Ultratone Guitars Product Spotlight: The Making of Gibson Pickups

How Gibson Pickups Are Made

All Gibson Gear Pickups utilize advanced construction for maximum performance, even under the most punishing playing conditions. Once you discover how well-made Gibson Gear pickups are, you'll appreciate their value and why they bear the Gibson name. Gibson Pickups continue to be the choice of top professionals around the world!

Tight Between The Pole Pieces Stops The Feedback

Gaps between the pole pieces and unit baseplates of a pickup are sources for sound penetration. This can create unwanted feedback that makes pickups "squeal" when used to overdrive amps. The fit between all Gibson Pickup pole pieces and base plates is tight with absolutely no gaps. Gibson threads the pole pieces through the base plate, which eliminates sound penetration in addition to increasing the structural integrity of the unit.

Magnets Designed For Performance

Gibson magnetizes our own magnets to ensure the total reliability of each magnet's performance. Critical magnetic flux is maintained for the perfect combination of output without sacrificing tonal characteristics.

Machined Pole Shoe

The pole shoe on Gibson Pickups is a critical component. It is positioned between the coil forms and the unit base plate in order to provide support and guide the pole pieces through to the threaded slots. This hand machined manufacturing process is identical to the original methods used during the fifties for Gibson Pickup production. Most pole shoes are stamped and can deform during production. Gibson's machined pole shoes fit snugly in the pickup. A better fitting pole shoe will not vibrate and reduces microphonic effects.

Maple Wooden Spacers

Maple spacers adhere and form to the metal unit base plate and to the coil form when they are compressed in pickup final assembly. They provide additional support for the coil forms and reduce unit vibrations that can cause unwanted microphonic feedback.

Made With High Quality Cover Materials

Gibson Gear uses standard German Silver cover with nickel, chrome or 24K gold plating, which provides additional strength and durability.   The result is more sonically transparent than other materials that are used (such as brass). That means less high-end loss. The optional 24K gold plated cover will last longer and not rub off as do other less expensive gold plating options.

Pickup Options Four-Conductor or Vintage Two-Conductor Wiring

The BurstBuckers, BurstBucker Pro, '57 Classic, '57 Classic Plus, P-90 and Mini- Humbuckers feature vintage style two-conductor leads, while all other models feature four-conductor leads for all wiring variations such as series, parallel or split-coil operation.

Full Wax Potting

Every Gibson pickup is potted in a special wax bath to insure that microphonic feedback due to internal vibration is eliminated. All covered models receive a second wax bath to further protect the pickup.

Explore many varieties of Gibson pickups at Ultratone Guitars.

Top 10 Things To Consider When Buying A Guitar Amp

An amplifier can be the difference between a great sounding instrument and a poor sounding instrument. Whether you are amplifying an electric guitar, acoustic guitar , bass guitar, keyboards, or an orchestra or band instrument, the type of amplifier you buy is extremely important.  Before you buy, consider your plan for using the amp. Some amps are more portable than others.  Some come with more bells and whistles (or knobs and controls), and others just straight up make it loud.  As a musician, you need to determine the performance level of your amplifier.  If you are playing for a large hall, you will want something powerful enough to fill the room.  On the other flip side, if you are looking for an in-home practice amplifier, you will probably want a smaller less powerful amplifier.  Below are the top 10 things to consider when purchasing your next amplifier.

                                        

 We hope this helps:

1. Configurations

Combination amps, combo for short, are self-contained units that include the amplifier and speaker together. A stack variation consists of a separate amp, or head, and a speaker cabinet. With a stack you can mix and match heads and cabinets to fine tune your sound.

2. Amplifier Types

Solid-state amps use transistors for their preamp and power sections. They are the most popular choice today for their clean tone, affordability and reliability even though the sound is sometimes considered cold.

Tube amps require more maintenance as tubes wear quickly. They're also heavy but are appreciated for their rich, vintage tone.

Modeling amps, the best selling amp segment or most popular segment of the amp market, use technology to make solid state amps sound and feel like traditional tube amps and provide plenty of gain for almost any applications.

Hybrids are available, which have transistors generating power and a tube-driven preamp producing the basic tone.

3. Digitally Modeled

It's possible to get the vintage sound of a tube amp without going old-school. Digital modeling amps simulate the sound through software, so you can get the sound of variety of amps all in one. They also come with built-in digital effects like tremolo, chorus, etc. and a footswitch lets you change between tones.

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4. Construction

The materials that make the amp can affect the quality of its sound. Since a thinner material can cause a speaker to vibrate itself loose, a thickness of at least 1/2" is recommended.

An amp with a closed back will produce a better bass response from a speaker.

5. Speaker Size

Bigger doesn't always mean better. Much of your decision will be based on what type of sound you prefer. Several small speakers in a bass cabinet produce a tighter, more accurate sound, while a larger speaker is often heavy sounding. Again, it comes down to your personal taste.

6. Watts

The more watts you have the more likely the amp will stay true to tone at higher volumes. Amps come with anywhere from 5 to 400 watts.

7. Equalizer (EQ)

EQ settings let you emphasize or de-emphasize particular frequencies to alter the tone of your guitar. In many instances the EQ frequency settings are pre-set. Other times you have the ability to adjust the frequency, giving you greater control. Most preamps have three knobs, some have five, and others have even more.

8. Controls

Look for tone controls, ones that include low, mid and high EQ, presence, gain and reverb. And make sure the controls carry a useful function and don't exist simply for show.

9. Sound

Different amps have different sounds, so test-driving an amp is crucial to getting the sound you want. It's also important to consider the music genre you are likely to play. Do you have softer musical tastes or do you plan to rock out? Certain brands are often suited to one style and not so much to another.

10. Price

You don't need to spend big to get a decent sound. Combination or combo amps tend to be less expensive when compared to stack configurations where you buy the amp and speaker cabinet components separately. So if you’re just starting out, a combo amp is the cheaper and easier way to go.   Remember that your best deal for an amplifier is not only price, but also reliability and performance! 

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Jet City Amplification - Ultratone Guitars Product Reviews Without Complaints

Before Jet City Amplification was founded in 2009, the design team asked themselves, "Does the world really need another average-sounding tube amp, propped up with pithy marketing rants using the word 'boutique' fifteen times a paragraph?" At first, the answer was "yes, our hearts are black enough. Let’s face it, we’re not running a charity. However, something inside just wouldn't let us do it."

Perhaps it was a sense of camaraderie with brothers who drop their dwindling cash reserves on guitar amps promising tone, but ending up not delivering the goods? Or maybe it was because for the first time this team was unshackled by the MBAs and bean counters we worked for in the past — guys who wore khakis with pleats and never touched a guitar— let alone heard an amp sing like an angel. Sure, they know how to use Excel, but they don’t let it make design decisions – Jet City Amplification is a labor of love.

Whatever the reason, the designers had no other choice.  Jet City Amplification must deliver the utmost in tone, while being affordable enough for musicians slugging out a living on the small stage.

Of course, actually delivering on this credo was a whole ‘nother ball of wax. Luckily for you, the amp-buying consumer—legendary tube amp designer, Mike Soldano has joined the Jet City gang. The very name Soldano conjures the smell of hot tubes and blistering guitar. In fact, Mike’s creations in the 90's are directly responsible for more shattered eardrums and 13-year old children than any other guitar amp. The other guys can say boutique all they want, but Mike is the real deal.

Jet City Amplifiers are designed in Seattle with a very simple "no bullsh*t" philosophy. No goofy "DSP" or "marketing knobs" to get between you and your sound. So for the guitarist, it's pure all-tube tone — from shimmering clean to thick ‘n raunchy. If you wanna play smooth jazz, buy someone else’s amps.

Jet City's "Keep It Simple, Soldano" approach to tube amp design speaks for itself; with simple controls, cool cosmetics, and sensible pricing, Jet City Amplifiers offer a taste of the good life, at a fraction of the cost. Each amplifier is meticulously hand-built and rigorously tested, ensuring 100% legit tone, and unflinching reliability.

While other brands snap like toothpicks under the pressure, Jet City Amplifiers eat it up and ask for more — right out of the box, no mods necessary.

Welcome to Jet City Amplification. Plug in and see what real tube amp design and quality tone is all about.