Floating pickups vs. mounted -- pros and cons???

[jazzalicious]

Hi. Just wondering about your experiences with floating pickups/mounted pickups. I know floaters are supposed to feed back more, but how many of you have actually dealt with that, and to what extent? Did it prevent you from gigging with the guitar? Do you find a huge tone difference between the two?

Jazzalcious

[Gitfiddler]

Yes, there is more feedback with a floater than top-mounted p'up.  But to me the floater has that 'almost accoustic' airiness to it that gives it something special.  By adjusting the amp volume, eq, playing distance and position, the feedback is not as bad.  One problem with floaters is that you cannot lower them away from the strings as is the case with most top mounted pickups.

 

My Golden Eagle's larger body and solid spruce top tends to be more prone to feedback if not carefully controlled.  The problem with playing live is that there are so many variables to contend with...(drummers and other players driving the volume up, as well as room acoustics, stage limitations being just a few).  I tend to turn the amp's bass pot all the way down to '0' for the rare live playing.

 

However, I've got an Ibanez GB10 with two floating Johnny Smith style pickups that is much less prone to feeding back...but it will if the volume gets that top going.  Ibanez uses a thicker laminate top of sandwitched mahogany-under-spruce to permit higher playing volumes.  That makes it a better 'gigging' guitar than the Golden Eagle for me.  Conversely the Golden Eagle however is a much better sounding recording instrument (for jazz/bebop).  Remember back in the 70's, George Benson played a Gibson Johnny Smith with floating p'up. (Probably made by the current Heritage guys at Kalamazoo!).  Then Benson and Ibanez co-designed the much smaller laminate bodied GB10 based loosely on the solid wood Gibson JS set-up, making it a much better for live performances.  GB still puts clear tape over the F-holes to minimize live performance feedback on all of his Ibanez 'GB' series archtops.

 

My H575 and Sweet 16 have top-mounted p'ups but they still tend to feedback due to their solid top construction.  Feedback is more controllable than the floating pickup'ed Golden Eagle.

 

This is only one man's perspective and experience.  Your mileage may vary.  8)