Wishbringer Music

THE OHM MISCONCEPTION.  Whenever we buy guitar pickups, one of the first things we look at is the Ohm rating.  The general belief is that the higher the rating, the more "powerful" (louder) the pickup.   And to an extent, that can be true. It is at the same time a total misconception of how pickups work... and a misrepresentation of how much power (volume) a pickup can produce.

HOW PICKUPS WORK.  Most MAGnetic guitar pickups are created by wrapping copper wire around one or more magnets, and are measured by the Ohm reading from that wire.  When ferrous guitar strings (steel, chrome or nickel) vibrate above that coil it disrupts the magnetic field, which causes electrons within the wire to move.  This creates electricity... which is then received and significantly increased by your guitar amplifier.

WHY THE OHM MEASUREMENT IS BOGUS.  Measuring pickups strictly by ohms is a "cheat figure" the guitar industry uses to make general power ratings easier to understand.   The reality is that ohms have nothing to do with the actual power / volume of a pickup.  There is a good reason for this:  ohms is not a measure of electric flow; is it a measure of electric impedence-- the resistance of the device to the flow of electricity.

In laymen's terms, ohms measure how poorly electricity flows through a wire, not how well. 

Why then are ohms used as a pickup rating?  Because in general, ohms refer to how much copper is in the pickup coil.  The widespread belief is that the more copper wire, the more volume.  Yes, all things equal-- if coils are identical, using the same coil shape and the same wire thickness and consistency of coil wrap-- the higher the ohm rating the more powerful the pickup. 

However, pickups are not identical.  They vary greatly in how they're made, what kind of wire they use, the type of magnets used, how the wire is wound, etc etc.  This is why there are so many different kinds of pickups on the market... each boasting its own advantages. 

The reality: since amplifiers are designed to increase power and guitar pedals can significantly change the sound of pickup output... "power" is one of the least important of those advantages.  Power can be changed external to the pickup.  Of far greater importance is basic tone, consistency of sound, degree of distortion, lack of unwanted noise and hum, and general quality of pickup signal.  These all join together to form pickup output.

Still, ohms are widely used.  Mellow guitar pickups often have ohm ratings between 4.5K and 6K.   Humbuckers often run 7K to 9K+.  "Hot" pickups (ie heavy metal) sometimes hit 16K or more.  

BUT THE REALITY IS THIS:   a lot more is involved in making a guitar pickup than wrapping a wire a certain number of times around a magnet (a typical guitar "coil").  There are many variables involved.  That is why the field of guitar pickups is so complex and competitive, with everyone claiming to have a "special" pickup.  

Those variables are why pickups sound different from one another.   If all that was involved was wrapping wire a specific number of times around a magnet... all pickups would sound the same, the only difference being the number of wraps involved.

IS THE OHM / POWER RATING VALID?

In a word: No.  The Ohm measurement is accurate...  but it has nothing to do with power, output or volume. 

This can be proved in three ways:

1) By winding thousands of hair-thin wire coils around a piece of cardboard with no magnet.  Then take an ohm reading on that coil.  You will get the same ohm reading as if you had wrapped it around a magnet, no difference... but there will be no sound from that coil-- because despite the Ohm reading, there is no output.   So obviously the ohm reading can be misleading.

2) You can sometimes purchase two pickups similarly configured, and the pickup with the lower ohm rating will be louder when played at the same volume as the higher-ohm pickup.  (Why would a lower-ohm pickup be louder if ohms were an indication of power?)

3) You can take 40 gauge wire and wrap it 10,000 times around a magnet.  Then take 44 gauge wire (far thinner) and wrap that wire 10,000 times around the same size and type of magnet.  Realistically speaking, 10,000 wraps of 40 gauge wire will have LOTS more copper than 10,000 wraps of 44 gauge wire.  But when you take Ohm readings, the 40 gauge wire will read far lower than the 44 gauge wire.  However, when you hook it up to an amplifier, the 40 gauge coil will produce significantly more power than the 44 gauge coil.  

Since the 44 gauge coil reads significantly higher Ohms, shouldn't it also have significantly higher volume?   No.  That's the entire point here.   Ohms is a measure of electrical resistance.  The smaller wire does not allow electricity to flow as easily as the larger wire, so produces a higher Ohm rating.  The larger wire produces a lower Ohm rating but due to its larger size allows far more current to flow.   Lower Ohms... but more power.

THE HOUN'PUP PARADOX.  Our company once produced a specialty mag pickup called the Houn'Pup that registered zero ohms on a multimeter.  Yet it produced significant volume and quality sound.  Why?  Because of the highly unique way in which it was designed.  The pickup received rave reviews.  The Houn'Pup was absolute proof of what I'm stating in this article:  it is a magnetic coil pickup with zero measurable ohms, yet produces great power and sound.  Obviously: ohms does not equate to power. 

OUR FLATCAT PICKUP.  The FlatCat produces terrific power (60% to 300% greater than competitive pickups).   It has received solid 5-star reviews lauding its rich and vibrant output. That's not because of an invalid ohm rating... but because FlatCats are built differently than any other pickup on the market. 

The FlatCat is unique.   It is a mag pickup, but it is obvously flat, only 1/4" thick.  The entire pickup sits directly under the strings.  Nothing is stuck inside the guitar body away from the strings.   This allows the FlatCat to pick up every bit of energy, every nuance of sound, over a considerably longer string length.

As a result, a FlatCat produces as much "power" (volume and tone) as a full-size pickup.  In fact a FlatCat can pick up some sounds a standard humbucker may miss, simply due to proximity to the strings and the way the FlatCat is designed internally.  The result is so unique and rich in tone that I use FlatCats on my personal guitars.  My customers are amazed at the sound they get from this thin pickup.

SOUND IS SUBJECTIVE

It's difficult to create a scientific measurement of "wonderful sound", because people's ears and tastes differ.   What sounds good to one person may not sound as good to another. 

FlatCat™ Pickups are designed to appeal to a wide variety of guitar playing styles and listening preferences.   Depending on your playing style, volume settings and the amp you use, FlatCat sound can range from smooth and mellow to overdrive "rock out".   FlatCats are very versatile pickups that are enjoyed by musicians world wide. 

SUMMARY.  Ohms is a measurement of the wire's resistance to the flow of electricity.  So how can ohms possibly rate power and volume?  The simple truth is, ohms is not a rating of power.

That said, yes, if you're sporting a 17 K pickup you are likely to get some serious power and probably a lot of natural distortion in the process (a "hot" pickup).   If you buy a 4.5K pickup it's almost certainly intended for clean, mellow blues and smooth jazz.   But as you've read here, that's just a generalization.  The best way to judge pickup sound and power is by ear and reading reviews.

True pickup sound is measured not by ohms (impedence in an electrical line), but by resulting power, consistency and tone.  The FlatCat definitely produces the power and quality guitarists look for in a high-level pickup-- and does so at a very reasonable price for a custom-wound pickup.

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THE HISTORY OF FLATCAT™ GUITAR PICKUPS

From the owner of Wishbringer Music

    Around the end of 2014 I became aware of flat pickups when I noticed a brand called Thinkbuckers.   Looking further I found another brand called FlatPup, another by the Lace company, another brand by National.  I was already building guitars by hand and was fascinated by the concept of flat pickups, but could find very little information on how they were built. Even the cigar box guitar communities seemed very secretive (at the time) as to the process.

    Research revealed that flat pickups were nothing new; they'd been around for decades.  Lace and National produce off-the-shelf models, but they are very pricey. 

    Gaining little or no cooperation from the community in understanding flat pickup design, I went to the Net and did some research.  Very little was found there. So I started experimenting by the seat of my pants, beginning with only a slight inkling of how these were made, based on non-specific photos.  Existing pickups were wax potted and wrapped in cellophane packing tape-- a process that didn't appeal to me. I wanted something sturdier and more resistant to environmental changes.

    Factory-made flat pickups were pricey, starting at $145 each.  I wanted to build a pickup that was especially sturdy and had a wide-range of sound ability, but at a price affordable to the everyday guitar player.

    I started developing an unusual design, significantly different than prior designs I had seen.  Not a quick process.  Hundreds of hours were involved in basic R&D. Dozens of trial pickups. Detailed records were kept on all attempts-- gleaning the best features from each and discarding failures.  Eventually, the FlatCat pickup was born.

    By mid-2015 the R&D sessions had accomplished several things:

    * Considerable improvement over existing design concepts both in construction and resulting sound.  Testers stated it sounded better and was more versatile than other pickups.

    * FlatCats are fully potted and encased in solid PolyResin, which makes them very sturdy and more immune to elements and the environment.

    * Because of their design I was able to create and offer the first low-cost 6-string flat pickup on the market, intended for use on standard electric guitars.  Where factory-produced pickups started at $145 and up, FlatCats are priced at $50 to $55.   FlatCats extended beyond the realm of cigar box guitars. 

    *  Flatcats were significantly more powerful than existing CBG-type flat pickups.  Despite that gain in power, FlatCats remained wonderfully rich in tone, without distortion.  They work well with pedals, including distortion and overdrive models.

    *  FlatCat was released in  Cigar Box Guitar and Humbucker footprints.  Both models are aboout 1/4" thick and designed to be mounted to the surface of a guitar.

    FlatCats were released to the market and over the next several months earned solid 5-star reviews.   They were purchased by professional luthiers, cigar box guitar builders and customers  modding their own off-the-shelf guitars.  Repeat purchases by existing customers proved their effectiveness.  

    FlatCats are often specified as the "pickup of choice" by people who order custom guitars from Wishbringer, with those guitars receiving top reviews as well.  

    Today the FlatCat is available in a variety of colors.   Their sturdy composition assures their continued function over decades-- the wonderfully unique sound available to you for your special guitar projects.

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Following are photos of Wishbringer instruments-- Cigar Box Guitars, 6-String Electrics, Amplifiers and other things I've built that are now being used by happy customers.  This is to give an idea of what is possible in the custom instrument area.

The Rebel custom Tele-style guitar, features FlatCat™ hand-made pickup (center), hand-modified Telecaster-type pickup (more power, greater range than a standard Tele pickup), three on/off pickup switches for instant access to 7 sound combinations, three individual pickup volume controls, master volume and tone (all set in mother of pearl), a Bigsby-style tremolo system, hand-finished pick guard and a fun name tag.

KC Royals Commemorative CBG.  Created when the KC Royals won the World Series in 2015.  Aluminum "license plate" resonator face, two internal pickups, volume and tone controls, Royals logo hand-pyrographed onto back.

Customer review:  Great work! My husband loved the guitar! I asked for a special request for the guitar to be KC Royals themed and the design was perfect. I don't know much about guitars but my husband and his musically inclined family were very impressed!

Petrovsky Telecaster.  This customer wanted a Telecaster Affinity turned into his personalized dream instrument.  Individual pickup toggles, pearlized pick guard, modified Telecaster single pickup (twice as powerful) and hand-made FlatCat pickup as parts of a balanced 3-pickup set, mother-of-pearl-tipped knobs, individual and master volume controls, tone control, Bigsby-style vibrato and authentic mother-of-pearl name inlay on the neck make this one of the most beautiful guitars I've ever had the joy of customizing.

Bullet Stratocaster Super-mod

This was an experiment to see what could be done with a quality starter guitar.  The Bullet Strat is the "low end" of the Fender line, inexpensive and widely available.  I started with the Aqua Bullet then replaced all of the pickups with my own selection:  my own FlatCat custom-finish at the neck, a dual-rail humbucker in the center, and a heavy humbucker at the bridge.  The plain white pick guard was removed and replaced with a pearloid version.  The combination makes a very versatile guitar-- and a real beauty.  The FlatCat gives this "starter" guitar amazing sound.

FlatCat™ pickups:  These quality, hand-made pickups sit directy under your guitar strings, pulling every bit of resonant sound from your instrument.   Works on a wide variety of gutiars, including cigar box guitars, solid bodies, hollow-bodies, resonators and more.

Customer 5-star FlatCat review:

I got a set  for a hollow body guitar I made, and I absolutely love these pickups! They have a full, rich sound that stays clear. The bridge pickup does twangy and jangly really well, and the neck has a great big warm sound to it. They're great to play clean, and will do fuzz and distortion equally well. These pickups look cool, are easy to install, and they sound GREAT!  I'll be getting more of these in the future. Thank you Wishbringer!

Altoids DulciMint.  Three-string dulcimer-fretted one-stick guitar using an Altoids mint tin for a body.  Contains an internal transducer pickup and a hand-made FlatCat™ pickup at the neck as well as volume and tone controls all in that little tin. 

Customer review:  "Supercool guitar. Sounds amazing - a screaming, stumming machine! First rate build quality. Superior fit and finish. Great communication throughout build process."

Photo Tele:  This custom-order consists of a semi-hollow Telecaster-style body, individual volume and master volume controls, a Varitone-style tone switch ranging from clean to distortion to heavy-metal overdrive, modified Telecaster pickup (twice as powerful), custom-made FlatCat and Houn'Pup pickups, vintage-style Teisco vibrato bar, and hand-pyrographed wood photo on the upper left.

Customer gave this guitar a 5-star rating.

Hazardous Voltage cigar box guitar features a light-up front plate and terrific sound.

Customer review:  I love my Steampunk Cigar Box Guitar. It is as easy to play as the seller says it is. And it is designed so creatively. I have seen other cigar box guitars but this one stood out to me and I had to have it. It arrived already tuned and ready to play. It even included a slide and a pick. I am very happy with my purchase.

Mustang fretless.  Two custom-finish FlatCat pickups, phase switching, volume and tone.  Beautiful red metal flake finish, with three hand-pyrographed mustang horses on the neck:

Note: I ordinarily don't recommend ordering a fretless 6-string unless you've played one before and like the results.   They're a bit... different.

Four Aces was my very first CBG sale, a multi-pickup sound monster with a resultant very-pleased 5-star review from the customer:

Customer review:  AWESOME CBG!!!!!!!! I would would buy another one in a heart beat!!!!!!!Thank you so much🎸👀🎸👀🎼🎼

GitRicky Surf-Green Tele.  Gorgeous Telecaster-style with pearlized pick guard, Bigsby-style tremolo and three pickups including a custom-modified Tele pickup, standard Tele bridge pickup and hand-made FlatCat™ center. 

Customer review: "A very fine, and beautiful guitar. The finish is a work of art. The guitar plays like butter, would put this up against any big name instrument. I would look up Wishbringer for any custom work."

ElectraGlide.  This beautiful hand-pyrographed (wood-burned) CBG featured my very first hand-made guitar pickup-- the prototype that lead to production of the popular FlatCat™ series.

Portable Wedge Steampunk Amplifier.  Packing  a lot of power into a 3.5-inch speaker, the Wedge has volume, tone and overdrive controls, runs on AC or battery and a versatile sound range.

Customer review: A great item. A lot of utility in a nice package. Plenty loud for what it is intended.

Les Paul Custom:  This customer wanted a basic FlatCat™ pickup and cosmetic upgrade to this red dye Les Paul guitar.  Sound is fantastic.

Mild Insanity.  This off-the-wall CBG has an intentionally-angled neck, pyrographic neck and face designs, mag pickup and lap-guitar style.

Sea Mist.  This Tele-style guitar is my own personal instrument.  My initial jump into hand-made full-size electric guitars, the paint job alone contains some 20 coats.  With four individually-switchable pickups (FlatCat™, P-90, Lipstick Tube and Humbucker), a pyrographed neck and Bigsby-style tremolo, this is the ultimate "does everything" guitar.

Creator's personal guitar.

Classic Cigar Box Guitar.  Custom creation for a friend, this fretless CBG has beautiful acoustic sound as well as electronics built in, hand-pyrographed front and hand-painted neck.

Custom Jaguar.  Customer wanted a simplified Jaguar-style guitar with custom P-90 and Humbucker pickups.  Customization included hand-cut pearloid plate and true mother-of-pearl control knobs.

Customer review:  I seriously cannot put into words how much I love this guitar. Wishbringer built me exactly what I was looking for, a sturdy, beautiful, and fantastic sounding instrument that I would be happy to use for any function, whether it's in the studio, on stage, or just playing around in my bedroom. This guitar is beautiful, the picture hardly does it justice, it almost shimmers in person. The tone is phenomenal, perfect, warm where I want it to be warm and bright where I want it to be bright. The actual feel of this guitar is... well stunning. I was shocked at how natural it felt in my hands, it felt like it might as well have been an extra extension to my body. String action makes the instrument extremely easy to play, as advertised, while still maintaining beautiful resonance. 

Steampunk Amp.  This portable amp runs on AC current or batteries and features twin 4" speakers along with volume, tone and bass overdrive controls. The hand-inlaid speaker cover wires and corner protectors along with antique handle adds charm to this hobby-box amplifier.  Multiple apertures produce excellent acoustic sound.

Eastern Song.  This tenor Ukulele features a hand-painted front, oriental metal decorations and a beautiful drawer-handle string anchor.  The customer loves the unique sound and ukulele fingering.

Customer review:  This is by far the most unique ukulele I have ever seen! It has a slightly different sound than a classic tenor, but that's what makes me love it even more. : )

Archtop Electric.  This is an (estimated) 1950s archtop that was in pretty bad condition when I got it.  Replaced the fretboard with inlaid mother of pearl, patched, sanded and repainted from a mottled brown to light ivory color, added gold-tone hardware and a FlatCat pickup system to top off the mix.  The decades-old wood and total hollow-body structure produces wonderful tone and resonance.

Right click and "Open Image in New Tab" for a closer look.

I had a change of mind on this one.  I started out with this to see how it would sound.  The trick was a dowel that runs under the bridge to allow the back to resonate through the very open front.  (Left click photo to enlarge.)

The original design:

This is the revision. I replaced the top with inner-magnet attached side panels, and "brassed it up".  Added a rustic finish and inner workings to turn it into a 5-voice guitar.

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