From octave pedals to the Jamie Lenman's use of the Submarine pickup, there's been a few innovative approaches to the challenge of combining bass and guitar into six-strings. But a Little Thunder's is one of the most exciting we've seen.
Back in 2014 we first reported on Andy Alt's A Little Thunder pickup that allowed simultaneous guitar and bass tones from the same humbucker. Now version 2 improves on that innovative design.
The basic concept on A Little Thunder is simple; the pickup fits any guitar with humbucking cavity and allows players to add a -1 octave or -2 octave bass signal to their guitars lowest strings while keeping the six-string standard guitar signal. A two-in-one deal.
It can also be setup via software for 1,2 or 3 strings to gain a bass signal and you can even combine the -1 and -2 octave sound. It also allows a separate stereo signal for the six-string guitar sound.
Version 2 improves on the formula with a PAF blade-style humbucker that the company say offers a clearer signal; 125 mv vs 370 mv at 8.8k DC. The low note priority is also refined to give the drop octave sound to only the lowest string you're playing at any time.
The Little Thunder is an active pickup improves battery life from up to 12 to 16 hours use and can be recharged via micro USB cable. It will also support Bluetooth 4.2 with a sound library due for the future to expand its potential even further.
A Little Thunder Version 2 is now shipping for $299. Head over to alittlethunder.com for more info.
