pickup audition test bed

[pullshocks]

The idea here is a guitar that I can swap different pickups in and out without loosening or removing the strings.  Rear-loading is an idea that many people have thought of for that purpose, and this is my version.  No focus on cosmetics, just a simple poplar body,  with one coat of clear shellac and 2 coats of amber shellac.

I did do my typical "gut cut" profile ("Why settle for the belly bevel when you can have the gut cut")  With the controls mounted to the front of the body, if I decide to change control layouts, I can just plug holes and redrill.  If you look closely you can see I have already done this once.

First up for audition is a pair of Duncan P-Rails, with a Gibson T-top for reference on the humbucker sounds.  Each of the P-rails has a 2P4T rotary switch for p90, parallel humbucking, series humbucking, and rail combinations.

The neck I am using needs a new nut, so it will probably be Saturday before I get to plug this in.

[Lucifer]

That's a great idea - and beautifully implemented.

[pullshocks]

I don't want to jump to conclusions, but so far, I love the p-rails soap bar tone, and the parallel humbucker is pretty similar.  Series humbucker is pretty hot, more than what I am used to.  The little rail coils seem a little thin, but maybe it has something to do with getting used to my new hearing aid (a whole 'nother story).

[jeff]

 That's a cool idea. When I was in Chicago I saw a Les Paul that had the back cut out kinda like that but this was more like if you routed each pickup cavity all the way through the body. It was hanging on a rack with a ton of pickups mounted in blocks with 9V battery connectors. So basically you could try out any of the different pickups they sold just by slippin a block with the pickup in through the back and connecting the 9V clip.

[Willabe]

I saw someting like that at a vintage guitar show but they used banana jacks/plugs for the connections. Pickup was mounted on a wood block with a banana plug, 1 in each corner.


            Brad        

[pullshocks]

If I built another one, I would incorporate the ideas mentioned by Jeff and Willabe.  For going back and forth between 2 choices, that would be a lot faster.