Cosmo Valdemar Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Intrigued! My theory is, the pickup placement is more important than the pickup itself - a Jazz pickup in the Rick 'bridge' position still sounds like a Rick. I predict the overwhelming flavour when the new pickup is installed will still be that of a '51 Precision, but I'd love to be proved wrong! And also, how quickly did he make that pickup?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 7 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: Intrigued! My theory is, the pickup placement is more important than the pickup itself - a Jazz pickup in the Rick 'bridge' position still sounds like a Rick. I predict the overwhelming flavour when the new pickup is installed will still be that of a '51 Precision, but I'd love to be proved wrong! And also, how quickly did he make that pickup?! According to his platform testing in his own 51 - It was Ric with a bit more bass (interpret however you like!) due to position. And yes, about 2 days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 14 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said: According to his platform testing in his own 51 - It was Ric with a bit more bass (interpret however you like!) due to position. And yes, about 2 days Well there you go! I can't wait to hear it! Might even end up ordering one for my '51! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianP Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 15 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said: And yes, about 2 days Assuming we're still not using names or other identifiers on this thread, I can well believe it would take him just two days to conceive, design and produce a new pickup in two days. I purchased a couple of wide range humbuckers from him a couple of months ago. As I live quite close, I asked him to install them into my '72 reissue Thinline Telecaster and to drop in a new wiring loom at the same time. When i pickup up the guitar, I got to meet him and he gave me a short tour of **** Towers. The place is ... magnificent in it's disorganisation! But the winding machines and laser cutting equipment are really impressive. Although a small local operation, I would have no heitation whatsoever to go back for any more of my pickup needs, from an off the shelf item to something really customised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 Just now, AdrianP said: Assuming we're still not using names or other identifiers on this thread, I can well believe it would take him just two days to conceive, design and produce a new pickup in two days. I purchased a couple of wide range humbuckers from him a couple of months ago. As I live quite close, I asked him to install them into my '72 reissue Thinline Telecaster and to drop in a new wiring loom at the same time. When i pickup up the guitar, I got to meet him and he gave me a short tour of **** Towers. The place is ... magnificent in it's disorganisation! But the winding machines and laser cutting equipment are really impressive. Although a small local operation, I would have no heitation whatsoever to go back for any more of my pickup needs, from an off the shelf item to something really customised. Ash (for it is he!) is in my humble opinion, the best we have in the UK. His pickups are sublime. He gets massive respect in the guitar community and does some of the best guitar pickups around. His master wound custom stuff is properly good. If anyone out there in bass land needs a pickup for a project, or wants to upgrade a bass and put something hand wound in and really special then go give him a prod.. Lets just say a custom wind like this one would cost well under £100 - and closer to £50.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 But isn't part of the 'Ric' sound caused by having two truss rods that don't work properly?? *runs away* 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 Just now, discreet said: But isn't part of the 'Ric' sound caused by having two truss rods that don't work properly?? *runs away* I knew I should have specced up a less practical truss rod solution for the neck. Dammit. I have, however, ensured that there is a built in weakness in the bridge metal so it lifts at the back over time..... 🤭 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealting Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Now THIS is interesting! I have a Jess Loureiro split coil waiting to go in my Bravewood ‘56, but this would be a bit different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 1 hour ago, therealting said: Now THIS is interesting! I have a Jess Loureiro split coil waiting to go in my Bravewood ‘56, but this would be a bit different. Be careful how you fit it. Don't use rubber or foam under it, use springs or plastic tubing. It can be a bit fragile, especially when adjusting height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guitar Weasel Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Well hello chaps, I thought I'd better say hello and explain Bridgehouse's pickup as I'm the person who designed and wound it :-) My business involves a hell of a lot of pickup rewinds (as well as building new pickups), and the most common bass pickup to need my ministrations is that 'certain classic California-made' bass we are discussing. It's always had me thinking that it's kinda an object lesson in how to break the mould in bass pickup design ... because it's actually built pretty much the opposite way to the way you'd expect to produce bass tones. It's thin bobbin and super fine wire combined with relatively low output is really poles apart from the tall bobbin, thicker wired P Bass and J Bass. There are plenty of guitar pickups that use the squat bobbin approach: the P90 and the Jazzmaster are two notable ones, and they instantly sound different to taller bobbin pickups like Strat ones. My instant thought was to replicate the tones Bridgehouse was looking for (without tons of extra EQ) a 51 P Bass bobbin was too tall and would accentuate too much treble over mids. So I fired up the laser cutter and produced a custom bobbin of exactly the same winding area as the ... um ... Californian bass, and sat it atop a ceramic magnet ... filling it to 14k with 44awg wire. As a finishing touch I added adjustable dome head steel poles. Now does it sound exactly like the original? I popped it briefly into my bass pickup test guitar (a P Bass partscaster with a dirty big central rout) and gave it a little go ... I ended up with a big smile. Not an exact ringer, but a lot closer than I've ever got with a Precision and no EQ. I'll leave it to Bridgehouse to do some sound samples ... but I'm pleased I proved a bit of a concept, at least to myself. 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 ^ What he said I’m pleased too - it arrived this morning so more to follow!! (Haven’t had chance to even unwrap it yet) Glad you’ve joined up over here too @The Guitar Weasel - your pickup knowledge will be most welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guitar Weasel Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 5 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said: ^ What he said I’m pleased too - it arrived this morning so more to follow!! (Haven’t had chance to even unwrap it yet) Glad you’ve joined up over here too @The Guitar Weasel - your pickup knowledge will be most welcome! Glad the pickup came 🙂 And thought I'd better come and say hi ... after all, I've been bass player in a few bands too, have owned everything from a 63 Precision to a BC Rich Mockingbird bass, and build and repair nearly as many bass pickups as guitar ones. Plus my business partner's a bass player, and is always trying to get me to design and wind more bass stuff ... he'll be flipping his fingers in delight. 🙂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 I’ll update the build thread with progress shots then come back here with results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 (Reposted from build thread) I’ve tried it. Well now. It sounds really rather different to my 51P partscaster. Far more open, lots more snarl and much more in the mids. It’s not as spaced as a Precision - much less of that piano like quality and far more growl in the mids. Then there’s the hollow nature - it’s got some the air and hollow thump you get from a hollow body but still has plenty of sustain (centre block no doubt). Compared to my precisions it doesn’t sound like a Precision. But it’s not 100% Ric - it’s like a bag of Ric flavoured crisps - sort of Pricisionbacker if you like. However, it sits so well in the mix when I play along to stuff - far more presence and up front sound due to those highlighted mids. Interesting. Have tried flats and roundwounds - rounds seem to accentuate the Ric side more, flats the P side. I have an idea for sound samples so bear with me.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guitar Weasel Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Then it's done exactly what I wanted it to do ... No doubt with a bit of creative EQ you could tip it either way, which makes for a good take on versatility. On a solid bass you might have more clang than thump, but considering there is no other body or neck design element in common with a ... er Californian bass, or a an equal pickup positioning ... I think I nailed the design brief 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 20 minutes ago, Bridgehouse said: ...it doesn’t sound like a Precision. But it’s not 100% Ric - it’s like a bag of Ric flavoured crisps - sort of Pricisionbacker if you like. However, it sits so well in the mix when I play along to stuff - far more presence and up front sound due to those highlighted mids... I'd say that was a pretty good descriprion of a Shergold Marathon. Or possibly a Hayman 4040. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 (edited) 1 minute ago, discreet said: I'd say that was a pretty good descriprion of a Shergold Marathon. Or possibly a Hayman 4040. Ah, but with this one you can have it on the strap for more than 10 mins.... Edited July 21, 2018 by Bridgehouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealting Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 @The Guitar Weasel - Jonathan at Feline has been telling me about you! Have you tried a take on the classic P split coil in a 51 form factor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealting Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 19 hours ago, discreet said: Be careful how you fit it. Don't use rubber or foam under it, use springs or plastic tubing. It can be a bit fragile, especially when adjusting height. Thanks for the tip! Still debating whether to get a push-pull series/parallel switch installed. Perhaps have it as conventional P with knob down, and single coil with knob up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guitar Weasel Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 1 hour ago, therealting said: @The Guitar Weasel - Jonathan at Feline has been telling me about you! Have you tried a take on the classic P split coil in a 51 form factor? That's on my 'to do' list 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgehouse Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 1 hour ago, therealting said: Thanks for the tip! Still debating whether to get a push-pull series/parallel switch installed. Perhaps have it as conventional P with knob down, and single coil with knob up. I have a series/parallel switch on my ACG Finn 4 - even after fitting a P-Retro preamp I kept the switch as I really like the variance it gives. Note output level is different, so don’t be tempted to use it as a boost - adjust volume to match for each setting and you get two nicely varied tonal outputs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) - Edited February 27, 2022 by Jus Lukin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guitar Weasel Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 55 minutes ago, Jus Lukin said: Oh, please can we call it a Prickenbacker?! The sonic assessment falls where I might have expected, as a bit of a mix of the two, but it sounds like a good thing. Just in case anyone's serious, we aren't allowed to sell Rickenbackers here, but we can utter the name. Rickenbacker, Rickenbacker, Rickenbacker! Don't say it that many times in front if the mirror though, just in case! 😃 Yes but if a pickup maker like me says it (probably three times) mirror or no ... then the lawyers from the 'Company Which Must Not Be Named' come and jump all over him with hobnail boots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) - Edited February 27, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guitar Weasel Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Jus Lukin said: Ha, good point. Drifting off topic a bit, I did notice that Joe Barden makes a pair of replacements, and on his website directly mentions the brand, both as 'Ric' and the full 'Rickenbacker'. It struck me as odd under the fairly famous circumstances, and whilst reading up on the pickups themselves I spotted that the hallowed Mr Hall is well aware of the product, his comments were more about the price, and whether they offered anything that Ric's own humbuckers didn't, at a much lower price. Food for thought, at least. Jason (Lollar) made a replacement 'horseshoe' pickup ... which Rickenbacker no longer make, and the patent had expired on ... yet he got busted. You can see why us pickup makers treat the company like a handgrenade with the pin out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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