Moveable Pickups

[verhoevenc]

I wasn't sure if this would go in electronics cause it deals with pickups, or building... cause it's MORE about building the apparatus.... so I put it here.

My idea is this, route a LARGE cavity big enough for a pickup to be placed anywhere in between, (for this example we'll have a stationary bridge pickups) the neck position and the center position (the extremes of them). Then, custom make a pickup ring that kinda fits in a slot, then make slotted rails for the sides so that the pickups can be slid from one position to another (and find a way to lock it in place once at the position you want it). Then, put spring loaded rollers at either end with mose sort of material attached to them AND the pickup, that way, no matter where the pickup is, the gapping hole doesn't show because there's a tightly pulled (thanks to the spring loaded rolling thing) cover the hole.

I think I may try and draw this out... more on the designing when i have a change.

Chris

[marksound]

Dan Armstrong did something like that years ago.

http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/images/p_1732_1.jpg

http://www.danarmstrong.org/images/wood_guirar_large.jpg

Edited October 6, 2005 by marksound

[verhoevenc]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris

[lovekraft]

The Gibson Grabber bass, played by Gene Simmons early on (he got #0001), also featured a sliding pickup. It must be a good idea, if everybody else thought of it, too!

[Mr Alex]

In the latest J J Cale album booklet, there are photos of him holding an archtop, dont have a copy handy, so can't tell you the brand, but it has a single pickup, on a chrome rail.

[verhoevenc]

And for a second I htought I was original

Chris

[Mickguard]

There's an Ibanez too with its own moveable system. And I think there was an early Danelectro model with a hidden but moveable pickup...

Just because you didn't invent the idea, doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it...

[Nitefly SA]

thats true or else we'd all be driving fords......yuck

[selmac]

now what would be cool is to have it motorized so when you flick to say bridge position on a three way the pickup move to the bridge, but you'd need some kind of way to set how close to the bridge you'd want it

[GuitarGuy]

now what would be cool is to have it motorized so when you flick to say bridge position on a three way  the pickup move to the bridge, but you'd need some kind of way to set how close to the bridge you'd want it

←

That would make a cool panning effect if you switched while playing.

[verhoevenc]

I drive a Ford too!!! Two knocks at my originality!

But yeah, that motorizing is a sweet idea. I have not the slightest idea how to get it done.... but a good idea none the less. But like they said, making it stop where you would want it to would be a bitch. I think you'd have to settle for just "move forward" or "move backward" and find where you want it manual (but still electronically).

[verhoevenc]

Come to think of it... buy one of those Tamiya "on/off" cars that you build when you're a kid. They come with a small motor, a switch, and all you need is to make a hole in the top for the switch, find somewhere to place a casing for 2 double A's, then take your railed pickup system, put a chain loop from either side of the cavity, glue the chain to the bottom of the pickup, and tada, it moves with the push of a button. And that way you wouldn't need the "locking" mecanism for the pickup like if it was just manually on rails (cause you'd jump around and it'd slide around... but the motor would now keep it in place)

Chris

[TeiscosRock]

You could set stoppers to the most extreme neck and bridge positions you want, which would give you two postiions with the motorized one.

[Mickguard]

All you gotta do is...

Put the pickup on ball bearings...then it'll slide back and forth, depending on how you hold the guitar...think about it for a second, no need for a motor...you can always put a lock on there when you don't want the effect

Now, would someone please invent an onboard FX system that will house the effect, the switch/pot in a small cavity AND let it run off a simple jack? Come on people, get to work!

[marksound]

There's an Ibanez too with its own moveable system. And I think there was an early Danelectro model with a hidden but moveable pickup...

Just because you didn't invent the idea, doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it...

←

I forgot about this one.

EDIT: I hate Tripod.

Scroll down about halfway. It's the 2663SL.

http://vintageibanez.tripod.com/2663models.html

[Southpa]

They don't slide but they can spin.

http://www.edromanguitars.com/guitar/home_rtg.htm