A new line of humbuckers that use threaded magnets rather than a bar magnet.
Spokane, WA (June 28, 2018) -- Silver Hand Pickups introduce a new series of premium pickups they call the “Missing Link”. These pickups might look like ordinary humbuckers at first glance, but thanks to their innovative use of adjustable magnetic pole pieces, the “Missing Link” Humbucker lineup offers tones that range from crystal clear chime to aggressive mid range punch. With Silver Hand Pickup’s “Missing Link” series, you can have the punch and clarity of a single coil, with the warmth and hum cancelling properties of a humbucker.
Normal humbuckers use steel screws with a bar magnet hidden underneath the pickup, but the Missing Link's pole pieces are actually threaded magnets. This changes the note attack, overtones, and perhaps most notably, provides clarity and note definition atypical of standard humbuckers.
The attack becomes more articulate and expressive because the magnetic field is concentrated on a narrower portion of the guitar string. The narrower magnetic field senses a more focused range of string movement which means more overtones are transferred through the pickup without being lost to phase cancellation. That phase cancellation is why regular humbuckers can sound dark and muddy sometimes when compared to single coils, P90’s, and even mini humbuckers.
The threaded magnetic pole pieces make these pickups adjustable as well. When you raise the pole pieces and lower the pickup height, you get into single coil territory. When you lower the adjustable magnet heights and raise the pickup, it brings forth those lows and mids that humbuckers are well known for.
On the “Missing Link S”, they go a step further and use only one magnetic pole piece per string, which captures a truly accurate single coil tone in a humbucker. For designs with more humbucker flavor, they go with two magnets per string.
Magnetic pole pieces in humbuckers also change the pickup’s inductance and their ability to alleviate resonance damping from Eddy Currents. In simple terms, that means a brighter tone with less treble cut off. To fine tune the inductance, each Missing Link pickup type is wound with a unique type and gauge of wire. This brings balance and creates DC Resistance readings quite a bit different from standard humbuckers. For assessing the tone and output of the Missing Link humbuckers, you really have to listen to them. There are great clips and tonal illustrations available on their website.
Missing Link Humbuckers come in a custom blue pine box and carry a street price of $149 each. They can be bought directly from Silver Hand Pickups at www.silverhandpickups.com, or through select dealers. They keep a stock of all their pickup models ready to ship and turn around small custom production batches in as little as two weeks. If you’re a builder, they can provide estimates for larger or more complex custom orders as well.
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