What would you like to see new this year?

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 15 Jul 2006 10:38 pm

Something I'd add to the pop-out p-up is a simple knob you turn to position the p-up. As it is I nearly stripped the holes in my Carter getting the p-up to the manufacturers suggested height. Wouldn't it be nice to have it go up or down and backward and forward with the turn of a knob?

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 16 Jul 2006 4:51 am

I'd like to see a guitar with a pickup that would slide back and forth about 6", for tonal variation...that'd do much more than just swapping pickups.

I'd also like to see a lightweight, but big and powerful combo amp, with good digital EFX and a graphic EQ.

Ron ! · Post by **Ron !** » 16 Jul 2006 6:01 am

I'd like to see a guitar with a pickup that would slide back and forth about 6", for tonal variation...that'd do much more than just swapping pickups.

Now thats an idea.and easy to do to.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 16 Jul 2006 6:17 am

Auto-tuners for your instrument won't work unless everybody in the band has one, and maybe not even then ...

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 16 Jul 2006 6:30 am

b0b's idea is great - Cougar used to build them, and a buddy has one he raves about. I also really like the sliding pickup idea - something that's been done on six-string guitar, but never caught on.

As far a pickups, there are two things I'd like to se:

1. Guitars with two pickups as standard equipment, with volume and tone control and a 3-way switch (each pickup or both). Pretty much the standard on six string. I installed a second pickup on one of my Fender 400's and there's an amazing increase of tones available. I don't kno why pedal steel makers haven't don this as a standard thing.

2. Much lower impedance pickups. Many players are trying to get the Fender sound, and are buying Fender guitars to get it even though they don't care for the instrument's limitations (most of which are advantages to me personally). Bob Carlucci did an experiment with a pickup wound to roughly 9k DC resistance on (I think) a Carter, with amazing results. Some maker(s) should get Jerry Wallace to make them and offer them as a standard "option" and replacement part. FWIW, lower-impedance pickup work far better with effects pedals if you're into that stuff, as they are designed mostly for 6-string guitars, where even an 11k pickup would be strangely radical and very middy-sounding.

And, of course, I'd like to see someone take the bull by the horns and make replacement parts for Fenders - especially things like cable harnesses, tuners, rods/ends and reasonably-priced knee lever kits (the changers of both older and newer models seemingly last forever - Leo and associates knew what they were doing from an engineering standpoint).

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 16 Jul 2006 6:52 am

Guitars with two pickups as standard equipment, with volume and tone control and a 3-way switch (each pickup or both).

I had the same idea, and had a second pickup installed on my white guitar, which you can see in this picture:

I had both a 3 way selector switche and an out of phase switch installed, (which you can also see,) and I have to agree tht it provided a lot of tonal variation. I used thus guitar with the pickups out of phase on the song "A Boy Like That" on my West Side Story CD, and got a tone that cannot be duplicated with just one pickup (although position 5 of the George L 5 way comes close.)

But I found that the second pickup got in the way when I played up the neck, and generally was more trouble than it was worth, and eventualy had it removed. Fortunately I was able to replace the entire neck, and wnen I did, I had the Sierra interchangable pickup system installed.

2 pickups might be a good idea if engineered correctly and installed at the time the guitar was built, but I'd caution against making the same mistake I did, and retrofitting an existing guitar.

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Warning: I have a telecaster and I'm not afraid to use it.
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My web site

[This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 16 July 2006 at 07:59 AM.]

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 16 Jul 2006 10:29 am

A pedal steel with breasts and a drink holder.

John Sluszny · Post by **John Sluszny** » 16 Jul 2006 10:52 am

A new Transtubefex,the size and look
of a Pod xt (or Johnson J station or Behringer V-amp-2 etc...),
with Peavey amps and cabinets modeling.Am I dreaming?[This message was edited by John Sluszny on 16 July 2006 at 11:57 AM.][This message was edited by John Sluszny on 16 July 2006 at 11:59 AM.]

Casey Lowmiller · Post by **Casey Lowmiller** » 16 Jul 2006 1:03 pm

DANG!!! Kevin has a good idea!!!

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 17 Jul 2006 7:51 am

would that be a lacquer finish on them breasts or formica?

Casey Lowmiller · Post by **Casey Lowmiller** » 17 Jul 2006 8:28 am

Probably lacquer buffed to a high gloss!!!

Casey

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Known Coast to Coast as
"The Man with The Plan"

Carter-Starter, Fender Pedal 800, Fender Champion, Guyatone Double-neck, a cheap Artisan & a Homemade Double-neck!

Tony Orth · Post by **Tony Orth** » 17 Jul 2006 9:20 am

Ample breasts = Drink holder.
Seems like a singular idea to me.

Now, I've embarassed myself.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 17 Jul 2006 10:27 am

One of the Davids, I think, had the idea for separate pickups for the wound and unwound strings, with a stereo output. This would fix so much. Simple, cheap (+$100? $150?) and effective. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to fit it into a standard-size pickup casing, so you'd just have to change the pickup and add a stereo jack.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 17 Jul 2006 11:20 am

David - that's an idea that's been tried on six-strings. It never worked, because the only way it CAN work is if all guitars using the pickup used the same wound and plain strings. There are always variations in gages used, and one or two strings could be wound or plain, making the "center" couple of poles a toss-up as to which way to make them.

Bruce Blackburn · Post by **Bruce Blackburn** » 18 Jul 2006 5:08 am

Randy,
Years ago someone ( I am thinking Sierra, I will have to check some old literature ) had a modular pickup in their guitars as an option. It was a slide in version. Just slide it in and out. Contacts were on the guitar and the pick up. They installed into the guitar basically like a cell phone battery. So not only can it be done, it has been done. Don't really know why it didn't take off.
Bruce

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(2)Sho~Bud Super Pro's, Dekley S14U,
Session 500- (2) Nashville 112's Nashville 1000, Profex II
DPC-750

[This message was edited by Bruce Blackburn on 18 July 2006 at 06:10 AM.][This message was edited by Bruce Blackburn on 18 July 2006 at 06:12 AM.]

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 18 Jul 2006 4:54 pm

Sierra and the new MSA steels both have modular interchangable pickups. As I pointed out earlier, the systems are not compatable with each other.

If other companies decide to go this route, it's going to be another Beta vs VHS or MAC vs P/C/ kind of thing.

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Warning: I have a telecaster and I'm not afraid to use it.
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My web site

Russ Hicks · Post by **Russ Hicks** » 19 Jul 2006 9:10 am

Hey Randal G....Why do you need to change pick-ups to get different sounds....isn't that why amps have all those knobs???

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 19 Jul 2006 9:32 am

Hey Dave (Van Allen) - that would be shellac, rubbed to a high gloss ....

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 19 Jul 2006 11:28 am

"Hey Randal G....Why do you need to change pick-ups to get different sounds....isn't that why amps have all those knobs???"

It's a totally different effect on the tone. The two do not equate at all.

Randy Beavers · Post by **Randy Beavers** » 19 Jul 2006 1:15 pm

That'll teach ya!

Russ Hicks · Post by **Russ Hicks** » 20 Jul 2006 9:29 am

OUCH!!!!!!!

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 20 Jul 2006 10:19 pm

I'll put a stop to this! I like everything the way it is and don't want to make any changes, except that; I wish I had a place to use it at least once in a while!

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“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
Current Equipment

Thom Beeman · Post by **Thom Beeman** » 23 Jul 2006 8:27 pm

Russ trying to think without Lanny's permission again.heehee

Bruce Blackburn · Post by **Bruce Blackburn** » 25 Jul 2006 10:34 am

I would like to see a Brand NEW Sho~Bud company. A whole new line of Sho~Bud guitars. With a new SUPER~Pro as the company flagship!

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(2)Sho~Bud Super Pro's, Dekley S14U,
Session 500- (2) Nashville 112's Nashville 1000, Profex II
DPC-750

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 25 Jul 2006 10:47 am

I would like to see a cigar box strung with rubber bands (electric +with pedals of course)[This message was edited by Mike Shefrin on 26 July 2006 at 08:11 AM.]