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Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 1:27 am
by neonblack
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/al ... escription

This could be amazing or total shit. I figured someone here might find this interesting at least.

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:44 am
by coldbrightsunlight
I like the idea, only having the bottom 2 strings, no power cable or routing for a battery. All solid. But at that price I'd just make a ghetto 2 pole pickup with a separate output and run that through an octave down pedal. Actually that sounds like a pretty good idea...

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 11:26 am
by backwardsvoyager
I kinda feel like this would suck unless you were planning on having it always on. Like the two bottom strings thing is a huge limitation (i don't get what makes 2 the logical number of bass strings, i would think 1 or 4 :idk: ), along with the fact that if you wanna use it you have to be playing through a humbucker that may or may not sound like shit compared to any person's preferred pickups.

And like the stuff in the video was an okay way of showing its applications but to me it just felt like an approximation of having a bass player pick root notes along with you.

Having said that, I bet some people would be able to make neat applications for it. I just got a dumb vibe from the people designing and promoting it.

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:15 pm
by WayToHip
I'm pretty sure this has been done before, but only has a custom one-off. It sounds good though, and I can think of a few ways to really use this.
I wish someone would make an octave up pickup.

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:33 pm
by neonblack
Or a bass with a built in micro POG.

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:37 pm
by Moose
I think it's a nice idea, but for less money you can get a second hand OC-3 pedal and have it set on "range" mode to achieve the same end? :idk:

Plus you can you know.....have all the strings an octave below.


I think it's great that someone's trying a new pickup design to add something else you can get straightaway out of a guitar, but I just don't think this is "it" if you get me?

WayToHip wrote:I wish someone would make an octave up pickup.
THIS on the other hand is an excellent idea. Or perhaps blending the two ideas into one pickup? Lower three strings as octave down, higher three strings as octave up?

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:43 pm
by kaeth
WayToHip wrote:I wish someone would make an octave up pickup.
Haven't tried it out, but you should be able to fit one of these inside a guitar cavity.
http://store.synthrotek.com/Passive_Ring_Modulator_Kit

If you split the signal from the pickups and modulate it against itself through the ring mod circuit, it will double the frequency and give you an octave up.

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:01 pm
by coldbrightsunlight
Oh man I didn't realise the OC-3 had a range function. So... This is entirely pointless then.

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:10 pm
by kbit
I think it sounds bad :idk:

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:23 pm
by Moose
kaeth wrote:
WayToHip wrote:I wish someone would make an octave up pickup.
Haven't tried it out, but you should be able to fit one of these inside a guitar cavity.
http://store.synthrotek.com/Passive_Ring_Modulator_Kit

If you split the signal from the pickups and modulate it against itself through the ring mod circuit, it will double the frequency and give you an octave up.

Did not know this existed. That's pretty damn awesome.
monkeydancer wrote:Oh man I didn't realise the OC-3 had a range function. So... This is entirely pointless then.
Yeah, in Poly mode you can set it to whatever range you want, however many strings with an octave below as you require. I've been planning on getting an MXR bass octave deluxe for suboctave sound, but I might have just sold myself into getting the OC-3 :lol:




But yeah, with this pickup, I'd need to have more tonal control over it to make it useful. I supposed this could be achieved by running the sub octave signal separately through an EQ pedal or by having an onboard active EQ (which would probably require a fair bit of routing). :idk:

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:27 pm
by gunslinger_burrito
If you're going through the trouble of wiring and/or routing for an extra pickup for a sub-octave, I think you may as well just wire your guitar in stereo and run a bass amp alongside your guitar amp :idk:
I mean, if you want that low end, will your guitar amp carry it well enough for your taste?

I want a bass amp now.

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:48 pm
by coldbrightsunlight
I play through a bass amp a lot of the time anyway, still need moar lows. :lol: nah I just like the idea of some strings being an octave apart from normal, I feel like I could write some interesting riffs with that

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 5:27 pm
by WayToHip
^^ I had that idea after watching finger picking, play the root and fifth with your thumb an octave down, create the melody on the other strings.

Also, probably everyone's reaction in the vid would be the same with a Whammy, or a pitchshifter.

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 6:51 pm
by gunslinger_burrito
monkeydancer wrote:I play through a bass amp a lot of the time anyway, still need moar lows. :lol: nah I just like the idea of some strings being an octave apart from normal, I feel like I could write some interesting riffs with that
There are some sweet ass tunings that you might like. AGCFAD (fret the G string on the second fret for an octave, Mastodon uses this tuning a lot) Or you can drop the lowest string to a full octave below the 5th string, so if you're using the tuning I just provided, you'd tune G(oct)GCFAD. Isis played a lot one half step lower. Sounds rad.

I just use my robot devil on top of my mini :idk:
It's one of my favorite tones for reeeal heavy stuff. sounds crazy.

Re: Sub Octave pickup

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:35 pm
by Mudfuzz
Interesting, kind'a taking what the guy from Local H did a step further :thumb:
NSFW: show
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGWpRxnyeGg[/youtube]