HOBO PICKUPS: Video & Recording Studio Sound Tests by Shane Speal

Hi all, it's Shane Speal.  Gitty recently sent me their 3-string test guitar loaded with a brand new Hobo Pickup  to take it for a test drive.  I'm very impressed by the absolute clarity of the scatter-wound pickup design, especially when plugged into his 15 watt all-tube amplifier.  The pickup stays clean, even when the amp is cranked!  It's crystalline with beautiful highs and still has some floor shaking lows.

STUDIO TEST:  I took the 3-string cigar box guitar into the recording studio and cut a few quick tracks using my 15 watt amp.  No additional effects or compression was added to these recordings!  What you hear is the exact sound of the cigar box guitar with the Hobo pickup plugged direct into the amp.

Several tracks were recorded with the volume pegged.  The pickup snarled, but otherwise kept its clarity throughout.

Gitty's note:  Scatter-wound refers to the hand-spun method of creating our Hobo Pickups.  Instead of feeding the copper wire through a machine for a more uniform design, we spin the wire by hand, giving a more random wind pattern.  The result is increased treble.  The handmade nature also makes every pickup have their own unique voice.  Scroll down to see Shane's full video review

I also recorded a couple videos featuring the same guitar and amp.  The iPad microphone doesn't capture the wealth of tone of the above studio recordings, but you can still get the feel of these superb cigar box guitar pickups.