CAS Quarterly

32 FA L L 2 0 2 1 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y mixer) to receive and was told that feature is being looked into. A very cool and timely solution for remote performance. Moseying (something I never did while living in NYC) over to one of the guitar- focused tables, I noticed a unique pickup switch diagram. Curious, I asked what it was showing. That's when Scott Smith of BiPolar Pickups showed me—and had me hear—how his "split" pickups provide some really interesting variations on guitar tone. Basically, each single coil position features two 3-pole hand-wound pickups instead of the traditional single 6-pole. Each of these feeds the selector switch which allows options such as the high strings from the bridge pickup to be combined with the lower strings from the neck pickup. Everything is humbucking, so no yucky single-coil buzz. While hacking my way through some Steely Dan guitar parts and switching the pickup selector, it was interesting—and enticing—to hear variations that I'd never heard. A very inventive concept that provided some great tonalities—especially through an amp's clean channel. Finally, in the spirit of how even everyday tools can be viewed through a new lens, I stopped at a table featuring some funky-looking guitar picks. As I Clockwise from top left: BiPolar Pickups and their unique "split" pickup design creates some very original tonal variations; Bog Street's distinctive picks provide lots of grip and multiple picking sides; it was great to see Auratone on display and looking as reliable as always. Opposite page: Apparently, this JBL speaker is used in 80 percent of train horns in the U.S. Who knew?

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