Did "The Blade" have a Pentad pickup?

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

Buddy Emmons had a guitar he called "The Blade". Did "The Blade" guitar have a Pentad pickup, and what year was this guitar? What years did Emmons guitar Company use the Pentad pickup? The Pentad pickup was wired to a 5 way swith on the neck. Does anyone have a diagram of how the switch was wired to the Pentad pickup? I just bought a single neck Emmons guitar that is the same color as The Blade, and I think was made around the same time. The guitar originally was a double neck, cut down to a single neck with pad. I was blown away by the sound of this guitar. I am thinking that the sound of this guitar is in large part the result of the Pentad pickup and that complex switch. Why does the Pentad pickup sound so good? Who made this pickup and are they still made?

Hook Moore · From: South Charleston,West Virginia

I believe " The Blade" was a 68 model. I think Buddy said it was built late 67 and he took delievery early 68. I'm sure Buddy experimented, but I believe it has had Emmons single coils for most of its life.
Hook

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chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

in spite of the early ad campaign for it, the pentad pickup was a flop as far as i know... no one really liked it or used it.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

In 1972 I bought a used 1967 Emmons D-10 PP guitar from Mars Music in Maryland. Around 1984 I put an Emmons Pentad pickup in it with the 5 way switch. That pickup had one really good position, the straight single coil one! The out of phase position was kind of neat with greatly muted mids but the output level was so low in that position that it was hardly usable on the bandstand. The other positions had a fatter sound but were very muddy and lacked enough treble to be very usable anywhere.

I sat in the front row at a steel concert where Buddy Emmons played a later model Emmons in the 80's so I asked Buddy if he was using a Pentad pickup and he said he was. The tone was nothing special but I do remember him using the out of phase position a few times.

The Pentad pickup is like a boat or a sitar bar. The two best days you will have with it is the day you buy it (euphoria) and the day you sell it (relief)!

Greg

Doug Palmer · From: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

The Pentad is 2 single coil 20K pick-ups taped together with the magnets reversed, one with the north pole up and one with the south pole up. The 5 position switch gives you a 40K ohm humbucker, 40K reverse humbucker, 20K single coil north up, 20K single coil south up and an out of phase tank tone position similar to a Fender Stratocaster's. I don't know if Buddy designed this or if it was a product of Ron Lashley Sr. I think Hook is correct in that Buddy used a single coil pick-up, probably around 14.5K.

The magnets are 1/8" instead of the standard 1/4" found in most other Emmons pick-ups so the single coil position sounds a little different. Most players prefer the single coil pick-up sound, but if you get a lot of noise or hum and need a strong pick-up these may work for you.

Doug Palmer
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Jack Strayhorn · From: Winston-Salem, NC

I have pentads in one of my guitars and have never had a problem. Position #1 is the single coil that is closest to the bridge. Position #2 is the single coil farther from the bridge. Position #3 is humbucking in parallel (a blend of the two single coils). Position #4 is humbucking in series (much more mellow tone). Position #5 is out of phase. Some of the later swithces were 6 position and the last position was off. I prefer a single coil. My band members like the guitar with Pentad's.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

Greg, did you wire the 5 way switch? Did a diagram come with the pickup? If you didn't have a diagram you are one smart guy Greg, because there is a bunch of wires. It is a complex wiring arrangement on the 5 way switch. I only like two positions on the 5 way switch,and there is not too much difference in tone quality between these two positions. I suspect these two positions are the single coil positions on the 5 way switch, but I am not certain this is the case. Greg,your analogy of the boat, and sitar bar, may prove to be true, but only time will tell. But-right now it sounds good to me, but everything sounds good in a room at the house. Everything is different in a large hall playing with a band. Jack you worked at Emmons, so you would know where these pickups came from, and if there were wiring diagrams?

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I had an LG111 with Pentads for a short time. I'd say that Greg has described their performance very accurately. Some of the tones were interesting, but next-to-unusable on the gig. It had the s/c setting, though, so the guitar worked just fine.
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Jack Strayhorn · From: Winston-Salem, NC

Keith, we made the pentads at the factory. Usually sold them with the swithes already wired, with the exception of the 4 leads connecting to the pickup itself. Each coil is made with 42 guage wire wound to 20K ohms, just like single coils. The only setting that wasn't very usuable was the out of phase, due to low output. I never cared for the series humbucking position, tone much to dark. The other three work great; bright, mellow, and combination with noise reduction.

Joshua Grange · From: Los Angeles, California

I have one in a Sho Bud I use with kd lang. Position #1, single coil bridge, gets the most action, but occasionally I'll be in a venue or recording situation where the lights or power create hum. I'll switch to position #2, hum-bucking, and although the tone is just a little bit less sparkly spectacular, the elimination of the hum is more than worth it, especially on quieter songs where the hum makes playing without disturbing the band impossible. A real life saver!

Once in a while I'll set it to the out of phase position for a great Fender-y honky tonk sound. It requires a bit of a boost from my Match Box, no problem.

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

On which recordings has "The Blade" been used?
(Could it be, that it was played during his time in Los Angeles?)
Is it heard on Roger Miller's "Trip In The Country"?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXMhLMDJFqE
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Olli Haavisto · From: Jarvenpaa,Finland

Hey, don`t knock the sitar bar !
Nothing brings back the wanna-be hipness of mid 60`s Nashville like a well timed sitar bar lick !
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Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Olli,

Well maybe a well timed string effect using the bosstone fuzz can compete with the sitar. Keith, as stated above my Pentad was wired as it came from the factory.

Greg

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

Not to answer for Big E, but just for information's sake, the Blade now has single coils in the 14.8K to 15K ohmage resistance range.
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chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

of course herb would know best, as he gave one pickup to buddy for it, right? i think buddy used that steel from the black album through the L.A. era for judy collins, gram,sebastion, etc. and trip in the country...plus a million more.

now back to the pentad...nobody liked it.

Chris Schlotzhauer · From: Colleyville, Tx. USA

I have a '93 LeGrande that came with the regular humbuckers. No 5 position switch.
I think they sound great

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

Reporting back after playing my first picking job tonight with the old Emmons with the Pentad pickup. Didn't have time to change strings, no telling how old those strings are. Without a doubt this is the "best" sounding guitar I have ever played. I removed the tone control, so all that is left is the pintad pickup and the 5 way switch, and two holes. There are 3 positions on the 5 way switch I like. This guitar looks like it has been to hell and back. Who cares what the guitar looks like when everything I play on it sounds wonderful. Not all guitars, and not all pickups, are created equal. This guitar, and this pintad pickup, has that special something--that special combination. Maybe I should name this guitar "The Blade II".

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

sometimes a guitar is so good that even with a crappy pickup they sound pretty good. my old emmons has my old zum pickups in it and it still sounds great.

you should try it with a hilton pedal! ..have you heard of those?

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

Chris, I've heard of those Hilton pedals, I will have to try one out. I have a friend who is sending me the old Pentad pickup he took out of his guitar. I am going to put it on one of my guitars I can't get a quality sound out of. By the way, the guitar I am trying to get a quality sound out of is NOT an Emmons. Lets say--Brand X. I have already had three different pickups in this guitar with only moderate improvement in sound quality. I love everything about this Brand X guitar if only I could get it sounding great. Trust me--I will keep trying.

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