Interesting PU arrangement on this Italia bass...

[Orang Goreng]

Discuss?

[jop]

I quite like that.

[sexy andy]

I have played one of those at 'de plug'. I can't remember what it sounded like. It shure is freaky looking, though.

[AWSchmit]

since the pickups run sideways, I wonder if it sounds like a middle and neck possition in serise. It would be cool for recording if you could switch the different pickups on and off if you knew you were only going to play certain strings.

[spook]

Ooh.... I quite like that! It's like a sideways lipstick pickup for each strings!

[Stereordinary]

I love it!  I have no idea what it would sound like, but fuck that bass is hot IMO. 

[andrewz]

I tried to look up some info on them, but couldn't find a whole lot..

First, Italia's website is screwed up and doesn't even show the right bass when you click on "modulo"- it shows some other bass..

I found out they're apparently made by wilkinson and are being called lipstick pickups. 

But, it looks like Wilkinson doesn't even have a website either...

That's as far as I got before I gave up..

[Orang Goreng]

I tried to look up some info on them, but couldn't find a whole lot..

First, Italia's website is screwed up and doesn't even show the right bass when you click on "modulo"- it shows some other bass..

I think I got it from here. I was browsing a Japanese ESP site; ESP seems to be the distributor for Japan. AFAIK, Italia are Chinese/Korean-made guitars in the style of 60s Italian guitars, it's quite a cool brand.

Anyway, given how I don't read Japanese, I have no further info on it either. It looks like it's just a bunch of regualr guitar lipstick PUs mounted sideways. I wonder if they have six pole pieces, or maybe a long magnet. In my mind this has the potential to sound great, because it senses such a long piece of string.

[theworkoffire]

Lipsticks have just a single long  bar magnet inside. I love the look of that arrangement, and I'd love to hear what it sounds like, too.

[andrewz]

Yeah, they've got some good looking guitars and basses.. I've got an Italia electric sitar, and the build quality is pretty good too, considering it's made in china or korea or wherever..

[yaksox]

>>AFAIK, Italia are Chinese/Korean-made guitars in the style of 60s Italian guitars, it's quite a cool brand.


sheeit! I always assumed Italia guitars were made in Italy. 

[OffYourFace]

hmmm...  if those pickups just go straight to the volume knob, I don't think it'll sound very good.   If each pickup is voiced for a specific string (per windings, in-line caps/resistors), it might be alright.   I just don't see it having much character while amplifying such a wide field.

I once had a cheesy '80s Ibanez shred guitar that had a triple coil pickup (like a HB w/ an extra/3rd coil).  With all 3 coils on, it had no character...  just sounded like a bridge humbucker with too much bass & midrange.

When you turn all 3 pickups on a Bass VI, you get a cool sound because you're mixing 3 distinct sound areas.  It also depends on how it's wired.  I had a '90s Danelectro RI 59DC that had 3 lipstick pickups (yes, they are bar magnets).  When all 3 were turned on, it got louder but the tone was...  eh.

[fuzzjunkie]

Seems like they should be staggered more? Maybe in the other direction? Cool pickguard though!

[warreng]

a local shop here has a black one. It plays really well and if i had to describe the sound it would be "a little woody kinda p bass-ish" very cool and unique sounding. very comfortable too. i like the italia guitars. the shop also has a p90 gold sparkle somethingorother and it would be awesome for slide. i quite like it. they are fairly cheap as well.

[pj]

The lipsticks on my Dano bass are slanted slightly and sound great. I wonder what that bass would sound like? Any clips?

=-) PJ