In 1997 fingerstyle great Doyle Dykes approached
us with his dream of creating a pickup that would capture
the way he played. As a solo acoustic guitarist his special
needs in a pickup included great tone, natural dynamics,
presence, precise articulation and perfect string balance.
Lack in any area would have a negative affect on his ability
to convey his music. With two years of R&D, much encouragement
and persistence from Doyle and some great input from Earl
Klugh we have created the ultimate, no-compromise pickup
for acoustic performers.
To achieve adequate articulation and dynamics we chose to
use an individual pickup per string. To achieve perfect
balance we created a tripod upon which the string is balanced
and supported equally between two raised points at the ends
of the bottom of the pickup. This method of support created
immunity from variations of the saddle slot that normally
affect balance. The use of set screws for these points allow
for easy, user-adjustable action changes. We enhanced the
flexibility of the sensor element so it would not compress
the instrument's dynamic range like typical transducers.
We placed the sensing element extremely close to the string
for immediacy without harshness and to minimize feedback.
The sensor was also specially designed to balance warmth
from the body with direct string input. When we were happy
with the performance, we created precision molds to insure
consistently perfect pickups. The body of the transducer
is gold-plated to resist corrosion and the crown is hard-chrome-plated
for long life.
Doyle Dykes
"The Hex Acoustic Pickup brings much more
to the guitar than mere amplification. It creates
the very personality of my guitar's voice. Besides
it's inexplicable tonal excellence and balance,
the playability is greatly enhanced because of the
separation between strings. It's the best thing
that's happened to the guitar in years…"
Earl Klugh
"The Hex Pickups give me the separation,
warmth and dynamics that I need, but without the
usual piezo harshness…It's a great pickup."
