Warwolf - bridge pickup explained MrGlyns Pickups 2024-12-11 | In this video I explain the thinking behind the Warwolf bridge pickup for extreme metal.The Warwolf is a brutal, hard hitting guitar pickup set designed for extreme metal in drop tunings. www.mrglynspickups.comImmediate, punchy bass, smooth mids with plenty of character and a present top end give these pickups the ability to cut through the mix no matter how low your tuning. The combination of brutality and clarity make the Warwolf essential both on stage and in the studio.The bridge humbucker has the bite and grunt to power your riffs and bring them out in the mix. The neck humbucker has a bell like clarity perfect for clean passages or fat lead tones.
Little Dreamer humbucker - brown sound demo MrGlyns Pickups 2026-07-21 | The Little Dreamer – brown sound humbucker is a tribute to the great Edward Van Halen’s guitar sound. The brown sound, as he called it, has been a huge influence on many players. The bass is full and pushy, treble smooth but the real character is in the lower mids. It’s a smooth tone and in the hands of the master sounded like liquid.A huge thanks to Leon Todd for his fantastic playing - go and check out his channel - youtube.com/@UCrlsD6OalGm8pIqKVo81k6A
Little Dreamer - brown sound humbucker MrGlyns Pickups 2026-07-01 | Here is my discription of the Little Dreamer - brown sound humbucker is a tribute to the great Edward Van Halen’s guitar sound. The brown sound, as he called it, has been a huge influence on many players. The bass is full and pushy, treble smooth but the real character is in the lower mids. It’s a smooth tone and in the hands of the master sounded like liquid.
Humbucker - Coil Splitting vs Series/Parallel MrGlyns Pickups 2026-04-15 | My aim in this video is to compare the sounds of a coil split humbucker with on wired in parallel,.
Silver Lady - Telecaster pickup set description. MrGlyns Pickups 2026-02-19 | Silver Lady-vintage Telecaster pickup set is designed for the traditional telecaster player. The bridge pickup has plenty of Tele attitude but is never harsh. The neck pickup full, clear and perfectly balanced with the bridge pickup.mrglynspickups.com/2020/03/29/silver-lady-vintage-telecasterThey are my take on the Fender Tele pickups found on 1950-1954 models, although are far from being clones. They reflect my experience with pickups of this era. They have a “sweeter,” less aggressive sound, distinct from the tighter, sharper tone of post-1955 Telecasters. They have a warm, sweet, and articulate sound with soft attack.For that Tele twang I recommend my ‘Duchess’ set.If you want a fatter Tele tone that will push your amp harder look at the ‘Cruel Mistress’ set.Telecasters are brutally honest guitars. There’s no hiding behind fat mushy tones . If you can do it on a Telecaster then you really can really do it.This pickup set is primarily for clean Telecaster players. They are ideal for those classic country tones or for textural rhythm players. They’re great for giving a pure signal for modulation effects.
Mr Glyns Tui Strat pickups in action MrGlyns Pickups 2025-09-10 | I went to see 'Come Together' performing Pink Floyd on August 23rd '25.Brett Adams was using my 'Tui' pickups in his black Strat.
BPD overdrive by RNRMF MrGlyns Pickups 2025-06-11 | I don't usually make demos but when this crossed my path...I had a lot of fun trying this pedal - so versatile, it does just about any kind of dirt. If you want one here’s where you go:https://www.rnrmf.com.auI used a Mr Glyns Pickups ‘Playmaker’ bridge humbucker for this demo:mrglynspickups.comThe BPD takes a favourite harmonically rich, natural overdrive sound and gives it more flexibility and versatility.The bass control lets you cut or boost your signal post-gain, centred around 100Hz. Clipping gives you the choice of symmetrical clipping, or assymetrical clipping with the addition of a germanium diode. Finally a clean blend lets you bring in your clean signal - perfect for bassists and acoustic guitarists wanting a little dirt in their sound.You can run the pedal between 9v and 18v with a standard 2.1mm centre negative connection. Even at 9V there is more headroom than a first class cabin - unity gain is around 9.30 on the volume!The Fuck Murdoch edition of the BPD is a limited production run of the standard pedal, with each sale providing a donation to www.theshot.net.auAll rnrmf pedals include smart soft-touch relay true-bypass switching.- tap to switch on/off- hold for momentary on/off- hold while powering up to toggle auto-on mode (perfect if running a switching system!)LIFETIME LIMITED WARRANTY- workmanship guaranteed for life! Any issues simply get the pedal back to me for repair. If I can’t fix it, it gets replaced!
Riff Of The Day in May MrGlyns Pickups 2025-06-10 | May is Music Month in New Zealand.NZ Music Month celebrates the sound of Aotearoa and the people who make it. Since 2001, it's been a month-long spotlight on local music — live, loud, and everywhere.For Music Month 2025 I played a riff a day from New Zealand bands and published the riffs on Facebook. here are all 31 riffs put together an one compilation.Every riff is played using my 'Playmaker' humbucker set.www.mrglynspickups.com0:00 Anchor Me0:19 April Sun In Cuba0:35 Bliss0:53 Cay's Crays1:16 Love My Leather Jacket1:31 Damn The Sky1:49 Don't Dream It's Over2:03 Fingerpopos2:26 Glory Glory2:59 Gutter Black3:13 Home Again3:30 How Bizarre3:45 I'm Not Getting Excited4:10 Jesus I Was Evil4:28 Kai Tangata4:41 Little Pills5:08 Long White Cross5:29 Oh My5:42 Only To Be5:56 Pacifier6:20 Rock'n'Roll Motherfucker6:43 Running7:01 Scorpio Girls7:21 History Never Repeats7:35 Sway7:53 There Is No Depression In New Zealand8:19 Verona9:14 Walkie Talkie Man9:43 Whaling10:04 Who Loves Who The Most10:15 Weather With You
Playmaker Demo MrGlyns Pickups 2025-04-03 | The Playmaker humbucker set is a clear sounding guitar pickup set designed for genres from classic rock to heavy blues.mrglynspickups.com/2025/03/19/playmaker-humbucker-setDesigned for its dynamics this humbucker set reacts to your playing style and volume settings, cleaning up when you ask it to. The perfect pickup for classic rock or dirty blues.The bridge pickup is 11.9KOhms, alnico 4 the neck 7.1KOhms, alnico 2.Thanks to Warren Mendonsa for his fantastic playing. You can follow his work here:instagram.com/blackstratblues
Playmaker humbucker test MrGlyns Pickups 2025-03-14 | Here's an impromptu demo of my new 'Playmaker' humbuckers.They will be up on the website in the next few days.www.mrglynspickups.com
The Tron - filtertron pickup MrGlyns Pickups 2025-03-11 | The Tron - filtertron pickup is based on the early Gretsch pickups but with a few differences.This is an explanation of how the Mr Glyn’s Pickups Tron works.mrglynspickups.comYou can hear demos and find out more here:mrglynspickups.com/2021/09/22/the-tron
Warwolf - neck pickup explained MrGlyns Pickups 2024-12-11 | In this video I explain the thinking behind the Warwolf neck pickup.Designed for extreme metal.www.mrglynspickups.com
Jazzmaster pickup demo MrGlyns Pickups 2024-10-21 | Thanks to Darren from 'The Beeston Boss' for this demo.facebook.com/beestonstreetbandMr Glyns Pickups Jazzmaster vintage pickup set is intended for the clean player needing a low powered Jazzmaster set with full tone, warmth and clarity.mrglynspickups.com/2021/11/27/jazzmaster-vintageThese pickups have smooth a jangly treble , always present, never harsh and distinctively Jazzmaster. The bass is clean, clear, woody and full of character and with the warmth of the original Jazzmaster pickups. The mid range is smooth and well balanced. Alnico II magnets give these pickups a clear, very musical quality.Wound RWRP they hum cancel when both pickups are on.Their clarity makes these pickups suitable for many musical styles and lend themselves well to pedals with the personality of the pickups shining through. Drenched in reverb and delay, grinding fat fuzz tones or even clean Jazz.Jazzmaster vintage pickup designThis pickup set was designed around the standard 1MegOhm pots though work equally well with 500KOhm or 250KOhm. It’s really up to you which tone you prefer.I’ve always had a fondness for offset guitars and Jazzmasters in particular. Is it the look? The smooth, clear treble? The versatile electronics? Probably all of those things. Jazzmasters are not like anything else, you either get it or you don’t.I hope you enjoy these pickups, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed designing, and especially testing them. This time the rigorous testing that I put all my pickups through re-kindled my love of Jazzmasters. The sound of a pickup and the way it reacts to pedals and your amp change the way you play. I really like the direction these pickups have steered me in. I wish it was possible to demo the feel of a pickup not just the sound because the feel is a huge part of it.
Kāhu Strat Pickup set - explained MrGlyns Pickups 2024-10-16 | The Kāhu hot Strat Pickups set is for blues/rock players in need of that bit more power. www.mrglynspickups.comWith cleaner neck and middle pickups and a hotter, grittier bridge pickup it’s a set that acts more like a HSS set than a conventional Strat.Without loosing their distinctively Strat personality the Kāhu are definitely Strat sounding but with an ugly streak. This is a true single coil set so they retain all the dynamics and feel of traditional pickups but with a fatness and power to bring out something different in your Strat.The heart of the Kāhu hot Strat Pickups set is the bridge pickup, it’s warm and punchy and sustaining with a much greater output than a traditional bridge pickup. The highs are smoother, mids honky and the bass full. They’re designed to push your amp into overdrive rather than for clean sounds.
Kahu Strat pickup dirty demo MrGlyns Pickups 2024-09-26 | For the blues player the true single coil nature of these pickups gives the dynamics and feel you expect from a Strat but with the singing sustain from more powerful pickups.Here’s more about this pickup set:mrglynspickups.com/2023/04/03/kahu-hot-strat-pickupsSpecifications: Flat Pole AlnicoV – Neck 7.KOhms, 1.75H, Middle 7.6KOhms, 1.75H, Bridge 11KOhms, 3.98HThanks to Warren Mendonsa for his playing: blackstratblues.bandcamp.com/music
Kahu Hot Strat Pickup Clean demo MrGlyns Pickups 2024-09-25 | The Kāhu hot Strat Pickups set is for blues/rock players in need of that bit more power. With cleaner neck and middle pickups and a hotter, grittier bridge pickup it’s a set that acts more like a HSS set than a conventional Strat.Here’s more about this pickup set:mrglynspickups.com/2023/04/03/kahu-hot-strat-pickupsSpecifications: Flat Pole AlnicoV – Neck 7.KOhms, 1.75H, Middle 7.6KOhms, 1.75H, Bridge 11KOhms, 3.98HWithout loosing their distinctively Strat personality the Kāhu are definitely Strat sounding but with an ugly streak. This is a true single coil set so they retain all the dynamics and feel of traditional pickups but with a fatness and power to bring out something different in your Strat.The heart of the Kāhu hot Strat Pickups set is the bridge pickup, it’s warm and punchy and sustaining with a much greater output than a traditional bridge pickup. The highs are smoother, mids honky and the bass full. They’re designed to push your amp into overdrive rather than for clean sounds.
Mr Glyns Pickups Integrity underwound 5% MrGlyns Pickups 2024-07-18 | Inspired by the early Gibson PAF pickups the Integrity-vintage humbucker give the classic full balanced tone we all love.mrglynspickups.com/2020/03/29/integrity-vintage-humbucker-2This example is the 5% underwound version.This pickup is available in 4 flavours to cover the various applications of this versatile pickup. You can select your option at the checkout.The idea behind the 4 flavours is to simplify things for you. Rather than have 4 separate pickups with a similar vibe I’ve put them all under the umbrella of ‘Integrity’. Asymmetric coils give an open sounding mid range and the rough cast Alnico II magnet gives clarity and balance. A rich bottom end, characterful mids and sweet treble make this a pickup set for every situation – Jazz, Blues, Rock, it does it all.This has 5% less windings than the standard pickup. Less wire means less power but it also reduces the bass and gives a little more high end sparkle. If you want a low powered very clean humbucker this is for you.
Integrity neck pickup by Mr Glyns Pickups MrGlyns Pickups 2024-07-07 | Here's a short description of my Integrity neck pickup. It's based on the Gibson PAF's of yesteryear.For demos and a full description go to my website:mrglynspickups.comAsymmetric coils give an open sounding mid range and the rough cast Alnico II magnet gives clarity and balance. A rich bottom end, characterful mids and sweet treble make this a pickup set for every situation – Jazz, Blues, Rock, it does it all.Every pickup manufacturer makes a “Vintage” humbucker based on the Gibson PAF, of course they do – old Gibsons sound so good.So how come they all sound so different? Well, the simple answer is that PAF’s were all different. I’ve been a full time luthier since 1995, whenever I come across an old humbucker I test the ohms and the gause and have a good listen. They’re all different. My conclusion is that pickup manufacturers have taken the PAF they like and based their own version on that. Old PAF’s vary so much so modern ones do as well.
Integrity Bridge Pickup by Mr Glyns Pickups - explained MrGlyns Pickups 2024-06-30 | Here is my explanation of the thinking behind the Integrity bridge pickup.www.mrglynspickups.comInspired by the early Gibson PAF pickups the Integrity-vintage humbucker give the classic full balanced tone we all love.Asymmetric coils give an open sounding mid range and the rough cast Alnico II magnet gives clarity and balance. A rich bottom end, characterful mids and sweet treble make this a pickup set for every situation – Jazz, Blues, Rock, it does it all.
Black Sand humbucker size P90 description MrGlyns Pickups 2024-06-24 | In this short video I talk through my thinking behind the Black Sand humbucker size P90.www.mrglynspickups.comThe humbucker sized P90 (HBSP90) is a great pickup – it sits tonally between a humbucker and and a strat type pickup.If your neck humbucker is a bit thick and woolly sounding, you want more clarity, or just want a different tone, then this one may be the answer. There really is no musical genre the Black Sand Humbucker sized P90 is best suited to, from blues to punk, rock or even funk there is a place for this sound just about everywhere. The physical size of this pickup is identical to that of a “normal” humbucker so it will pop straight in to any humbucker guitar. They’re designed to be used with 500k pots too so you don’t need to change anything.
A look inside 1964 Strat pickups MrGlyns Pickups 2024-03-21 | Possibly the most boring video on YouTube. I give a running commentary of my thought while investigating a set of faulty 64 Strat pickups.mrglynspickups.comI was sent a set of faulty Strat pickups and in this video I analyze them and make a plan for their repair.So in a way it’s a snapshot of my working day but also a look into some cool old vintage Fender pickups.In the end I had to rewind all 3 of them (pics at the end) to original spec. so the same as my ‘Bellbird’ pickups.mrglynspickups.com/2020/03/29/bellbird-vintage-strat-pickupsThe only difference being all 3 were wound the same and I make my ‘Bellbird’ bridge pickups slightly hotter.
Sassy P90 set - description MrGlyns Pickups 2024-03-14 | The Mr Glyn’s “Sassy” P90 is a pickup set influenced by the Gibson P90’s of the late 50’s. mrglynspickups.com/2021/06/19/sassy-p90The “Sassy” have a distinctive woody aggressive tone, full of character. The highs are smooth yet punchy, there’s a chiming bottom end and a very obvious mid range that pushes through the mix. If you tickle the strings they’re clean and clear but dig in and there’s no shortage of power to drive the front end of your amp.I’ve grown to love P90’s over the years, it’s the sound of those early Gibson Les Paul Juniors. It’s a pickup that needs no extras, just straight into a good amp. They’re happy to power pedals but there’s a fullness and balance that seems to need nothing else.The Sassy P90 storyI wanted the Sassy P90 set to live up to its name and have the dynamic range that I love about P90’s. The wide flat coil of a P90 gives a richer, less percussive tone than other single coil pickups and this is where the full tone comes from. I’ve sat both neck and bridge pickups on top of a pair of Alnico V magnets to give the power this pickup needs and help add that bit of grit when played hard.I’ve made the neck pickup smooth and fat but with clarity and chime enough for jazz. The bridge pickup has the dynamics, pushy mids and aggressive highs when pushed but cleans up when you ask it to.This is a pickup set that would be happy in almost any situation, blues, rock, punk, reggae… If it’s a full bodied, dynamic P90 you’re after look no further. I have extensively gigged with a Sassy P90 loaded guitar and loved the woody mids and high end clarity. Back the volume off a tad and there’s a single coil chime, crank it and you have full fat lead tones.The Sassy is available in Dogear and Soapbar.I’ve named this set the Sassy”P90 set to reflect these pickup’s attitude, they’re bold, spicy, disrespectful and a bit cheeky.
Mr Glyn Meets Your Maker - EP13 MrGlyns Pickups 2024-03-10 | In this episode I get to have a chat with Dylan Kay. Dylan is a slide player and music educator We talk about his musical journey, playing philosophy and he gives me a slide lesson. I'm an experienced guitarist but new to slide playing - he gives me some great tips.If you are interested in slide guitar this one is for you.You can find him here:onefingerguitarist.comyoutube.com/@onefingerguitaristThis is what his website says about him:Hi, I’m Dylan KayI have a long-standing, healthy obsession with all things slide guitar, and I love to help others understand and master this most expressive way of playing guitar.I've been a guitar player for 35 years, a guitar teacher for 25 years and in my own playing have focused on slide guitar since 2005. “Dylan Kay is a badass slide player and anyone who’s interested in slide guitar would greatly benefit by taking lessons from him.” — Scott Henderson, legendary US jazz/blues/fusion guitaristI studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston (including studying with slide guitar great David Tronzo) and the Guitar Institute in London (where I later taught for many years). I have played everywhere from tiny restaurants to the O2 Arena, and continue to perform, compose and record music.Originally from the UK, I run a successful bricks and mortar guitar school in Auckland (New Zealand), where I live with my young family and "a few" guitars (and slides!)You can find out more about Mr Glyn here:mrglynspickups.com
Cloud Nine - hot humbucker neck, description MrGlyns Pickups 2024-02-27 | Here is my description of the Cloud Nine neck humbucker.mrglynspickups.com/2020/03/29/cloud-nine-hot-humbuckerwww.mrglynspickups.comThe Cloud Nine-hot humbucker is a versatile ROCK pickup with plenty of mids, plenty of power but with enough clarity to help you stand out in the mix. A great pickup set for the Blues/Rock player but also well suited to heavier sounds , think Randy Rhodes or EVH. It with push the front end of an amp but will also clean up especially with a treble bleed.There are many factors determining the performance of a pickup. The Cloud Nine bridge pickup has asymmetrically wound coils. It not only has a different number of winds on each coil but they’re wound with a different number of turns per layer. Each of the two coils has a slightly different mid range response, This gives not only plenty of mids but a real mid range clarity. It means the pickup sits well in a mix.The alnico 5 magnet that powers both neck and bridge are specially made for me to my spec.The neck pickup is also asymmetrically wound for the same reasons. It’s wound to be fairly hot for neck pickup standards but with the alnico 5 magnet there is still high end clarity. It’s a big fat but clear neck pickup sound. This is a great fat lead tone rather than a funky rhythm pickup. Cloud Nine-hot humbucker StoryI am at heart a man of ROCK.Since the advent of the DiMarzio Super Distortion players have been able to get some power out of their pickups, enough to really push an amp.The neck pickup needed to be clear and present but with enough power for some of those sweet lead lines.I wanted the bridge pickup to have power to scream with the best of them while retaining enough clarity to have definition. When I play a 7th chord I want to hear it as a 7th and not sound mushy like a John Deere tractor at full throttle.It’s a real danger with hot pickups that they lose character and tone. I needed a crunchy rhythm with strong mids and an over the top lead sound. I want to get squawking pinched harmonics whenever I please. Not only that but I need it it to clean up nicely and react well to a treble bleed circuit. A humbucker for every situation, for players not afraid of a bit of gain.Not much to ask, eh!I got through a lot of wire and magnets experimenting over the years to get this set right. I suppose I worked on it for about 5 years, different magnets, winds, wire thickness, insulation, winds per layer – there are a lot of factors. Whenever I felt I was close I used them at a gig to hear how they sat in the band. Pickups can sound quite different next to a drummer or in a mix. I tweaked and adjusted…Eventually I was happy with the design and I was lucky enough to have legendary Kiwi band ‘Head Like A Hole’ help out with road testing. I knew if they came back from tour happy then I was on to a winner. They did.When you get it right it feels so good, a sensitive pickup rich in harmonics is so much fun so I called it the “Cloud Nine” which how I felt at the end of it all.This is the pickup set I gig with myself in my covers band now. I have them in an Epiphone Sheraton and also in my Flying V. With this set up it works for everything from The Smiths to Metallica and all points in between. I don’t feel the need to swap guitar – these pickups work for everything.
Cloud Nine-hot humbucker, description MrGlyns Pickups 2024-02-22 | The Cloud Nine-hot humbucker is a versatile ROCK pickup with plenty of mids, plenty of power but with enough clarity to help you stand out in the mix. A great pickup set for the Blues/Rock player but also well suited to heavier sounds , think Randy Rhodes or EVH. It with push the front end of an amp but will also clean up especially with a treble bleed.mrglynspickups.com/2020/03/29/cloud-nine-hot-humbuckerwww.mrglynspickups.comDesignThere are many factors determining the performance of a pickup. The Cloud Nine bridge pickup has asymmetrically wound coils. It not only has a different number of winds on each coil but they’re wound with a different number of turns per layer. Each of the two coils has a slightly different mid range response, This gives not only plenty of mids but a real mid range clarity. It means the pickup sits well in a mix.The alnico 5 magnet that powers both neck and bridge are specially made for me to my spec.The neck pickup is also asymmetrically wound for the same reasons. It’s wound to be fairly hot for neck pickup standards but with the alnico 5 magnet there is still high end clarity. It’s a big fat but clear neck pickup sound. This is a great fat lead tone rather than a funky rhythm pickup. Cloud Nine-hot humbucker StoryI am at heart a man of ROCK.Since the advent of the DiMarzio Super Distortion players have been able to get some power out of their pickups, enough to really push an amp.The neck pickup needed to be clear and present but with enough power for some of those sweet lead lines.I wanted the bridge pickup to have power to scream with the best of them while retaining enough clarity to have definition. When I play a 7th chord I want to hear it as a 7th and not sound mushy like a John Deere tractor at full throttle.It’s a real danger with hot pickups that they lose character and tone. I needed a crunchy rhythm with strong mids and an over the top lead sound. I want to get squawking pinched harmonics whenever I please. Not only that but I need it it to clean up nicely and react well to a treble bleed circuit. A humbucker for every situation, for players not afraid of a bit of gain.Not much to ask, eh!I got through a lot of wire and magnets experimenting over the years to get this set right. I suppose I worked on it for about 5 years, different magnets, winds, wire thickness, insulation, winds per layer – there are a lot of factors. Whenever I felt I was close I used them at a gig to hear how they sat in the band. Pickups can sound quite different next to a drummer or in a mix. I tweaked and adjusted…Eventually I was happy with the design and I was lucky enough to have legendary Kiwi band ‘Head Like A Hole’ help out with road testing. I knew if they came back from tour happy then I was on to a winner. They did.When you get it right it feels so good, a sensitive pickup rich in harmonics is so much fun so I called it the “Cloud Nine” which how I felt at the end of it all.This is the pickup set I gig with myself in my covers band now. I have them in an Epiphone Sheraton and also in my Flying V. With this set up it works for everything from The Smiths to Metallica and all points in between. I don’t feel the need to swap guitar – these pickups work for everything.
MrGlyn Meets Your Maker - Ep12 MrGlyns Pickups 2024-02-17 | In this first episode of season 2 I have a chat with Alex from Dune guitars.We talk about guitar making, creating a new brand and some of the nuts and bolts stuff.You can find Alex here:instagram.com/dune_guitars_instruments?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==In this series I talk with various professionals in the guitar business. I have a background in guitar making/repair and pickup making so all the conversations have a technical slant. I'm interested in the ins and outs of making but also in the motivation and philosophy behind it.www.mrglynspickups.com
Stereo Jacks and why your guitar needs one MrGlyns Pickups 2024-02-08 | Here are a few of my thoughts on why you might want a stereo jack in your guitar. www.mrglynspickups.comActive guitars use stereo jacks to switch the battery on and off. Here is a short explanation of how that works. There's a tip at the end for tightening up a loose jack on an es335. P.S. - it's not called an 'Input Jack', it's an 'Output Jack'.
Pickup Ageing service MrGlyns Pickups 2024-02-02 | At Mr Glyns Pickups we offer a Pickup Ageing service to our customers. www.mrglynspickups.comIf you have an old guitar and feel that new shiny pickups will just look wrong get in touch. I'm happy to match my pickups to what you need. Just contact me here - glyn@mrglynspickups.comIf you have a project guitar that you feel needs 'that' look, lets talk. From light ageing to serious steampunk.
Strat Pickup height adjustment MrGlyns Pickups 2023-11-07 | The height of your pickups is crucial to your tone. I find that the better the quality of the pickup the more sensitive they are to changes in height. Pickup Height Adjustment is an essential part of your sound, it's worth finding out a bt about it. www.mrglynspickups.comWhat I mean by height adjustment is setting the distance from the top of the pickup to the bottom of the string. It's like how close to the microphone you're singing. But it doesn't just change how loud your guitar is - there's a lot more to it.There is, of course, no correct distance from the string so the measurements I’ll give you are a guide and a great place to start. I recommend you set your MrGlyn’s Pickups to these heights when you install them but feel free to tweak them to your own taste after. In this article I'd like to arm you with a start point, some information and the confidence to find your own correct pickup height.The principle of Pickup Height Adjustment is, the closer to the strings the pickups are the louder and more dynamic the sound, further away is more compressed and quieter.So what does that mean?Imagine someone whispering in your ear. This is like a pickup close to the strings. It not only sounds loud and clear, you can hear every detail of the sound. You are very sensitive to and variation in volume, its very dynamic. Then imagine if the voice is the other side of a room. The voice is less dynamic, you aren'e as sensitive to slight changes in volume, it's more compressed. Keep that in mind when setting your pickups.
The Duchess Tele Pickup set demo MrGlyns Pickups 2023-10-22 | Thanks to Darren from 'The Beeston Boss' for this demo.facebook.com/beestonstreetbandThe Duchess Tele set is for the Telecaster player in need of that distinctive smooth Tele twang but with none of the ice pick cut. mrglynspickups.com/mrglyns-telecaster-pickupsThe neck pickup is warm and balanced with a full clarity and string separation. This a medium powered set that sits nicely in my range between the Silver Lady and Cruel Mistress.The Duchess Tele set will do just about everything from ‘vintage’ Tele twang to a platform for pedals.The Duchess’ beginningsThe idea for this pickup started in 2021. I had some work at Roundhead recording studios in Auckland looking after the guitars of an American recording artist. During the process, the producer and engineer (working from the US) decided to send over their favourite ‘magic’ telecaster because they wanted that sound on the record.The guitar arrived and it was an original ’61 Fender Esquire Custom, sunburst, double bound and just beautiful.Although it was an Esquire it had a neck pickup that they told me had been added later. After taking the pick guard off it looked more like the neck pickup had been fitted in the factory so maybe it was a custom order.My job was to check over this guitar and set it up for the recording.I plugged it in and loved the sound immediately, now I understood why they’d shipped it over from the US for this session. So, I got my test meters out to analyse every aspect of the pickup. It was rather unusual for a Fender pickup of that time so maybe it had been re-wound at some stage. That didn’t matter, it sounded great, so I set out to make a Telecaster set in that style but with my own spin.I made quite a few prototypes and did all the usual testing but didn’t quite get around to releasing the pickup.The Duchess Tele is finally bornThen in 2022 I had the idea for my Pandora 3-way pickup. I used the design for The Duchess bridge pickup as the middle position for the Pandora. I knew all along the Pandora was never going to be for everyone but was pleasantly surprised when the idea caught on.An order for a Pandora came in from an old friend of mine in the UK. He’s called Darren Driver and he’s in a well-established Springsteen tribute band – The Boss and the Beeston Street BandDarren had been a customer of mine when I had a guitar shop in Leeds in the late 90’s. He was a Telecaster player back then. It’s always good to re-connect with people.A couple of months later Darren got in touch saying how the mid position of the Pandora was his ideal Telecaster sound. Well, that was all it took. I got into the workshop and made a matching neck pickup for the Duchess. That week’s band practice I tested the set next to the drummer and was still really happy with it. So, I sent a set off to Yorkshire.Darren said he was happy to make a demo of the pickups once he had got them into him number one Telecaster.And so The Duchess Tele set was born.The Duchess – Tele set is great with either 250KOhm or 500KOhm volume pots. It’s really up to you – 500K will give more high-end Tele twang while the 250K will sound warmer. It really is a great pickup set either way.
The Duchess - Tele neck pickup explained MrGlyns Pickups 2023-10-19 | I took a few minutes out to explain my thinking behind the Duchess Tele neck pickup.mrglynspickups.com/2023/04/19/the-duchess-teleThe Duchess Tele set is for the Telecaster player in need of that distinctive smooth Tele twang but with none of the ice pick cut. The neck pickup is warm and balanced with a full clarity and string separation. This a medium powered set that sits nicely in my range between the Silver Lady and Cruel Mistress.
The Duchess – Tele bridge pickup explained MrGlyns Pickups 2023-10-17 | The Duchess – Tele set is for the Telecaster player in need of that distinctive smooth Tele twang but with none of the ice pick cut. www.mrglynspickups.comThe neck pickup is warm and balanced with a full clarity and string separation. This a medium powered set that sits nicely in my range between the Silver Lady and Cruel Mistress.The Duchess – Tele set will do just about everything from ‘vintage’ Tele twang to a platform for pedals.The idea for this pickup started in 2021. I had some work at Roundhead recording studios in Auckland looking after the guitars of an American recording artist. During the process, the producer and engineer (working from the US) decided to send over their favourite ‘magic’ telecaster because they wanted that sound on the record.The guitar arrived and it was an original ’61 Fender Esquire Custom, sunburst, double bound and just beautiful.Although it was an Esquire it had a neck pickup that they told me had been added later. After taking the pick guard off it looked more like the neck pickup had been fitted in the factory so maybe it was a custom order.My job was to check over this guitar and set it up for the recording. I plugged it in and loved the sound immediately, now I understood why they’d shipped it over from the US for this session. So, I got my test meters out to analyse every aspect of the pickup. It was rather unusual for a Fender pickup of that time so maybe it had been re-wound at some stage. That didn’t matter, it sounded great, so I set out to make a Telecaster set in that style but with my own spin.I made quite a few prototypes and did all the usual testing but didn’t quite get around to releasing the pickup. The Duchess – Tele is finally bornThen in 2022 I had the idea for my Pandora 3-way pickup. I used the design for The Duchess bridge pickup as the middle position for the Pandora. I knew all along the Pandora was never going to be for everyone but was pleasantly surprised when the idea caught on.An order for a Pandora came in from an old friend of mine in the UK. He’s called Darren Driver and he’s in a well-established Springsteen tribute band – The Boss and the Beeston Street BandDarren had been a customer of mine when I had a guitar shop in Leeds in the late 90’s. He was a Telecaster player back then. It’s always good to re-connect with people.A couple of months later Darren got in touch saying how the mid position of the Pandora was his ideal Telecaster sound. Well, that was all it took. I got into the workshop and made a matching neck pickup for the Duchess. That week’s band practice I tested the set next to the drummer and was still really happy with it. So, I sent a set off to Yorkshire.Darren said he was happy to make a demo of the pickups once he had got them into him number one Telecaster.And so The Duchess – Tele set was born.The Duchess – Tele set is great with either 250KOhm or 500KOhm volume pots. It’s really up to you – 500K will give more high-end Tele twang while the 250K will sound warmer. It really is a great pickup set either way.
Kokako Strat Pickup - Explained MrGlyns Pickups 2023-10-12 | Here's a brief explanation of the thinking behind my Kokako Strat Pickup set.The Kokako set was spawned by a few things coming together in November ’22.For a while I’ve been offering my Bellbird Strat set with various winding options – 5% under, 5% over or 10% over wound. I’ve been playing with a 10% over wound set in one of my own Strats and for me they have ‘that’ vintage Strat tone that’s perfect with a little dirt be it fuzz or overdrive.I was sent a Strat pickup to re-wind and the customer told me his ideal sound was Hendrix.I’d just read an article saying how Seymour Duncan had wound some pickups for Hendrix and the spec of those pickups looked very similar to the 10% over wound Bellbirds.That got me thinking.The same day a customer contacted me wanting advice about my pickups and which one would be best for a John Frusciante sound.Well, it’s the Bellbird +10%.
Draig Doom neck pickup MrGlyns Pickups 2023-09-17 | With the success of the Draig bridge pickup I was asked by a few players about a matching neck pickup to complete a set. So the Draig Doom neck pickup was born.mrglynspickups.com/2023/06/26/draig-doom-humbuckerIt was an interesting challenge. I wanted the neck to have a similar ‘mids forward’ character to the bridge pickup. It needed a smooth lead tone but a lot of clarity when playing chords. It needed to hit a fuzz pedal with just the right amount of power so as not to make the sound into an undefined mush. And it needed to be a good match for the bridge pickup.I decided upon a humbucker size P90. P90’s have a very different magnetic field to humbuckers with woody mids and less of a lower midrange push. It’s those lower mids that can create a mush. After a lot of experimenting I landed on a combination of winds and magnet that did what I want.I used a pair of undersized ceramic magnets that I have specially made for me. Ceramic has a drier tone than alnico which helps with the clarity and I designed the coil windings to compensate for the ceramic’s reduced mid range. After some tweaking and, as ever, playing the pickup set alongside a drummer and bass player I was happy.The Draig neck pickup has a different look to the bridge but I think they compliment each other well.Draig Doom neck pickup
The Draig bridge pickup MrGlyns Pickups 2023-08-25 | Here I explain the philosophy behind Mr Glyn's Pickups Draig doom humbucker.mrglynspickups.com/2023/06/26/draig-doom-humbucker
Mr Glyns Pickups - Kokako Strat Set - Mix MrGlyns Pickups 2023-04-10 | This demo is a mix up of little clips to give you an idea what these pickups are capable of.mrglynspickups.comThanks to Warren Mendonsa (aka blackstratblues) for his playing.The Kōkako Strat Pickup is is strongly influenced by the Fender Stratocaster pickups of the 60's but with a little more. It has a full yet clear bottom end , smooth highs and clear mids. It's aimed at players who love the sounds of Frusciante and Hendrix.The Kōkako set was spawned by a few things coming together in November '22. For a while I've been offering my Bellbird Strat set with various winding options - 5% under, 5% over or 10% overwound. I've been playing with a 10% over wound set in one of my own Strats and for me they have 'that' vintage Strat tone that's perfect with a little dirt be it fuzz or overdrive. I'd just read an article saying how Seymour Duncan had wound some pickups for Hendrix and the spec of those pickups looked very similar to the 10% overwound Bellbirds. That got me thinking. The same day a customer contacted me wanting advice about my pickups and which one would be best for a John Frusciante sound. Well, it's the Bellbird +10%.I thought this was too good to let go. I could have left the pickup as a version of the Bellbird but decided it needed its own life. My Strat pickups are named after native New Zealand birds like the Bellbird and the Tui; I chose the Kōkako because its song reflects the tonal characteristics of the pickups. I wanted a bird that has a song fatter and fuller sounding than the Bellbird but not as aggressive as the Tui - so Kōkako Strat Pickup it is.Mr Glyns Pickups - Kokako Strat Set - Mix
MrGlyns Pickups - Kōkako for Strat MrGlyns Pickups 2023-04-05 | The Kōkako Strat Pickup is is strongly influenced by the Fender Stratocaster pickups of the 60's but with a little more. It has a full yet clear bottom end , smooth highs and clear mids. It's aimed at players who love the sounds of Frusciante and Hendrix.mrglynspickups.comThe Kōkako set was spawned by a few things coming together in November '22. For a while I've been offering my Bellbird Strat set with various winding options - 5% under, 5% over or 10% overwound. I've been playing with a 10% over wound set in one of my own Strats and for me they have 'that' vintage Strat tone that's perfect with a little dirt be it fuzz or overdrive. I'd just read an article saying how Seymour Duncan had wound some pickups for Hendrix and the spec of those pickups looked very similar to the 10% overwound Bellbirds. That got me thinking. The same day a customer contacted me wanting advice about my pickups and which one would be best for a John Frusciante sound. Well, it's the Bellbird +10%.I thought this was too good to let go. I could have left the pickup as a version of the Bellbird but decided it needed its own life. My Strat pickups are named after native New Zealand birds like the Bellbird and the Tui; I chose the Kōkako because its song reflects the tonal characteristics of the pickups. I wanted a bird that has a song fatter and fuller sounding than the Bellbird but not as aggressive as the Tui - so Kōkako Strat Pickup it is.MrGlyns Pickups - Kōkako for StratMrGlyns Pickups - Kokako for Strat
Pickup Phase Explained MrGlyns Pickups 2023-03-13 | Ever wondered what pickup phase actually is? Here is Pickup Phase Explained.mrglynspickups.com#guitar pickups # pickup phase #strat pickups #out of phase0:00 What Pickup Phase Isn't0:34 What Pickup Phase Is2:15 Demo
How to Test Pickup Phase - The Easy Way MrGlyns Pickups 2023-03-13 | This is my first in a series of videos on Pickup Phase and shows How to Test Pickup Phase.This is the easy way to do it.mrglynspickups.com#pickupphase #guitarpickups #mrglynspickups #pickuptesting #pickuptest0:00 Intro0:32 What You Need1:08 How To Do It3:10 Thoughts
Telecaster Bass Pickup - Mr Glyns Pickups MrGlyns Pickups 2022-12-13 | There is something so unbelievably cool about the Fender Telecaster Bass. The classic lines, that headstock, the pickguard, the association with great players and, of course, the tone. What ever it is we all love about this great instrument here’s a pickup to do it justice.mrglynspickups.com/2022/10/14/telecaster-bassWhether you play with fingers or a pick this classic pickup will deliver. More present in the mix than the Precision split pair but with that distinctive punch and clarity. This bass is also known as a '51Bass.Over the years I’ve re-wound a lot of old Fender pickups. I like to make notes to record what I find in these old pickups, wire gauge, insulation types, d.c. resistance, magnetic gauss, dimensions. My notebook is getting pretty full. This is my constant reference when I’m designing a new pickup, that and my ears.I’ve based these pickups on the best of the old Fenders I’ve come across over the years. Not all vintage pickups are great but when you see enough of the good ones patterns begin to form.I still repair pickups and still add to my old notebook, always learning 😎.Thanks to Mark Hughes for his playing on this bass pickup demo, he is available for on line lessons http://www.markhughesbass.comTelecaster Bass Pickup - Mr Glyn's Pickups
Jazz Bass Pickups - Mr Glyns Pickups MrGlyns Pickups 2022-12-13 | Mr Glyn’s “Jazz Bass” pickups are inspired by the Fender Jazz pickups from the early 60’s. Low powered vintage tones suited to players looking for a clean, clear, springy tone. Positive, percussive bass response, woody mids and clear highs. Designed for players wanting a pure tone with either fingers or a pick.mrglynspickups.com/2022/11/30/jazz-bassThanks to Mark Hughes for his playing on this bass pickup demo, he is available for on line lessons http://www.markhughesbass.comAll my Jazz pickup sets are RWRP so they are hum cancelling when both pickups are on.I love Jazz basses, that off-set body looks so cool and the narrow neck makes it very easy to get around. Looks, playability and versatility make it hard to beat.The Jazz bass has such a classic tone. The sound of a Jazz with both pickups on can be heard on so many recordings, it’s so distinctive. It’s the sound of two coils connected in parallel, like a Strat in positions 2 or 4. It’s that clear, scooped tone. The pair of coils in a Precision Bass are wired in series which gives it a bigger, more powerful sound with a lot more lower mids but the clarity of a Jass Bass can really stand out.Over the years I’ve re-wound a lot of old Fender pickups. I like to make notes to record what I find in these old pickups, wire gauge, insulation types, d.c. resistance, magnetic gauss, dimensions. My notebook is getting pretty full. This is my constant reference when I’m designing a new pickup, that and my ears.I’ve based these pickups on the best of the old Fenders I’ve come across over the years. Not all vintage pickups are great but when you see enough of the good ones patterns begin to form.I still repair pickups and still add to my old notebook, always learning 😎.Jazz Bass Pickups - Mr Glyn's Pickups#jazzbasspickups #mrglynspickups #jazzbass #jbasspickups #pickupdemo
Precision Bass Pickup - Mr Glyns Pickups MrGlyns Pickups 2022-12-12 | The Precision Bass split pair Pickups by Mr Glyn's Pickups is based on the Fenders of the early/mid 60’s. Full and clear with that distinctive mid range that sits well in any mix. It is the essence of bass. It has the woody, full tones we all love. As a stand alone or used with my Jazz Bass bridge pickup as part of a PJ set.mrglynspickups.com/2022/11/28/precision-bassArguably the most important instrument of all of Leo Fender’s creations the Precision bass changed music more than any other instrument. From James Jameson to Steve Harris, the P Bass is surprisingly versatile and has such a distinctive tone.As with the early pickups this split pair is built to be hum cancelling – the two coils are electrically out of phase but also magnetically out of phase. Here’s an explanation: How Humbuckers WorkWith fingers, with a pick and especially with flat wounds.Thanks to Mark Hughes for his playing on this bass pickup demo, he is available for on line lessons http://www.markhughesbass.comPrecision Bass Pickup - Mr Glyn's Pickups
Tūmatauenga Pickup - Lewis De Jong, Alien Weaponry MrGlyns Pickups 2022-12-04 | The Tūmatauenga bridge pickup is the signature pickup of Lewis De Jong from the band Alien Weaponry. It is a collaboration between Lewis and Mr Glyn's pickups from Aotearoa New Zealand.This is no ordinary pickup, it's specifically designed around Lewis' requirements on stage and in the studio.This pickup is aggressive and immediate, the bass is tight and punchy, mids powerful and clear with clear highs. It has power but also clarity to bring out the complex chords in Lewis' playing.mrglynspickups.comThe Story of the Tūmatauenga PickupI was contacted by Alien Weaponry in December 2021 on their way back from a US tour. They were wondering if it was possible to have a NZ pickup made for Lewis. I jumped at the chance.I'd been working on a pickup for extreme metal for some time and thought this might be me chance to use it. I loaded a test guitar with this pickup and headed to Waipu to meet Lewis. The band are based about 2 1/2 hours from my home so it was a great opportunity to do everything in person. We plugged my test guitar into Lewis' Marshall at their rehearsal room and it was obvious from their reaction that this wasn't the sound they wanted. Okay, so it was going to take some work. I had a listen to the pickups he was using and we had a long chat about what he wanted. I took one of their pickups out of his No.2 guitar to take back to the workshop to analyse. Back at the workshop I measured all the parameters of the pickup and made a plan. I didn't want to clone his existing sound but I couldn't go too far away from it. I wanted to increase the punch of the bass and add a little clarity to the mids. One thing that was important was that it still sounded like their last album - you can't go out on tour with a completely different sound.I made a couple of prototypes and the following week headed back to Waipu.I had one of the prototypes in my LTD test guitar and although it wasn't exactly right is was close. From now on all the testing would be in Lewis' own guitars. Once you're close you need to minimise the parameters. And that's how it went, swapping pickups and testing until Lewis was happy. Finally we had the sound but that wasn't all, it needed to look right.Thanks to Jorge Pereira and Taylor Baron for the live photos
Tūmatauenga - Alien Weaponry Signature Pickup MrGlyns Pickups 2022-12-02 | The Tūmatauenga bridge pickup is the signature pickup of Lewis De Jong from the band Alien Weaponry. It is a collaboration between Lewis and Mr Glyn's pickups from Aotearoa New Zealand.This is no ordinary pickup, it's specifically designed around Lewis' requirements on stage and in the studio.This pickup is aggressive and immediate, the bass is tight and punchy, mids powerful and clear with clear highs. It has power but also clarity to bring out the complex chords in Lewis' playing.mrglynspickups.comThe Story of the Tūmatauenga PickupI was contacted by Alien Weaponry in December 2021 on their way back from a US tour. They were wondering if it was possible to have a NZ pickup made for Lewis. I jumped at the chance.I'd been working on a pickup for extreme metal for some time and thought this might be me chance to use it. I loaded a test guitar with this pickup and headed to Waipu to meet Lewis. The band are based about 2 1/2 hours from my home so it was a great opportunity to do everything in person. We plugged my test guitar into Lewis' Marshall at their rehearsal room and it was obvious from their reaction that this wasn't the sound they wanted. Okay, so it was going to take some work. I had a listen to the pickups he was using and we had a long chat about what he wanted. I took one of their pickups out of his No.2 guitar to take back to the workshop to analyse. Back at the workshop I measured all the parameters of the pickup and made a plan. I didn't want to clone his existing sound but I couldn't go too far away from it. I wanted to increase the punch of the bass and add a little clarity to the mids. One thing that was important was that it still sounded like their last album - you can't go out on tour with a completely different sound.I made a couple of prototypes and the following week headed back to Waipu.I had one of the prototypes in my LTD test guitar and although it wasn't exactly right is was close. From now on all the testing would be in Lewis' own guitars. Once you're close you need to minimise the parameters. And that's how it went, swapping pickups and testing until Lewis was happy. Finally we had the sound but that wasn't all, it needed to look right.
Humbucker size P90s through - VoxAC30 CelestionBlue MrGlyns Pickups 2022-09-12 | Thanks to Warren @blackstratblues for showing what his es335 can do with a set of Mr Glyn’s ‘Black Sand’ Humbucker size P90's.The humbucker sized P90 is a great pickup – it sits tonally between a humbucker and and a strat type pickup. If your neck humbucker is a bit thick and woolly sounding for you, you want more clarity, or just want a different tone, then this one may be the answer. The physical size of this pickup is identical to that of a “normal” humbucker so it will pop straight in.P90’s are different to other single coil pickups. They have a wide, flat coil similar to that of a Jazzmaster but the magnetic field is a very different shape. Fender single coil pickups have the coil wound around the magnet giving a focused, precise percussive sound. A P90 has 2 bar magnets underneath the coil; this broadens the magnetic window allowing the pickup to listen to a bit more string and thickens the sound. I chose Alnico V bar magnets for this model to help give some grit and power characteristic of a P90.Of course, too much power and the pickup would sound too thick and bass heavy which is not its purpose. Too little power and it just won’t snarl.Humbucker sized P90s are such a useful pickup. They sit tonally between a single coil and a humbucker (roughly speaking). and their physical size means they pop straight into any humbucker equipped guitar.The development of my “Black Sand” pickup was a bit backwards. Usually I make a bridge pickup first and work from there but with this one the neck pickup came first. I had a customer ask for a neck pickup for an es335 to sound clearer than his existing Gibson humbucker. I sold a few neck pickups before thinking it would be a good idea to have a set. So I started work on the bridge pickup.I wanted this bridge pickup to have clarity in the lower mids to stand out from humbuckers while having enough power to grit up nicely. I wanted it to be clean when tickled and to growl at you when you dig in. P90’s are all about dynamics. It had to match the existing neck pickup or work well as a stand alone in a HSS situation.Of all the pickups in my range this one came together the quickest. There were only 4 or 5 prototypes and I was happy. Experience and intuition combined with a notebook where I’ve written down details of every experimental pickup I’ve made since 1995.There were a load of prototypes in and out of a Les Paul, Tele Delux and PRS, through different amps and in the hands of different players. I never trust just my own ears with my pickups. I like to get opinions and suggestions from a few players before making any final decisions. I listen to what players say and I adjust prototypes accordingly, but at the end of the day the final decision is mine. I’m always aware of the phrase “a camel is a horse designed by committee”.It took a while to get this one right. A pickup would sound great at workshop volume, them I’d play it in a band situation and it would be too boomy, too much like a humbucker. So I’d have a think and make another. In the end persistence paid off.The pickups I finally settled on went into my Les Paul and off to a gig for the ultimate test, and that’s where they’re staying.The neck “Black Sand” is a great match for either my “Integrity” or “Cloud Nine” bridge humbuckers or as a set with its equivalent “Black Sand” bridge humbucker sized P90.I agonised over what to call this pickup set. I wanted a name that would reflect the apparent contradiction in P90’s. From the perspective of a humbucker player they are clear and chiming. From the viewpoint of a single coil player they are powerful and gritty. They’re one thing while looking like another. I wanted a oxymoron to reflect this contradiction, one that might include the unique magnetic structure that gives the P90 its character. So I went for a run along Muriwai beach to think. And there it was staring me in the face (literally). Muriwai has black volcanic sand due to its iron content and it’s magnetic. So I’ve called this set “Black Sand”.I’m very happy with this pickup – hopefully you will be too.Humbucker size P90's through - VoxAC30 CelestionBlue
Larry and the Trons - Mr Glyns Pickups Filtertron MrGlyns Pickups 2022-08-22 | Many thanks to Brett Kingman for this Larry Carlton inspired jam using Mr Glyn’s The Tron pickups in his Telecaster Cabronita.mrglynspickups.com/2021/09/22/thetronTheTron pickup set is based around the legendary Gretsch pickups Of the 50’s and 60’s. To say TheTron has character is an understatement. TheTron is full and rounded with a well balanced mid range but with that distinctive ‘Clank’ that separates it from other pickups. The neck pickup is clear and fat and the bridge stands out from the mix without ever sounding harsh.Over the years I’ve repaired a fair few old Gretsch pickups and noticed the best sounding ones are at the upper range for ohms. I’ve taken that design and tweaked it until I got the fullness I was looking for but without loosing clarity or clank.Most of my pickups are made in collaboration with a professional player, but not TheTron. I started playing guitar at the age of 16 when I first heard Malcolm Young – a Filtertron through an almost clean valve amp. I didn’t feel I needed another set of ears for this one, I knew exactly what I wanted.I needed this pickup set to be crystal clear with a clean amplifier but to come into its own when pushing an amp to clip. The neck pickup needed to be clear, full and chiming in both a big archtop and in the neck position of a Telecaster. The bridge pickup needed to have no shortage of character, a clean almost jangly tone when played gently but with enough go in it to push the front end of a valve amp to clip when you dig in.TheTron is the perfect pickup as a Gretsch upgrade, for the modern player wanting something other than Gibson style humbuckers, rockabilly players after that traditional tone, jazz players or, like me, Malcolm Young fans. There’s so much you can to with The Tron.For the modern player with one foot in the past.Larry and the Trons - Mr Glyn's Pickups Filtertron0:00 Neck Pickup0:44 Bridge Pickup1:16 Both Pickups1:43 Bridge Pickup2:18 Neck Pickup2:45 Bridge Pickup3:50 Neck Pickup4:15 Bridge Pickup
Mr Glyn the Integrity humbuckers MrGlyns Pickups 2022-06-20 | Inspired by the early Gibson PAF pickups the Integrity-vintage humbucker give the classic full, balanced tone we all love. Asymmetric coils give an open sounding mid range and the Alnico II magnet gives clarity and balance. A rich bottom end, characterful mids and sweet treble make this a pickup set for every situation – Jazz, Blues, Rock, it does it all.Every pickup manufacturer makes a “Vintage” humbucker based on the Gibson PAF, of course they do – old Gibsons sound so good.So how come they all sound so different? Well, the simple answer is that PAF’s were all different. I’ve been a full time luthier since 1995, whenever I come across an old humbucker I test the ohms and the gause and have a good listen. They’re all different. My conclusion is that pickup manufacturers have taken the PAF they like and based their own version on that. Old PAF’s vary so much so modern ones do as well.I like my own version to be clear sounding, have obvious string separation and definition and to keep clarity no matter how much gain. The mids must be strong and woody, this is not a “scooped” pickup. The clean sound needs to be chimey and clear with no mush; through a valve amp I want clarity. When I tickle it I want clean and vocal sounding when it clips. The bridge pickup needs to be well behaved with high gain and clear with enough cut through so the drummer knows you’re there. The neck smooth, clear and articulate. Warm but with none of the boom you get with a more powerful pickup.I don’t want much do I.My “Integrity”-vintage humbucker has an Alnico II magnet and I’ve used plain enamel insulated magnet wire with asymmetric coils to open up the mids. The very first pickup I ever made back in 1995 was a PAF style and I’ve been tweaking the recipe ever since. Like all my pickups I’ve used a number of test pilot players in its development as well as gigging it myself. It wasn’t until around 2015 that I settled on this particular design. I did a gig with a set in a PRS SE series only last weekend – sounded great to me.The full and honest sound of the Integrity-vintage humbucker along with it’s timeless tone inspired the name “Integrity”. mrglynspickups.comMr Glyn the Integrity humbuckers0:00 - Intro Track1:41 - Prologue4:43 - New Knobs!5:18 - Strap Buttons!6:00 - New Nut!6:51 - NEW PICKUPS7:33 - How Do They Sound?!9:50 - What Are They?!
Black Sand HBSP90 MrGlyns Pickups 2022-06-16 | Here's a short video featuring Warren Mendonsa demonstrating all 3 positions on his Gibson es335. He's had a set of MrGlyn's 'Black Sand' humbucker size P90's in this guitar for about a year now and clearly still getting on with them. This is played through a Plexi and a G1265 with slapback echo.mrglynspickups.comThe humbucker sized P90 is a great pickup – it sits tonally between a humbucker and and a strat type pickup. If your neck humbucker is a bit thick and woolly sounding for you, you want more clarity, or just want a different tone, then this one may be the answer. The physical size of this pickup is identical to that of a “normal” humbucker so it will pop straight in.P90’s are different to other single coil pickups. They have a wide, flat coil similar to that of a Jazzmaster but the magnetic field is a very different shape. Fender single coil pickups have the coil wound around the magnet giving a focused, precise percussive sound. A P90 has 2 bar magnets underneath the coil; this broadens the magnetic window allowing the pickup to listen to a bit more string and thickens the sound. I chose Alnico V bar magnets for this model to help give some grit and power characteristic of a P90.Of course, too much power and the pickup would sound too thick and bass heavy which is not its purpose. Too little power and it just won’t snarl.Humbucker sized P90s are such a useful pickup. They sit tonally between a single coil and a humbucker (roughly speaking). and their physical size means they pop straight into any humbucker equipped guitar.The development of my “Black Sand” pickup was a bit backwards. Usually I make a bridge pickup first and work from there but with this one the neck pickup came first. I had a customer ask for a neck pickup for an es335 to sound clearer than his existing Gibson humbucker. I sold a few neck pickups before thinking it would be a good idea to have a set. So I started work on the bridge pickup.I wanted this bridge pickup to have clarity in the lower mids to stand out from humbuckers while having enough power to grit up nicely. I wanted it to be clean when tickled and to growl at you when you dig in. P90’s are all about dynamics. It had to match the existing neck pickup or work well as a stand alone in a HSS situation.Of all the pickups in my range this one came together the quickest. There were only 4 or 5 prototypes and I was happy. Experience and intuition combined with a notebook where I’ve written down details of every experimental pickup I’ve made since 1995.There were a load of prototypes in and out of a Les Paul, Tele Delux and PRS, through different amps and in the hands of different players. I never trust just my own ears with my pickups. I like to get opinions and suggestions from a few players before making any final decisions. I listen to what players say and I adjust prototypes accordingly, but at the end of the day the final decision is mine. I’m always aware of the phrase “a camel is a horse designed by committee”.It took a while to get this one right. A pickup would sound great at workshop volume, them I’d play it in a band situation and it would be too boomy, too much like a humbucker. So I’d have a think and make another. In the end persistence paid off.The pickups I finally settled on went into my Les Paul and off to a gig for the ultimate test, and that’s where they’re staying.The neck “Black Sand” is a great match for either my “Integrity” or “Cloud Nine” bridge humbuckers or as a set with its equivalent “Black Sand” bridge humbucker sized P90.I agonised over what to call this pickup set. I wanted a name that would reflect the apparent contradiction in P90’s. From the perspective of a humbucker player they are clear and chiming. From the viewpoint of a single coil player they are powerful and gritty. They’re one thing while looking like another. I wanted a oxymoron to reflect this contradiction, one that might include the unique magnetic structure that gives the P90 its character. So I went for a run along Muriwai beach to think. And there it was staring me in the face (literally). Muriwai has black volcanic sand due to its iron content and it’s magnetic. So I’ve called this set “Black Sand”.I’m very happy with this pickup – hopefully you will be too.Black Sand HBSP90
Humbucker Size P90 - Black Sand MrGlyns Pickups 2022-06-13 | Thanks to Warren Mendonsa for his superb version of this Blackmore solo demonstrating the bridge pickup of his Mr Glyn's 'Black Sand' pickups.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstratbluesmrglynspickups.comThe humbucker sized P90 is a great pickup – it sits tonally between a humbucker and and a strat type pickup. If your neck humbucker is a bit thick and woolly sounding, you want more clarity, or just want a different tone, then this one may be the answer. The physical size of this pickup is identical to that of a “normal” humbucker so it will pop straight in.P90’s are different to other single coil pickups. They have a wide, flat coil similar to that of a Jazzmaster but the magnetic field is a very different shape. Fender single coil pickups have the coil wound around the magnet giving a focused, precise percussive sound. A P90 has 2 bar magnets underneath the coil; this broadens the magnetic window allowing the pickup to listen to a bit more string and thickens the sound. I chose Alnico V bar magnets for this model to help give some grit and power characteristic of a P90.Of course, too much power and the pickup would sound too thick and bass heavy which is not its purpose. Too little power and it just won’t snarl.Humbucker sized P90s are such a useful pickup. They sit tonally between a single coil and a humbucker (roughly speaking). and their physical size means they pop straight into any humbucker equipped guitar.The development of my “Black Sand” pickup was a bit backwards. Usually I make a bridge pickup first and work from there but with this one the neck pickup came first. I had a customer ask for a neck pickup for an es335 to sound clearer than his existing Gibson humbucker. I sold a few neck pickups before thinking it would be a good idea to have a set. So I started work on the bridge pickup.I wanted this bridge pickup to have clarity in the lower mids to stand out from humbuckers while having enough power to grit up nicely. I wanted it to be clean when tickled and to growl at you when you dig in. P90’s are all about dynamics. It had to match the existing neck pickup or work well as a stand alone in a HSS situation.Of all the pickups in my range this one came together the quickest. There were only 4 or 5 prototypes and I was happy. Experience and intuition combined with a notebook where I’ve written down details of every experimental pickup I’ve made since 1995.There were a load of prototypes in and out of a Les Paul, Tele Delux and PRS, through different amps and in the hands of different players. I never trust just my own ears with my pickups. I like to get opinions and suggestions from a few players before making any final decisions. I listen to what players say and I adjust prototypes accordingly, but at the end of the day the final decision is mine. I’m always aware of the phrase “a camel is a horse designed by committee”.It took a while to get this one right. A pickup would sound great at workshop volume, them I’d play it in a band situation and it would be too boomy, too much like a humbucker. So I’d have a think and make another. In the end persistence paid off.The pickups I finally settled on went into my Les Paul and off to a gig for the ultimate test, and that’s where they’re staying.The neck “Black Sand” is a great match for either my “Integrity” or “Cloud Nine” bridge, humbuckers or as a set with its equivalent “Black Sand” bridge humbucker sized P90.I agonised over what to call this pickup set. I wanted a name that would reflect the apparent contradiction in P90’s. From the perspective of a humbucker player they are clear and chiming. From the viewpoint of a single coil player they are powerful and gritty. They’re one thing while looking like another. I wanted a oxymoron to reflect this contradiction, one that might include the unique magnetic structure that gives the P90 its character. So I went for a run along Muriwai beach to think. And there it was staring me in the face (literally). Muriwai has black volcanic sand due to its iron content and it’s magnetic. So I’ve called this set “Black Sand”.I’m very happy with this pickup – hopefully you will be too.
