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Topic: Lap steel pickups |
Paul Buckingham
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 31 Aug 2023 8:41 pm |
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Hi team, looking for some guidance in replacing the pickups on my old lap steel please? It’s only a cheap one so the pickup / volume & tone setup is average.
I like good tone with a bit of grunt, any ideas on a good sounding alternative would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Bucko
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GFI Expo 3x4, AER Alpha, Epiphone 50 series mando |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 1 Sep 2023 2:12 am
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What kind of steel is this? Do you have a pic?
Pickups come in many shapes and sizes. Without knowing what kind of steel this is, we can't suggest something that will drop right in without additional surgery. |
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Paul Buckingham
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 4 Sep 2023 10:37 pm
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 Thanks Noah, makes sense, its got a humbucker in it at the moment, but its no better than the original one?
Cheers,
Bucko
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GFI Expo 3x4, AER Alpha, Epiphone 50 series mando |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 5 Sep 2023 3:49 am
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Hi Paul...first thought is, that isn't likely a very old lap steel...it's been modified for sure, but SX is a more recent Chinese import brand (I've got one and like it...although I did replace the pickup).
It actually looks a lot like this one...given the (maybe? maybe not) nonstandard finish and control plate:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=184261&sid=2c38a4ed682f186ed99f9327bb3b3a13
The pickup you've got in there now looks like a hot rails humbucker for Strat. I imagine the original it shipped with was more likely a standard 6 polepiece strat style single coil.
One of the problems with giving a pickup recommendation is that it sounds like you are unhappy with both the original (single coil strat style, guessing) and a rail type humbucker (which should have rectified both 60 cycle hum issues as well as any string balance/alignment issues...both of which are why I replaced the pickup in my SX 8 string, to good effect, with a Lace Alumitone). Since those pickups cover a pretty broad base, it might help if you could put into words what exactly you dislike about each. I could give general recommendations on what I like...but I'd hate for you to spend the money on a new pickup and like it no more than the first two you tried.
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Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 5 Sep 2023 6:50 am
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I have Lace Pups in 3 of mine. 2 in Maple bodies and one in an aluminum body........each has it's own voice. Mine are all P-90 Riffian Lace pups.
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Paul Buckingham
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 6 Sep 2023 9:17 pm
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Thanks Nic, the standard Sx pickups tone control goes from too sharp to too dull with the smallest of adjustment played via an AER 60 which I also use for the GFI, Expo PSG and is fine. I guess what I'm trying to get is a more mellow tone with the ability to adjust it in and out.
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GFI Expo 3x4, AER Alpha, Epiphone 50 series mando |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 7 Sep 2023 2:14 am
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| Paul Buckingham wrote: |
| Thanks Nic, the standard Sx pickups tone control goes from too sharp to too dull with the smallest of adjustment played via an AER 60 which I also use for the GFI, Expo PSG and is fine. I guess what I'm trying to get is a more mellow tone with the ability to adjust it in and out. |
That's not the fault of the pickup, but of the tone control. It's a function of the pot value, cap value, and pot taper - especially the last one. If you like the overall sound of the instrument, you're better off swapping out these components. A lower-resistance pot with an audio taper is the first thing I'd try. |
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Paul Buckingham
From:
New South Wales, Australia
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Posted 8 Sep 2023 8:31 pm
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Hi all, I didn't like the sound of the original pickup/ tone control setup, that's why I was in the hunt to improve it. thanks for the technical tips but they are a bit beyond my limit 
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GFI Expo 3x4, AER Alpha, Epiphone 50 series mando |
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