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scott
Junior
Username: scott

Post Number: 16
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:42 am:   Edit Post

While I am at it how do Alembic or some high end companies create the wooden coverplates for their pick-ups. You obviously can't just carve a little box that fits up the PU and cover it without effecting the PU response?
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 1661
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 12:16 pm:   Edit Post

Well Scott ...you say it a little ...well ...oh ...uhuh ...how shoudl I say this ...uh ..."rude" maybe but basically that is the way they do it!!!!

Paul the bad one
son_of_magni
Intermediate Member
Username: son_of_magni

Post Number: 121
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 12:24 pm:   Edit Post

The wood doesn't effect the pickup response unless it's so thick that the pickup can't be close enough. It would be interesting to see one from the back and know the dimensions/thicknesses though.
lbpesq
Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 54
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 12:52 pm:   Edit Post

Scott:

I suspect that covering pickups with wood is, electronically, no different that covering them with plastic or metal as most manufactureres do. It just takes more time and effort, hand construction individual to each instrument as opposed to some machine in Taiwan stamping out thousands of identical pieces. Just the type of thing that is one of Alembic's strong suits. Check out last month's custom "The Lion's Roar" in the custom archive section. It has burl pick up covers. Why don't we see this more often in guitars? Cost and workmanship I submit. Exactly why Alembic is Alembic.

Don't mind Paul. After all, he is the "bad one".

Bill, the guitar one.
haddimudd
Member
Username: haddimudd

Post Number: 83
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 7:49 am:   Edit Post

What Bill said:

http://www.alembic.com/info/doubleneck_details.html

karl
Junior
Username: karl

Post Number: 23
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Monday, October 11, 2004 - 3:06 am:   Edit Post

Jaydee (John Diggins) over here in the UK does some very nice 'mint humbug' style wooden pickup covers on most of his models. You can see some pics on his site: http://www.jaydeeguitars.com
Check out the Classic and GA24 models, for example. For any of you guys who haven't seen a Jaydee yet, be prepared to spot a resemblance to the classic Alembic body shape. They sound absolutely nothing like an Alembic (well, what does?), but they are very nice basses, all the same.
scott
Junior
Username: scott

Post Number: 17
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Monday, October 11, 2004 - 5:52 am:   Edit Post

I seriously apologize to everyone if the thread I created came out "rude", I honestly just had no clue how the covers were made, and not being very knowledgable about PU's and there ability to pick up a strings signal I made some wrong assumptions, but again I did not in any way mean to come out as rude when trying to figure out how they are made, because I personally find them amazing when I see them on some of the Alembic guitars and basses.
haddimudd
Member
Username: haddimudd

Post Number: 85
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, October 11, 2004 - 8:26 am:   Edit Post

Karl, IMO John Diggins is THE godfather of wooden pickup covers, at least his basses were the inspiration for the ones in the above link.

I don't know if Alembic ever did wooden PU covers before the doubleneck.

(Message edited by haddimudd on October 13, 2004)
bob
Advanced Member
Username: bob

Post Number: 337
Registered: 11-2002
Posted on Monday, October 11, 2004 - 9:28 pm:   Edit Post

Scott - relax. I don't think anyone thought you were rude, nor that an apology is even worth thinking about.

TBO is not a native English speaker, and my best guess is that when he said 'rude', he really meant something more like a 'crude' (rough, approximate, not very specific or detailed) description.

No offense taken here. I think they're pretty amazing myself, and it's a fascinating process.
-Bob
(PS welcome, if we haven't been through that yet)
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 1680
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Monday, October 11, 2004 - 11:11 pm:   Edit Post

Oooops ...indeed Scott. I didn't mean no harm and I don't have alwyas the good words in my vocabulary ready to write.
What I meant was that INDEED "you carve a little box ...". Of course the "little box" is very carefully made, with different pieces of wood and great feeling for style and design (if you didn't know it yet: Alembic is now making a whole business out making boxes ....hehehe).

In fact this bring me to a point close to this one (only a teeny-weeny-bit off topic).
On a Series bass one can put the Dummy humcanceller anyware. With the first Series it was located under the bridge (I think Brother Funky Keavin's famous #12 is of that type).
So I can imagine that the DHC can be placed under a (thin) top wood too?

Now: wouldn't it be cool to have also the pick-ups hidden under the topwood? So we got 1 toplayer? No ...Not the pick-ups covered with continuous woodplates à la Rami and the sea-going featured custom of the month september but simply "under" the topwood.
Consequences are maybe to huge: the body thicker and coming higher to the strings, other bridge and string locks, how can PU be made reachable??
We could have the complete tone control on the side on the top of the body??

It would look like a Piezo-bass à la Rob Allen or Rick Turner but it WOULD be a full pick-up bass.


Just another wild idea from

Paul the bad one


Bob I really have to do something about my english before I can even think of coming to Alembicland.

(Message edited by palembic on October 12, 2004)
bracheen
Senior Member
Username: bracheen

Post Number: 606
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, October 12, 2004 - 3:00 am:   Edit Post

Brother Paul
Your English is just fine. You're more articulate than a lot of the people I spend all day with.

Sam
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 1992
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Tuesday, October 12, 2004 - 1:24 pm:   Edit Post

Ferrous magnetic materials have the most affect on response. These would not make good pickup covers. That's why we also don' t use magnetic steel screws to anchor the pickup, we use stainless.

The pickup isn't picky about what it's encased in if it's non magnetic. Magni is correct: you do need to keep the pickup shell thin enough to not place the pickup coil too far from the strings.

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