Ubertar Hexaphonic Pickups
and polyphonic pickups for bass and seven-stringed guitar

single, dual and triple string pickups

contact: paul@ubertar.com
FAQ:
How do I install a hexaphonic pickup in my guitar?

Installing a hex pickup is just like installing a regular pickup, except instead of one positive and one ground wire, you have six positive wires and one ground wire. The wires are color-coded, and go in this order, from high to low: white, black, red, green, yellow, blue. If you reverse the orientation of the pickup, it will still work but the order will be reversed. The six positive wires each go to a pin on the 7 pin output jack (included free with purchase of a pickup and breakout box) and the ground wire connects to the ground terminal of that jack. One pin is left over (I remove this pin before shipping, to avoid mistakes):

7-Pin Output Jack

For 13 pin output jacks, the pinout is as follows: high e: pin 1; B: pin 2; G: pin 3; D: pin 4; A: pin 5; low E: pin 6. Pin 7 can be used for the remaining stock mono pickup(s). 13 pin DIN panel mount jacks, as in the picture above, are available for $10 each.

 

Other options are possible, such as adding a switch that combines the signals to mono, or to different stereo configurations, or adding volume and/or tone controls.

What color wire goes to what string?

They go in this order: white black red green yellow blue. Which direction depends on how you orient the pickup. It should be fairly easy to tell which side is which by looking at the wires where they enter the pickup.

What are the specs of your pickups?

Standard coils have a DC resistance of around 7.5K ohms. Plus coils have a DC resistance of around 3K ohms, but are more powerful than standard.

See image below for the amount of cross-talk (bleed) between strings:

 
Why are the humbucker versions so much more expensive than the single-coils?
The humbucker hexaphonic pickups require twice the materials and twice the work and time to make, compared to the single-coil hex pickups.
 
Do you do custom work?
I am not accepting custom orders at this time.
 
I want to install individual pan pots for each output. How do I do that?
Email me for schematics.
 
How long does it take between when I order and when you ship?
Generally about a week. Pickups, breakout boxes, etc., are made-to-order, but sometimes I make or start things ahead of time and they can be ready sooner. Sometimes a lot of orders come in around the same time and it can take longer.
 
Do you ship overseas?

I will ship anywhere in the world. To date, Ubertar hexaphonic pickups have been sold to:

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, USA

 
Do your pickups work with Roland or other guitar synths/MIDI instruments?

Yes.

For best results, install the pickup in bridge position, and adjust the pickup height so the pickup is as close to the strings as possible. They may not be compatible with all older models.

 
Can your pickups work for an acoustic guitar?

Yes.

I also carry sound-hole adapters so you can mount the pickup on the instrument with no permanent modifications to the instrument. You'll still need to put the jack somewhere, though. If you're a sit-down player, you may want to remove the strap peg on the butt of the instrument, and use the remaining hole for the jack.

You'll need to use strings designed for use with electromagnetic pickups. Examples of these are GHS White Bronze, and John Pearse 960L.

For nylon-string (classical) use Thomastik-Infeld KF-110 Classic S-series. These sound great and stay in tune much better than most classical strings, and they work with electromagnetic pickups!

Adjust the height of the pickup so it is as close to the strings as possible.

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What does "plus" mean? How is it different from standard?
Plus pickups are made with HC-series coils. They are more powerful and have better tone (to my ears) than standard. They are the best choice for guitar or bass (or anything else that can stick to a magnet and vibrates).
How does the hex+stereo box work?
It works the same as the standard box, except it also has six switches and two additional outs. This video demo explains in more detail:


 

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