Oll city: a new kind of pickup ... in an eye popping guitar

Sporky

earwighoney said:

Not simplistic enough!  I genuinely have no idea what that could mean.

I think (given a decent physics/engineering background) that it means this. More or less.

When the string moves in the magnetic field, it disturbs the magnetic field (if it didn't you wouldn't get a signal out of the coil of wire wrapped around the magnet (apologies for the gross simplification of what a pickup is)).

Different magnetic materials result in the field going back to its undisturbed state at different rates once the string has stopped moving.

It is not unreasonable to think that this different recovery time will affect the sound, as it affects the rate of change of the magnetic field, and it is the change in the magnetic field that the pickup coil responds to.

Any help?

OilCityPickups

Sporky said:

earwighoney said:

Not simplistic enough!  I genuinely have no idea what that could mean.

I think (given a decent physics/engineering background) that it means this. More or less.

When the string moves in the magnetic field, it disturbs the magnetic field (if it didn't you wouldn't get a signal out of the coil of wire wrapped around the magnet (apologies for the gross simplification of what a pickup is)).

Different magnetic materials result in the field going back to its undisturbed state at different rates once the string has stopped moving.

It is not unreasonable to think that this different recovery time will affect the sound, as it affects the rate of change of the magnetic field, and it is the change in the magnetic field that the pickup coil responds to.

Any help?

Bang on sir! I like the cut of yer jib :-)

ennspek

Awesome.

Matt_McG

How does the design compare to G&L MFDs that use individual threaded magnets per string?

Matt_McG

Actually, I am wrong. The pole pieces are not magnetic.

OilCityPickups

Matt_McG said:

How does the design compare to G&L MFDs that use individual threaded magnets per string?

Nothing new about threaded magnets ... the Fender Wide Range was using those in the seventies... a design that came from Seth Lover, the 'inventor' of the PAF. That's not how the Neo GFT works, the hex pole slugs are just that ... exactly as you'd find on a normal, high output humbucker. This is not made like any other commercially available pickup according to our research. A different gauss level is possible across each pole ... and between the two poles each string shares on an individual humbucker. This allows a fine tuning of power across the pickup even before pole screws are adjusted. it means that power can be 'tuned' to match each strings optimum requirement without changing the relationship between the coil and the top of the pole screw. 
All this has come from the last six years of making pickups like the Wapping Wharf ... that uses mixed magnet grades in one pickup ... in that instance alnico 5 for the bass strings and alnico 2 for the treble strings. Also pickups like some of my seven string offerings that use a mix of ceramic for the bass strings and alnico for the treble.

The magnet is the engine of the pickup ... and I decided ages ago that there was much more that could be done with magnet technology than many others were doing. When I started developing the pickups for Stonewolf I wanted to take the game up another notch ... really push the boundaries.

OilCityPickups

Actually looking at the MFD G&Ls they are more like half a humbucker ... or some types old lap steel pickups ... again ... nothing like the Neo GFT.   
:-) And no I don't use 'air gaps' like A dimarzio 'Air Norton' to weaken the magnetic field ... Larry has that one patented. 

Matt_McG

Your description sounds really interesting. Thanks for the info.

normula1

Sounds really interesting. I suppose the disrupted magnetic field is why some pickups seem to have a touch of compression.

OilCityPickups

normula1 said:

Sounds really interesting. I suppose the disrupted magnetic field is why some pickups seem to have a touch of compression.

Partly ... the comparatively  'sluggish' field of some magnets adds 'squish' to the sound ... or natural compression ... also high windings add compression too. A bit of compression can be good, however too much (as many super high output pickups have) as this limit's the pickup's dynamic range and can make it poorly defined and mushy. Not good when your down tuned six or seven string is trying to cut over a bass player ...

TTony

Interesting work Dr Ash - and thanks for sharing here.

Not quite sure whether my wows go to your work, or the guitar that the work is exhibited in ... they make a stunning package together.

Hope they get the attention that they deserve.

 

OilCityPickups

TTony said:

Interesting work Dr Ash - and thanks for sharing here.

Not quite sure whether my wows go to your work, or the guitar that the work is exhibited in ... they make a stunning package together.

Hope they get the attention that they deserve.

 

Thanks @TTony , this is only one facet of what I do ... I adore producing vintage style pickups and restoring old kit ... but my dad was an engineer and quite prolific inventor in the medical engineering field (after he left rocket research on the Black Knight and Black Arrow British launcher projects), and a side of me likes to see how far I can take things like he did. Mike's use of resins and plastics combined with wood and even fabrics seems to pair nicely with my own ideas ... and as a plus ... the Neo GFT pickups use very few imported components ... most of the parts being made 'in house', or sourced from British companies. 

I only make pickups ... my dad helped to make this ... at 91 he's still my hero lol

JMP220478

If you cant patent - can you licence to a bigger player - that way you might get royalties / rights etc 

I do remember the game changer tech and issues with musicman / ernie ball  - which was very poor 

OilCityPickups

JMP220478 said:

If you cant patent - can you licence to a bigger player - that way you might get royalties / rights etc 

I do remember the game changer tech and issues with musicman / ernie ball  - which was very poor 

Nice idea but ... I don't want to licence to a non UK company to produce my design ... not really what Oil City is about, and there not many UK companies ... that would want to move into this sector. 
I want to help and promote UK luthiers and a UK guitar building industry ... rather than see my designs turn up on Far Eastern or US made instruments over which I would have little control. 
It's a dilemma I admit. 

richardhomer

hotpickups said:

Ah ok. High gain stuff definitely isn't for the likes of me then which is probably why most of it went over my head lol

On that basis, your user name’s a tad misleading....

OilCityPickups

richardhomer said:

hotpickups said:

Ah ok. High gain stuff definitely isn't for the likes of me then which is probably why most of it went over my head lol

On that basis, your user name’s a tad misleading....

Right con if you ask me ;-)

Musicman20

These look cool! Great idea.

The Musicman Bongo uses Neo magnet pickups (as does the new Musicman Stingray Special 2018 I think) and yes, I can agree, whilst the pickup design is obviously pretty different and these are for guitar, the Bongo pickups are SO powerful. The bass is incredibly tight and punchy. 

crunchman

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Actually looking at the MFD G&Ls they are more like half a humbucker ... or some types old lap steel pickups ... again ... nothing like the Neo GFT.   
:-) And no I don't use 'air gaps' like A dimarzio 'Air Norton' to weaken the magnetic field ... Larry has that one patented. 

Expired

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5399802A/en

Was applied for in Feb 1993.  25 years is up.  That is the higher of the 2 patent numbers that Dimarzio have on their website.

Open season on building pickups with air gaps.  Might be a change from yet another PAF clone.

OilCityPickups

Musicman20 said:

These look cool! Great idea.

The Musicman Bongo uses Neo magnet pickups (as does the new Musicman Stingray Special 2018 I think) and yes, I can agree, whilst the pickup design is obviously pretty different and these are for guitar, the Bongo pickups are SO powerful. The bass is incredibly tight and punchy. 

Bass response with neos is in a different league ... will have some sound files of the new neos up very soon!

crunchman said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Actually looking at the MFD G&Ls they are more like half a humbucker ... or some types old lap steel pickups ... again ... nothing like the Neo GFT.   
:-) And no I don't use 'air gaps' like A dimarzio 'Air Norton' to weaken the magnetic field ... Larry has that one patented. 

Expired

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5399802A/en

Was applied for in Feb 1993.  25 years is up.  That is the higher of the 2 patent numbers that Dimarzio have on their website.

Open season on building pickups with air gaps.  Might be a change from yet another PAF clone.

Interesting :-)