Yet Unnamed AMI Rail Pickups

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andrewsrea
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Posts: 1209
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 4:43 pm
Location: Lake Saint Louis, MO
Gearlist: 28 Guitars: (2) basses, (2) acoustics, (3) hollow bodies, (3) Semi hollow, (1) Double-neck, (17) Solid-bodies

I made these at the request of a client and good friend of mine. He bought this 2022 Kramer HSS import as a platform, replacing everything but the Floyd and the pots.

Wanting this guitar to be an 80's - 90's rock machine, he settled on a Fender Atomic Humbucker (Fender's JB clone) for the bridge and needed the other two pickups to not only keep up, but to have their own voodoo vibe.

I have to say these were the most difficult pickups to assemble, but I am glad I did. I am going to recommend some improvements to the retailer who has these parts custom built.

The Neck pickup is pure Jimi Hendrix glassy-thick character, but loud enough to keep up with the Atomic and 95% quieter than a single coil. 7.5K DCR, slightly unbalanced AMI pattern wound 42ga coils, 4 conductor wiring and a tiny Ceramic 8 magnet, which due to its size, sounds close to a strong Alnico 5. Wax potted (it is what keeps the whole assembly together, much like a traditional Firebird pickup).

The Middle pickup could pass for a rowdy Strat bridge pickup, with the treble being 2 degrees softer than the normal 'ice-pick' sound (edge of ice-pick?). Also glassy and focused, but not as meaty as the Neck pup. You could do Tom Petty songs with just this pickup. It also keeps up with the Atomic in volume, with the ability to be a little lower in height as so not to impeded with a guitar pick. Balanced 43ga AMI patter wound coils for total hum-free performance, 8.88K DCR, 4 conductor wiring and the tiny Ceramic 8 magnet, wax potted.

Wired to a 3-way Tele style switch with no coil tapping, per the client's wishes. 50's wiring (tone control wired to the middle ug of the volume) makes it smooth and clear at lower volume settings. it is hard to tell from the reflections in the pics, but all black rails and bobbins.

Given that this is a 25.5" 24 fret guitar, getting pickups to sound with supreme mojo is a tough feat and these really surprised me. Not at all like the Dimarzio or Duncan offerings I had heard before.
AMI Rails 2.jpg
ANI Rails 1.jpg
Live life to the fullest! - Rob
Buddha Pickups
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Joined: Fri May 29, 2020 6:13 pm

Single coil rails are a pita.
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toomanycats
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Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:43 pm

andrewsrea wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:00 am I made these at the request of a client and good friend of mine. He bought this 2022 Kramer HSS import as a platform, replacing everything but the Floyd and the pots.

Wanting this guitar to be an 80's - 90's rock machine, he settled on a Fender Atomic Humbucker (Fender's JB clone) for the bridge and needed the other two pickups to not only keep up, but to have their own voodoo vibe.

I have to say these were the most difficult pickups to assemble, but I am glad I did. I am going to recommend some improvements to the retailer who has these parts custom built.

The Neck pickup is pure Jimi Hendrix glassy-thick character, but loud enough to keep up with the Atomic and 95% quieter than a single coil. 7.5K DCR, slightly unbalanced AMI pattern wound 42ga coils, 4 conductor wiring and a tiny Ceramic 8 magnet, which due to its size, sounds close to a strong Alnico 5. Wax potted (it is what keeps the whole assembly together, much like a traditional Firebird pickup).

The Middle pickup could pass for a rowdy Strat bridge pickup, with the treble being 2 degrees softer than the normal 'ice-pick' sound (edge of ice-pick?). Also glassy and focused, but not as meaty as the Neck pup. You could do Tom Petty songs with just this pickup. It also keeps up with the Atomic in volume, with the ability to be a little lower in height as so not to impeded with a guitar pick. Balanced 43ga AMI patter wound coils for total hum-free performance, 8.88K DCR, 4 conductor wiring and the tiny Ceramic 8 magnet, wax potted.

Wired to a 3-way Tele style switch with no coil tapping, per the client's wishes. 50's wiring (tone control wired to the middle ug of the volume) makes it smooth and clear at lower volume settings. it is hard to tell from the reflections in the pics, but all black rails and bobbins.

Given that this is a 25.5" 24 fret guitar, getting pickups to sound with supreme mojo is a tough feat and these really surprised me. Not at all like the Dimarzio or Duncan offerings I had heard before.

AMI Rails 2.jpgANI Rails 1.jpg
Love your detailed, techie descriptions of the work you do. I always feel like I come away from one of your posts learning something valuable.

I understand what you mean about 25.5" scale, 24 fret guitars. On these instruments a neck pickup is much closer to the bridge than it would be on a 24.75" scale, 22 fret guitar. Amongst other factors, this changes the locations of harmonics along the string above the fundamental. This matters significantly, and on guitars like this I find it difficult to get my preferred neck humbucker, humbucker bridge + humbucker neck, and single coil position 4 and 5 tones.

As far as the name of these new pickups you've designed, I believe you've already nailed it with "VOODOO VIBE"
“There are only two means of refuge from the miseries of life: Music and Cats!” Albert Schweitzer
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