Custom Pickup Maker Recommendations

[MrMuckle]

After realizing I don't want to make my own pickups, but would still like something unique, I did a preliminary Google search for someone who is capable of making custom designs. All I really found was Hauessel pickups. Anyone else out there who will put into production not only your own custom pickups, but also wooden pickup covers?

[verhoevenc]

Catswhisker pickups. He will do wooden bobbins, and he also has some "out there" designs as well as the usual ones. I've been very happy with the sets of his that I have.

Chris

[MrMuckle]

Thanks for the reply, Chris. But I'm looking for designs that won't necessarily fit your standard pickup pocket. I didn't really see any out there designs on his website, but maybe I was looking in the wrong place. If you've seen the pickup plate on Malinoski's guitars that's also something I have in mind. I've also been inspired lately by all those crazy metal pickup covers/rings of the '60's on those Italian and Japanese guitars. I'm hoping there's a pickup maker out there with whom I could collaborate on a unique design. I'm kinda outside of the traditional guitar camp, so this may make my options limited. If you saw my other post about Zwaan's book, you'll know then that I looked into making my own, but I realize now how rough of a road that is to go down. Thanks again.

[verhoevenc]

Just because it fits in a traditional sized pickup route does NOT mean it's a normal pickup

Chris

[Tim37]

you might talk to RestorationAD

http://guitarlogistics.blogspot.com/

[psw]

You could consider making covers from wood to your own design and shape and putting in the bobbins from something like a P90 or single coil or whatever you choose, or have something made...and use the techniques as Zwaan describes perhaps to put them together to give a unique look and shape...just have the poles close to or through the surface of the wood...use a veneer perhaps...all kinds of options there.

And, yes, a normal pickup size and shape doesn't mean a 'normal' pickup...so many variables and things that can be done regardless of shape and size...again custom winders abound that could help.

Also, you seem low on details other than 'aesthetics' as to what you actually want the things to sound like...non-traditional' might as easily be code for bad as some standard designs can be...

[SwedishLuthier]

Last guitar I sold/custom build had custom made pickups to the customers requirements and wooden covers... Check out my web page peternaglitschluthier.com The pictures of the latest NorthStar guitar isn't up yet (the webmaster's working on it) but this is another set of custom pickups I have made:

Ebony rings, open chrome covers and ebony toppers with MOP inlays

[Prostheta]

Q-Tuners?

http://www.q-tuner.com/

[MrMuckle]

SwedishLuthier, that is more along the lines of what I'm looking for. I've always found it odd that luthiers invest so much time in making the curves and contours of their guitars so aesthetically pleasing, but then they use a boring, shiny metal rectangle for their pickup covers. I guess we follow tradition, but you'd think we'd put more thought into the look of the pickups and how they enhances the overall look of the guitar being that we are the designers. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one bothered by this.

[verhoevenc]

Depends on if you find them to be boring/ugly/out of place in the first place I guess. I kinda like the look of pickups.

Chris

[westhemann]

Yeah.I already like the plain black look of alot of pickups.

[psw]

SwedishLuthier, that is more along the lines of what I'm looking for. I've always found it odd that luthiers invest so much time in making the curves and contours of their guitars so aesthetically pleasing, but then they use a boring, shiny metal rectangle for their pickup covers. I guess we follow tradition, but you'd think we'd put more thought into the look of the pickups and how they enhances the overall look of the guitar being that we are the designers. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one bothered by this.

There is no end to the way you can dress them up really...but also there is so much mojo and fetishness about pickups, people often like to 'see the engine' kind of thing...notice how a lot are branded and uncovered and all that side of things...

There is not reason though not to consider the pickups in an aesthetic scheme...I tend to...here's my latest LP with tortoiseshell pickup bobbins that go with the colour and some of the subtle additions...similar touches on me tele as well...

There are serious disadvantages in making 'non-standard' pickups in a guitar, you are kind of stuck with them, what if you want to change or a new owner gets a hold of the thing...sound matters more I would have thought, along with options. And similar with the custom market, where is the sales bass for none-standard pickups...you'd have to work out what works for that kind of format, construct custom parts like bobbins, mounting rings, covers, magnets...all expensive stuff, and not worth it unless there was some significant sound benefit I suspect...

My Tele has a fender wide range Hb, a very interesting pickup and quite valuable in it's vintage form...but a bit of a PITA as it is huge compared to say a standard HB...so have to make custom mountings and routings to have the thing in there...and you better like it's bright 'clang' cause there is no easy way back to something more 'standard'...

Part of the 'theme' of this guitar was the 'chrome'...but the pickup is made more distinctive by mounting in a huge custom brushed aluminium plate 'ring' and tortoiseshell stripes...just takes a little imagination there to make something 'look' different.

Then you see there are some that have tried hiding pickups completely...like the Variax and an old fender model...almost universally people think they look weird by the lack of a pickup being visible...just a thought!

[verhoevenc]

Good to see you like those Kahlers PSW. I'm thinkin' of putting the flush mount one on a 7-string I have in the works. It's good to see that someone with some skills likes it enough to use it twice! Eases my mind!

Chris

[MrMuckle]

Definitely "one man's meat is another man's poison". Like when I see a gorgeous PRS 10 Top with a teal stain, but then they put three, cream colored, PLASTIC(!) soapbars on it. OUCH! MY EYES! http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/style_im...icons/icon6.gif

Not sure why that emoticon doesn't show up.

Endless ways to dress them up, yes, but I wish more people would. Love the look, PSW!

Edited October 17, 2010 by MrMuckle

[MrMuckle]

Came across Jersey Girl Guitars today.

http://www.geocities.jp/jerseygirlhg/a34.htm

http://www.geocities.jp/jerseygirlhg/tc40.htm

Click on the picture of the guitar for a close up. I really like the look of these pickups, but to each his own.

[Prostheta]

...

Then you see there are some that have tried hiding pickups completely...like the Variax and an old fender model...almost universally people think they look weird by the lack of a pickup being visible...just a thought!

I agree ;-)

Perhaps putting something weird in the place where the pickups "should" be would be amusing. Like a Twinky.

[psw]

Aesthetics are important as long as you keep functionality in mind...

That Jersey girl guitar there, perhaps a little 'woody' but really just recovered HB's...lots of options there.

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With my LP I had several pickup rings, satin chrome like the knobs, chrome...but the cream plastic matches the binding on the body and neck and the back plates. The tele, well...some how I needed to mount the FWRPup and meld the scratchplate of the tele into the kahler...here's a better pic and the khaler...

tele build thread

took a few goes cutting out paper shapes before I came up with a solution that felt 'natural' for that guitar...

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Yeah...the khaler has become a subtle but important part of my playing these days...expensive but they work, these guitars (with the proper tuners and nuts, etc) stay in tune incredibly well. I have another LP in mind it worked out so well...sometime!

With the flat mount K's, just make sure you have a decent angle as those saddles need to be a reasonable height, had to shim the tele's neck a tad and that angle is only just enough. The LP is better in many ways like that...and, I found a thumbscrew that replaces the hybrid lock screw so it can be locked down on the fly...not really practical on the flat mount as it's too close to the surface really. The bridge intonation locking screws are also a little 'domed' and a shallow angle can rub on strings and break them, something to watch out for, more angle to get more height over the bridge, or replace the screws. I ahve seen a couple of builds here where the whole bridge has been inset..that would fix it if you have enough depth in the body (need about 1" under the bridge itself) also watch the alighnment, on the 6 string version anyway, the forward monting screws are not symetrical

Oh...and if you check out 'wammiworld'...I see they have some new modifications, like a down only adjustable leg...so it wont go out of tune if you say tune down a string or perhaps break one. I've been thinking, since I use locking tuners and roller or teflon nuts...might even attempt to modify the fine tuners to create a bit of a palm operated b-bender...lots of scope with these things...can you tell, I'm a bit of a fan...nice chrome work too!

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I know what you mean about the cream plastic soapbars, but it is a look and P-90s are particularly fetished these days...still, perhaps in person they look ok, and over time they may age ok. Probably a better look than black or chrome for a PRS like that.

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Oval pickups...I have seen some somewhere in days of yore...perhaps not. Not sure why variax came up with such lame designs, though I think there is a new one in the works that might be better...moved the variax control onto it's side up where an LP selector would be.

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Interesting thread MrM hope you have got some ideas...lots of options really...if you like the 'wood look' I suspect there are pickup cover makers out there...then again there are all kinds of TV pickups, tri-sonics and other stuff these days, many can be dressed up to give a different vibe...

With my guitars, I just like them to look a bit different but as if they were 'meant to be' so you need to take the whole thing into account, often in subtle ways. My tele was painted the color of an AC Cobra, so I added a bit of crome, a bit of the 'cobra stripes' in the pickup plate, the tortoiseshell touches give a bit of a 'dashboard look'...all fairly subtle, but it is a 'look' and a change form 'wood' you know.

[MrMuckle]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. A lot of good information in there. Mmmm, Twinkies

Here's a question for you, and I'm not admitting defeat, yet!, but are there 3D files somewhere online for traditional size pickup covers? Let's say I want some P-90 covers made out of ebony. Can I take a 3d file and the ebony wood to a CNC place and have them make some covers for me?

[Prostheta]

I wouldn't bother, plus it's a simple component which would cost far too much money to contract a CNC operator to manufacture.

You could quite easily save that money to learn how to make them yourself, and you keep the skills. There are tutorials on here in making pickup rings.