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Topic: Weak output from one string on a 50's Supro Comet lap steel |
Mark Evans
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 30 Apr 2016 4:54 pm |
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I have an old Supro lap steel, the great old string thru pickup type, but one string has a weak output compared to other. Third treble string. Open E tuning. Morello strings, nickel. Have tweaked the pup screw, can't seem to get it better.
I'd love to hear experiences and hopefully paths to a solution.
Thanks
Mark in Madison, Wi
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Larry Pogreba Baritone 'Weissenheimer
Late 30’s Oahu Tonemaster
Early 40’s Rickenbacker Ace
Asher Electro Hawaiian
Hermann Guitars style 1 Weissenborn
2017 Richard Wilson Style 1 Weissenborn |
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Blake Hawkins
From:
Florida
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Posted 30 Apr 2016 5:06 pm
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This is a common problem and has been covered here before.
Look at the pickup pole piece directly below the string. It has an adjustment slot. Back it out until it is even with the other five pole pieces.
Just a small amount of movement makes a big difference. With a little care you can match the outputs of all the strings. |
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John Mulligan
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 30 Apr 2016 6:56 pm
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| That's my problem exactly on an old string-through National. Do you have to remove the top plate to do this? |
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Nathan Laudenbach
From:
Montana
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Posted 30 Apr 2016 7:30 pm string thru pickup
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| I had a similar problem with my supro lap steel. i had to pay about 45 bucks to have the pickup worked on but it was well worth it! i'm not sure what was done to my pickup to get it working properly. |
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Nathan Laudenbach
From:
Montana
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Posted 30 Apr 2016 7:42 pm
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| John Mulligan wrote: |
| That's my problem exactly on an old string-through National. Do you have to remove the top plate to do this? |
No you don't have to remove the top plate, just drop a small screwdriver through the hole associated with that string. If adjusting that pole piece does't work, my advice is to take it to your local music store and or luthier and let them fix it for you. |
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Ted Duross
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 1 May 2016 3:18 am
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Hi Mark,
You mention that you've already tweaked the pickup screws so there might be something else at play.
A good place to check out would be Denny Turner's website. He's done a lot of work restoring lap steels with Valco pickups. His site is amazingly informative!
Here's an example of work he did on a 1948 Supro.
http://www.dennysguitars.com/BillRicklesSuproP16.html
You'd have to search but I believe he does have one restoration in which he encountered uneven response in the individual pole pieces. If I recall right, in that case, there was a sleeve that the pole piece screw sits in that was shorting out.
Anyway there is a wealth of information you can find there.
Happy hunting,
Ted |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 1 May 2016 6:44 am
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| It's possible that one of the magnets is upside down, effectively cancelling out the magnetic polarity for the middle strings. I had a similar problem with a K&F steel: the middle strings were very quiet, so I flipped one of the magnets and the issue completely went away. |
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Mark Evans
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 3 May 2016 6:48 am
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Not sure how one would reverse the magnet (will google) or why all of the sudden a magnet would be upside down? Will check.
I think I will just take a little more time messing with the screws. Maybe set all of them down flush, and then working the weak strings up?
Either way, thanks for all the help. Place is a great resource!
_________________
Larry Pogreba Baritone 'Weissenheimer
Late 30’s Oahu Tonemaster
Early 40’s Rickenbacker Ace
Asher Electro Hawaiian
Hermann Guitars style 1 Weissenborn
2017 Richard Wilson Style 1 Weissenborn |
|
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