July 9, 2016
It’s amazing what creative minds can come up with. There is exciting innovation everywhere, and it is not limited to the guitar. I thought violin (and
Nu Series v2
The Nu Series Modular Active Pickups are hacker friendly, general purpose pickups that can be used in a variety of applications.
Nexus v2
The Nexus is a small, flexible, and hacker friendly breakout box that connects your multichannel guitar to the outside world.
Powering Cycfi XR Systems With Fishman Rechargable Batteries
June 25, 2016
For those following our install articles, the 60th Anniversary Strat project we did recently was powered by a Fishman Rechargable Battery Pack. We have had some
Exploring the 3-Way Toggle Hub
June 16, 2016
Here we see the first installation to feature our Toggle Switch Hub which interfaces the classic LP-style 3-way switch to our Cycfi Active Series pickups. The guitar in
June 14, 2016
As those who follow our products know, we have had options for users of the classic 5-way blade switch since the release of the XR
June 6, 2016
We are now (officially) offering custom baseplate Laser-Cutting service. You get two custom baseplates for the minimal $15 service fee. The baseplates are precision cut based
Bringing a 60th Anniversary Strat into the 21st Century
June 6, 2016
When the owner of this lovely 60th Anniversary MIM Strat asked us to outfit it with an XR system we couldn’t wait! This particular iteration
May 22, 2016
A little background: I’ve written a series of articles before about Virtual Pickups and how they are implemented in software (DSP). It’s a three part
May 17, 2016
The Nu Multi and Internal Breakout are ready to go. Go check out the updated Nu Series Data Sheet. This will be a very limited release
April 15, 2016
These guys are now on their way to Sweden along with the customized Free-Way Switch wiring harness. Should I join the fad and call this Pickup Porn? Nah,
April 8, 2016
Laser-cut and hand-buffed to perfection, these skewed 8-string baseplates are ready to go! When I look at a product —anything at all; furniture, a gadget,
XR Customization Guide: Free-Way Switch
April 4, 2016
The Free-Way switch is an interesting device that gives Gibson style guitars, with that distinctive toggle switch, the versatility of the Fender Stratocaster’s 5-way switch and possibly
April 2, 2016
Look, 9-String NUs! Are you ready? Take note of the custom string spacing for the Neck and Bridge pickups. These guys will be installed in a
March 26, 2016
Meet Cadbury, another test guitar. This one looks prettier than its old battered friend, Iron Man. Cadbury is fitted with a Quad XR at the neck, a Nu-multi
March 14, 2016
With the XR series launch, we are offering a $35 discount for complete XR Flex sets for SSS, SSH and HH combinations and support electronics. I had
March 12, 2016
We are proud to announce the launch of the XR Flex Series pickups and support electronics, introduced at NAMM 2016. The Flex Series includes an
March 4, 2016
Do you want to swap the XR baseplate with something else? Would you like to install an XR but the standard profiles won’t fit your needs? The XR’s design
March 3, 2016
Anticipating the upcoming release of the XR Flex system, I proudly present the XR [Flex] Installation Guide. We care passionately about flexibility and ease of
February 19, 2016
These new XRs with soapbar baseplates will join the XR family very soon. The pickups will be available in both active and passive configurations (for both
The Flex Switch and Active Volume
February 11, 2016
We have a new 5-way “Flex” switch and a new Active Volume Control (with integrated preamplifier). These are designed for the all-passive XR pickups introduced at NAMM 2016. The new
February 8, 2016
At first glance, it looks just like a Nu multichannel pickup set. But look underneath (info-graphic below) and you will notice the difference. It’s the Nu
February 2, 2016
Now that the hectic preparation for NAMM, and the show itself, is behind us we are excited to return our focus to the Nu product
Nu Update: Hitching a ride to NAMM 2016
January 24, 2016
Ricky Graham is truly a 21st century guitar player. As a composer and Assistant Professor of Music and Technology at Stevens Institute of Technology, modern 21st century
Road to Anaheim Pt. 3 – Crystal Clear
January 18, 2016
Going to NAMM 2016? Take some time to check out our pickups and support electronics from the inside and out. This demo XR-8 (eight string) system is
January 8, 2016
It is always a treat to work on guitars that have been on the road and seen the world. In this case the guitar in
January 4, 2016
We use solder-free connectors to make it very easy for you to install the pickups and support electronics. There’s one snag though. The connector itself might not
Road to Anaheim Pt. 2 – Strandberg Boden OS7 Install
December 30, 2015
In less than a month NAMM 2016 will be bustling with the usual fervor. Every year brings something new, and for us here at Cycfi
December 26, 2015
What do I do on Christmas eve? What else, but hack some C++ code. I got a new highly optimized sustain driver design that also acts
Quad Mounts for Fanned Fret (Multi-scale) Guitars
December 7, 2015
The extended response of our XR pickups has naturally brought us to the attention of extended range guitarists, many of whom use fanned fret instruments.
Road to Anaheim: Strandberg XRs
December 2, 2015
These custom Quad-coil XR7’s are going to NAMM 2016. They will be installed in a Boden OS7 from Strandberg Guitarworks that is to be displayed at their booth (#3383, Hall-D). This
We’re kicking off Black Friday early with a sale going on through Cyber Monday.
November 26, 2015
We are offering 15% off as a thanks to all our supporters. Visit cycfi-research.com to view our store and use the coupon code 15off at
November 21, 2015
Meet The Nexus. This small, hacker friendly breakout box connects your multichannel guitar to the outside world using a specialized (LEMO compatible) multi-pin connector for up to
November 17, 2015
The FPC experiment is a success! This is the first time we tried to use such connectors and they are amazing! The zero insertion force connectors we chose
November 12, 2015
“An extended range guitar of course calls for extended range pickups.” Here’s Chris Varnon’s gorgeous guitar: an Agile Septor 827, 27″ scale equipped with two 8-string
XR Series Pickups Now Available On Continuous Basis
November 11, 2015
The Cycfi XR series pickups have been very well received and as a result our past manufacturing runs have sold out very quickly. It is our
Nu and XR Updates: The Elves are Busy
November 7, 2015
The Elves are Busy. Here are some pictures. It’s always like Christmas every time a package from Mouser arrives. Now we have lots of Bourns
Computational Hexaphonic Guitar
November 2, 2015
It’s nice to see our pickups in the academe. Chengxiang Ren and Jeffrey Huang, Cornell University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, used the Cycfi Neo (now Nu)
Nu Update: Mounting the Modules
October 24, 2015
Last time, I hinted at ways to mount the pickups. Surely, a guitar builder will find a zillion ways to mount these modules. I’ve had
October 22, 2015
The XRs, especially the XR8s and XR6s, are often out of stock. They sell out quickly! So sorry about that 🙁 My intention is to have a steady stream
October 19, 2015
Cycfi XR pickups are not made with alien technology or special exotic materials to allow them to perform far beyond a normal pickup (although they
October 7, 2015
How do you mount the Nu modular pickups? You’ve seen the basic Nu capsules before. Mounting these miniature pickups might be tricky. One way involves making a printed
September 22, 2015
The Nu modular pickup is ready. It’s been ready for quite some time now. The design and implementation is just about perfect, I would say. The
August 18, 2015
We are pleased to announce that our second production run of the Cycfi XR series is now available for purchase at cycfi-research.com. We have worked
August 14, 2015
I have high regard and affection for anything Japanese. I love the people. I love the food. I love the unique culture, Japanese music, arts and certainly their craftsmanship.
July 18, 2015
After a long hiatus, I think the Nu is just about ready. This is the next evolutionary stage of our flagship multichannel pickup. Originally named the Neo, the Nu
July 6, 2015
I am incrementally updating the XR Data Sheet. I’ll post updates here every once in a while. Here’s the schematic of the XR preamplifier. The circuit
June 19, 2015
The very first XR, serial number XR156-1 ready to go! This one goes to Charles Richardson. I feel some kind of attachment to these pickups, like
June 16, 2015
I have mixed feelings with the Soapbar ring idea. Many like it, but some don’t. Jon Chang suggested transparent rings for that modern look that fits the XR’s unique
June 14, 2015
With the current open-coil XR Quad coil 7 and 8 string design (image right), there’s empty space at the sides when placed in a guitar with