Every Guitarist’s Dream: Electric and Acoustic guitar united in one instrument!
The uncompromising, earthy rock sound of the legendary humbucking pickups became the holy grail of generations of electric guitar players, but they faced a problem: What did they do when the next song on the set list is a soulful ballad, which needs a brilliant acoustic sound?
Up until now, the only thing to do is change instruments. No matter how good your ‘Clean’ tone is, it can never match up to a true acoustic guitar.
This problem is now a thing of the past thanks to Shadow’s active NanoMAG pickup technology.
NanoMAG – which can be fitted in the fingerboard of your instrument – compliments the traditional Humbucker sound by adding a clear, proper acoustic tone to your electric guitar.
With an ultra-wide frequency response, the NanoMAG captures all the harmonics and subtle acoustic overtones that regular magnetic pickups cannot. Using the front controls, you can isolate the humbuckers, isolate the NanoMAG or mix tones freely. Using the dual outputs, you can run the Humbuckers and NanoMAG pickups to separate outputs for true STEREO sound. But that’s not all: The NanoMAG can also be seamlessly blended with your humbucker sound.
You now have more tonal possibilities than you ever imagined on your electric guitar!
With this revolutionary system you can play a crystal clear ballad, a dirty blues riff and an ultra-heavy metal riff with the same guitar – nothing is impossible. Now, you have your favourite guitar with two distinct tonal characters and infinite combinations. Go ahead and check it out yourself!
Who better to judge the quality of such a pickup system than the inventor of the classic humbucker sound itself: legendary guitar manufacturer Gibson/ Epiphone.
Gibson were impressed from the very beginning - including the NanoMAG in one of their hugely successful Les Paul Ultra-II models. What a recommendation!
When Gibson/Epiphone presented their Les Paul Ultra II at the US music fair NAMM show 2008 the press and musicians all over the world celebrated the NanoMAG as “a marvel that breathes new life into one of the oldest and most cherished electric guitar designs. It integrates so well that I'd like to see it as a standard option on all Les Pauls." (Guitar World Magazine, USA).
As a logical consequence, the Les Paul Ultra II equipped with the NanoMAG received the treasured ‘Guitar World Platinum Award’.
So, if you’re thinking about ordering a custom made guitar, think about the integration of the Shadow NanoMAG. To add the tonal beauty of an acoustic guitar to your electric, there is no alternative.
Some might say, piezo bridges also supply an acoustic tone. Those piezo ceramics subject to abrasion and from time to time you have to replace them which is a complex operation. Additionally – and this is the biggest difference with the NanoMAG – piezo bridges create a very ‘trebly’ sound that can often hurt your ears.
NanoMAG however has a ultra wide frequency range and supplies a natural acoustic overtones. Thanks to Shadow’s patented NanoMAG technology the pickup is totally shielded, hum-free and genuinely sounds like an acoustic guitar.
You will probably wish to have your NanoMAG fitted by a professional guitar technician, but do not worry because once you have played the NanoMAG as part of your electric guitar, you will not want to play without it!
Quotes:
Nancy Wilson – Heart:
“I am extremely happy about the new Ultra-II. I’ve never liked a lot of complex sound choices, especially on stage, but this guitar is just versatile without being confusing. There are 5 or 6 sounds I can switch between in the course of one song and I really beidges the gap between acoustic and electric. That is especially great for me as I usually have to choose between one or the other on a song by song basis. This is guitar is awesome!”
Eric Kirkland - Guitar World Magazine:
The NanoMAG acoustic pickup, specifically, is a marvel that breathes new life into one of the oldest and most cherished electric guitar designs. It integrates so well that I’d like to see it as a standard option on all Les Pauls.”
Jimmy Jackson - Indie Producer and guitarist for Lacy J. Dalton, Jo-El SOnnier, Michael Nesmith’s video Band
"The Ultra-II’s chambered body with NanoMAG / Humbucker pickup combination can get you sounds you’ve heard before…but only in your dreams!”
Installation Manual:
http://www.shadow-electronics.com/doc/pro_pdf1/en-GB/SH_NMG_LPU_2_Manual.pdf
Features:
- incl. active NanoMAG pickup for electric guitar
- incl. cover for NanoMAG pickup
- incl. two output jacks for stereo/mono sound
- incl. toggle switch
- incl. four potentiometers and electronics
- incl. battery case with PCB and sound controls for NanoMAG (treble, bass, gain)
- incl. mounting screws and washers
- battery life approx. 500 hours
- OEM product; unpacked
