Hey Gang... just wanted to let everyone know we are still here.  We just started a Booster Campaign to raise money for a new 3D printer that we need for prototyping. 
We are selling "Official Ferro-Kings T-Shirts" to raise the funds.
(We'll also be giving discounts to everyone who participates when we launch.)

Our new Booster campaign can be found here...

https://www.booster.com/ferrokings3dprinterfundraiser?beta=true

Please consider supporting and sharing this!
Thanks!

~Mike Ferro-Kings

We're still alive and kicking.  Just started a new Booster Campaign to raise funds for a much needed 3D printer.  "Official Liquid Pickups T-shirts" are available and anyone who participates gets a discount when the pickups are released.

Thanks for all the support at Guitarist Guild!  You folks rock!
Here's the link to the campaign...

https://www.booster.com/ferrokings3dprinterfundraiser?beta=true

Hey Mick & Gang!  Sorry for not being around lately.  Had medical issues then development issues.  Just now getting re-engaged.  Hope everyone is well and rockin' on!  I'll be touching base on here and Twitter.  We are also starting a new Booster Campaign next week to raise funds for a new 3D printer.  We'll be selling Official Liquid Pickups® T-shirts. (With our new logo)

I'll post it over here as well when it kicks off.

Thanks again... over 7300 views!!!  WOW!!!

Mike  Ferro-Kings

Thanks for checking us out Connor & Peter!

We hope to make our first product launch announcement very soon.
Guitarist Guild will be one of the main launch communication sites.
Appreciate the positive vibes!

~Mike

Thanks Mick!

You know the funny thing is... All Gibson and Epi pickups are Red/Black for positive and negative so when they changed the Bridge connector input on the quick connect board it really confuses things.  That means you have to order a special Gibson pickup with quick connect connector to work for plug and play.  The Bridge pickup that comes in these models are color coded and connected to the connector with the changed coding.  The pickups are still made the same, they just changed the color coding on the wires.

I'm not really sure why they did that... except maybe to discourage folks when putting in standard pickups.
Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

If anyone has a 2014 Gibson with the quick connect system maybe they can verify if the color coding is still like this.

Hey Gang.  I recently found an issue when trying to install a new set of Gibson 490R/498T pickups into a 2013 Gibson Les Paul LPJ.  The LPJ has the new quick connect board and connectors.

The problem was the new standard pickups did not come with quick connect connectors so I assumed you can just splice them to the existing pigtail and all would be fine.  NOT SO.

You can connect them in this manner and both pickups work but the middle switch position has "noticeable" power loss.

Here's what I found...

Gibson changed the color coding on the connector for the Bridge pickup and that caused the pickups to be out of phase when installed properly (color to color).

Here's the details...

Standard Gibson pickups with 4 conductor capabilities have 5 conductors (including screen or shield).  They are manufactured with this coding...

Red - Hot or +ve
White - upper coil finish ( connects to green in 2 conductor installs)
Green - lower coil finish (connects to white in 2 conductor installs)
Black - Ground or -ve
Shield - Connect to black or ground

I was installing standard Gibson 490R/498T's which do not have quick connect connectors.

Now here's where it gets good.

The quick connect board and connector have these color codings...

Neck - Pin 1 - Shield / Pin 2 - Black / Pin 3 - Red / Pin 4 - Green / Pin 5 - White
Bridge - Pin 1 - Shield / Pin 2 - Green / Pin 3 - White / Pin 4 - Black / Pin 5 - Red
(I'll to add some pics in this post)

So the neck circuit is looking for Red/Black as the positive and negative and the bridge is looking for White/Green.
(Note: This is the circuit for both of my 2013 LPJ's and a friends 2013 Studio with the same pups and QC board)

So when I hooked up the pickups to the quick connect pigtails and observed proper color coding it actually put the pickups out of phase.

To rectify you have to forget about connecting proper colors to proper color and just give the board what it is looking for...
Again note... this is only for the Bridge... the Neck is color coded properly.

For the bridge pigtail...

Connect Red from pickup to White on pigtail
        Black from pickup to Green
        White from pickup to Red
        Green from pickup to Black
        Shield to shield

If you do not connect it like this, it will still work but there will be a noticeable power loss in the mid because of out of phase.
This can be verified with clip leads if you are skeptical.

(NOTE:  If you have a different color coded pickup then just hook it up following your coding to the pigtail inputs above.)

Hope this helps someone and saves them time and troubleshooting.

Mike@Ferro-Kings

Great looking stuff Doc!  I'll definitely be trying the Stealth ring!  Going to check out your site now.

Mike @Ferro-Kings

To all our friends and supporters...

I just wanted to let everyone know that we are still kicking and trying to finalize our designs. We started this adventure in December 2009, and now here it is 4 years later, and we are finally on the verge of releasing our concepts and products.

Developing a new technology is very challenging and sometimes takes longer than we would like. If we were a big company with resources like personnel and capital, then we could have already had this to market. We are 2 guys with limited time and money so EVERYTHING is a challenge at this point.

Trying to harness the potential of "Fluid Sound Technology®" is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done in my business life. To quote Commander Peter Quincy Taggert of "Galaxy Quest"... "Never give up, never surrender!"

All of the feedback from our local players and testers suggest that the fluid DOES bring something to the sound and tone. This is from numerous players with 20-40 years of playing experience. I have to believe in the potential of what we are doing.

So thanks again for your support, understanding, and patience. You WILL see Ferro-Kings Liquid Pickups® available very soon!!!

Have a great Holiday season!
~Mike

Here is the original post if you want to check out our Facebook page...
https://www.facebook.com/FerroKings/posts/10151996525902367

We are trying like crazy to launch our "Mod Shop" on our website (www.ferrokings.com) around Nov. 1st.  I'll be posting here with all the details.
Time to get this ball rolling!!!

Thanks for asking!

~Mike @FerroKings

Hey Mick and gang... posting an update.  I'll also post some more new pics in a day or so with news of our opening the Ferro-Kings Liquid Pickups Mod Shop within the next month.

Joey Kilcommins of American Swindle gets Liquid Pickups

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151803444967367.1073741830.355963627366&type=3&uploaded=4

WOW... over 2000 views!  Thanks so much for the great exposure GG!  We love you guys!

Here's a few new videos and updates to chew on.

First, we have found a way to perform "Fluid Modifications" for existing humbuckers which incorporates us putting our fluid chamber into a humbucker and using 3 different fluids to enhance the pickup response.  E & A have a fluid selected for bottom-end response. D & G fluid selected for mid-range response and of course, B & E selected for great high-end response.  Then we top in off with a solid humbucker cover and seal the complete pup.

This mod is also protected by our patent.  We'll be setting up a "Mod Shop" soon so folks can now have their fav humbuckers made into Liquid Pickups.

Here was the first ever test.  Look for new video demos of this mod soon that showcase the clean as well as overdriven tone. (Pardon my cheap recording equipment)

http://youtu.be/9jh9T43Ql6w

*********************************************************************************

Secondly,

Here is a short video by Robert Len Stallard (RLSGuitar) showcasing his new custom Ferro-Kings Holy Trinity Liquid Pickups in a tribute to his brother on his birthday.  (More info on this set is at our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ferrokings)

http://youtu.be/27pO8HQ_d8c

Thanks for all your support.  We hope to have Liquid Pickups available to all very soon.

~Mike @ Ferro-Kings

Update... All of our trademarks are official now.

Ferro-Kings®
Liquid Pickups®
Fluid Sound Technology®

Now... if we can just get some pickups coming off the assembly line then we'll be cooking.
Thanks for all the positive vibes!

UPDATE and Special Pre-Release Announcement

We have to move our testing workshop which is causing a slight delay in our product launch.

Around the later part of February we will be announcing a “Special Pre-Release Limited Edition PAF Sale”.  We will be offering up a dozen or so Deluxe Liquid Pickupsâ,,¢ sets for Strats and Tele-type Single Coils.  Since we are in the final stages of our patent these will officially be labeled "PAF", have special serial #'s, and be initialed by us.

So not only will you have a chance to own the first sets of this new Fluid Sound Technologyâ,,¢, but after we go worldwide and establish our concept you will have a great collector’s edition.  These sets will also be discounted from our normal pricing.

We’ll be broadcasting the announcement over all our social networking sites.

http://www.facebook.com/FerroKings

Hey gang... this is Mike, one of the developers at Ferro-Kings Liquid Pickups.
Thought I'd put the link to some of my original songs that I have posted on MySpace.
I go by the stagename of Mick Radar.  Please check them out when you get a chance.
(Best listened to with headphones or ear buds since they aren't professionally mastered.)

http://www.myspace.com/mickradar

Feel free to let me know what you think.

~Mike

Just wanted to say a big THANKS to Guitarist Guild for your support and exposure!!!
You guys most definitely ROCK and we really appreciate you helping us get the word out!


~Mike@FerroKings