What's Inside Lipstick Pickups? | Too Afraid To Ask  

What is inside a Lipstick Pickup? In fact, what's the deal with such an unusual name? While visiting Thomann for TGU19 I got the chance to pickup a Danelectro guitar and with the help of Ryan from 60 Cycle Hum we were able to discover what lies beneath those shiny covers... With thanks to: 60 Cycle Hum - ru-vid.com Danelectro - danelectro.com/ Thomann - www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=367 Guitar: Danelectro '59M NOS+ - www.thomann.de/gb/danelectro_de_59m_nos_bcbb.htm?offid=1&affid=367 Wind your own pickups - www.nebulabelgium.com?aff=2 #lipstickpickup #danelectro #60cyclehum More from CSGuitars: Gain access to exclusive content at: www.patreon.com/csguitars Buy CSGuitars Merchandise - www.csguitars.co.uk/store Website - www.csguitars.co.uk Contact - colin@csguitars.co.uk Affiliate Links: Thomann - www.thomann.de/gb/index.html?offid=1&affid=367 Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/2mGGg CSGuitars uses: LEWITT Microphones - www.lewitt-audio.com/ Hoffnine Cabinets - www.hoffnine.co.uk/ Hosa Cables - hosatech.com/ Dragon's Heart Guitar Picks - www.dragonsheartguitarpicks.com/ Title graphics and logo by: www.studiosmithdesign.co.uk/ Join the discussion at: Facebook - facebook.com/csguitars Instagram - instagram.com/csguitars/ Twitter -twitter.com/CSG_Scotland Music available at: Amazon: amzn.to/2HUdXgV iTunes: apple.co/2JvpCjp Google Play: bit.ly/2KgSzkl Or stream on Spotify: spoti.fi/2HuYPTP

My girlfriend has the same kind of pickup. She keeps it in her drawers tho Idk why

I actually keep lipstick in my lipstick pickups, you never know when you need to reapply on stage with your NY Dolls cover band.

WILD PETE THORN APPEARED! I noticed him in the background and was hoping he'd be acknowledged somehow. I was not disappointed.

Too afraid to ask: why do metal guitarists have a habit of scooping the mids?

I have a Danelectro 56 tuned to C standard and I use it for sludge metal. Lipstick pickups sound great with high gain amps and/or fuzz.

His face went from happy to sad real quick at 8:09

I love how happy Ryan gets when he can talk about underrated gear. And what a fun surprise to see him pop up in one of your videos :) I would love it if you guys teamed up more often!

A neat fact is that lipstick pickups are quite similar to Burns Tri-Sonics, like the ones Brian May used in his Red Special. They're constructed more or less identical, only the Burns pickups are obviously in a different type of enclosure. You can also buy Strat pickup sized Tri-Sonics from Burns nowadays if you're interested in comparing the two.

The nonchalance of Pete Thorn sneaking up from behind lmao. What a cool bunch and what a cool event. It's like VidCon, only good.

I think a useful one would be to explain the difference between p90s and jazzmaster pickups.

Well I'm disappointed there's no actual lipstick on those pickups.

But how do these sound through Peavey 6505s, Mesa Boogie Duals, and any version of the 5150?

I use a danelectro. I enjoy playing rock. You should test these pickups beyond their normal genres, or you won’t really know what they’re capable of.

Walk Don't Run was the first song I ever learned on the Guitar :) 12:15 pixie licks was stalking you :O

I always wondered what was up with these, nice short explanation. Ryan's laugh is contagious. That guy laughs, everyone in the room does too without even knowing why. You can tell that guy loves what he does. Also, Pete showed up and didn't do anything but show up. Awesome video as always, Colin.

I very recently came across your channel and enjoy it very much. The gear reviews are great ... but lots of channels do that. I enjoy it because you have a much better than average grasp on the actual technology. Presentation style is great too ... the tech is presented in a way that doesn't seem boring and fundamental to a tech person (like me, I'm an engineer) but at the same time is not too complex for non-techies to grasp. Last, you deliver the information in a way that clearly indicates that you know exactly what your talking about. So, you either have formal engineering training or worked as a guitar tech ... either way ... love the channel, keep up the good work.

Its weird to think , the DC59 nos+ is a newer run ( a couple of years old ) but the pickups are already 20 years old ( hence the NOS), They are from a lost order of pickups from '99 ... and i love that the middle position puts the pickups in series instead of parallel.

That bit where him and Ryan are laughing as the camera cuts to them at 4:43 is so staged lmao

Another fun fact about Dano's: the bodies were made from formica sourced from a countertop factory in the neighborhood and bound with vinyl tape. Everyone should own one, just in case.

Sounds like Spaghetti Western soundtrack to me. Also, Pulp Fiction. You know, Tito & Tarantula. With a hint of Ren & Stimpy. Love it.

Wow seeing both of you guys together is awesome. I’m a big fan of you both and did not expect that. It’s so awesome to see you all there, thanks for the content!

Excellent video, Colin, very informative. Ryan's presence and Pete saying hello, very cool! Ta!

Danelectros are made from Masonite a press board made from boiled wood composite not plastic. They also have a wood frame inside and are hollow not filled with foam, Some Supro and National guitars were made with fiberglass. Nice lick on the Dano Colin,

Thanks for driving into this genre Colin. Fun video!!

When using zero effects or pedals nothing beats the tone of a single lipstick pickup plugged directly into the Fender or Marshall amp. They kinda create their own reverb. I've got an all original 1960 dolphin nose Silvertone U-1 and it's the best sounding guitar I've ever heard when using zero effects. Direct is the way to go with these beauties.

08:08 “HELLO DARKNESS MY OLD FRIEND...” 🎶😢😆

I love these TATA segments. I have learned a great deal that I did not know. Cheers from Austin Tx and keep up the good work! Drink some Ardbeg for me. :D

I've been playing 20 years and literally learn something new on every single TATA / any time Colin speaks!!! What a legend x

I'm of the opinion that lipsticks are some of the sweetest sounding neck pickups in existence.

Superb descriptions and communications Colin!

"Wild Pete Thorn" part made me LOL 🤣

Honestly that guitar sounds beautiful, I love how thin it sounds

Love the video. Especially when at 10:00 I noticed a Pete thorn casually strolling through

I’ve got a couple guitars with lipsticks contrasted against other pickups. Lipstick crossed with P90 is a fascinating combination

lipstick and goldfoil pick dont get enough spot like , cant u do vid on gold foils?

Two great lads in one video. Cheers!

I love the good guys like you in the guitar community

great video ! I hope you have many more from TGU !

Wow that was awesome! Now I Have to get these pickups! Thanks

Well who knew! great vid as usual Colin, cheers dude

Great episode. Always wondered about these pickups. Thanks!

SRV had three lipsticks in his white 'Charley' strat. He still got his sound without it being surf or glassy. Shows the range of these pickups. I like them.

The original Gibson Melody Maker single-coil pickups (that look like Fender Mustang pickups from the outside), are very similar to the insides of a Lipstick. Certainly more turns on the coil and plastic, rather than metal, cover (hence a different tone) but they also use a coil wound directly around an alnico bar magnet. The same is true of the two coils in a Firebird pickup. Where many "dual-rail" type humbuckers, have a ferromagnetic blade in the centre of each coil, magnetically coupled by a bar magnet between them, the Firebird pickup is two discrete single-coils, each similar to the Lipstick and Melody-Maker pickups. It would not surprise me if the MM pickups simply used individual coils prepared for the Firebird, but I will leave confirmation of that to the historians and pickup savants. Note that the Gibson mini-humbucker is not JUST cosmetically distinct from the Firebird pickups, but employs the same sort of dual-ferromagnetic "poles", coupled by a central bar magnet that the full-sized humbuckers use. Finally, Danelectro guitars historically used a *wooden* core, and not plastic, as Colin suggested in passing. Remember that these were first and foremost BUDGET guitars. The use of "garbage" wood (poplar - rarely, if ever, used for instruments) for the unseen core, and masonite/pressboard for the tops and backs, made materials costs low, required little selection of wood for things like grain or machinability, and fabrication was simple and cheap. Moulding a plastic core in the 1950s would have put these guitars out of the economic reach of most players. The plastic tape that surrounds the sides around the entire body might *suggest* the middle is plastic, but it IS wood, just in case there was any misunderstanding.

I love seeing two RU-vidr working together !

While Fender became the iconic guitar for Surf, Danelectros & Silvertones were where most players started. Even Jimi Hendrix got his start on a Danelectro and players like Link Wray can be seen and heard playing them on early albums.

Definitely putting these on my telecaster.

Ryan’s laugh is like a supervillain - I love it

Holy giant wave, these guitars sound amazing!

Subscribed dude, great info as usual, keep giving the greatness

HOLY MOLY I GOT ONTO THE VIDEO! THANK YOU COLIN!

Danelectro/silvertone guitars are actually made of masonite

Thank you so much! I've always wondered what was in one of those, but never had a guitar with one. I think I'll put a lipstick pickup in the neck of my next Strat!

I’ve always wondered. Thanks for this.

Hahaha that was totally awesome when Pete Thorn just kinda photobombed you guys, poked his face in there and didn't even say anything, just smiled. LOL.

I love the sound of a good lipstick for metal. I was originally turned onto lipsticks with distortion by 3 Days Grace using a danelectro baritone for their music.

The Wild Pete Thorn cracked me up!

Awesome collab and a pleasant surprise to see Ryan here! :D

New to your channel and really enjoying the educational content. Cheers Big Man.

I wonder how they sound out of phase, ear splitting bright?

Best clean tone I ever got, was through some 60s Fender combo and a Silvertone guitar from the 60s with lipstick pickups. XD

Interesting. Never seen such a thing. That Danelectro guitar looks awesome.

The science of loud! Perfect!! 🤓🤘

Oh, a Waza Tube Amp Expander in the background. That looks promising. Great explanation as always Colin!

Great and informative video!!!

The lipstick pickups and the danelectro 12 string are a perfect match. Now I know why.

Really nice video! Thanks

Learned a lot! Makes me want one

I love that colin was next to Chapman guitars in the begining

On the Paul McCartney “grand central station” show, the danelectro was my favorite guitar tone (including his lefty ‘59 burst). Mean sounds with a fuzz.

I WAS LITERRALY NEEDING THIS VIDEO THANKS

Love my Dano Longhorn Bass with the LSP! Such a different tone than my other rigs.

When I was a teen one of the first electric guitars I ever had a chance to play was my best friend's Silvertone that had a small amp built into the case. Although we didn't know anything about it at the time it also had lipstick pickups. Had a chuckle when he started playing because my best friend had an uncle who played some too. One the songs he would play was Walk, Don't Run.

I love the tone of the lipstick pickup.

Very nice vid! I've been a fan of Danelectro for a long time now but never owned a guitar... On the list it goes!

They do very interesting things with heavier gain settings. In a guitar with mismatched pickups you can go from High gain to mid level OD when switching from a HB to a lipstick

interésantisimo video! gracias de verdad!

I have a Danelectro 59 XT that I love. It is a great guitar, a lot of fun to play and to listen to. It actually has a P90 in the neck, and a lipstick humbucker in the bridge, with coil split. So they do make lipstick humbuckers as well.

I have one of the original Silvertone 3/4 scale with one lipstick pu in it. I use it for slide. It sounds amazing through a cranked 50’s style Princeton or though a FuzzFace pedal. ☺️great video. Nice seeing people explore these tones. Those Danos are priced right, sound great and play great.

Joe Gore, or Tonefiend on youtube, has a bunch of videos about lipstick pickups in wood guitars where he shows how they can do much more than surf rock.

The middle position in danelectro's are wired to sound like a humbucker. Also they're not plastic as stated in the video

Leo Fender is often described as a genius for his designs of Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars. But much of his real genius was designing and producing guitars that didn’t have to be made by luthiers with years of experience mostly by hand one at a time. Bolt-on necks, straight headstocks with string trees to get a break angle, adjustable bridge and saddle for correct intonation, pickups designed for the instrument, and inexpensive wood types rather than high end tone woods like rosewood, Brazilian mahogany, ebony and Sitka Spruce. Fenders were made mostly from ash, alder, and maple, inexpensive and easily sourced. Nathan Daniel was also a genius for taking Leo’s direction and making even more inexpensive electric guitars with a unique tone of their own. He proved that they didn’t even need to be made of wood. They could be made from composite and even plastic with pickups stuffed into a real lipstick case. Genius.

Lepsteck Tchyoube Peckup 🤣🤣 They need more warmth and bottom end. Just a touch. I was happy to see you flip that toggle switch and get a better sound. Definitely something to keep in mind for those times when a quirkier sound is required But, can they metal? 🤔 Until nayxt time, keep et lowd. And I'll see you laytair. ✌️

I knew an excellent player from Dallas/Ft. Worth named Mark Merritt who received a Danelectro for his birthday about 20yrs ago and played it all afternoon with his mates in a nonstop recording session. They were kind of a blues rock/ "Texabilly" project, gigged occasionally, very good and compatible group of musicians. Mark seemed to be entranced by that guitar and forgot all about the dozens of folks who'd gathered at Earl Musick's studio that day from miles around for his birthday celebration. First time I'd seen or heard a 'Danny' live. Waaay cool sounding but really funky looking, like a cross between a surfboard and a kitchen appliance. Strikes me that the standard neck pup on a Tele looks a lot like a lipstick. Any thoughts on that?

i love the sound of lipstick pickups.

Great video. I have two Dans, one original and one new from the Korean manufacturer. They are both great guitars and have a very unique sound to them. I use them mostly for country rhythms and some odd alternative tunings such as DADGAD.

Actually liked the sound of the “neck” pup when you were playing... kinda more of a middle position, which makes me think, like Ryan was saying, add one in to a strat say in the middle keeping a traditional single coil at the neck & Humbucker at bridge could give some really cool tones.

now i know they have a solid straigt magnet i'm gonna go stick it in a bass

Jeez, that Dano is gorgeous! I have a Dano '59 12 string semi hollow and it plays like a dream for my sixties 12 string favorites. But that 'Baby Blues' 59 NOS looks and plays fantastic and can probably offer quite a few more sounds than demonstrated.

I would really like to see a (Fender) single, P90, lipstick, gold foil shoot out..... they are all so similar, but so VASTLY different.

My Dany lives on the neck position. Great wee jazz tone in that plastic hollow body!

4:43 brilliant acting! Lol

Dano lipstick pups are exelent! They give a great feel for easy playing.

Good review

Hot damn I’m in the vid, and thanks for all the info on lipstick pickups

Excellent video lads 👍 I have a danlectro had it since 80s love the sound great for rockabilly\ surf afte a barotone version

thank you

Very nice video!

8:09 When your senior tells a joke

Never even thought about it, but it's pretty interesting