Excel Jerry Byrd Frypan pickup secret revealed!

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 26 Jun 2000 5:07 pm

There was some talk a while back concerning the pickup on the new JP Frypans by Excel. The question was posed: Do the Horeshoe metal plates that are mounted above the pickup act as part of the pickup? Are they magnetized so the strings actually pass through a 'tunnel' of magnetism? Or do they function only as a hand rest and pickup protector.

Last week I wrote an email to Excel in Japan and today I received a response. Here it is:
______________________________________
This is a message from Mitsuo Fujii to (Gerald Ross <gbross@umich.edu>)

Thank you for your interest on our Jerry Byrd Fry Pan models. An answer to your question about pickup. Yes, it has specific function as part of pickup.

The surrounding metal (horseshoe-shaped) piece is not magnetized it self,
but it's a steel and attach to bottom of the pickup. So it will transfer backside of pickups magnetic force to the top of strings (over the strings) to help sustain of sound.

Again, Thank you for your interest on our product.

Bob Kagy · Post by **Bob Kagy** » 26 Jun 2000 5:56 pm

Thanks for posting this Ross - I've always wondered, and I think I understand.[This message was edited by Bob Kagy on 26 June 2000 at 06:57 PM.][This message was edited by Bob Kagy on 26 June 2000 at 06:58 PM.]

mickd · Post by **mickd** » 27 Jun 2000 6:10 am

thanks for this - I've been trying to find this out myself. I suppose it should be possible to test this by holding a pin to the horseshoe while the guitar is plugged in (or maybe it would have to be while the strings were also moving ?)
Has anyone tried that ?

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 27 Jun 2000 6:32 am

I must say that I am a little bit surprised by Mr. Fujii's statement above. I believed to understand that these pick-ups were built to copy the sound of the original Rickenbacher frypan pick-ups.
The original Rick pick-ups have magnetized horse shoe plates. In fact they are the magnet of the pick up, as I believe to know.
First thing that always intrigued me with these re-issues or copies, is the fact that these certainly fine guitars now come with a 1.25" wide horse shoe. After all the talk about the superiority of the original 1.5" wide Rickenbacher horse shoe pick up compared to it's later model, I really don't know what the real deal is meant to be anymore. Therefor I tend to stick with the consensus opinion and play an original Rick with a 1.5" horse shoe.
Also, I have a video where Jerry Byrd is apparently playing a re-issue frypan 8-string (I don't know if it's a Sho~Bud or an Excell), but I seem to see a 1.5" horse shoe pick-up on it. Would he be using an original Rick pick-up?

If I would have peace in mind about all this, I would consider buyin an Excell frypan anytime, even though I find them to be rather expensive. Excell has a reputation for high quality...

------------------
jaydee@bellsouth.net

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 27 Jun 2000 8:53 pm

played one ...didn't like it....kept the Bakelite...
mike

Lew Collins · Post by **Lew Collins** » 29 Jun 2000 5:45 am

Never played an Excel but the pickups on both of my old Ricks are horseshoe magnets. I'm not certain, but I think the polepieces are just metal slugs...but I could be wrong about the polepieces. Total guess here: maybe the polepieces on the Excel pickup ARE magnets, just as they are on a Telecaster and Stratocaster guitar pickup. The Tele pickup sounds differant from a Strat pickup because the Tele bridge pickup has a brass plate attached to the underside of the pickup. This brass plate supposedly directs the magnetic field upwards towards the strings, resulting in a stronger magnetic field and that classic, Tele twang. Maybe wrapping the pickup in a non-magnetic horseshoe, like Excel apparantly does, directs the magnetic field of the polepieces
around the strings...both over AND under. Just a guess. Lew

Jason Lollar · Post by **Jason Lollar** » 29 Jun 2000 2:16 pm

The poles in the original ricks are just ferrous metal, not magnetized I can attest to that. The new pickups that have fake horse shoes will extend the magnetic field somewhat but its not as strong as a real magnet puts out partially due to eddy currents and the fact that the feild is not infinitley extendable. So my guess never having heard the re-issue is the re-issues wont have as much drive and the frequency response will be different. The plates on the bottom of teles are not solid brass they are plated, to reflect the magnetic field the metal has to be ferrous otherwise the feild will extend through the plate, thats a simplistic veiw of it. If you have one that is solid brass its just used for grounding the strings. They also used a copper plated reflector, I have worked on ones without the reflector and the difference is subtle but there is a difference. It would make a bigger difference if the plate was closer to the strings like the old National pickups and some of the Fender string through pickups.
I dont undersatnd why the re-issues wouldnt charge the horse shoes it would be easy, its not like charging alnico did they have any comment on that?