software

can anyone tell me the reason for the slanted humbucker in a kramer beretta?, just curious becuase i have no clue why.

Honestly, I think it's another one of Kramer's endless attempts to align themselves with the whole Van Halen mystique. Ed's first Frankenstrat was an SSS Strat body that he routed for a humbucker. Since the bridge was already routed for a slanted pickup, he kept the 'bucker that way. No magic, no master plan, just worked out that way. I have a slanted 'bucker in my Aria and it really makes no difference. I suppose if I wanted to get all scientific about it I'd say that it may make the lower strings sound a little chunkier since they're closer to the neck. But really it makes no difference.

He did that becuase at the time there were no quot;trembuckersquot;. He did it so the strings would line up with the polepieces.


Originally Posted by big_blackHe did that becuase at the time there were no quot;trembuckersquot;. He did it so the strings would line up with the polepieces.

1
Would that be magic? No, he's just smart.


Originally Posted by GameraHonestly, I think it's another one of Kramer's endless attempts to align themselves with the whole Van Halen mystique. Ed's first Frankenstrat was an SSS Strat body that he routed for a humbucker. Since the bridge was already routed for a slanted pickup, he kept the 'bucker that way. No magic, no master plan, just worked out that way. I have a slanted 'bucker in my Aria and it really makes no difference. I suppose if I wanted to get all scientific about it I'd say that it may make the lower strings sound a little chunkier since they're closer to the neck. But really it makes no difference.

It's not at all about making the lowing strings quot;chunkierquot; As already stated it is to get all 6 strings to line up better with the pole peices, as a regular humbucker's poles go not extend wide enough for guitars like Eddie Van Halen was using that were equiped with Floyd Rose Tremelos. I would be willing to bet that you Aria has some type of tremelo bridge, which is why the humbucker is slanted, and yes, it does make a difference.
Rock On


Originally Posted by Kac

I would be willing to bet that you Aria has some type of tremelo bridge, which is why the humbucker is slanted, and yes, it does make a difference.

Actually Aria made it an SSS guitar. I made it an HSS by routing it out. And I simply followed the angle of the single coil, and no...it makes no noticeable difference.


Originally Posted by LewguitarI think EVH angled his standard spaced bridge humbucker for the reason Jestor700 stated: To get the high E and Low E over at least one polepiece!

With a Trembucker you wouldn't need to angle it.

And I DO hear a big diffference in the high E and low E if they are not over the polepieces.

They sound weaker if they are not and when I bend the high E I can hear it get louder as I pull it over the polepiece when I've used standard spaced humbcuker for a bridge pickup in a Strat.

When Seymour says: quot;Get your E strings backquot; when he's talking about the Trembuckers he's telling the truth.

Not everyone can hear that improvement...but it's real.

Lew

You may not believe me, but you can PM Lew and discuss it with him if you still believe that there is no difference. (this quote is taken from another thread on this forum discussing slanted pickups.)
Rock On

but angling it you would only get 1 out of the 2 pole pieces under the string or you would just be splitting the difference again wouldnt you...

But I think what Lew was saying is that it is better to get 1 pole peice under each of the E strings than just barely being over 2 of 'em...

Kramer were just copying what EVH was doing on his home-built strat styles. In the late 70s/early 80s, humbuckers were built only to gibson spacing, so Ed slanted the pickup to get better coverage from the narrower polepieces. He stopped doing this around 1984, when he started using the 5150 kramer.

I just bought a Gibson Nighthawk, it should be here Thursday. One mini in the neck, one slanted hum in the bridge. I'll let you know if it makes any difference. This is not the exact guitar, but same model and color:

Originally Posted by big_blackI just bought a Gibson Nighthawk, it should be here Thursday. One mini in the neck, one slanted hum in the bridge. I'll let you know if it makes any difference. This is not the exact guitar, but same model and color:
I had one of those! It was very nice (it actually had a single coil in the middle), but I hated the humbucker.

The Nighthawk is different because the coils on the humbucker are offset so that all the pole pieces line up.


Originally Posted by dd12939The Nighthawk is different because the coils on the humbucker are offset so that all the pole pieces line up.

I know, but I think it would give a good indication if the slanting accually makes a difference since ALL the polepieces line up.

I was thinking about pitting a mini in the bridge. This is accually what I wanted but they are harder to come by, the limited edition Landmark Series.
I would think that it would be better to slant it the other way. Putting the poles for the high-E closer to the neck would give the high strings a rounder, less piercing sound, whereas putting the poles on the low-E towards the bridge would make it more percussive and less flabby. I would think that would work very well for a scooped pickup, like a 59. It might work espcially well for a C5, which some people find too bassy and too trebley. That should tame the high-end and the bass. If someone has a swimming pool route, that might be a cool experiment.

Actually, the same thing goes for the slanted single coil in a strat. Maybe Jimi was on to something!


Originally Posted by KacBut I think what Lew was saying is that it is better to get 1 pole peice under each of the E strings than just barely being over 2 of 'em...Maybe...maybe not. The parallel axis trembuckers don't have poles directly under the strings. Instead each string has two poles per coil, with neight directly underneith the string.

Originally Posted by Lewguitar:
I think EVH angled his standard spaced bridge humbucker for the reason Jestor700 stated: To get the high E and Low E over at least one polepiece!

With a Trembucker you wouldn't need to angle it.

And I DO hear a big diffference in the high E and low E if they are not over the polepieces.

They sound weaker if they are not and when I bend the high E I can hear it get louder as I pull it over the polepiece when I've used standard spaced humbcuker for a bridge pickup in a Strat.

When Seymour says: quot;Get your E strings backquot; when he's talking about the Trembuckers he's telling the truth.

Not everyone can hear that improvement...but it's real.

Lew

I do believe that's true. And when I play a Strat with a stock spaced humbucker in the bridge position and the high E is not over the polepieces, I can hear the high E get louder when I bend it and pull it over the pole. Really, I think any guitarist with a little experience could hear this.

I mean, there are guys who use rails type pickups for a similar reason: they hear the note drop off a bit when they bend a note and pull the string between two polepieces...so they use rails type pickups so the string is always over the polepiece. Very similar idea.

You can hear this stuff if you listen carefully enough....and are a little bit nuts!

so would slanting a rail pup make any diff to tone? (eg. dimebucker)

We know why eddie did it, but there is a tone difference too..to my ears at least...

go listen to some of Jake E. Lee's single coil sounds.. very distinct, because both his neck and middle pickups have a reverse slant (low e side closer to the bridge) ...it's nearly impossible to duplicate/approximate that tone...believe me, I've tried, LOL. And I can get damn close to his HB sounds, even tho I don't have his fingers

Here's a LINK to some pics.