... Don't Forget the Lipstick...

I have spent years living in Humbuckerland. My first PRS guitars all had Humbuckers... even though some were singlecoils he made look like humbuckers. Maybe that is where we all start... a guitar with a humbucker. It's the one we feel kicks a*s. Next thing, maybe we have a friend who needs money, so he sells us a Tele. So we are introduced to a single coil. Wow... these things are pretty good too...! But how many of us are familiar with Danelectro's? Basically, when we were all kings of cool in high-school, you never got a skateboard with everything included for $59.95; you also never told your friends your dream guitar was a Harmony or a Danelectro. And how about those great Lap Steel guitars? Nope.... we focused on either a Les Paul, or most likely a Strat. But look at Danelectros, and notice they have something called a Lipstick-tube pickup. Originally, they were actually made using surplus lipstick tubes! Danelectro guitars were found in the Sears stores, under the name 'Silvertone'. They are made by wrapping a coil around an alnico bar magnet, then wrapping that in tape, then the whole thing is inserted into a tube casing. Currently, Seymour Duncan makes them so they can also fit into Strats. And how do they sound... well, 'warm' is a word used to describe them, and I have one in my new '51 Nocaster... by John Cruz. The guitar has a 3-way selector, and two pickups... the lipstick and a new version of a nocaster pickup (in the bridge). The sound... pure Stevie Ray, EXACTLY... when put through a Louis Electric KR12 amp. So don't forget the lipstick... er... the one in the guitar....