From bridge to pickup...

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 29 Nov 2004 10:20 pm

I've always wondered how this distance is determined___from the center of the bridge to the center of the pole magnet in the pickup.

It seems the height of the pickup to the strings is always adjustable; but the lateral position is always fixed.

Many thanks, Rick

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 30 Nov 2004 1:02 am

Where the pickup is located determines the harmonic content that it picks up. Just as with a 6-string electric guitar, moving it closer to the bridge progressively eliminates the more powerfull lower harmonics of the string, allowing the higher ones to cut through.

This is one part of each guitar's "sound" and each builder puts it where they think it works best for their instrument.

How's that?

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<img align=right src="http://www.pdxaudio.com/dgsept03.jpg" width="114 height="114">Dave Grafe - email: dg@pdxaudio.com
Production
Pickin', etc.

1978 ShoBud Pro I E9, 1960 Les Paul (SG) Deluxe, 1963 Precision Bass, 1954 Gibson LGO, 1897 Washburn Hawaiian Steel Conversion

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 30 Nov 2004 6:46 am

Not good!

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 30 Nov 2004 8:15 am

Dave and Donny:

Dave, that seems logical to me. In all of my "steel-playing-life" I have never seen a steel guitar that allowed for a lateral adjustment of the pickup.

Donny, it would seem to me that either mathematically, or with a frequency measuring instrument, that this positioning of the pickup could be determined precisely.

Rick

jerry wallace · Post by **jerry wallace** » 30 Nov 2004 2:25 pm

I think a design with adjustment/movable distance could be a good way to "Tailor" the distance to suit individual preferences..

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Jerry Wallace/TrueTone pickups-2001 Zum: D-10,8+6, "98 Zum: D-10,8+8,Nashville 1000,Session 500 ,Session 400 head only amp,Tubefex,ProfexII, Artesia, New Mexico
http://www.jerrywallacemusic.com

[This message was edited by jerry wallace on 30 November 2004 at 02:26 PM.]

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 30 Nov 2004 2:34 pm

Somebody--was it Mosrite?--made a guitar where the pickups were laterally adjustable as you suggest. Or am I just making that up? I also have always thought that this would be a useful adjustment, just as we deliberately adjust our picking location.

Karlis Abolins · Post by **Karlis Abolins** » 30 Nov 2004 2:57 pm

I have been interested in the effect of moving a pickup. I found this interesting java applet that demonstrates what happens to the sound waves as you change the position of a pickup. http://www.till.com/articles/PickupResponseDemo/index.html

Now to figure out what it means.

Karlis

Jackie Anderson · Post by **Jackie Anderson** » 30 Nov 2004 4:57 pm

I have experimented with pickup position, and have come out happier with something farther from the bridge than most builders put them. That neat applet certainly explains why! The only commercial single pickup axe that ever really sounded "right" to me was the old Les Paul Jr. (?) with a single P-90 almost at "mid" position. I haven't built a completely new instrument for over 25 years, and have been reluctant to take the router to any of my brand-name "classics" meanwhile, but it has long been my intention to build both a steel and a solid-body 6-string with a moveable pickup on each. Forget any other "tone" control (much less volume control), or multiple pickups. Other than changing the physical characteristics of the materials from which the instrument is built (!) that's the only variable that would be worth having, IMHO.

P.S. The Stringmaster, with its two pickups and "blend" control, comes pretty close to the moveable pickup effect. Guess what I used on the steels I built 25 years ago...(okay, they were cheap then, too).[This message was edited by Jack Anderson on 30 November 2004 at 05:00 PM.]

thurlon hopper · Post by **thurlon hopper** » 30 Nov 2004 5:17 pm

A traveling country single act a guy by the name of Glen Childers used to come to Okinawa to play thre military club circuit
and he had a record he had made in Nashville
year ago with Hal Rugg on the steel and Hal had
been experimenting with a pickup that he could move along with his bar hand and it produced a pretty keyboard type of sound,
really different. Maybe Hal will see this and reply. Thanks for the opportunity to
post this. TJH