Doug Wilkes demonstrates The Answer guitar

The question is— How do you get almost any imaginable sound out of a guitar with a single pickup? Doug Wilkes has 'The Answer '.

Doug Wilkes has been making The Answer for over 20 years now, and has a world wide patent on the design. If you are looking to find a guitar that has every sound imaginable, and built in a totally bespoke style that adheres to your every detail, then contact Doug to arrange a visit to his work shop.

You may be suprised that The Answer is not as expensive as you might think...!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Doug
• Wilkes
• wilkesguitars.co.uk
• The
• Answer
• Sliding
• pick
• up
• system
• Dave
• Gilmour
• custom
• guitar
• builder
• Staffordshire

[kazoovatory]

why are we only being made aware of this system now when you say you invented it in the 80's?

[carlosmoreton]

Hi there,

Doug's email address is d.wilkes@sky.com if you wish to communicate with him, he's not the most IT literate person hence the video's being on my YT account.

Regards

Carl

[carlosmoreton]

@kazoovatory

Hi there,

Doug's email address is d.wilkes@sky.com if you wish to communicate with him, he's not the most IT literate person hence the video's being on my YT account.

Regards

Carl

[jessesegovia]

Really nice guitar and an awesome range of sounds, but you should be able to grab and slide the pickup bobbins without hitting or muting the high and low strings. There should be some kind of small handle for each bobbin that would allow you to easily grab it and move it around as much as you want while the low and hi E strings rang out.

Jesse

[carlosmoreton]

Hi Jesse,

Once you start playing a guitar with a Wilkes Answer system, it becomes very easy to slide the pick ups along the tracks whilst playing..

[ANIMALLOVERSnr1]

just for the info sliding pick up exists from 1950's ,

[carlosmoreton]

Yes, that's right. If you have watched the video you will hear Doug explain that the sliding pick up system was invented in the 50's.

Doug explains that his patent is on a sliding humberucker system, that splits the humbucker in two. There's a massive difference between a sliding single pick up and a sliding split humbucker.

I actually own an 'Answer' guitar.

[shelton701]

the only problem is your removing the part of the guitar that resonates the most. Your removing the tone!!!!

[rbilleaud]

Holy crap, I had the exact same idea a few years ago, except I don't have the tools and knowhow to get it done. It's actually not all that revolutionary, I'm sure I'm not the only other one to come up with this idea. After thinking about it, I decided that it wasn't all that practical either. If you take into account the extra work that it takes to set up the rail system (or in mine it was grooves concealed under the top) you actually spend more than you would to by a guitar with 3 humbuckers.

[metallica321456]

what does he use for the rails to move the pickups ive been wanting to make one of these for a while i have everything and i want to find a good way to make the rails so that the pickups moves smoothly so anyone out there that knows or even mr Wilkes, can you answer this question and send me a personal message or write on my wall thanks everyone

[bearsfonothin92]

@kazoovatory Tal Farlow invented this YEARS before ahahahahah

[freakshowXES]

brilliant

[TeeAreBee]

God i would love that guitar. Just being able to experiment with tones and harmonic responces like that would be friggin amazing!

[kazoovatory]

I meant Doug, not you :) BTW I have independantly come up with (10 or so years ago) the same type of sliding system but with a different wiring scheme.