The James May Engineering (JME) Ultra Tonic Pickup (UTP) for steel string guitars is a passive, brideplate-mounted, soundboard transducer (SBT) pickup with on-board feedback suppression along with a soundhole-mounted volume control. As James puts it, "The sweetness of a soundboard transducer, with the feedback resistance of an under-saddle transducer."
James is also a partner in Audio Sprockets, creators of the ToneDexter and ToneDexter II.
The first Ultra Tonic pickup featured discs such as those made popular by K&K. The Ultra Tonic v2 included four (4) discs to be positioned directly under the saddle. That extra disc was supplied to bolster support for the 1st string (the high E), a common complaint with K&K three (3) disc systems. Additionally, a fifth (5th) large disc played the role of a feedback suppression sensor.
The current version of the Ultra Tonic, v3.2 as I write this, retains the feedback suppression sensor, but combines all four (4) discs into a long, slender plate that serves as the main sensor.
A small circuit board is integrated into the endpin jack, and includes a 12-position DIP switch array. After installation, you will need to calibrate the Ultra Tonic to your guitar in order to take advantage of the advancement in onboard feedback suppression.
This is easily accomplished by plugging your guitar into an amp, ensuring all the switches are set to "off," then walking through each of the twelve switches. You will set switch #1 to "On," strum the strings and make a mental note of the response, set switch #1 back to "Off," then set switch #2 to "On," make a mental note of the response as compared to switch #1, set switch #2 back to "Off," and continue progressing through all twelve switches, setting each switch "On," listening to the sound, then "Off" again. You will decide which switch, when set to "On," provides you with the best performance, measured by reducing "boom-i-ness" and mitigating feedback.
For those who may have a K&K Pure Mini already installed, and would like to benefit from improved 1st string response, onboard feedback suppression, and a soundhole-mounted Volume Control, JME offers a conversion kit. You can retain your discs that have been glued on to the bridgeplate, add another disc to enhance that weak 1st string, add the large disc suppression sensor, and swap out the endpin jack to get the 12 DIP switches.
An additional Ultra Tonic pickup model is available specifically for nylon string guitars.
An Under-Saddle Transducer, or UST, is comprised of piezo crystals housed in a thin ribbon. It is laid in the saddle slot of the bridge, the saddle rests atop the UST and the strings press the saddle tightly against the pickup. The saddle is the only material separating the pickup from direct contact with the strings.
By contrast, a Soundboard Transducer, or SBT, is comprised of piezo crystals often embedded in one or more rectangular, triangular, or disc-shaped modules or, in the case of the Ultra Tonic, onto a thin, flat plate. The module or modules are typically attached to the bridgeplate inside the guitar. In addition to the material of the saddle, the remaining material of the bridge beneath the saddle, the material of the soundboard, and the very bridgeplate itself sit between the strings and the pickup. As a result, SBTs are highly regarded for their ability to approximate the sound of an acoustic guitar in an amplified setting, often with much less piezo “quack” than Under Saddle Transducers (USTs).
In my experience, as good as they sound, SBTs have been more prone to feedback than their under saddle siblings, especially at higher volumes. Apparently, this is due to their tendency to co-mingle the lower frequencies produced by the acoustic instrument. This is commonly experienced as an overall boomy or muddy sound, sometimes referred to as "woof-i-ness" .
A common shortcoming that may plague both an SBT or UST install on an acoustic guitar is the quiet high E, where the 1st string produces less volume than the other 5 strings, even after careful positioning or re-positioning of the pickup(s).
The JME UTP addresses these two common drawbacks associated with USTs and SBTs:
• Additional attention is paid to the 1st string, resulting in improved volume.
• A user configurable circuit board, integrated into the endpin jack, in conjunction with a dedicated transducer supplies onboard feedback suppression.
The most recent version of the Ultra Tonic pickup, Version 3, includes two separate sensors to affix to your guitar's bridgeplate. The main pickup is a long, slender plate (10 x 72mm) that is designed to be positioned directly beneath the centerline of the saddle in order to best capture desirable string response.
Additionally, a single, 21mm disc-style sensor is required that provides additional information to help control feedback. This sensor is deliberately out of phase with the main sensor and captures less-desirable top plate resonances. It is to be attached to the "bass side" of the soundboard, away from the main sensor.
I installed the UTP V3 in a Gibson Hummingbird using a custom jig fashioned after the "Magnet and Putty" method recommended by the manufacturer. Six cylindrical magnets are suspended in two wooden blocks, three magnets per block. The primary purpose of the wooden block is to prevent the strong magnets from uncontrollably attaching to one another, which could damage a soundboard.
The main sensor (plate) is temporarily held in place on one of the Magnet blocks using putty.
This particular guitar already had two holes drilled through the bridge at each end of the saddle slot. These holes provided me with the perfect path for the main sensor to be aligned with when I glue it in place. And yes, surprisingly, you are looking at the bridgeplate of a brand new Gibson Hummingbird.
One half of the magnet jig is going to rest on the bridge, directly above the saddle slot. This jig will serve to both align the sensor with the saddle slot as well as "pinch" or "clamp" it in place against the bridgeplate
After conducting a "dry run," positioning the sensor in place without any glue, I apply a gel CA glue onto the sensor. With one hand I carefully place the jig with the sensor inside the soundhole. With the other hand I hold the mating half of the jig atop the bridge directly over the saddle slot. As I get the jig holding the sensor close to the bridgeplate I begin to feel the pull of the magnets. I let them guide me into place, and quickly verify the positioning before leaving the magnets to hold things together while the glue sets.
The "Body" Sensor, the large disc-like sensor that is used to assist with controlling the potential for feedback, must be positioned on the bass (6th string) side, a minimum of 20 mm away from the main sensor. If you have sufficient room on the bridgeplate, fine. If not, mount it on the soundboard. Do not span the two. If you are accomplished, this sensor can be placed by hand. If you need assistance, you can use a single cylindrical magnet with putty to position the disc inside the guitar, and hold it there while the glue dries with a second magnet carefully resting on the soundboard, behind the bridge. The CA glue dries fairly quickly, so i am able to carefully remove the jig(s) from the guitar, leaving the sensors installed.
A soundhole mounted volume wheel rounds out the offering, and is no small accomplishment. As you may be aware, attempting to alter the volume in a passive pickup system while maintaining tonal balance has been an elusive chase. The Ultra Tonic pickup has overcome this issue by employing cable capacitance compensation. If needed, a small switch is accessible which will disable the compensation when the pickup is used with a wireless system.
Balancing the signals, and thus controlling feedback potential, is accomplished via a small circuit board that is directly mounted to the 1/4 inch endpin jack. There are 12 DIP switches, one of which will be switched to the "On" position during the setup process, depending on the particular characteristics of a given guitar. The complete system is minimalist, battery-less, and very lightweight.
I am impressed with the ingenuity behind the JME UTP's design. A straightforward installation that includes a volume control and onboard feedback suppression with no battery requirements, the Ultra Tonic is about as simple as it gets, while getting me what I need in a pickup. When paired with a ToneDexter, I believe I possess the closest representation to a mic’d guitar I have yet encountered. I have a complete pickup system that gets me closer to "My guitar, only louder", with the added benefit of reduced risk of feedback.
You can read more about the Ultra Tonic Pickup on the James May Engineering website » James May Engineering.
