Modifying a great acoustic

[Klaus Wutscher]

Ok, so I´m playing my Kimble A-5 in this country band, and I´m using a Schertler and parametric EQ and my AER amp and whatnot and the sound is satisfying BUT for some songs I wish I could have an electric mandolin sound for the second solo, or for a harmony line with the electric guitar or...

So I got the idea to have a pickguard/floating Jazz Humbucker combo made (with a mini volume/tone control on the pickguard).

The idea is to use an A/B box for the acoustic and electric signals and use both chanels of the amp (and maybe some effects). The design should be such that I would remove the pickuard after each gig and put it back on when needed.

Now my questions are:

a) How would a jazzhumbucker sound on a "dedicated" acoustic instrument?
b) would it be possible to put on and remove the pickguard again and again without wearing out the screwholes?
c) would feedback be an issue?
d) any other issue I forgot?

I would only do this if it means that I need not to make any irreversible changes to my beloved instrument.

thanks!

[Brewerpaul]

Jeez-- I'd hate to see you do that. The Kimble looks like a terrific mandolin, so why mess with something that you say is "beloved"?
For a once in a while solo, why not just get something cheap like a Mandobird? You can always upgrade that later if you feel the need.
Or, take your current setup to a guitar store and play around with running it through various effect boxes/pedals. That alone may give you the sound you like without damage to your mando.

[mrmando]

Yeah, I think you'd want a permanent installation rather than removing your pickguard so often. I'd try what Brewerpaul says first. Or maybe design a permanent custom pickguard with mounts where you can snap in a floating pickup assembly and then snap it out when you don't need it. That would be quite a design challenge!

You could always throw a DeArmond on it...

[fred d]

I've been playing around with a wa-wa pedal that also seems to have a volume increse included, my wife always comes runing to see these strange sounds fred

[johnwalser]

I posted this in October:
http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....y574198

e-mail me if you want to hear a sound clip.

John

[mandroid]

what are the dimensions of them or more importantly,How thick are those pickups?

Maybe without mounting ears you can use more schertler putty and stick it on, ad hoc.
probably have a notch cut out of a pickguard,
but the pickguard itself could stay on.

any answers about the historic rim clip source ?
or how small do they make wingnuts?

so that edge would be easily removable, then the pickguard would slide off the fretboard pins.

OTOH,
Maybe one of those Maurice DuPont D sound hole Djangolins would be a fine place to mount a soundhole magnetic pickup, then its back to a quick instrument switch.

[Klaus Wutscher]

The idea was to have two different sounds available on the same instrument (like the Phoenix Jazz model) so I could change my sound in an instant. Making a new pickguard is an option, modifying the instrument is not.

Problem is, I don´t use a pickguard at all, thus the need to be able to remove it...

I think an De Armond style pickup, attached to the neck, is probably the only solution - if there is one. Or maybe I should just buy a Wendler...:p

[mrmando]

Well, you design a small pickguard mount that screws into the existing holes and won't get in your way. Then you design a pickguard/pickup assembly that snaps into the mount somehow. So the mount is more or less permanent, and the pickguard can be removed without wearing out the screw holes.

I would say this looks like a job for Vern Brekke but I don't know if he does freelance work.

[mandroid]

There were those thin Barcus Berry magnetic pickups too,
may the auction deity (s) turn one up, there.

the floating jazz pickups may still be turned into a stick on.
. . . . .
related Q?
... if the spools of wire around the permanent magnets at the core,
were given enough windings of the right amount of wire,
then whether they were thin or thick,
top to bottom would be less important than dimensions overall , say strat/tele-fingerboard, as a type that is deeper but not wide.
. . . .

the clamp onto the strings past the bridge sort of hardware
D'armond like, they used a rod that curved around the bridge, to hold the top of the pickup
May be adaptable to a floating type jazz pickup.

having owned a D'Armond Mandolin pickup
[a long time ago]
It is/was stabilized by a tab extending under a pickguard.

Or, Maybe something using chinrest clamps
as is done for armrests
would be another way to mount the magnetic
pickup to the nearest rim.

[mandroid]

Then again a Phoenix bluegrass voiced body made
in a Phoenix dual pickup format.
would be a sure cure for the dilemma.
{c-dyn-m installed & the humbucker}

Kimble can stay as is .

and you can personally help the balance of trade
between the EU and the US.