Pick-up clarification for the totally ignorant...

[Dyebomb]

I'm planning to make myself a solidbody 4-string mandolin based on a Fender Jazzmaster shaped body.

What I have no idea about is what sort of pick-ups to use...
I'd like to put in a couple, just for the variety of sounds.

However, I'll be on a very tight budget and wanted to ask if I need to use a mandolin specific pick-up or if there is something else that can substitute? I'm sure if I go to the local music shop and ask to see their range of mandolin pick-ups I'll be laughed right out onto the street.

I've read that bass pick-ups will work, but also read that while serviceable they're not ideal?
I also read that pick-ups without poles like Fender lace sensors or Danelectro lipstick pickups will work well with a mandolin.
Basically I have no idea so any advice would be appreciated.

thanks,

Tim.

[thistle3585]

There has been a ton of discussions about this, so you might do a search. My experience with Bass pickups: A very general rule of thumb is higher Ohm equals higher output. If you split up a bass pickup then you are going from one 8 Ohm pickup to two 4 Ohm pickups. But then again, you can offset that a little by your choice of capacitors and pots.(See weak E string thread).) Here is one tip. If buying a split bass pickup, be sure that the blade runs the width of the pickup. I recently discovered that many split pickups are designed to cover two strings, not four, so they aren't necessarily wide enough to be used alone. Also, the blades aren't necessarily centered in the pickup but closer to one edge.
In the end, its easier to call someone like Bill Lawrence or Steve Ryder and tell them what you want and let them make it for you. Especially if you are just building one instrument.

[mrkrishna]

Thistle is right. Bite the bullet and contact Steve Ryder #and talk to him about what he has for sale. He makes dedicated Emando pickups for us poor deranged builders,and he does it well.If you want lots of room between the end of the fingerboard and the bridge,you could put in stacked humbucking pickups. They take as much room as a single coil,but are just a bit deeper. The volume output is not as much though. There is also a guy making dedicated 4 and 5 string mando bridges out of solid brass that I was just put in contact with. His email is andrew@auinc.com.I am awaiting a whole bunch of info on specifics of what he does,and the measurements.If his bridges are the real deal, for $40.US ,it seems like a # terrific thing. I have built a few Emandos myself,and if I were starting to build now, as you are, I would only use parts MADE specificly for Emandos.Just my 2 cents worth...I'll keep you guys posted on the bridges....Kerry K

[jmkatcher]

I think that lipsticks actually have poles, just inside the case. Blade pickups are the sort of thing you're thinking about, and I'm sure a good one will work well.

[mandroid]

some blade ones (for strat) that are useful: Lawrence, EMG [got one ,select passive,stacked humbucker, and have another with a fender lacesensor 'gold' too]
carvin has some, one has a series of magnetized phillips screws, equivelent of a blade since theyre all right next to each other [would allow adjusting distance to string.]
strat format seems good, you can set them at an angle, and if youre curious about what another one may sound like, its an interchaneable parts thing...
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Dyebomb]

thanks for all your responses...guess I was just unrealistically hoping for some really simple option.

I've no doubt that you're all correct that going straight to the expert source is the way to go, so I'll wait till I can afford to do it properly instead of doing things half-arsed.