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Topic: Valco string through with only one magnet |
Steven Pearce
From:
Port Orchard Washington, USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2021 1:15 pm |
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So after 2days of Forum search’s, I got a question:
Pickup has one magnet on the treble side, the other is the wood.
The wood side=muddy
The treble side=really bright
Besides another magnet, which I don’t have, any pole pieces or? adjustments I could do to even it up?
Thanks for any ideas.
Steve
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http://www.fentonstwang.com/fr_home.cfm |
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Peter Jacobs
From:
Northern Virginia
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Posted 14 Apr 2021 1:53 pm
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There are pole pieces that you access through the holes in the top plate of the pickup. Be aware that with age, they may be stuck, and the screws (I hear) are brittle, so be careful if you attempt to turn them. I've never had to adjust mine, so I have no idea how easy or hard it is. There are several threads here on the forum about it, though
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Peter
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www.splinterville.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@splinterville6278/videos |
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Ted Duross
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Jim Newberry
From:
Seattle, Upper Left America
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Posted 15 Apr 2021 9:28 am
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Steve,
You might want to post something in the "Wanted To Buy" section of the Classifieds here to see if someone has a spare magnet you can pop in in place of the wood plug. Maybe that'd achieve the balance you want.
_________________
"The Masher of Touch and Tone"
-1950 Fender Dual Pro 8
-1950's Fender Dual Pro 6
-Clinesmith D8
-Clinesmith 8-string Frypan
-Clinesmith Joaquin
-~1940 National New Yorker
-~1936 Rickenbacher B6
-Homebuilt Amps |
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 15 Apr 2021 8:25 pm
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You might be able to get a set of magnets from Jason Lollar... years ago I talked to him about it. They weren't listed in the catologe but if you message them they may be able to help you.
I had a single magnet Supro/Valco years ago and I was able to balance out the sound by adjusting the poles... You might want to try swapping the magnet and the dummy I can't remember if I ended up liking this better or not.
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"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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David Ball
From:
North Carolina High Country
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Posted 16 Apr 2021 6:09 am
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It might be worth trying swapping sides between the magnet and the wooden block.
Dave |
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Steven Pearce
From:
Port Orchard Washington, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2021 4:51 pm
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Thanks for all of the ideas!
I’ve had this steel for lots o years and I just learned about the
one magnet thing! Well, off to the workbench with new info at hand.
Thanks again!
Steve
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http://www.fentonstwang.com/fr_home.cfm |
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Steven Pearce
From:
Port Orchard Washington, USA
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Carl McLaughlin
From:
St.Stephen,New Brunswick,Can
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Posted 19 May 2021 1:08 pm supro pickup
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Can some one show a picture of the magnets in question,as i have a supro and am not sure if my guitar applies to a wooden plug. 
_________________
I have a Tele plus telecaster, Larrivee acoustic. Also have a Fender resonator guitar with new Quarterman cone and spider, and an Allan tailpiece .Playing through a Fender Super Champ XD, using a little delay on the amp and a Harmonix Holy Grail Echo pedal, set on Hall turned to about 1pm.Just Bought a Yamaha FGX5 Recently and love it. Recently got a Sho-NUFF 6 string pedal steel in open G.Still learning.Just bought back my old SX lap steel that i modified, in open G |
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David Venzke
From:
SE Michigan, USA
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Posted 19 May 2021 6:56 pm Re: supro pickup
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| Carl McLaughlin wrote: |
| Can some one show a picture of the magnets in question,as i have a supro and am not sure if my guitar applies to a wooden plug. |
Carl,
If you look at the Denny Turner article, the fourth photo down shows a string through pickup with the top removed and the magnets at each end of the pickup.
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Carl McLaughlin
From:
St.Stephen,New Brunswick,Can
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Posted 20 May 2021 4:28 am supro
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Did the factory actually replace one side magnet with a wood piece? or was it done by someone repairing old guitars.
_________________
I have a Tele plus telecaster, Larrivee acoustic. Also have a Fender resonator guitar with new Quarterman cone and spider, and an Allan tailpiece .Playing through a Fender Super Champ XD, using a little delay on the amp and a Harmonix Holy Grail Echo pedal, set on Hall turned to about 1pm.Just Bought a Yamaha FGX5 Recently and love it. Recently got a Sho-NUFF 6 string pedal steel in open G.Still learning.Just bought back my old SX lap steel that i modified, in open G |
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Peter Jacobs
From:
Northern Virginia
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Fred
From:
Amesbury, MA
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Posted 20 May 2021 10:34 am
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| They came from the factory that way. |
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Klym Bolechowsky
From:
Alberta, Canada
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Posted 18 Feb 2023 4:04 pm Valco Tonemaster pickup with one magnet, Bender install
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Hi Everyone,
I have a 1961 Valco Tonemaster with the string-through pickup and I just had a closer look at it today because I'm looking to install a Certano Bender (Has anyone installed a bender on this model lap steel? I hope it doesn't diminish the value of a vintage instrument). Like some of you found, I also have a single magnet on the bass side, and a painted wood block on the treble side. It sounds to me like they were made that way based on some other forum posts I've read. Wondering if I should go down the rabbit hole of trying to find a matching magnet?
Thanks
Last edited by Klym Bolechowsky on 21 Feb 2023 10:34 am; edited 1 time in total |
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D Schubert
From:
Columbia, MO, USA
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Posted 19 Feb 2023 5:48 am
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I've owned several of these old Supro / Airine / Valco guitars with one magnet and one wooden spacer. The height of the individual picks screws was a key adjustment, especially when I'd change string gages for a new tuning.
I seem to remember reading something about possible patent infringement versus Rickenbacker's horseshoe pickup that was a full surround, that prevented using two magnets. Did I just dream that or can someone verify?
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GFI Expo S-10PE, Sho-Bud 6139, Fender 2x8 Stringmaster, Supro consoles, Dobro. And more. |
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Geoff Queen
From:
Austin Texas, USA
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Posted 19 Feb 2023 6:46 am
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| I bought magnets for my Supro from Lollar, and by adjusting the pole pieces was able to find a nice balance in sound. |
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Glenn Wilde
From:
California, USA
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Posted 19 Feb 2023 8:58 am Re: Valco Tonemaster pickup with one magnet, Bender...
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| Klym Bolechowsky wrote: |
Hi Everyone,
I have a 1961 Valco Tonemaster with the string-through pickup and I just had a closer look at it today because I'm looking to install a Certano Bender (Has anyone installed a bender on this model lap steel? I hope it doesn't diminish the value of a vintage instrument). Like some of you found, I also have a single magnet on the bass side, and a painted wood block on the treble side. It sounds to me like they were made that way based on some other forum posts I've read. Wondering if I should go down the rabbit hole of trying to find a matching magnet?
Thanks
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I wouldn't look at a bender as a bad thing on a old steel myself, most lap steels, barring the few really desirable ones like Fry pans, Bakelites, New Yorkers and certain Fender's and Gibson's will never be super valuable vintage guitars, so I say go for it. I'm actually thinking of putting them on my Supro Comet. |
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Glenn Wilde
From:
California, USA
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Posted 19 Feb 2023 9:01 am
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| Of course, I now have to pull out my two Supros and check the magnets, they both sound great but......... You know.. |
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Robert Murphy
From:
West Virginia
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Posted 25 Feb 2023 6:18 am
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| I have an extra magnet if you want one. I replaced the original dummy set with a Lollar pair. |
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Eric Dahlhoff
From:
Point Arena, California
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Posted 25 Feb 2023 10:00 am Pickup Magnets
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Here is a cheap but very useful magnet polarity tester.
Especially helpful when you have 2 magnets and you want to make sure you install them correctly! 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134096481868
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"To live outside the law you must be honest." (Bob Dylan) |
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