Sad to say goodbye to Highlader pickups

[rgregg48]

I found out from a reliable source
Highlander undersaddle trasducer
Pickups will close up shop.
I have one in my om and have always
Have liked the sound.
No quack and natural
Sorry to see them ride off into the sunset

[KCharlesD]

Sad to hear that. I've never had a guitar with a highlander pickup but I've heard they were the least quacky of undersaddle pickups and lots of folk players have used them.

[Misifus]

I have a Highlander IP-1 in my Kinscherff High Noon. It has always performed wonderfully for me.

[M Hayden]

Between the UST and the mic, it’s a good design.

[Mr. Jelly]

Why'd they go under?

[s2y]

I think we also lost B-Band last year. Bummer.

[jamison162]

Thought B-Band folded years ago? Re: Highlander...they made a nice 2-channel DI also, but discontinued it years ago. Sad to see them leave the market.

[Andy Howell]

The Highlander was good.

I use an under saddle from Headway in the UK. I believe this uses the same time of pickup chord rather than film.

This deals with quack well and only used one 9V battery.

Fylde guitars in the UK recommend Headway as their favourite pickup. A local dealer to me tells me that this usually wins blind listening sessions against other under saddles.

[dogdog49]

A guy that had a Highlander equipped guitar (might have been a Lowden, don't remember for sure) that used to come to an open mic I ran had consistently the best sound in the room both to my ears and to many others that commented. Not the most "my guitar only louder" perhaps, but the warmest, richest, fattest and most pleasing to most everybody there night in and night out.

[rb1591]

Originally Posted by dogdog49

A guy that had a Highlander equipped guitar (might have been a Lowden, don't remember for sure) that used to come to an open mic I ran had consistently the best sound in the room both to my ears and to many others that commented. Not the most "my guitar only louder" perhaps, but the warmest, richest, fattest and most pleasing to most everybody there night in and night out.

If I remember correctly, the recommended installation of a Highlander UST involved routing a channel in the bridge saddle slot, a task best left to a professional luthier. Highlander wasn't the only manufacturer to use this technique. As I recall, the D'tar Timberline did too. Some of you may remember others. The only pickup that I know of now that requires the technique comes from Carlosamps. You can see it being done in this video.

I just wonder if this install technique was not the reason for the Highlander's full and warm sound. Might be a technique worth revisiting. Thoughts?

[douglasfan1]

Got a highlander IP-2 in my CF guitar. Really nice sound among UST pickup. Work well with Mic pickup.

[jennconducts]

The company is local to me. Robert stopped working in the company a few years ago now. He moved on to other things. Holly is winding down the business. Great pickup, and yes, special routing is required. Their DI is fantastic and is hard to find now, as they stopped production several years ago. I’d still be using mine if not for ToneDexter. I heard from Holly the other day that if I want something, I shouldn’t wait very long.

[markd]

I purchased a Vintage D-3 that had a Highlander installed. Due to some wiring issues a replaced it with an IP-2. Consistently best sound for gigging. Never had any feedback issues. I think that many, including on this forum get the shiny-ball complex and think the newest thing is going to be better. Sad to see them go.

[rgregg48]

I was told the manufacturers have been
Producing Highlander pickups for many years.
Sales have dropped some and they think its time to "hang it up"

[joe paul]

Highlander make the best pickups for National style resonators, it's really a shame that there'll be no more.
Strange that no one has adopted the design or tried to buy the rights to produce them - nobody on this forum got the do-re-mi?