Ted's Mad Scientist Lab

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Comment by Wayfinder on April 4, 2016 at 5:47pm

Well, you got my curiosity up and I had to try it.  Yup, there was definitely a very light hint of sound as the strings acted like coils (to a very minor extent).  I tried attaching two different preamps to it and increased the sound.  The problem was that the background hum increased right along with it.  The result was an audible but weak signal and hum just about as loud.  

I have been very curious as to how they make the Lace Alumitone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI8sMJVjHrY

Says a commenter:

"it is a low impedance pickup with a transformer for stepping up the voltage. It is not fundamentally different; it is different in execution. Models they are currently selling have a frequency response similar to a standard humbucker."

Would love to know how that is done.

Comment by Ted Crocker on April 4, 2016 at 2:03pm

Fixed the link http://handmademusicclubhouse.com/photo/wireless-pup-stick

Comment by Wayfinder on April 2, 2016 at 11:19pm

BTW, couldn't find your prototype.  Link just lead right back here.

Comment by Wayfinder on April 2, 2016 at 11:18pm

Ted, I've experimented a bit with different magnet strengths.  There is a fine line of function there.  Too weak and not enough signal gets through (requiring a preamp).  Too strong and it literally bends the strings down to the pickup.  Not much room for fudging.  Of course with an electromagnet as you're thinking you could fine-tune that pull to precise settings.  Sounds like a very interesting experiment... especially if it produces high-quality or differing tones!

Comment by Ted Crocker on April 2, 2016 at 9:47pm

Very interesting.

Only way to tell is if you try something.

But now that we are in experiment mode, I have 2 ideas for pickups that might be interesting.  ( I have a few others, but I'll share these)

Here's one I already confirmed to work, but could use a preamp.  Hard to describe but here is how you can test it.  You need a strong magnet and a jack with 2 wires with alligator clips on the other end.  Clip one to a string between nut and tuner and the other between bridge and tailpiece and plug into your amp.  Next, place a magnet near the string and it will pump something into your amp.  Here's my prototype: http://handmademusicclubhouse.com/photo/wireless-pup-stick

My next pup innovation idea is to use a variable voltage electromagnet so I can change the mag power and see what it does to tone.  Wound like my other mag pups, and I wonder how much tone/volume will change when I change the properties of the magnet.

hmmmmmmmm

Comment by Wayfinder on April 2, 2016 at 7:49pm

Tell us how it works out.  Sounds interesting.

450 ohms isn't much... but it might work with a single-string pickup.  Dunno, never tried it.

Comment by Bear Peterson on April 2, 2016 at 7:44pm

What I was thinking about using for the coil is the coil of a solenoid from the inside of an old tape changer, it pulls 450 ohms on the meter, center hole is slip fit on a 1/2 shaft, and some .048" dia. high tensile strength steel wire for the string on a diddley bo to test it

Comment by Bear Peterson on April 2, 2016 at 7:35pm

The reason I'd said a phono pre-amp is simply because I have one of those on hand, and it was made for the kind of cartridge that had prompted my question. .  

Comment by Wayfinder on April 1, 2016 at 12:40am

Bear, a magnetic field in variance within a coil produces flow.  I don't know about running ti through a phono preamp as opposed to a guitar preamp... but I'd say it would produce some kind of sound.  Definitely worth an experiment.  But I would wonder two things:

1) How much can you magnetize an entire string and

2) How much of an opening would you need to leave in the coil to allow the string to freely vibrate?

I do believe it would make a very interesting experiment.  You could perhaps wrap the coil around a piece of paper straw to test it out.   Note:  I'm guessing it will take a lot of wraps to generate any effective current.  You'll need to experiment to see how many.  Please let us know how it works.

(I'd start with 10,000 wraps just as a beginning point).

Comment by Bear Peterson on March 31, 2016 at 11:55pm

I was watching a video about the different kinds of phonograph pickups and the "Moving Magnet Cartridge" made me wonder, if you magnetized the string itself and ran it through the center of a coil, and ran it through a phono pre-amp, would it work?  I thought I'd ask before spending the time to find out just in case someone else had already tried it, No sense reinventing the wheel. 

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