In 1997 fingerstyle great Doyle
Dykes approached us with his dream of creating a pickup that would capture
the way he played. As a solo acoustic guitarist his special needs in a
pickup included great tone, natural dynamics, presence, precise articulation
and perfect string balance. Lack in any area would have a negative affect
on his ability to convey his music. With two years of R&D, much encouragement
and persistence from Doyle and some great input from Earl Klugh we have
created the ultimate, no-compromise pickup for acoustic performers.
To achieve adequate articulation
and dynamics we chose to use an individual pickup per string. To achieve
perfect balance we created a tripod upon which the string is balanced and
supported equally between two raised points at the ends of the bottom of
the pickup. This method of support created immunity from variations of
the saddle slot that normally affect balance. The use of set screws for
these points allow for easy, user-adjustable action changes. We enhanced
the flexibility of the sensor element so it would not compress the instrument's
dynamic range like typical transducers. We placed the sensing element extremely
close to the string for immediacy without harshness and to minimize feedback.
The sensor was also specially designed to balance warmth from the body
with direct string input. When we were happy with the performance, we created
precision molds to insure consistently perfect pickups. The body of the
transducer is gold-plated to resist corrosion and the crown is hard-chrome-plated
for long life.
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