked slightly for the smaller aperture. I'm also going to offer the full size cases with these pickups inside for a more single coil tone.

(you can actually fit two of these in the full size cases!)

 

[PilbaraBass]

OK, here's the first prototype. This is the neck pickup solo. I haven't made the bridge pickup yet. Once again it was recorded straight to the mixer, no volume or tone controls. Pretty old strings. Totally noise free.

Sparkly enough?

Link Removed

This is just the first test, and I have more things to try out.

oh, I'm very happy with that...doesn't sound like the ol' run-o-the-mill "mid-ly" humbucker...
it has a nice, articulate low end and a nice top-end too...not "quite" as sparkly as I'd like, but that's EASILY compensated by a new set of stainless steels...

great work! when will my set be ready?

 

[PilbaraBass]

Thanks!



I agree! That's why I start with the neck pickup. When I get the tone I want there I make the bridge accordingly. I don't use the same pickup for both locations precisely because of what you were saying.

The closer to the bridge you go, the brighter the tone is, and the strings' vibrations are smaller, so you get less volume. So you can compensate for that by winding the bridge pickup with more turns and thinner gauge wire. This gives a fatter sounding bridge pickup, which then matches the neck better.

So tomorrow I'm going to work on the bridge pickup. This pickup is pretty much following the formula of my full size humbuckers, just tweaked slightly for the smaller aperture. I'm also going to offer the full size cases with these pickups inside for a more single coil tone.

(you can actually fit two of these in the full size cases!)

I get it...so by more turns of thinner wire you get the following:

1) More inductance = a lower resonant peak
2) More DCR = a lower resonant peak
3) More turns = higher output

if you simply did more turns with the same gauge wire, you'd be limited on the effect of 1, 2, AND 3...eh?
or if you simply did the same amount of turns with thineer wire, you'd get a bit more DCR, but no effective change in 1 & 3...

How'd I do?

 

[bongomania]

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the various 5 string Jazz bass pickup sizes

You said it! I'm interested in finding out more when these become available, particularly because I have a PJ 5-string bass with a seemingly random J pup size, not like any of the others on the market I've found. If it turns out that your housings will not fit, is there any chance you'd be willing to sell me just the "guts" in a size that would fit my existing housing?

 

[SGD Lutherie]

oh, I'm very happy with that...doesn't sound like the ol' run-o-the-mill "mid-ly" humbucker...
it has a nice, articulate low end and a nice top-end too...not "quite" as sparkly as I'd like, but that's EASILY compensated by a new set of stainless steels...

great work! when will my set be ready?

Thanks! They have a peak around 2K, but it's not a thick humbucker tone.

You can also run them in parallel for a brighter tone. When I get the bridge finished and get them properly installed in something, I'll post better clips.

And yes, new strings and some EQ.

I have to finalize the design and construction, then I'll have some covers laser etched. Should be a week or two tops.