Anybody recognize this pup?

Minnesota Flats

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It's being sold as a "1970s Hagstrom/Guild BiSonic Bass pickup". It doesn't look the Guild Buckers on a '90s SF, the DeArmond Buckers on a DeArmond SF or any BiSonic I've ever seen: the chrome frame and the "staple" pole pieces are wrong, for starters. You can't see it on the attached picture, but it's stamped "Guild Made in USA" on the bottom:



I have no interest in buying it. Just curious to know what it is.

Anybody know?

These are all the Guild Bass pups I'm familiar with and it doesn't look like any of them:

 

mellowgerman

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If I recall correctly the Guildbucker I played around with had a white bobbin but did have square (or possibly rectangular) polepieces for the row under the cover and the big screws for the other row. Never saw one with a black bobbin or partial chrome cover. Maybe a prototype?
 

hansmoust

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It's being sold as a "1970s Hagstrom/Guild BiSonic Bass pickup". It doesn't look the Guild Buckers on a '90s SF, the DeArmond Buckers on a DeArmond SF or any BiSonic I've ever seen: the chrome frame and the "staple" pole pieces are wrong, for starters. You can't see it on the attached picture, but it's stamped "Guild Made in USA" on the bottom:



I have no interest in buying it. Just curious to know what it is.

I believe that's a regular Guild humbucker with bobbins that are painted black and a chrome cover that was opened up on the top. Whether that was done at the factory or at a later stage I do not know.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

mellowgerman

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I believe that's a regular Guild humbucker with bobbins that are painted black and a chrome cover that was opened up on the top. Whether that was done at the factory or at a later stage I do not know.

It does look painted! Maybe a person bought a Starfire bass because he/she was a Jack Casady fan and wanted their bass to look more like his... does seem like it's an attempt to approximate a Bisonic pickup. Seems like a lot of work now with several options of aftermarket Bisonic-style pickups, but I imagine that back in the 70's and 80's it may have been almost impossible to track one down.
 

SFIV1967

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Better picture:

1604505202510.png


The cutout looks homemade:

1604505247452.png


Ralf
 

Minnesota Flats

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I noticed that as well but couldn't decide whether it was a little "hang nail" of black plastic or a cut from a saw blade that got away from the user. Based on your enlargement, I'd say it's the latter, which supports your "homemade" conclusion. Thanks for the blow-up.

Looking at those holes in the black plastic, I'd guess that they indicate that the pup was originally mounted without a frame (like a "soapbar" P-90 guitar pup).
 

SFIV1967

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but couldn't decide whether it was a little "hang nail" of black plastic
Good point, I didn't think about. There is another tiny picture on the web from the other side, but enlarged all detail is lost and you only see the "black thing" is there as well but in the previous picture it looked like a cut from a saw blade.

1604519015701.png


Looking at those holes in the black plastic, I'd guess that they indicate that the pup was originally mounted without a frame (like a "soapbar" P-90 guitar pup).
No. Look at the picture from the bottom! Those 4 screws fix the bobbins to the baseplate!

1604519374148.png


Ralf
 

hansmoust

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Looking at those holes in the black plastic, I'd guess that they indicate that the pup was originally mounted without a frame (like a "soapbar" P-90 guitar pup).

No, those holes are for the screws that fasten the bobbins to the base plate; they go all the way through the bobbins and they are always there.

BassPickup.jpg


Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

SFIV1967

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No worries! But I guess that was also all that was to say about that pickup!
Ralf
 

mellowgerman

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Well, now hold on just a minute! I think we could postulate further... does the black paint have conductive properties, in which case it may have been applied for shielding purposes? Was the choice of uncovering only the top of the pickup to make for a brighter, snappier response, while still protecting the coil? Did the removal of some metal provide weight relief for the bass or perhaps result in better balance if only the neck pickup was subject to the modification? Is it even a pickup at all or just a figment of our collective LTG imagination?
 

Minnesota Flats

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What about the inductance of this pickup?

Is it so high that the cover was opened up in an attempt to prevent it from overheating during a set?

Perhaps the owner thought that a radiator and water jacket (in addition the the ceiling fan already ducted into the pup cavity) would add too much weight...
 
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