mini

Ibanez Phaser Mini Review

A diminutive modulator dishes distinctive phase tones that stand out in a mix.

Distinctive, prominent phase tones that pop in a mix. Cool 6-stage voice. Small size makes it practical for less frequent phase users.

Less transparent voice may not appeal to players that quest for pristine tones.

$119

Ibanez Phaser Mini
ibanez.com

4.5

Ibanez has an unusual phase legacy. While they never built a phaser as wildly popular as MXR's Phase 90 or Electro-Harmonix's Small Stone, they issued memorable and innovative swirl devices—from the outlandish FP-777 Flying Pan to the simpler, more utilitarian PT-999, PT-909, and PT9.

10 Mini-Humbuckers to Try

Why? Yeah, they're smaller, but they can also offer brighter, clearer, more focused tones than their full-sized cousins.

Whether you’re rehabbing a Les Paul Deluxe or an Epiphone Sheraton, or simply working on a different model or project that calls for mini humbuckers, we’ve rounded up 10 contemporary options to wire up, drop in, and rock out.

DIMARZIO

PG-13
Originally developed for Paul Gilbert to deliver the sonic versatility he needs, this pickup was designed to combine the noiseless operation of a ’bucker with the focus and clarity of a single-coil.
$99 street
dimarzio.com

LACE

Drop & Gain Mini Humbucker
Intended for drop-D tunings and high-gain rock, these humbuckers have two discreet coil functions: one to drive output and the other for punch, crunch, sustain, and fast articulation.
$115 street
lacemusic.com

DRAGONFIRE

Mini Bucker
These vintage-wound pickups use alnico-5 magnets to achieve rounded and dynamic rhythm and lead performance for everything from blues to classic rock.
$45 street
dragonfireguitars.com

LOLLAR

Mini Humbucker
Compared with a vintage mini, these pickups are reported to be fatter and hotter without extreme microphonics, and, next to a full-size humbucker, brighter and tighter.
$175 street
lollarpickups.com

RIO GRANDE

Baby BBQ Dawgbucker
Featuring oversized polepieces and available in a number of different finishes, these double-wax-potted pickups were dreamed up to offer more power and presence than their vintage predecessors.
$170 street
riograndepickups.com

SEYMOUR DUNCAN

Seymourized Mini Humbucker
These handmade neck minis were designed to provide more midrange and clarity for clean tones that are clear and snappy, and distorted tones with a pleasant mid-based growl.
$109 street
seymourduncan.com

CURTIS NOVAK

Mini-Hum
Designed to deliver distinctive, harmonically rich tone with no shrillness, these old-school humbuckers are handwound to vintage specs, but can be custom wound upon request.
$160 street
curtisnovak.com

EMG

Mini Hum M-50
For those in the active camp, this alnico-5 mini was designed to provide plenty of inductance and a beefy sound—great for driving a Marshall, but also good for playing slide through a Deluxe.
$99 street
emgpickups.com

KLEIN

Mini Humbucker
Wound to vintage specs, these mini humbuckers are reported to be brighter than their full-size counterparts, with more depth and presence, and offer plenty of bite and grind when dug into.
$150 street
kleinpickups.com

GIBSON

Mini Humbucker
This vintage replica from the company that introduced the mini humbucker in the ’60s uses alnico-2 magnets for its bright and focused output, but still retains Gibson’s well-known humbucker performance.
$155 street
gibson.com

Acoustic Soundboard: Honey, I Shrunk the Guitar

Shown next to a Collings OM, the Collings Baby (right) was one of the first widely available, very small guitars of high build-quality, and helped usher in the popularity of “undersized” guitars that boast the same appointments as their big brothers.

How small guitars have become a big chunk of the acoustic market.

Small guitars weren’t considered a big deal 25 years ago, but whether you label them as baby, parlor, piccolo, travel, or kids’ models, undersized guitars have been the fastest-growing segment of the acoustic guitar market in the new century. It’s not that “big” guitars don’t sell anymore, and you’re certainly not going to see anybody strapping on a baby or parlor model when fronting a bluegrass band, but what happened?

Some attribute the new popularity of little guitars to specific artists, such as Ed Sheeran and his preference for pint-sized Martin LX1E models. And let’s not forget about Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who became a YouTube sensation by singing David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” with a Larrivée parlor in hand—while floating in space. But even before such high-profile appearances, small guitars had been growing in popularity as players got tired of lugging around heavy cases just to take a guitar lesson or work out a new tune during their lunch break. Whether you like to play sitting up in bed or in the back seat of your car, bigger isn’t always better. And when traveling, of course, too often it’s a choice between bringing a quite small guitar or not bringing one at all.

Rob McNelley Rig Rundown