Interesting pickup concept - single-string pickups on rails?

darren wilson · #1 03-09-2002, 10:53 PM

I was doing a search to see if anybody made 7-string humbucker mounting rings in white or cream, and i stumbled across the Linear Pickups site. Check out their Engard system, which is an aluminum track that you embed into your guitar, allowing you to have dramatic control over the position of the pickup elements for each string, enabling you to sculpt your tone with an unprecedented degree of control.

Very interesting... i'd love to built a cheap test mule just to try it out.

I still haven't found any white or cream 7-string humbucker rings, though.

bammbamm · #2 03-10-2002, 02:08 AM

SUNAVABICH ! ! !
I came up with this idea about 10 years ago, maybe 12 now... I REALLY wish I had gone through with the patent. I made a working prototype out of thread bobbins from a sewing machine, but they were fairly weak, so I decided to build an active electronics system to accomodate them but never got around to it...
NOW I HANG MY HEAD IN SHAME...

Bamm

RSVampire · #3 03-10-2002, 04:36 AM

I quote Homer Simpson

Heh Heh...Mule.

JESTER700 · #4 03-10-2002, 10:18 AM

I seem to recall seeing a track mounted pickup in the mid 80's.

And didn't the Kramer Ripley stereo guitar have individual pups for each string? *That'd be mid-80's, too...

Kevan · #5 03-10-2002, 11:02 AM

Yeah, the Ripley's didn't go over that well...but EVH seemed to like them. *If I'm not mistaken, he's still using a Ripley in the studio.

The Engard system looks cool. *I'd not route out a J-Custom and put one in, but maybe an RG-421/550 and give them a try. *Fair price too.

BTW- "Motherbucker" is a trademark of Mitey-Mite Industries. *:-)
For those that haven't seen/heard one, It's the Nigel Tufnel of pickups- three coils in humbucker form, instead of your standard two. *I had a Motherbucker in one of my old guitars. *Good tone, but hard to find these days.

Two hands31 · #6 03-10-2002, 11:58 AM

Just do the Leo Fender thing: *Take a neck you like, stick it to a body blank and just add whatever hardware you want when you want.

7 Dying Trees · #7 03-11-2002, 07:44 AM

That looks cool! And I do have that spare neck and bridge....hmmmmm.....

trouble311 · #8 03-16-2002, 04:37 PM

Didn't George Lynch have something like this installed into one of his guitars in the 80s?

darren wilson · #9 03-16-2002, 09:57 PM

I remember George Lynch talking in interviews about wanting to develop a motorized pickup on rails that would move from neck to bridge, so he didn't get a sudden change in tone when changing pickups... I don't know if ESP ever did make a prototype of such a system for him. I've never seen photos of it, if they did.