Alembic Guitar Pickups

[jalevinemd]

This question is for the guitarists here. All of my Alembics have two HG pickups. Is the difference between the STR and the HG similar to the difference between a single coil pickup and a humbucker?


In other words, if I'm looking to get more of a Strat sound on certain songs (without making amp and effect changes), will an Alembic with at least one STR get me closer than where I am now? Turning up the filter and flipping the BRIGHT switch gets me close...but I'd like closer. Or is an STR such a different beast entirely from a traditional STRAT single coil pickup that the point is moot?


Regards,


Jonathan

[5a quilt top]

The simplistic way that I understand it is the larger pick up samples ("hears") more of the string (thicker sound) and the smaller pick up samples less (thinner sound).


That having been said, I can obtain a thin bright sound on my Skylark, which has the larger pick ups, by manipulating the tone and volume controls and the Q switches.


In fact, the only sound I can't accurately mimic on that guitar is the out of phase "quack" sounds produced by a single-coil equipped Strat-style guitar when using the 2 and 4 positions on a 5-way switch - but I can get pretty close.

[jazzyvee]

The STRr and larger cased HG pickups are the same inside. Both pickups just have one str sized pickup. The difference between the two is just the casing.

[jalevinemd]

Seriously?

So the only reason the Further has HG and STR pickups is for space or aesthetics?

[David Houck]

I found this thread from four years ago in which I state the following:

"The HG has a wider aperture magnet than the STR; thus the HG sees more of the string than the STR.  The STR will thus sound cleaner than the HG."

I no longer remember stuff like that, but apparently at the time I felt confident that there was a difference in the size of the magnet and therefore the tone.

There are some other comments in that thread related to your question.

[jalevinemd]

Thanks, Dave. I’ll give it a read.

[jazzyvee]

Well I must have readl that and forgotten about it then Dave, thanks for putting me right. :-)

[Football]

Curious to hear more opinions on what people actually hear and experience themselves for audio differences between the larger and smaller Alembic pickups.  For people that have used/do use both and still have some further opinions, I hope you will please share additional info.

[gtrguy]

I'll try to find time to pull out my Electrum and listen to its pickups for you

http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8999.0

[Football]

I'll try to find time to pull out my Electrum and listen to its pickups for you

http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8999.0

Beautiful guitar you have! :-)