pick up recommendations requested...

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Hi folks,

I love my Arrow G5 5 string. But I really don't like the Kent Armstrong pickup. It's got too much attack and not enough sustain.

I realise I'm working with a hollow body instrument and that this is to be expected, but what I get right now is almost a <bang> with every note. Subtlety is hard to manage.

I am hoping there are other options for floating 5 string pick ups out there. Options that would keep the tone, but smooth out the response.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Daniel

[Dave Greenspoon]

Have you looked at the Wilde Bill L45S? Bill Lawrence's wife and daughter are keeping his legacy alive. IIRC, I had one put in the Kentucky. The original install messed up the wiring harness, but the pickup itself sounded great. Andrew Jerman did the rework, shielded the cavity, etc. Great price, great product, and imo the twin rail is a great solution for the five-string.

[Tom Wright]

The hollow body is why the sustain is short. For a more transparent tone, you could see if you can split the coils, and use only the one close to the neck. I urge exploring dramatic EQ curves in search of tone. My guess is a sharp notch at 800 Hz would please you. Most of the attack is in that range, and the short string is heavy in that midrange.

Even with my single coils I use significant curve shaping when using any overdrive, which exaggerates the thick midrange.

A pickup design I would like to see is an emulation of the Jazzmaster single coil. I like singles, for the more available high harmonics. The larger coil listens to a wider spread of the string than a skinny single, but with less cancellation of harmonics that occurs with double coils side-by-side.

Output level is not important, as pedals and amps can compensate. It is easier to make a single sound like a classic humbucker than the reverse.

[keith.rogers]

Well, the (arch-top, f-hole_ mandolin is not known for its sustain, hence the reliance on tremolo for long-held notes. If you can alter the height of the pickup, I'd try to give it as much distance from the strings as possible, since any magnetic field can't possibly help the physical sustain. And, then, of course, there's the option of using a compressor on the signal - maybe your amp/PA has some DSP that could be used, or you can get a pedal or something to put into the signal path in front of the board/amp.

Don't know about pickup options - you might try just recording with a mic, maybe at home if possible, with one track the pickup and one the mic. Then look and listen to the tracks to see if there's actual acoustic sustain not being captured. If so, then maybe another pickup will help, or maybe going dual-source with a clamp on mic or SBT will be a better option.

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Thanks all,

I am aware of the sonic qualities of a hollow body archtop instrument. But I think the Kent Armstrong emphasizes it, and I'd like to de-emphasize it a bit.
Will follow up on the Wilde Bill and have a go at tweaking things more radically with a graphic EQ.


Daniel