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Topic: Aftermarket Pickup Quick Change System? |
Cameron Kerby
From:
Rutledge, TN
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 5:11 am |
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I have been incredibly intrigued by the new MSA pickup quick change system. Those are some immaculate looking and sounding guitars. But my question is why hasn't this pickup system become standard on all newer guitars? And why hasn't someone thought of building an aftermarket system for all price ranges of guitars or possibly vintage guitar enthusiasts?
I would love to here any feedback on this new pickup system (pros and cons) and possibly any ideas on modifying non MSA guitars to a quick change system. Also, Could a system like this work if you have multiple pickups per neck like some players have started using?
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Sho Bud Steel Guitars
Vintage Peavey Amplification |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 5:44 am
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| If I remember correctly, Sierra guitars had this way before MSA. |
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Tom Campbell
From:
Houston, Texas, USA
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 5:58 am
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I have three Sierra U-12 Sessions...yes Sierra is one of the innovators of the "quick change" pickup.
You can take a regular steel and add a "terminal post" wired to the input jack...connect your pickup to the terminal post and the results is a "semi-quick" change pickup procedure...no soldering/ re-soldering necessary. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 7:21 am
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Why don't you just find a pickup you like and stick with it? 
Erv |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 11:41 am
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Jackson steels developed there own modular pickup system also. It's is a great feature.
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Bob |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 11:49 am
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I would like it because I could put in single coils if I wanted them, or humbuckers if I wanted them.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 12:43 pm
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| Erv Niehaus wrote: |
Why don't you just find a pickup you like and stick with it?
Erv |
How are you going to know which one[s] you like if you don't install them? Thus, the modular system would be a boon for anyone experimenting or, like Richard, might want to use different pickups for different situations.
The builders have been able to universalize pickup designs as in wide or narrow mount, no reason why they couldn't collaborate and come up with a universal system of modular mounts as well. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 12:44 pm
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| I believe some pickups are made so you can use a toggle switch to have them either single coil or double coil(humbucking). |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 1:31 pm
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Erv,
The one feature of the Sierra Session pedal steels that I miss the most is interchangeable pick ups ....... I don’t really like humbucking pick ups , but just about every place you gig you need them ...... when recording I use single coil pickups ....... you really don’t miss having interchangeable pick ups unless you’ve had them and then done without them.... by far one of the best features of any pedal steel that I’ve had in the past ...Jim |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 17 Aug 2018 1:39 pm
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James,
I guess it's something I need to think about. 
Erv |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 7:36 am
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| Erv Niehaus wrote: |
| I believe some pickups are made so you can use a toggle switch to have them either single coil or double coil(humbucking). |
True. But I read read several accounts of the tone of the single coil being really thin. I will be doing this with an XR-16 this week. I'll be replacing my Mullen single coil. I love the Mullen pickup, but I sometimes play a place where the hum is as loud as the guitar level coming out the speaker. Neon lights weren't an issue. Moving the guitar didn't help. The guitar player (Tele) had problems, but not as bad as me. Same with the bass player.
Hopefully the XR-16 will work for me.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 7:40 am
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Richard,
Be sure and let us know how that works out for you.
Erv |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 8:31 am
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Richard,
I have never liked humbucking pickups in any steel, but the XR-16 came as close to tolerable as I could get !! ....It worked well where noise was a factor....There was a few places where the wiring was absolutely intolerable, but most places the XR-16 did the trick...Ample bass, strong mids, and smooth highs.......Jim |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 18 Aug 2018 10:20 am
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it is a cool concept, and Im guessing one of the reasons for not all brands offering it is the added cost.
What would really be great is if there was an industry standard, and the modular pickups fit on every brand.
As far as finding one pickup and sticking with it...OK.
You could A/B or A/B/C compare the standard way, involving desoldering,resoldering,etc...This mandates a certain amount of time between listening. I find its easy to lose a bit of the subtleties of pickup "A",by the time Ive installed pickup"B".
If youve changed strings in the process. obviously your findings are now a bit jaded.
Swapping out back and forth with just seconds apart provides a much more accurate evaluation of the subtle differences, so you have a much more accurate reference to use for finding one pickup and sticking with it.
Plus, its REALLY cool...
The downside is that youve had to add a mounting plate. It aint free, and you can build a stash of expensive pickups you’re not using. If you want to use the pickup on a standard mount steel, obviously the modular plate needs to somehow come off, and a standard plate put back on, if possible. It can put a hiccup in your plan to keep the one you prefer, and sell the one you might want to part with. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 19 Aug 2018 4:56 am Re: Aftermarket Pickup Quick Change System?
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| Cameron Kerby wrote: |
I have been incredibly intrigued by the new MSA pickup quick change system. Those are some immaculate looking and sounding guitars. But my question is why hasn't this pickup system become standard on all newer guitars? And why hasn't someone thought of building an aftermarket system for all price ranges of guitars or possibly vintage guitar enthusiasts?
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IMHO, changing pickups will only provide very subtle changes in sound. I've never seen or heard a pickup that creates a "night and day" change in the sound of a guitar. It's nothing like what a different amp can do.
That said, the pedal steel market is extremely small. Logically, it would be the pickup manufacturers' job to develop a system that builders and owners both could easily use, but there is little incentive for them to do so. Pedal steel manufacturers, feeling that they each have the best ideas and designs, all like to develop and use their own bits. This lack of standardization (and the mentality behind it) is the reason that we don't have more commonality in the industry. Straight guitarists are even more willy-nilly about juggling pickups than steel players. But even with their vast numbers, plug-in pickups just haven't become popular.
Go figure.  |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 19 Aug 2018 6:38 am
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| Guitars are cheap enough whereby a guitar player can own numerous guitars with different pickups in their arsenal, and they do .... Changes, no matter how subtle, are important to a lot of players.....Play a pedal steel on a stage where there is challenges with noise/electrical interference with single coil pickups, then play the same pedal steel with a humbucking pickup and tell me how subtle the difference is....Jim |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 20 Aug 2018 7:58 am
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Steel players make SO much money that they can afford MANY steel guitars, a different pickup on each one!
Erv |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 20 Aug 2018 9:56 am
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| Many pickups do have a similar sound to them. In some cases changing a pickup can effect a HUGE change in tone. I swapped out the Bill Lawrence pickup in my BJV Sho-Bud Pro II custom for a vintage Sho-Bud pickup and the difference was night and day. Totally different guitar sound wise. Started with a generic but clean modern tone and ended up with a vintage Sho-Bud tone. I've observed similar large tonal effects when going from a single coil to to a humbucking pickup. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 20 Aug 2018 1:32 pm
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| Greg Cutshaw wrote: |
| ...I've observed similar large tonal effects when going from a single coil to to a humbucking pickup. |
No argument there! That's the one "change" that can be significant. Modern pickups vs. older ones can be significant because the older ones used much less wire. But among the modern designs, I stand by my statement. Once you start comparing modern single-coils to single-coils, and this humbucker to that humbucker, the differences are really minimal on a pedal steel. I've even demonstrated it to other players by quickly swapping pickups, and then eqing a 710 to make it sound like an E66. It can be done if the amp tone network is versatile enough. Of course, on amps with minimum tone controls, you're kinda stuck with one basic sound.
Never underestimate what a graphic EQ or mid-shift control can do, as they have the capability to change the entire character of a guitar's sound.  |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 20 Aug 2018 3:56 pm
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All brands should at least offer Modular Pickups.
It's really a huge advantage for regularly gigging bar-room players. You have an instant choice of pickup to deal with varying bandstand situations and equipment, amps/effects, mood, etc.
This is about having as much fun as possible. That's all we're trying to do 
Please understand, nobody collects pickups that sound alike.
Also, Chicks dig 'em! |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 20 Aug 2018 4:06 pm
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And having spare pickups is helpful when some A-hole starts causing crap with the band. A good humbucker upside his head will make him think about settling down. 
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 20 Aug 2018 4:29 pm
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I would just use a Bar for that! fwiw, I have never been in a bar fight in my life! Not even close.
Seriously though, I have one pickup that sounds great with a Twin Reverb amp, and sounds un-useably muddy in a Peavey amp. It is one of those old triple range Sierra pickups. I thought it sucked, until I tried it with the Twin Reverb (which as it turns out, was the amp it was designed to be used with).
I grab different amps on a whim every weekend.
I have different pickups that I like with different gear combo's.
Not all my Steels have Modular pickups.
I have a Wallace True Tone Single Coil for my Zum 12 that has been sitting there for a year now, while I still use the Humbucker in there that shorts out if a string touches a pole piece. I wish the Zum had modular pickups. |
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