Pickups with a punch

What power and sound you get from a pickup depends on a number of factors. The main determining factors are the size, shape and strength of the magnetic field and number and guage of the windings. All pickups are different and sound is often a matter of taste. What do you do though, if you aren't getting the sound you want?

As often is the case, it takes someone to be dissatisfied with something to create a new solution. Such was the case when Mike Rose felt dissatisfied with the sounds he was getting from his pickups and couldn't find alternatives on the market that met with his requirements. 

In his own words, "Gemini pickups started because I didn't like the tapped sounds of most humbuckers. Most of them are too thin and have too little output. I was certain that there had to be a better design that would provide good single coil sounds. 

I believed that adding in a small amount of the second coil would give me the sounds I wanted and it did. Now I can make humbuckers that sound just as good tapped as full. They don't all sound the same. Some of them sound like strats, some like tele's (or tele bridge pickups transferred to the neck) and some sound like P-90's. I now build all Gemini ACT humbuckers like this. The resulting tapped sound depends on the size of the primary coil and the amount of the second coil included".

So Mike has developed his art and now has over twenty different models in the range, many sporting names from Greek legend, like the Hydra, the Minotaur and the Cerberus. The essence behind it all is to deliver high output and flexibility of sound. Gemini's tag line is 'Different by Design' and you'll find this philosophy reflected in the product.

For example, he describes the Chameleon humbucker, which is an Alnico V magnet, 6 conductor wiring pickup, as the 'ultimate' guitar pickup, because it has been built for high output and to deliver three humbucker and three tapped single coil style sounds. Mike says, "As the Chameleon can change to suit its surroundings, so the Chameleon humbucker can change to suit the mood of the guitarist. Paired with another Chameleon at the neck position can give the option of 48 different tone combinations". These sounds are dialled in by a six position rotary switch.

Gemini has catered for all tastes within its range of pickups which includes P90 style pickups like the Unicorn and Werewolf, to strat style pickups, such as the Nymph and Chimera, again engineered to deliver power when its needed, so that even the single coil pickups can deliver crisp clean sounds and raunchy, dirty sounds with high gain.

You can find out more about Gemini Pickups at their website - www.geminipickups.co.uk