Six-in-one guitar pickups

Seziertisch

https://alamedaguitars.com/pickups/

Interesting idea/approach/product. Anyone ever try them?

LionAquaLooper

No but I used to own a Variax and this sounds like it does something similar.  I'm no expert on pickups but is there something this does that the Variax system doesn't?  I suppose the fact you can buy this as a standalone pickup and not have to buy an entire guitar with this sytem is a bonus.  I don't think you can buy the Variax pickup and rotary switch on their own.

Sporky

The Variax had piezo saddles and a load of digital modelling (like tge Roland VG series).

This is a more conventional thing - an analogue pickup but with several coil and magnet combinations. Like an SD P-rail taken further. 

normula1

Looks more like a Duncan p-rails or Alegree chameleon aimed at Gretsch fans

english_bob

LionAquaLooper said:

No but I used to own a Variax and this sounds like it does something similar.  I'm no expert on pickups but is there something this does that the Variax system doesn't?  I suppose the fact you can buy this as a standalone pickup and not have to buy an entire guitar with this sytem is a bonus.  I don't think you can buy the Variax pickup and rotary switch on their own.

It's not the same thing really- it's all analogue for a start. From what I can work out, the pickup is made up of three different coils and the rotary switch lets you engage different combinations of coils to get you different sounds.

The Variax is meant to be a model of an entire guitar, not just the pickups. 

Funkfingers

english_bob said:

The Variax is meant to be a model of an entire guitar, not just the pickups. 

Right up until the moment when it ceases to work! 

LionAquaLooper said:

I don't think you can buy the Variax pickup and rotary switch on their own.

The Variax electronical gubbins does sometimes appear for sale - usually after it has been removed from the host guitar because it stopped working.

normula1 said:

Looks more like a Duncan p-rails or Alegree chameleon aimed at Gretsch fans

Duncan P-Rails is two coils. Hence, four permutations. (Unless you also add a DPDT on-on switch for phase reversal.)

Alegree Chameleon has six output conductors, suggesting three coils but it might actually have four. (One of the coils is always operational. The others are added to complete each of the combinations.) 

Outwardly, it would appear that the Alameda pickups have more in common with the Alegree Chameleon design.

One of the company's other YouTube videos demonstrates the Off Kiltertrons in an S-type guitar. Plenty of sonic variety on offer but never as convincing as when installed on a fully hollow guitar.