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Anyone else a middle-pickup hater?


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I was wondering if it's just me or does anyone else find that a guitar with a middle pickup is annoying to play? That's right where my plectrum usually is and I constantly smack into it. I end up up lowering the pickup until it's fairly useless to have anyway.
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I was wondering if it's just me or does anyone else find that a guitar with a middle pickup is annoying to play? That's right where my plectrum usually is and I constantly smack into it. I end up up lowering the pickup until it's fairly useless to have anyway.

 

On the one hand, on some guitars, even with two pickups, my fingerstyle-technique (I never use a pick) has my fingernails finding the pole-pieces all too often; especially on P-90 equipped axes, which I otherwise adore.

 

Hypothetically, smooth, flat pickup-covers similar to those on most EMG pickups might be a solution for that for us both.

 

However, on the other hand, if you are ever able to use all three pickups on, in parallel, on a Strat or similar triple-pickup axe for clean or semi-cleanish tones, you'll almost certainly fall in love with the lushest, most bell-like tone that's also hardly ever heard at all, and find a way to get over the inconvenience of your pick or fingernails striking the pole-pieces... :love::cool:

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I use the middle pickup in conjunction with the front or rear pickup, I never use it alone, but I do use it for that sound you get from the two being on at once, which is less ice picky than either the front or rear pup alone on the clean sounds. For overdrive stomps I use only the front or the rear by it self. On my Ibanez RG321 which only has two hum-bucking pups, I do get that two pup sound on one of the 5 position switch settings which gives that thin and less ice picky sound like the middle and rear pup from a Strat type sound.
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I was wondering if it's just me or does anyone else find that a guitar with a middle pickup is annoying to play? That's right where my plectrum usually is and I constantly smack into it.

For the same pick reason that you stated above, I did take the Strat clone volume control and re-positioned it between where it used to be, and where the middle tone used to be, because my picking hand usually rests on that area to dampen strings. I then rewired the tone control that is left to effect any of the pickups, I never turn the tone control down it is always full open but still I like it just in case. I put dimes over the holes that were left open to make it look better. Which was much cheaper than buying a custom pick-guard. It even looks cool that way.

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I've never had an issue with a middle pickup throwing off my picking. And I can be quite heavy-handed with my strumming! Now, on my Tele copy, I have strummed and knocked off the selector switch cover multiple times. Thus I am hoping to rewire it to have the volume knob up front and the switch in the rear, in my spare time (and it's been waiting for this for at least a year and a half...)

 

On my old BC Rich ST III, the middle pickup was the first one I upgraded (to a DiMarzio SDS2, I think). After I read a Robin Trower interview and he talked about using the middle one a lot.

"Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion)

NEW band Old band

 

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I'm (hopefully) coming near the end of a long excursion away from 3 pickup guitars. I love everything the middle pickup does, & I'm looking to move a few dual humbucker models out to more deserving hands so I can pull the trigger on a 3 pickup PRS. I fingerpick only & I find the middle pickup to not be an obstruction. What IS an obstruction to me is the pickguard on archtops, so I always take those off, unless it's part of a floating pickup suspension.
Scott Fraser
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I dislike 3 pickup guitars.

A friend used to play on a Gibson SG Custom, the 3 pickup model. There was nowhere to put your pick where you could miss a pickup.

Plus 4 knobs, knobs are bad.

 

My last 2 Frankenstrats had/have a neck pickup and a bridge pickup. I put a dummy pickup in the middle on the first one, magnet removed and screwed all the way down into the body. The one I am playing now has a piece of thin white plastic glued under both the middle pickup hole and the one for the volume control. 3 way switch, like a Tele.

 

95% of the time I have both pickups on and both volume and mid-boost cranked. Once in a while I will switch to the neck pickup. I never use the bridge pickup by itself. I never seem to turn the mid boost down either. I am the "fins on the Cadillac" in a band with an excellent acoustic player/singer. My job is to decorate, solo and sing some harmonies with an occasional lead vocal. So I need to NOT sound like him on guitar. Dialed the amp in for our tones and now I can just play.

 

I would probably be fine with a neck and bridge pickup, the mid boost cranked inside the guitar and then just go to the output jack. No knobs, no switches.

I change my volume and tone by modifying the position and force used with the pick.

 

I never play it out but my 63-ish Silvertone Danelectro "Princess Fugly" has a thick Masonite pickguard that I keep rattling into. It does not support the pickups, I may just make a replacement pickguard that is very thin in the picking area and call it good. Fugly also has stacked knobs which is even worse!!!! LOL...

 

 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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The only time I ever had a middle pickup interfere with my picking was on a Gibson SG Classic. My pick hit that middle pickup all the time. It was such a pretty thing, creamy white with gold hardware, I truly hated having to get rid of it.

 

I never had that problem with a strat. I don't use the middle pickup by itself much, but it can be a kind of secret weapon for me, if I'm playing with another guitarist who is using a strat. I might use it then to keep from sounding too much like the other guy. I hate for two guitars to sound too much alike unless we can arrange not to play the same position in the neck, or play synchronized parts. Otherwise, it just sounds like a mess to me. And, playing jams, which is all I do these days, you don't get to arrange guitar parts much.

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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I was wondering if it's just me or does anyone else find that a guitar with a middle pickup is annoying to play? That's right where my plectrum usually is and I constantly smack into it. I end up up lowering the pickup until it's fairly useless to have anyway.

 

On the one hand, on some guitars, even with two pickups, my fingerstyle-technique (I never use a pick) has my fingernails finding the pole-pieces all too often; especially on P-90 equipped axes, which I otherwise adore.

 

Hypothetically, smooth, flat pickup-covers similar to those on most EMG pickups might be a solution for that for us both.

 

However, on the other hand, if you are ever able to use all three pickups on, in parallel, on a Strat or similar triple-pickup axe for clean or semi-cleanish tones, you'll almost certainly fall in love with the lushest, most bell-like tone that's also hardly ever heard at all, and find a way to get over the inconvenience of your pick or fingernails striking the pole-pieces... :love::cool:

 

Not sure I've heard 3 in parallel before. I must try this.

 

Music With Marky - A YouTube Channel For Guitarists Who Want To Make Better Music
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I can't play on a 3 humbucker guitar without clicking all over the place on the center pickup with no space in-between the pups for me to pick! I like to rest my palm on the bridge saddle while using a pick and 3 fingers. I have no problem on a Strat with 3 single coils or even a humbucker and middle single coil as there is just enough space between the pups for me to sink a pick in. I like 2 pickup humbucker models with two volume controls to work the center position selector switch blending. As for the center pup on a Strat, I like the sound. But, I really like position 2 and 4 using the center with the neck or bridge pups to get that out of phase sound. One of these days I have been praying to try an ES 225 Gibson with the center mounted P90 from the 57-59 era +/- with a single volume and tone control (or even the two pup model). :cool:

 

 

Take care, Larryz
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Not sure I've heard 3 in parallel before. I must try this.

 

Three EMG SA's, or two SA's and an 85, all on in parallel, sounds Angelic, super-lush, just beautiful... :love:

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I've always tended towards Guitar with 2 HB's, so a middle PU isn't even an issue with most of my Guitars.

 

My Godin Freeway SA has a Strat-style body, and an H-S-H configuration, along with the hex PU in the bridge. I use that one for almost every live Novparolo show, and never have an issue colliding with the middle PU, even with fast picking. FWIW, the Godin has no pickguard: the HB's are mounted directly onto the body, and the middle SC is recessed, which reduces the overall profile.

 

OTOH, I had a real issue with the placement of the Volume knob on my PRS SE's. I found that they were in the perfect position to be right under my right hand, and if was playing fast, I'd find the backs of my fingers brushing the Volume knob, and slowly turning it down; not a very useful feature. I did notice that the only PRS model with the controls set back, away from the PU's, is the 'real' PRS Santana model. Santana played Gibsons for a long time before turning to PRS, so I suspect he wanted the controls back out of the way, where he was used to having them, when he discussed his model with PRS.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

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I've always tended towards Guitar with 2 HB's,

 

 

OTOH, I had a real issue with the placement of the Volume knob on my PRS SE's. I found that they were in the perfect position to be right under my right hand, and if was playing fast, I'd find the backs of my fingers brushing the Volume knob, and slowly turning it down; not a very useful feature. I did notice that the only PRS model with the controls set back, away from the PU's, is the 'real' PRS Santana model. Santana played Gibsons for a long time before turning to PRS, so I suspect he wanted the controls back out of the way, where he was used to having them, when he discussed his model with PRS.

 

+1 Both DBM and I, have the same type of issue with the stock Strat placement of the volume knob being too close to the 1st string. When playing rhythm, I sometimes find myself killing the volume...I have two Strats with the volume knobs placed further down from the 1st string and like them a lot better. I also like the LP setup with the knobs further away from the strings. The volume swell guys will disagree though LOL! :cool:

 

Take care, Larryz
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For those with volume knob issues, have any of you tried any of the Stratclones out there? Some might have ergonomics different enough from Fender"s that you"d be happier.

 

Ditto non-clones that nonetheless have the same or similar pickup configuration and tonal options. I know Parker, Reverend, Godin, Licea and many others have made guitars with HSS and SSS pickup arrays that are very different from Strats,

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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I don"t have one but one of my favorite sounds is the guitarist in a classic R&B band I sub in on Hammond. He plays a Reverend with 3 P90s. It"s like a Strat with roid rage.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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DBM and I, have the same type of issue with the stock Strat placement of the volume knob being too close to the 1st string. When playing rhythm, I sometimes find myself killing the volume...I have two Strats with the volume knobs placed further down from the 1st string and like them a lot better. I also like the LP setup with the knobs further away from the strings. The volume swell guys will disagree though LOL! :cool:

I do like to use the volume control for swells, it just needed to be moved an inch or so on my Strat Clone which I did. On my other guitars the volume controls are just right. On my parts caster I used a Tele control plate and moved the switch towards the rear of the guitar with the volume control closer to the pups but still farther away than a standard Strat.

 

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+1 on reversing the Tele plate DBM, Danzilla in his post above, is also thinking about doing so on his Tele. I suggested this to a friend who was doing customized Tele's for his two sons and they all agreed that it was a great idea. Having the volume up front and the tone in the rear makes for easy volume adjustments and makes it much easier to keep the selector switch from rubbing on the volume knob or getting knocked off. Another consideration I would really dig if I still had a Tele, is there is a new plate that has the selector switch mounting holes at a 45 degree angle. This keeps the selector switch at an angle so it doesn't rub and is easier to get at and work.

 

One of my Strats has the stock position on the volume knob which isn't that big of a problem once I play it an hour or two. My other Strat has the volume knob set a little further away from the 1st string and a master tone which I really like. The 3rd Strat has two humbuckers and a 3 way, with two volume knobs set further away like a LP and one master tone. I figure if Roy Buchanan can reach that far down for volume swells on a Tele, then so can I. Although I seldom use the swells and will never be that swell of a player LOL! :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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DBM and I, have the same type of issue with the stock Strat placement of the volume knob being too close to the 1st string. When playing rhythm, I sometimes find myself killing the volume...I have two Strats with the volume knobs placed further down from the 1st string and like them a lot better. I also like the LP setup with the knobs further away from the strings. The volume swell guys will disagree though LOL! :cool:

I do like to use the volume control for swells, it just needed to be moved an inch or so on my Strat Clone which I did. On my other guitars the volume controls are just right. On my parts caster I used a Tele control plate and moved the switch towards the rear of the guitar with the volume control closer to the pups but still farther away than a standard Strat.

 

That"s the Bill Kirchen mod.

[video:youtube]

 

And, FWIW, Dean Zelinsky"s Private Label"s version of the Telecaster- the Dellatera- has that mod as it"s standard control configuration.

https://deanzelinsky.com/guitars/dellatera

Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ

 

My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx

 

http://murphysmusictx.com/

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That'd be my preference- not so much to move the selector-switch, but to improve the location of the volume-knob for pinky-manipulated volume-swells while playing...

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Ok, not really a hater of the middle pickup, but not someone who uses it either, Most of guitars do not even have one, Flying Vs and few other 2 humbucker set ups, and my favorite single coil guitar is a road worn telecaster.

 

I do own two strats ,soon to be one as I am selling one for a local charity over the next few weeks. But I don't think I have ever said to my self "hey I think that middle pick up is the tone I am going for".

 

And I agree on the volume knob placement makes my life hell, I have put orings under the knob to introduce drag so I am less likely to turn it down. But then its seems too stiff.

 

 

And for whats its worth my opinion of three Humbucker guitars is whats the point , the middle pick up takes up real estate for no reason , string harmonics dont work well, magnetic drag on strings for no reason, they look bad.

 

Lok

1997 PRS CE24, 1981 Greco MSV 850, 1991 Greco V 900, 2 2006 Dean Inferno Flying Vs, 1987 Gibson Flying V, 2000s Jackson Dinky/Soloist, 1992 Gibson Les Paul Studio,

 

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I placed the Tele control plate on my parts-caster not quite like a Tele, because it is angled to the strings, with the volume control on the bridge end, which is higher up than the selector switch side, the tone control in the middle, and the selector switch on the rear of the guitar and lower down. The Tele control plate is angled up on the volume control side and it is directly under the rear pup, but an inch or so lower than a standard Strat placement. The selector switch is near the end of the guitar body, but I rarely need to switch it except between songs.

299.jpg.fe583bf8abce07975515d656eff0ea63.jpg

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Very nice axe DBM! :thu:
It is a series of mistakes really. I glued the neck in because the neck pocket I cut in was a little too big. So the neck in not quite placed like it should be. Plus the bridge is down against the guitar top, all that said, it plays well and the tone is super, also I used Strat type pickups Duncan Lil 49'ers but the ones I used were for the rear pup which is a bit longer than the middle and front pups, so those pups are a little too long, so I placed them so that the treble string pole pieces are correct and the bass string pole pieces are a bit higher up than they should be. Still the tone is excellent. I built that guitar at the Flea Market in St Augustine Florida. I lived in the flea market RV park at the time and built it there. For a long time that was one of only 2 guitars in my quiver (The least amount of guitars in my quiver since I began playing in 1964 or so). Now I am down to 3 guitars and that will suffice for the rest of my days.

 

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@ DBM, It is fun to make up your own guitar and you learn from mistakes. It's also fun when the mistakes still sound good (because you had a vision)! I've got to empty my quiver and get down to 3 or 4 guitars...one of these days LOL! :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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@ DBM, It is fun to make up your own guitar and you learn from mistakes. It's also fun when the mistakes still sound good (because you had a vision)! I've got to empty my quiver and get down to 3 or 4 guitars...one of these days LOL! :cool:

 

 

And sometimes, it sounds good BECAUSE OF those "mistakes"!

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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We grow as we go!!!

 

If your frets are level, rounded and polished and your bridge is aligned and intonated then the guitar should play well.

Beyond that, everything you do or use can affect the tone. If you like it, it is good.

 

I have a boogered old single cut Gibson Melody Maker. Originally it was a double pickup model. Some savage did a horrendous install of 3 strat pickups (the 5 way switch is deep so they cut a hole completely through the control area and put a hideous cover over it). And yes, apparently a butterknife can be used as a chisel!!!! Ugh...

 

It has a great neck and one piece body (and neck) of old growth Honduras Mahogany plus a Brazilian fingerboard. Headstock has never been broken. Very light, resonant guitar.

 

I have thought I might put a middle pickup in that, just one pickup (and I've returned to the topic!). I have a hot Filtertron from the era before Fender bought Gretsch and consulted with TV Jones. It is about 8.5K or double the winds of a vintage Gretsch. Thinking I would like to run it straight to the output jack. So here I am, a non-middle pickup user, with a project that I might just use a middle pickup.

 

Partly because I don't have any guitars like that. Plenty of picking space in front and behind, all good.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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