Railhammer Launches Bob Balch Signature Pickups
Railhammer has released a new pickup designed in collaboration with Bob Balch, riffmeister with stoner rock/fuzz metal progenitors Fu Manchu.
The Bob Balch Signature is based on the Chisel model, but features a brass cover and brass baseplate.
The brass slightly reduces output and treble while enhancing the overall mid-range. The result is a thick tone with excellent clarity that cuts through even with heavy fuzz and is warm and articulate in clean settings.
This pickup is designed for stoner rock, fuzz metal, post-Sabbath or for any player looking for a unique combination of clarity and warm mid-range. The neck version features reduced output for increased clarity and tone/volume balance with the bridge version.
Thin rails under the wound strings sense a narrow section of string, producing a tight, clear tone. Large poles under the plain strings sense a wide section of string, producing a fat, thick tone. This allows players to dial in a tight clear tone on the wound strings without the plain strings sounding thin or sterile. The result is improved clarity and tonal balance across all the strings.
Touch sensitivity, sustain and harmonic content are also enhanced by the extremely efficient magnetic structure, and the elimination of any moving parts. The strong magnetic field also prevents any dead spots when bending strings (including on the round pole side).
Other features include universal spacing, four-conductor wiring with independent ground and height tapered rails for consistent volume across all the strings.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
For more information, visit railhammer.com.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Since 1980, Guitar World has been the ultimate resource for guitarists. Whether you want to learn the techniques employed by your guitar heroes, read about their latest projects or simply need to know which guitar is the right one to buy, Guitar World is the place to look.
“This pickup could have come out of a late-’50s Gibson. If you had a guitar from that era with these pickups, everyone would be like, ‘Wow. That’s a badass-sounding Les Paul’”: How Adam “Nolly” Getgood and Bare Knuckle reinvented the P.A.F. for a new era
“I went to a Fender event with her and they allowed the public into the exhibit. People were losing their minds. It kind of scared me”: Abigail Ybarra is a legend of the pickup world – but her daughter didn’t realize until she got mobbed by fans