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Topic: Tonealigner pickup |
Morton Kellas
From:
Chazy, NY, USA 1
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Posted 1 Feb 2007 7:11 am |
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| What do you think about the tonealigner pickup? I just installed one on my Zum Hybrid and I must say, I like it better than any other humbucker that I have tried and I have tried them all. I prefer a full but clean bottom end, clear but not shrill highs and well rounded mids, this pickup fits the bill perfect. I have found that some humbuckers sound good on the bottom and then jump to extremes on the highs. The tonealigner seems to have the best balance of all that I have tried. I believe that this pickup was made to emulate the well received and sought after Danny Shields pickup. I feel that they have nailed it. Any comments? |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 1 Feb 2007 8:19 am
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Morton,
What numbers did you have your pickup wound to ??.....Is there any of the other pickups that you can say that came close to the tone of your new pickup ?....I have the Danny Shields set up in my Sierra and it's the 3 wire model which allows me to have different strength settings via a toggle switch ....I'm not a humbucker kind of guy, but this one is one of my favorites for the Sierra ..... Jim |
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Morton Kellas
From:
Chazy, NY, USA 1
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Posted 1 Feb 2007 11:25 am
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| James, The pickup is wound to around 18.5. The pickup which I found closest was th PF-1, yet it was not that close. The tonealigner seems to breathe more freely and has better definition. I much prefer the sound of the tonealigner. This is the only humbucker that I have used that doesn't make the highs sound funky. There are other good pickups out there, I prefer the tonealigner for the type of sound I like. The fact that you can raise the pole pieces as needed is a good feature. |
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Bill R. Baker
From:
Clinton, MS USA
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Posted 1 Feb 2007 1:01 pm pickup
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| Where did you purchase this pickup and how much? Thanks. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 1 Feb 2007 1:34 pm
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Mort,
I'm glad you like the pickup.
Bill,
I've been making the pickups for a little while now. I only make a few of them when I have time so far. I have a couple ready now if you want one. I charge $120 each. Shoot me an email and we can see if one would be right for you.
James,
The whole what is a pickup wound to question gets really complicated because any real answer involves many variables.
Inductance is the main one and then I'm learning that every guitar has its own basic Q point so the pickups sound different in different guitars. I'm just barely getting it together to make the pickups look, sound and hold up the way I like them. I'm not ready to start messing around any more than I need to with those tiny wires. So the coil tap thing will need to wait.
Bob
_________________
Bob
Last edited by Bob Hoffnar on 23 Apr 2007 6:52 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mike Wheeler
From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
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Posted 1 Feb 2007 1:35 pm
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Morton, how would you compare it to a True Tone single coil that's wound about the same?....aside from the hum possibility, of course.
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Best regards,
Mike |
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Morton Kellas
From:
Chazy, NY, USA 1
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Posted 2 Feb 2007 7:06 am
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| Mike, I don't like to compare a humbucker with a single coil because even the best humbucker built won't sound exactly like a single coil. As you know, when you use a humbucker, there is a compromise. For those of you who don't like the hum, the tonaligner is a viable option. I feel that the tonealigner comes closer than most pickups to emulating the single coil sound. The tonealigner pickup is clean, full and powerfull. I find the 18.5 winding of both the TT and the tone aligner to be similar in voicing. |
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Frederic Mabrut
From:
Olloix, France
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Posted 23 Apr 2007 6:41 am
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I just finished to install a pair of Tonaligner pickups on my Franklin D10 in replacement of two E66's.
They're great sounding PU's combining clear (but not shrill) highs and full and warm low middles and basses.
IMMO and on this guitar, they are superior in any point to my previous E66. I think it's also a very good alternative to the BL 710 since you have the possibility to fine tune each string separately.
The baseplate is a little bit too thin and you have to be very careful to insert and set the PU in place.
I've told this to Bob Hoffnar and he should improve this point, making this pickup one of the very best on the market. |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 23 Apr 2007 11:02 am
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I'm still enjoying my 18.5k Tonealigner in my S-10 push/pull. It's kind of good all over. Real balanced, full bodied, and extremely clear and defined. I had just been using a 710 before putting this one in, and I find this Tonealigner much easier to play. The 710 made me afraid to pick hard and dig in as it seemed so hot and reactive. It kind of had me playing with reservation, and I'm way too inconsistent and sloppy for that kind of restriction. I even had the 710 set real low, far from the strings.
The Tonealigner feels much more normal, and it's got a real full spectrum. With the adjustable pole-pieces, you can truly balance out the strings. Reminds me just a little bit of my old ZB pickup.
Brad |
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