Help finding a lipstick pickup

[Teesee]

I'm now the proud owner of a Hartwood Satellite that came in the post on Thursday. I love vintage and retro looking guitars and for the price I could not resist.

I'm not completely down with the split p's in terms of looks - though I will admit they do sound quite good in that neck position.

Originally I was thinking about putting a big old Thunderbird style just to compliment the looks and to give it a bit more of a surf punk sound, but I also have a Rascal and a Newport which also caters for that kind of look.

Someone on that 'other site' across the pond suggested lipsticks, which I'll admit is totally growing on me, but most folks over there are very good at spending other people's money and I'm trying to source a lipstick that would not break the bank say up to £35 max, so no SD's for me.

I'm also very confused with the outputs of lipsticks and the fact that some have "folds" and some do not. This is totally alien to me who is just used to putting in SC's or Humbuckers, 😕if anyone can explain to me what folds are I'd be dead grateful.

I also understand that lipsticks are primarily used in guitars, but my Bronco has a 6 pole strat in it and it sounded great before I swapped it for a McNelly, so I'm not too fussed about using a guitar pickup as long as it isn't reedy or wheezy.

I'm wondering if anyone could recommend a lipstick that's readily available over here - I have been looking at Roswells but ordering them direct to UK appears a very convoluted business, and Amazon carry a few no names but the majority have no reviews so I don't know whether what I bought from them would be any good.

I know I'll have to have a new PG made up, but that's the plan anyway, eventually I want it red like a paupers Backlund, 😁, maybe reshape the headstock and nitro it to colour code with the body, I've also a Guyker GB 1020 bridge arriving on  the twelfth of never which'll  I reckon look great on the retro styling.

If anyone on here has put reasonably priced lipsticks on their guitars, I'd love to hear their recommendation. Thanks all.👍

 

 

[neepheid]

As long as you're making a new pickguard (and doing any routing underneath required, then you could do worse than this:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394653160508

 

£22 - and Artec is a known brand who make decent pickups.  I'd use a bridge strat pickup, higher DC resistance than a middle or neck one.  Even if you're putting it in the neck position.  I did this many years ago with a Squier Bronco - sounded pretty good as I recall - although it was a different brand - GFS (Guitar Fetish) which I probably imported from the States because the pound was strong then.

 

 

The only downside to these kind of pickups are the rounded ends - pretty tricky to perch your thumb on. 

 

If you're willing to spend a bit more (£60), I have also used these:

 

https://www.armstrongmusic.co.uk/collections/kent-armstrong-split-tube-guitar-pickups

 

These are Jazz bass pickup sized and crucially they have flat ends, so using them as a thumbrest is much easier.  I put these in my Burny LSB-70 thus:

 

 

Hope that helps!

Edited August 3 by neepheid

[Teesee]

Thanks neepheid, that has been amazingly helpful.👍😍. Thinking on it I had an Artec mini humbucker in my Harley Benton RB-414 that I sold just recently and I was always impressed with the quality of that. I also take on board what you're saying about rounded ends as I'm a finger only player, but I reckon I'll take a punt on the Artec first and just cut the PG to accomodate the lipstick (probs about the centreline if the existing split of the p's) and give that a try - It'll look ugly until I get a new PG but at least it'll give me an idea of whether I can get on with the rouded edges. Failing that, then I'll go for the Armstrongs if I cant get on with the Artecs.

Cheers mate, this has been really helpful. 👍

[Andyjr1515]

I would second @neepheid in terms of Artec's 'bang for the buck'.  I can't think of any Artec product I've used or fitted that hasn't hit way above its weight and I've certainly used their lipstick pickups in my own guitars in the past.

[Teesee]

I've ordered the Artec now, ETA 12th Aug, will let you know how I get on. 👍

[Teesee]

Here is the finished article complete with a varitone switch I snagged at bloodstone guitar works, www.bloodstoneguitarworks.com Dave the seller did an excellent job guiding me through how to install it and for £20 well happy with his switch.

The Artec is a lovely little pickup too, sounds proper nice 👍

 

 

[BTops]

Looks very cool. Do you get any output from the G string, doesn't look like any poles would sit under/near the string?

[Teesee]

Hiya BTops, I was definitely very wary at first as the Artec pickup only has 55mm gubbins inside the cover, and originally I was going for a 30 deg slant on it but realised there's no way the pickup would cater for E & G at that angle.

I was sweating a little at 15 deg but after putting the neck and strings back on once PG arrived, after firing it up (still not yet set up correctly as I have to take neck off again to paint headstock)  I can say ATM there is no discernible drop in volume at G. For my defence, I'll blame it on the camera angles, which is partly true but G is a little further away from E and I've picked up on that too, I will need to move bridge ~1.5 to 2mm toward G in the near future. But either that Artec has a bit more sphere of influence than I thought, just blind luck or something else but G sounds as loud as E, A and D, maybe I'm lucky - usually I'm not on my builds. 😁 Blind luck mate. Here a pic from a different angle and bridge will need re-positioning at some stage - not a biggy have plenty of matchsticks and Araldite 👍

[Chienmortbb]

On 03/08/2025 at 23:49, neepheid said:

As long as you're making a new pickguard (and doing any routing underneath required, then you could do worse than this:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394653160508

 

£22 - and Artec is a known brand who make decent pickups.  I'd use a bridge strat pickup, higher DC resistance than a middle or neck one.  Even if you're putting it in the neck position.  I did this many years ago with a Squier Bronco - sounded pretty good as I recall - although it was a different brand - GFS (Guitar Fetish) which I probably imported from the States because the pound was strong then.

 

 

The only downside to these kind of pickups are the rounded ends - pretty tricky to perch your thumb on. 

 

If you're willing to spend a bit more (£60), I have also used these:

 

https://www.armstrongmusic.co.uk/collections/kent-armstrong-split-tube-guitar-pickups

 

These are Jazz bass pickup sized and crucially they have flat ends, so using them as a thumbrest is much easier.  I put these in my Burny LSB-70 thus:

 

 

Hope that helps!

 I was also going to recommend Armstrongs. Kent Armstrong was Dan (Danelectro) Armstrong's son so his dad knew a bit about Lipstick pickups. 

[Chienmortbb]

4 hours ago, Teesee said:

, I will need to move bridge ~1.5 to 2mm toward G in the near future.

Judging by the pictures, you are very close to the edge of the fingerboard on the G side already, moving the bridge might be risky. 

[BTops]

The best thing to do is replace the bridge saddles with threaded saddles for better string alignment.