Anyone tried the Lace Alumitone pickups?

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Friday Nov 07, 2008

These are strange, but interesting:

http://lacemusic.com/electric_pickups/a ... _specs.php

MOONDOGGY · Post by **MOONDOGGY** » Friday Nov 07, 2008

There's bunches of vids on Youtube with demonstrations. I've been reading up on these and doing some pricing. I've been trying to pick up one of the Lace NT basses and find my dad a guitar with the 'humbuckers'.

It's a pretty interesting concept of not having the standard magnets and coils.

I'm sure you'll end up with a set eventually, so please keep us posted when you do.

Post by **Ron** » Saturday Nov 08, 2008

Aluminum has close to no magnetic properties... so there HAS to be iron in there somewhere, and they say there are 90% less fine copper windings... So there IS copper too. It's not an aluminum based pickup revolution... It's a new way to package old technology. You can't make a pickup out of aluminum... Period.
Regardless, I want to play with one. Obviously they work.

BTW, I wonder if this is this the same guy that developed Fender's "lace sensor" pickups?

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Saturday Nov 08, 2008

I was thinking of getting an S-sized one for that H-S-H configuration I posted. The only thing is, all the reports I've read is that they are louder than the typical pickup, so the hums in parallel idea may not work.

Yes Ron, the same guy...He had already developed the Lace Sensors and later, Fender adopted them for some of their guitars. I think they made some kind of licensing agreement.

And yes, it uses ceramic 8 magnets and copper, but with a twist (of higher resistance chrome). Heres the explanation:

http://lacemusic.com/electric_pickups/a ... rticle.php

His company has a lot of pickup models:

http://lacemusic.com/electric_pickups/e ... ickups.php

KyleMayket · Post by **KyleMayket** » Saturday Nov 08, 2008

they also said that these pickups are "current based", not "voltage based" so there aluminum would have the advantage over copper. It's still using copper and magnets to give and receive the flux, but to deliver that for processing, is where the aluminum comes in. That is probably how it is now a current dependent system, because a flux will do nothing but induce a voltage, the resistance of the rest of the system with induce the current.

metalchurch · Post by **metalchurch** » Monday Nov 10, 2008

Those are kind of neat looking actually. Did you buy one of those Jeff?

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Monday Nov 10, 2008

No. I just found out you can't mix them with regular pickups. I'm not sure I want to put these in the humbucker positions. I want quack in positions 2 and 4 and I'm not sure I will get it with the combination of their hum-sized and single-sized pickups.

I am looking at their Chrome Domes for the middle position single coil.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Wednesday Nov 12, 2008

I just dropped a Joe Barden HB in the bridge of the headless. Decision made. I need a Barden S-Deluxe for the middle and another HB for the neck.

I wonder why they have to make the plastic frame on these so sharp that they draw blood? Ouch...that's why I got rid of the last batch of Bardens. I will have to rig something this time. Maybe a little piece of faux chrome motorcycle tanik trim?