Author Topic: Guitar Pickups (Read 142 times)

dan_in_london · « **on:** March 15, 2006, 01:29:47 AM »

I think I just picked up bargain of the century on ebay.

Alembic Activators for my Telecaster for 100GBP

I can't quite believe it

Does anyone have any tips for installing or using the pickups?

grateful · « **Reply #1 on:** March 15, 2006, 02:26:39 AM »

Hi Dan and welcome to the club.

Do you just have the activators, or do you have electronics with them?

Mark, (in Yorkshire)

dan_in_london · « **Reply #2 on:** March 15, 2006, 02:29:18 AM »

I don't have it in my hand yet but it's the complete set up, pickups preamp pot jack the whole thing

the great thing is that i feel qualified to buy an alembic tshirt :-)

lbpesq · « **Reply #3 on:** March 15, 2006, 06:48:03 AM »

Dan:

Welcome. I picked up a set last year and installed them in a Fretlight Tele. I had to swap the position of the volume and filter opposite the original volume/tone placement as the filter wouldn't fit where the tone pot was without some routing and I didn't want to remove any wood. I don't know if you will encounter this on a real tele. Other than that, the installation was pretty easy. You're gonna love 'em.

Bill, the guitar one

dan_in_london · « **Reply #4 on:** April 13, 2006, 12:47:28 PM »

I've just got my tele back from the repairers. They sound AMAZING. if that's what alembic pickups sound like on a mexican fender then I'll really have to start saving for the dream Further. The thing that will take some getting used to is how small an adjustment you need to make to really change the sound. And they sound so CLEAN. My strat has lace sensors in it and these are cleaner even than them.

I had to have the volume and filter round the other way too, not quite sure why that is.

Now I just need to find a set for my strat ;-)

peace and joy

D

lbpesq · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2006, 01:16:28 PM »

Dan:

As for the re-positioning of the volume & filter vs. the original volume & tone, the Alembic low pass filter is just plain bigger than the standard volume or tone pot. As a result it butts up against the wood on a Tele and just doesn't fit where the old tone pot was, unless you want to dig into the wood. I chose not to dig out the wood and instead swapped volume/tone positions as, apparently, so did your luthier. My next DIY project is installing 3 Alembic strat pickups on a Fender strat 12 string. Enjoy your Alembic sound, it is almost piano-like! And don't hesitate to go Further! (Mine, which can be seen in the FTC section Bill's Custom Further, should be ready soon).

Bill, tgo

dan_in_london · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2006, 02:10:57 PM »

Bill,

I'm 2 and a half years off my big scary 40th birthday and I have been saying I'm going to get myself something amazing. We'll see.

And generally one should never hesitate to go Further

I'm playing it in church on Sunday so looking forward to hearing how is sounds in that big big space

peace and joy

D

lbpesq · « **Reply #7 on:** April 13, 2006, 02:26:28 PM »

40th? Heck, you're just a kid! I told myself for years that for my 50th I was going to get myself either an E-type Jaguar or an Alembic. My wife thought the Alembic a much better idea (less expensive and takes up less room around the house LOL), so I commissioned a Custom Further. I celebrated my 51st last Sunday, but the Further is getting near completion. I'm getting some inlay work like they have never attempted before, so the process is taking a bit longer to figure things out and get it right. Have fun on Sunday and rock out. By the way, there's another member on this board who told a very funny story about playing in church. He absent-mindedly broke into Pink Floyd's Money while the collection plate was going around!

Bill, tgo

jerico · « **Reply #8 on:** April 14, 2006, 07:29:38 AM »

Happy bday, Bill!
Justin

dan_in_london · « **Reply #9 on:** April 20, 2006, 03:56:43 AM »

Loving my new active electronics. There's another activator (this time a single humbucker) on ebay.

my question is what about using alembic preamp/filters on other pickups. My strat has lace sensors which are great and which I love, if I combined that with activator electronics would I get a great strat sound with alembic flexibility, or would I get a neither fish nor fowl mess?

thanks

D