Dialtone Pickups have hit retail shelves at JAMS Music in Dublin, Calif., (http://jamsmusicdublin.com/) and Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Mich., (http://www.elderly.com/).
Dialtone Pickups’ new, ground-breaking technology allows guitarists to continually adjust tone by using finger-friendly knobs that are built into each pickup. Currently offered as a replacement to humbucker pickups, Dialtone Pickups give musicians on-the-fly access to frequency response, which, for the first time, allows guitar players to emphasize and color the rich tones already present in their guitars.
Dialtone Pickups are handcrafted in the United States, using premium materials and components, including aluminum cases, which offer superior functionality compared to plastic cases commonly used in the guitar pickup industry. Dialtone Pickups also offer optional gain control, providing guitarists ultimate flexibility at their fingertips.
In a Shnobel Tone YouTube video from Winter NAMM 2015, Dialtone Pickups’ inventor, John Liptac, along with the company’s musical consultant, Brandon McCullough, explained and demonstrated to NAMM visitors how the pickups work, are wired, and how they sound in action:
To see more information on how this unique pickup technology works, visit the Dialtone Pickups’ YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/user/DialtonePickups
Individuals can purchase Dialtone Pickups online at:
Reverb: https://reverb.com/brand/dialtone-pickups
Dialtone Pickups’ website: http://www.dialtonepickups.com/
For retailers, bulk orders and purchasing inquiries, please email: support[at]dialtonepickups.com.
About Dialtone Pickups:
Dialtone Pickups officially was founded in January 2014 by John Liptac and Tory Taylor. In an effort to achieve the “perfect tone,” Liptac had made several modifications to his guitars, but he was unable to achieve the tone for which he was seeking. Instead of continuing to waste time and money on gear, Liptac found a better solution: Invent an adjustable pickup instead of settling for a sound with which he was less than happy.
Using his passion for guitars, combined with backgrounds in physics and engineering, Liptac spent 2011 through 2013 designing the first prototype, which was built in January 2014. In August 2014, Dialtone Pickups assembled and installed its first set of production pickups. In September 2014, the company began pilot testing, and it launched a Traveling Guitar campaign, allowing bands across the U.S. to try out the pickups.
Pickups generally can be characterized by a resonant frequency and Q value. With typical pickups found in most guitars, these values are fixed by the passive electromagnetic design. Parameters, such as the number of turns of wire, capacitance and magnet type, among others, contribute to the sound produced. Dialtone Pickups use an active circuit that gives independent control of the resonant frequency and Q-value. Control over these parameters, coupled with an optional gain control, adjusts frequency response and gives artists tremendous creative possibilities.
“In some ways, it would have been easier to make this a digital solution. Fitting two knobs in such a small space was no easy task. We evaluated a number of options, including interfaces that connect digitally to a smartphone, for example. But in the end, we settled on two simple knobs because that’s what seemed most natural and intuitive. Easy access to tone: That’s our goal,” Liptac said.
The idea is to give musicians more flexibility with their sound and capability in performance as simply as possible. Dialtone Pickups work by integrating knobs into the pickup, itself, letting the guitarist dynamically tailor the instrument’s frequency response. These knobs are located at the hands of the player, giving new sonic possibilities during performances and recording.
“It’s sort of like going from a one-geared to a multi-geared bicycle. It’s just logical. We aren’t reinventing the guitar; we’re just making an important component more efficient and versatile,” Taylor said.
Designed by a physicist and engineer, each Dialtone Pickup proudly is made in the U.S., using premium processes, materials and components. Coils are hand-wound, and pickups are carefully handcrafted by the Dialtone team in Livermore, Calif.
The Dialtone Pickups team comprises:
John Liptac – Founder
Tory Taylor – Director
Brandon McCullough – Musical Consultant
Andrew Shultz – Product/Technical Expert
Company Links:
Website: http://www.dialtonepickups.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dialtonepickups
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DialtonePickups
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DialtonePickups/videos
