Steeltronics Introduces The HSC Preamp

Scott Swartz · From: St. Louis, MO

Steeltronics Introduces The HSC – Humbucker to Single Coil Converter Preamp

A completely new concept in steel guitar electronics...

Humbucking pickups are certainly quieter, but there is general agreement they do not sound as good as single coil pickups. Usual comments are muddy lows, harsh midrange, dull highs, and so on. Single coils sound noticeably better, but always have some noise and can be noisy enough to be unusable in some locations.

Until now there was no other solution, but there is a way to get the best of both worlds –

The HSC Preamp

The HSC preamp addresses the major tonal issue with using humbuckers, which is the impedance of the two coils loads each other as the voltage from each coil is summed in the pickup.

The HSC preamp operates completely differently than other buffer preamps that are currently available. Using your existing humbucker pickup, the unique circuitry senses the voltage signal of each coil separately, then combines the signals electronically and provides a low impedance output to drive the rest of your signal chain. This preserves the single coil tone, you get the sweet extended highs, smooth midrange, and tight lows that a single coil pickup provides, while maintaining all the humbucking action. In fact, the noise level will likely be even lower.

The HSC preamp is designed to work with any dual coil humbucker, George L’s, Bill Lawrence, Tonealigner, etc. With the HSC, the frequency response is extended in both the bass frequencies and the treble, and is much more faithful to the acoustic tone of the instrument. The response of the guitar is more even across the neck, no more overpowering muddy bass notes or harsh highs, just sweet clear tone up and down the neck.

The only disadvantage is a small wiring change on your guitar, specifically the output jack must be changed from a “mono” type to a “stereo” type. Note that the stereo jack is fully backward compatible and it does not prevent using the guitar without the HSC exactly as before installing the stereo jack.

For additional information, please visit www.steeltronics.com

A few notes about the HSC and Steeltronics LLC

-The president of Steeltronics is me, Scott Swartz. I am a longtime member of The Steel Guitar Forum, and have been building audio electronics since I was a teenager more than 20 years ago.

-This product is a result of several years of experimentation on pickup and preamp design and how to best combine them. One of the main design goals was a product that works with the huge variety of steel guitars and humbucking pickups out there, creating a wider and flatter frequency response with any pickup that more accurately reflects the acoustic tone of the instrument.

-Finally, this product is not “vaporware” (the term used in the software industry for something announced not yet available), units are available for immediate shipment.
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Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Awesome Scott!!

Brad

Scott Swartz · From: St. Louis, MO

I received a few questions on the HSC, and several people have asked if they have to re-wire the pickup itself to use the HSC.

The answer is no, your existing humbucking pickup is used exactly as before. You simply install the stereo TRS jack per this wiring diagram, it is literally as simple as soldering the two wires on your existing mono jack on the new stereo jack, see the pic below also.

Also, it is important to note the stereo jack is backward compatible, inserting a standard two conductor guitar cable will short the ring and sleeve of the stereo jack automatically changing the wiring back to exactly what it is with the mono jack.

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Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com

richard burton · From: Britain

If I'm understanding this correctly, the HSC reads both coils, and minimises the loading when the coils are in series.

The two coils are in slightly different positions under the strings, and thus each coil 'reads' the string slightly differently, which can also lead to the inherent 'muddiness' of humbucking pickups.

If it was possible to get a stacked humbuker to fit in a steel guitar, would that be the best scenario to get a good single coil tone when using the HSC ?

Bill Erb · Posted 28 Feb 2009 10:48 pm **HSC and Black box used together**

Scott
Would you use the HSC in front of the steel guitar Black Box?
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BILL ERB

Scott Swartz · From: St. Louis, MO

Richard, you are correct, it minimizes the one coil loading the other.

In fact, assume you have a pickup that you can access the junction of the two coils. If you wire that junction to ground and the other two wires to seperate points you have two coils operating independently, correct? OK lets then wire the coil ends to the tip and ring of a TRS jack as I show, and the junction of the coils to ground. Two coils operating independently. If you hook up the HSC, you can cut the wire between the coil junction and ground and hear no difference, proving that the HSC isolates the coils.

Your other point is correct, there is a magnetic field difference between a single coil and two coils isolated, but most of the tonal complaints with humbuckers is from the coils loading one another. With the two coils not loading one another, the frequency response is extended and the resonant peak of the pickup is moved out to about 5 kHz. Since the resonant peak is out past where the speaker is rolling off the harshness and nasal quality in the 3 kHz range is eliminated.

The HSC would certainly work with a stacked humbucker, if one were readily available, but stacked humbuckers come with their own set of problems, the Tele and Strat stacked numbuckers are only moderately successful. The sensing area of a single coil is different from a humbucker to be sure but it is not a knife edge on a single coil by any means. The flux lines cross a fairly long length of string on both single coil and humbuckers.

Bill, you could use the HSC in front of the Black Box, but they are doing somewhat different things.

The first thing I would note is the HSC is only applicable for humbucking pickups, if you are running single coils, the Black Box is all you need.

The buffering and tube flavor added by the Black Box is different than the buffering and humbucker coil isolation provided by the HSC. I personally have a strong preference for tube amps and get my tube flavor from the amp, in my case a Twin Reverb.

I would need more info on your complete setup to say for sure, and whatever gear you are using its always best to minimize the total number of device you are going through. I can say an HSC into one of Brad's preamps such as the Tonic would be an excellent combination.
_________________
Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com

Scott Swartz · From: St. Louis, MO

I just confirmed a booth with the TSGA for the Dallas show.

I invite everyone to stop by and check out the HSC for yourself. I will have a Sierra lap steel, a POD, and an amp for testing the system and comparing to no buffer and conventional unbalanced type buffers.

Also will have some test gear on hand to demonstrate the wider and flatter frequency response.
_________________
Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com

John McGuire · From: Swansea,Illinois, USA

Bump for a great electronics wiz and plain nice guy. Will miss you at the jam Scott.

Eddy Scheepers · From: Belgium, Europe

Hi Scott,

I may have read not carefully enough, but this is still leaving me with a few questions ...:

1. Can I use this preamp with my regular Hilton or Goodrich volume pedal?
2. Do I need stereo cables in the rest of the signal chain too (i.e from volume pedal to effects - to amp...)
3. What's the difference between a regular HSC and a HSC-L? Is it only the stereo jack with a longer shaft?
4. Can you provide a suitable 220-240 Volt adaptor with European continental type prongs (like Keith Hilton so friendly does)

Eddy

Scott Swartz · From: St. Louis, MO

Eddy,

Thanks for your interest in the HSC, and here are the answers for your questions

-You can use this with any type of volume pedal since the output of the HSC is the standard unbalanced two conductor guitar cord. The signal chain would be guitar - TRS cable - HSC input - standard guitar cord out of HSC - input of volume pedal

-You do not need stereo cables for the rest of your signal chain. The stereo cable for the input of the HSC is necessary to provide the floating balanced configuration from the pickup.

-The only difference between the two is the jack dimensions, you are correct

-I can provide the appropriate adapter for 220V operation. I ship the units with the Dunlop ECB004 18V regulated adapter, and Dunlop offers a 220V version. Based on a web search, these are widely available in Europe, so the other option would be I could credit you for the adapter and you could purchase it locally. At the HSC power input I am using the industry standard 2.1 x 5.5 mm center negative type jack, so 9V regulated adapters such as Ibanez AC109 and Boss PSA-230 and multiple outlet supplies such as the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power will work also.

http://en.euroguitar.com/accessory/dunlop/ecb-04/117229.html

Also, I just got back from the Dallas show, the TSGA Jamboree, and wanted to say thanks to everyone who stopped by and tried out the HSC. Everyone who tried it out immediately heard the difference, and I got a lot of nice comments on how it improves the tone of humbuckers.
_________________
Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com

Eddy Scheepers · From: Belgium, Europe

Thank you for your prompt reply, Scott.

Eddy

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

I'd like to give a big nod to Scott and the HSC preamp. It not only works as advertised but is also quite customizable by removing the back plate and by adjusting trim pots the load for each coil is adjustable as well as a "fader" of sorts enabling the player to shift the emphasis to either coil.

Scott Swartz · From: St. Louis, MO

Thanks Jim for the kind words.

Jim is correct there is a coil balance trimmer inside that can be adjusted to provide more of one coil or the other in the “mix” at the output of the HSC.

It is interesting to hear how the tone changes with relatively small tweaks to the balance. If the balance is adjusted too far the hum/noise will of course increase, but there is a range where the tone can be changed without adding excessive hum.

I ship the units adjusted for perfect balance between the two coils since that is the most universal setting, but the control is there for the user to experiment with if desired.

Here is a pic showing the trimmer to adjust for coil balance

The other two trimmers adjust the coil resistive loading, I explain how to adjust these in the instructions provided with the HSC, available at

http://www.steeltronics.com/support.html

One other thing I would add is the coil loading adjustment is currently internal, but I can mod the HSC by adding a potentiometer and knob to provide external control of the loading. Making the coil balance externally adjustable is also possible. Email for details.
_________________
Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com

David Pinkston · From: Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA

What is your return policy? Not doubting, but ....

Scott Swartz · From: St. Louis, MO

Since the HSC system requires some installation effort, it is a reasonable question as to the return policy.

I had not addressed this question yet, but I have decided I will offer the following return policy:

1. Returns will be accepted on a 15 day approval basis. Steeltronics must be contacted for a Return Authorization within the 15 day approval period.

2. Merchandise (except for the supplied TRS jack) must be received by Steeltronics in the same condition as originally shipped.

3. Return shipping cost, shipping insurance, and shipping risk is the responsibility of the Purchaser.

4. A 10% or $10 restocking fee, whichever is less, will be deducted. This nominal fee is to cover return processing time, and on the HSC unit, the restocking fee will also cover replacing the TRS jack. The Purchaser is welcome to keep the TRS jack, but I cannot resell a jack that has been soldered, and of course the jack must be soldered to install and audition the HSC.

I will be adding this to the website, but these terms are effective immediately.

I am also working on a site update with sound files comparing a push pull with an E66 pickup straight into a preamp with the exact same setup with the HSC added, look for that in a few days.
_________________
Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com

David Pinkston · From: Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA

My understanding is that anything you insert in front of the Black Box or Rev Pre defeats the purpose to some degree of the pickup "seeing" the tube device first.

Seems to be that if you use the HSC then you most likely won't use a Black Box, etc. after it (or vice versa).

Maybe at some point someone on the forum will do some r&d and post the results.

I know I love the Black Box though so I'd need some convincing... nice to have choices though...

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