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Post new topic Gretsch lap steel pickup?
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Author Topic:  Gretsch lap steel pickup?
James Mayer


From:
back in Portland Oregon, USA (via Arkansas and London, UK)
Post  Posted 11 Jun 2008 9:42 pm    
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Link to auction on eBay.

Only available from this guy on ebay. Cheap and surface mounted. Chris Fouke of Industrial Guitars says it's a great pickup.

Anybody ever tried it?
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Brad Bechtel


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 12 Jun 2008 7:16 am    
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These appear to be the same pickups used on the recent Gretsch lap steels (models G5700 and G5715). I was unimpressed by the pickup when I played one of these guitars.

The price is certainly right if you want that style pickup for some reason.
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Bill Hampton

 

From:
Colorado, USA
Post  Posted 12 Jun 2008 8:31 am    
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I have a vintage Gretsch lap steel and the pickup needs replaced. I was considering one of these, but based on your eval Brad -- maybe not.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a pickup for this guitar?
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Brad Bechtel


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 12 Jun 2008 8:53 am    
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Most of the Gretsch lap steels from the 1940s and 1950s were made by Valco of Chicago and have "string thru" pickups similar to the Supro lap steels of the era.

Rick Aiello just sent me a couple of new magnets for my 1949 Gretsch Mainliner. They made a huge difference in the sound and were extremely easy to install.
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Bill Hampton

 

From:
Colorado, USA
Post  Posted 12 Jun 2008 9:45 am    
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I think my Gretsch was made in the 60'S. It is an Electromatic and looks more like the current models.

The Pickup looks like the one James mentioned in his post.
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John Billings


From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 12 Jun 2008 10:09 am    
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Anyone with one of these pups got a VOM to measure it?
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Brad Bechtel


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 12 Jun 2008 10:52 am    
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I wouldn't base your purchasing decision on my limited experience with a Gretsch lap steel at a Guitar Center. As I remember, the guitar was strung with really light strings, and obviously I was playing through an amp that I'm not familiar with (couldn't tell you which one off the top of my head).

For that price, you could get a pickup just like the one you have (although I'm not sure that's the case, it could be true).
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Paul Smith


From:
Ma
Post  Posted 20 Jun 2008 7:31 am    
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Hello,

I played a new gretch lap steel at my local GC,
and the pickup(which is the same one in the ebay auction) did not sound very good at all....

very weak and thin sounding....


just my 2cents

smitty
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