The Hü Tonelabs Research Brain Trust includes some of the most advanced thinkers and practitioners in the guitar universe.
Grover Jackson
His workshop in California, GJ2 Guitars, produces everything from pickups to hardware, designed with the input of the world’s most demanding musicians. Grover played a large role in our initial R&D and CAD design.
Gary Brawer
Master guitar technician and a popular and influential columnist in Guitar Player magazine. Gary has been a huge source of information and inspiration throughout the design process.
Dan Ransom
A 40-year veteran luthier who worked for seminal guitar companies Alembic and Modulus Graphite, now independent. Not a week goes by that we do not pick his brain about some aspect of luthiery, and he always has a simple answer, delivered thoroughly without a hint of impatience.
Frank Falbo
Most people know Frank as the hi-end boutique luthier behind Tosin Abasi guitars. Frank is a true inventor, and had a lot to do with of the P-rail pickup and of the Fishman Fluence pickups. His bridge designs, while little-known, are revolutionary. For more information visit the Falbo Designs website.
Joe Gore
Joe is the former senior editor of Guitar Player magazine and Premier Guitar magazine, and has reviewed a colossal number of guitars, so we enlisted him to kick the tires of every new design. Oh yeah and he plays with Tom Waits and PJ Harvey. If you’d like to absorb some serious knowledge about pickups, pedals, schematics, etc. visit his website at tonefiend.com.
The Hü Tonelabs Signature Pick-Up
This Teisco square-pole reissue is a stunning new addition to the guitar world’s sonic arsenal.
The original Japanese version (shown below) had ceramic magnets and was a bit shrill as a result. Also, the originals are highly “microphonic” i.e. feed back a real lot.
The HTL version solves these problems by using Alnico 5 square pole magnets instead of ceramic. The modern version is quiet and the tone is to die for. Sets of two are wired to humcancel in the middle position (RWRP).
The best part: a VERY beefy sound that is somewhere between that of a “quarter pounder” strat pickup and a p90, with none of the brittle, shrill character of the original Teisco pickups. And ZERO mud in the neck position.
Expect sweet, fat, warm cleans, but with pedals, look out: these are BIG, WILD sounding pups that eat gain for lunch.
Homage to Les Paul
We are very much inspired by the life and work of Les Paul, an important tone scientist and innovative luthier.
