Prototyping/Cloning of the Dirty Fingers. Everything you never wanted to know

  • Thread starter Thread starter scottosan
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Amazing how there are a few guys who make one killer pickup after another who just get it. And then there is a large group of pickup makers who constantly build sub par to dead average pickups.

Never played one of your pickups but everyone here seems to think they kick ass. Well done. Apparently, you understand what most others simply can’t grasp.
 
Will do.
Just got to play the Psyches some more. The clarity is great, no mud. Love the way it makes the amps growl, and leads pop off the fretboard. Can't wait to get one in the explorer.
Bardagh said:
Definitely give us an update when you’ve spent some time with it. I’d love to find a better high output option for mine. I actually like the 500T a bit. I like the sort of built in grittiness it has for some things and that it doesn’t add a bunch of low end emphasis but at the same time the low end it does have is muddled sounding and with some amps it sounds mean and with others kind of nasal and flat.
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hammered said:
Super Strat mutt vintage style trem alder body maple neck got the Roxy , MIM Charvel hardtail alder body rosewood neck got the Sunset
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Have a preference? Have the Roxy in a roasted Alder maple neck charvel. The Roxy is killer, but thinking about trying the w8 in it. Sunset in my 70s CV Squier isn't going anywhere.
 
LPMojoGL said:
Have a preference? Have the Roxy in a roasted Alder maple neck charvel. The Roxy is killer, but thinking about trying the w8 in it. Sunset in my 70s CV Squier isn't going anywhere.
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The Roxy thru my Splawn I’ve got dialed in for a Ratt/Dokken type rhythm tone , it seems to excel at that and that’s what I was shooting for. I’m boosting it with a Friedman Buxton. The Sunset I’ve got dialed in with the same rig for like a Van Halen/Scorpions type rhythm tone. But to answer your question if I have a preference I really like them both so not the best answer lol. I’m itching to try this Psyches pickup now
 
hammered said:
The Roxy thru my Splawn I’ve got dialed in for a Ratt/Dokken type rhythm tone , it seems to excel at that and that’s what I was shooting for. I’m boosting it with a Friedman Buxton. The Sunset I’ve got dialed in with the same rig for like a Van Halen/Scorpions type rhythm tone. But to answer your question if I have a preference I really like them both so not the best answer lol. I’m itching to try this Psyches pickup now
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It's a beast. Love playing thru it. Never been into hi output or ceramics. That's all changed. Lol

Edited to add, love the Sunset and Roxy. The Roxy really cuts thru. I probably should leave it. Need more guitars.
 
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LPMojoGL said:
It's a beast. Love playing thru it. Never been into hi output or ceramics. That's all changed. Lol

Edited to add, love the Sunset and Roxy. The Roxy really cuts thru. I probably should leave it. Need more guitars.
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I think you might’ve helped me decide on my next pickup lol
 
mooncobra said:
Amazing how there are a few guys who make one killer pickup after another who just get it. And then there is a large group of pickup makers who constantly build sub par to dead average pickups.

Never played one of your pickups but everyone here seems to think they kick ass. Well done. Apparently, you understand what most others simply can’t grasp.
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Haha, The reality is that my pickups aren’t for everyone. I try to be upfront about some of the tonal characteristics. For example, compared to similar spec pickups, they are typically more open sounding, where’s someone may be looking for a warmer, looser, compressed feel. While I know what techniques and specs contribute to those types of tones, there are some narrow “sweet spots” in winding patterns to get this that are harder to accomplish by hand. Theres lots of winders out there that have been doing this a long time and probably know lots lots of tricks that I haven’t learned yet.
 
scottosan said:
Haha, The reality is that my pickups aren’t for everyone. I try to be upfront about some of the tonal characteristics. For example, compared to similar spec pickups, they are typically more open sounding, where’s someone may be looking for a warmer, looser, compressed feel. While I know what techniques and specs contribute to those types of tones, there are some narrow “sweet spots” in winding patterns to get this that are harder to accomplish by hand. Theres lots of winders out there that have been doing this a long time and probably know lots lots of tricks that I haven’t learned yet.
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Personally, I can’t stand a pickup that has soft/loose/compressed feel. But that’s just me. I like the feel of the second degree black belt, touch sensitive, yet firm in tone and feel. Tight and articulate, with a nice punchiness that with the addition of high gain is absolutely crushing. Even with high gain when you slam a chord there is a clarity to the notes. Love that stuff. The soft and loose feel, I don’t like that but I know some players like it a lot.

I don’t know about your models and the characteristics of each of them. Do you have something firm and touch sensitive in feel, and tight, punchy and articulate in tone? In low to medium output? Everyone on here says you deliver the goods. I can always make room for a pickup builder who delivers the goods as there are so few. I have been disappointed many times after I hear someone speak of a new bitchin builder of pickups. I hear their info and get fired up, and almost always, I find I am disappointed.

I had a steckel and it came with the candy pickups. He borrowed a real 60 burst and he said the pickups were the best he ever played. He had Duncan make a replica set of those and he said that they are almost identical. They sounded great and felt great also. Low output but epic for hi gain. Cleans sounded swell also.

If you have anything in the realm of either of those or something else like them, please let me know. I would be very interested in the acquisition of a set.
 
mooncobra said:
Personally, I can’t stand a pickup that has soft/loose/compressed feel. But that’s just me. I like the feel of the second degree black belt, touch sensitive, yet firm in tone and feel. Tight and articulate, with a nice punchiness that with the addition of high gain is absolutely crushing. Even with high gain when you slam a chord there is a clarity to the notes. Love that stuff. The soft and loose feel, I don’t like that but I know some players like it a lot.

I don’t know about your models and the characteristics of each of them. Do you have something firm and touch sensitive in feel, and tight, punchy and articulate in tone? In low to medium output? Everyone on here says you deliver the goods. I can always make room for a pickup builder who delivers the goods as there are so few. I have been disappointed many times after I hear someone speak of a new bitchin builder of pickups. I hear their info and get fired up, and almost always, I find I am disappointed.

I had a steckel and it came with the candy pickups. He borrowed a real 60 burst and he said the pickups were the best he ever played. He had Duncan make a replica set of those and he said that they are almost identical. They sounded great and felt great also. Low output but epic for hi gain. Cleans sounded swell also.

If you have anything in the realm of either of those or something else like them, please let me know. I would be very interested in the acquisition of a set.
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Id consider the Motor city 2nd degree black belt low output pickup since it’s in the sub 9k range. The closest thing I have is the 7d8 at 9.2k. This is an area that I just need to get some time with some of the more popular option out there so I have a baseline. Up until recently, my initial 3 bridge models have a tight immediate attack. Even at 14k my doesn’t feel compressed or spongy, just full articulate and open sounding.
 
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scottosan said:
Id consider the Motor city 2nd degree black belt low output pickup since it’s in the sub 9k range. The closest thing I have is the 7d8 at 9.2k. This is an area that I just need to get some time with some of the more popular option out there so I have a baseline. Up until recently, my initial 3 bridge models have a tight immediate attack. Even at 14k my doesn’t feel compressed or spongy, just full articulate and open sounding.
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Wow, that’s awesome.

How long have you been creating pickups? From initial desire to build until now? You clearly have some expertise in electronics as you built that CCV clone a while ago at this point. That amp sounded pretty bitchin.
 
mooncobra said:
Wow, that’s awesome.

How long have you been creating pickups? From initial desire to build until now? You clearly have some expertise in electronics as you built that CCV clone a while ago at this point. That amp sounded pretty bitchin.
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Right. I’ve done amps, pedals, and guitars and had always wanted to wind and hung out on the winding forums long before doing it. I was on reverb 1 night and some dude was selling a new winder and a tone of parts and tools, pretty much anything you’d need to get started. I made a low but fair offer and that’s how I got started. I’ve been winding for about 20 months. I wound about about 30-40 pickups of various specs for myself, tried different magnets in each, documented the tension, wind count, patterns and alloys used before settling on what is now my Sunset Strip. I sent a few of these out to people for free for R&D. Next was the Roxy. I did that for @LPMojoGL. He had a Charvel with a JB and wanted something similar in output without the nasally mids. Then came the Wicked 8. I based that on the specs of the Mr Scary pickup and to my tastes. If I had to guess, I’ve sold about 120 pickups so far with practically no formal advertising. Will officially be releasing the Psykes in about a week along with a few other new models.
 
scottosan said:
Right. I’ve done amps, pedals, and guitars and had always wanted to wind and hung out on the winding forums long before doing it. I was on reverb 1 night and some dude was selling a new winder and a tone of parts and tools, pretty much anything you’d need to get started. I made a low but fair offer and that’s how I got started. I’ve been winding for about 20 months. I wound about about 30-40 pickups of various specs for myself, tried different magnets in each, documented the tension, wind count, patterns and alloys used before settling on what is now my Sunset Strip. I sent a few of these out to people for free for R&D. Next was the Roxy. I did that for @LPMojoGL. He had a Charvel with a JB and wanted something similar in output without the nasally mids. Then came the Wicked 8. I based that on the specs of the Mr Scary pickup and to my tastes. If I had to guess, I’ve sold about 120 pickups so far with practically no formal advertising. Will officially be releasing the Psykes in about a week along with a few other new models.
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That Duncan custom shop lynch super V was also a cool pickup for being higher output. It was tight with fast attack, with a nice clarity to it.


The mr scary is arcane?
 
mooncobra said:
That Duncan custom shop lynch super V was also a cool pickup for being higher output. It was tight with fast attack, with a nice clarity to it.


The mr scary is arcane?
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Yes
 
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