Has Seymour-D created a monster?

[stubhead]

Specifically, with his mounting rings that will switch pickups from series to parallel to tapped... the reason I asked is because I just ran across this:

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Shadow-SH-EQ5-Active-Humbucker-with-Built-In-5Band-Graphic-Equalizer-?sku=300168

The Shadow SH EQ 5 pickup is a humbucker, but instead of having screws to adjust the polepieces, it's got a battery-powered five-band graphic EQ(!) (?) They've also got a humbucker mounting ring with a tuner in it:

http://www.shadow-electronics.com/viewpro.html?id=278

These shadow guys have been around for a long time, their acoustic pickups are popular already. Given that any graphic EQ uses a combination of op-amp circuits, one for each band, the usual problem is that they're noisy. It's OK with an acoustic, because you're not running it into five more stages of gain, but putting it at the start of an electric chain is kinda asking for it. Shadow EQ (6 op-amps, incl boost) + wah-wah (1 stage) + Fulltone Fulldrive (2 stages)+ amp preamp (1-3 stages) + amp power amp... HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS... well, maybe not?
Somebody buy one and let us know.... arty07:

 

[SGD Lutherie]

That Shadow EQ pickup has been around for at least 30 years! Maybe longer.