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Topic: Rick Aiello's new Potbelly pickup |
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 25 Jun 2007 12:33 pm |
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I received a special package today from Virginia in Rick Aiello's classic Baby Wipes container. Inside was a beautiful new Potbelly pickup in black.
I am extremely finicky about stuff like pickups and Rick knows I am a bitch to please. I removed a good horseshoe pickup from an Epiphone steel guitar and installed the Potbelly in less than 10 minutes. The Potbelly completely destroyed the Rickenbacker horseshoe (1 1/4" mags, 1940s) pickup hands down. The string balance is completely even all the way across. The output is very hot, but in a hi-fi way. The crystal highs recalled the wonderful sound of Speedy West's Bigsby through his Standel amp (I was playing mine through a Standel as well), but the mids are really super. Very, very punchy sounding pickup.
I am completely and utterly impressed with Rick's work on this pickup. It's truly marvelous! Have a guitar that needs a pickup? Get one of these!
Mike
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Jeff Strouse
From:
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2007 2:49 pm
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Rick, you da man!  |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2007 3:18 am
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Glad you like it 
Jeff, they opened up a new ABC store in Winchester that carries Sailor Jerry ... Berryville's didn't
Now if Chrissy would let me get that hula girl tattoo ... I'd be all set 
Mike ... thanks for the kind words |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 26 Jun 2007 4:14 am
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Remember that old cerial commercial?..... "let Mikey try it"......"wow, Mikey likes it"
Mike doesn't pull his punches when it comes to sound & gear......
Great going Rick.....you've done so much for steel guitar & music......it's uncanny......
I just received my semi hollow body electric Weiss from Mike D. with the MRI & Sunrise pu.....I'll post after vacation if I can't do that sooner.....
Good to see you guys again......Harry, I still have some gas from that balogne........ |
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Mike Black
From:
New Mexico, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2007 8:17 am
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delete
Last edited by Mike Black on 10 Apr 2011 7:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
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Posted 26 Jun 2007 8:26 am
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Magneto Stikes...Again!
Better get that production line going Rick, Ive got a geetar just about ready to fit one in! |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2007 3:47 pm
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Mike,
Thanks for the post on the Pot Belly ...It's just what I need to make my Sierra sound like it should !!
I have one on order ...Jim |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 28 Jun 2007 7:13 am
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A few day later and I'm still blown away by this pickup. I'm going to change the strings on my steel and see what kind of bottom the pickup has. Right now, an E (659.26 Hz) is my lowest. I'd like to hear a lower E (329.63 Hz). The output and brilliance of this pickup is really everything I'd hoped for.
The look and build of the pickup is great. My pickup magnet was finished high gloss black powder coating. It didn't take much to install it and it's pretty darn easy to get a perfect balance and high output setup.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 2 Jul 2007 4:30 am
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Mike ... thanks for the kind words.
Here's James' Sierra unit ...
I made a mounting plate and powder coated it ... so he could utilize the 4 GeoL mounting screws/springs.
His pickguard is on its way to be milled abit ... for a custom fit |
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Matt Johnson
From:
California, USA
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Posted 2 Jul 2007 8:16 am
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Wow, that's looking sweet. I'd bet his Sierra is gonna breathe fire after this. If anyone can post some sounds or pictures with there potbellies (from Rick, that is!  ...... not burps and gurgles), it would be most appreciated. Thanks |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2007 11:51 am
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Matt ... I hope Mike comes up with something ... cause last time I demo-ed one of my products ...
Sales went down to ... el-zippo
Here's Jame's milled pickguard:
When it arrived ... I was a tad nervous. My Sierra had another "lobe" on the players side ... but this one didn't ...
And the "Belly" is a big SOB
Polished the aluminum for you ... and it's on its way home ... enjoy !
Happy 4th ... y'all |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2007 3:50 pm
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Rick,
You da man !!.....I'm so excited about putting this pickup in my Sierra ... You did a GREAT job on this pickup and really went the extra mile milling my pickguard for a truely custom looking setup !!...The shiny black powder coat is KILLER !!... It's hard enough to find 8 string pickups, but to find a GREAT looking and a GREAT sounding 8 string pickup all rolled into one is an absolute blast !!!... Thanks so much for a job well done !!...I'll post some clips once I get this pickup setup in the Sierra, and will also send a review .. I'm told that this pickup has a HUGE clean tone to it !!....This is what I look for when driving effects ....The best of both worlds !!.....Sincerely, Jim |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 3 Jul 2007 6:12 pm
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JQ, you are going to be extremely happy with that pickup. I'm still marveling at the sound of mine. A serious breakthrough for the world of steel guitar pickups.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 3 Jul 2007 8:48 pm
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You guys are getting me excited!! I gotta hear one of Rick's new generation pickups.  |
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Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
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Posted 4 Jul 2007 7:29 am
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| Rick's good but I don't know if even he can get one to work on a trumpet! |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 5 Jul 2007 5:04 pm
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OK guys and gals....I'm posting a picture of the best sounding lap steel I have ever played !!...Actually, the sole item that made this steel sing is the Pot Belly pickup that Rick made me ...It's so hard to describe the tone coming out of this steel ...It's got TONE TO THE BONE !!....It's clear , great string seperation , harmonic's without hardly trying , and dynamic range from low to high like no other lap steel I have ever played ... Most of all , while this pickup has plenty of umph, it is as SWEET as Maple Sugar !!...
It's very hi fi, yet very organic sounding ..It reminds me of playing a really good guitar , thru a really good amp, and you get that natural sustain...Not distorted, buzzy , sustain , but natural tone , that blooms as you hold the note ...A lot of people will use compression, or a little bit of overdrive to get a nice sustain thing going ...You can add it if you want with this pickup, but not needed ...It's got a FAT full tone on it's own ...I want something that nobody else has, so I asked Rick to make me a pickup for my Excel ...I've never heard a tone from any other pickup like this tone ...No hum, no crackle , no pop, no extraneous noises at all !!...DEAD QUIET !!...I plugged into cheaper amps that I own ,and this thing STILL sounds good ...Plug into some high quality amps like my Carr Slant 6, and I can't put this little lap steel down !!....If you're looking to improve on the tone of your present lap steel , look no further ....Rick even went as far as saying if this pickup didn't knock my socks off , that I should send it back , no questions asked ...This pickup is not going ANYWHERE !!.... He's not getting it back !!....I want MORE of the same !!....Thanks so much for a GREAT pickup, and the best customer service a person could ask for ...As I said earlier ..."You da man " Rick !!!...Jim
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2007 5:07 am
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I'm glad it arrived safely ... and that you like it
Thanks for the kind words ...
My Sierra has a rose too ... I hear not all do |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2007 5:32 am
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Rick,
The ones with the Rose are destined for greatness !!...
That's what I've been told ... ...Jim |
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David Cook
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 10 Jul 2007 8:21 am sierra
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| Hi, I've got a Sierra with a True Tone in it. Is the pot belly gonna be significantly better? James, did you have a True Tone in yours? Thanks |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 10 Jul 2007 8:46 am
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David,
No, I did not have a TrueTone is my Sierra ...I had the stock George L in it .... I'm not sure what the difference in tone would be between the TrueTone and Rick's Pot Belly ...I LOVE Jerry's TrueTones in my pedal steels , but never had one in a Lap Steel ...Perhaps Rick or someone else could chime in here that have had both ...It may even be the case where there would be no "better" or "worse" , just different ...Sorry I couldn't be more help ...Jim |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 10 Jul 2007 9:33 am
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This is a "job" for forum member ... Steve Miller ... presently frolicking in California.
Steve was the first guy to hear my "Belly" ... (that sounds odd) ... 
He brought his Sierra with a Truetone in it ... when I had an "open house" to introduce the Potbelly.
Ended up just him and me ... on two consecutive Sundays ... but, it was a blast ... |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 15 Jul 2007 1:06 pm
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None so far ...
But Dave "The Hula Monster" Giegerich came out yesterday ... and A/B-ed his Sierra ... against mine w/ a "Belly" in it ...
Dave's will be sportin' a Potbelly by week's end ... with a custom powder coated matching pickguard |
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Dave Giegerich
From:
Ellicott City, MD, R.I.P.
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Posted 16 Jul 2007 10:07 pm
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| The Potbelly is fantastic. I played it on my Sierra through Rick's Twin Reverb and my Evans Parlor amp and it shined through both. It has it all- it's clean, smooth and balanced with power to spare. Rick has outdone himself on this one. I ordered one right away and can't wait to get it. And as others have said, you couldn't deal with a nicer guy. Thanks Rick. |
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Stephan Miller
From:
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Posted 17 Jul 2007 9:17 pm
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David C.-- I've had my Sierra with the Truetone for a couple years now (also have a couple of Truetone -equipped Dynalaps)-- I like the TT a lot: it's crisp yet full, quiet for a single coil, clear and open-sounding. The thing is, when I heard the 2 pickups back-to-back, each in a Sierra, it was obvious that the Potbelly does everything the Truetone does, and does it better. "How much better" will be up to your own ears...can't imagine anyone being disappointed with it, though. I'll get one, either in a new guitar or, if I stick with the Sierra, the Truetone will have to go. Hope that helps...
In other news, I was on hand in L.A. for my daughter Christina's 25th birthday, and 3 days later for the birth of my first grandchild: Juliet, healthy & pretty & a lanky 21"...she has big hands w/ long fingers, and her other grandpa (musician, L.A. studio owner and fellow lap steeler) and I have high hopes for her. 
--Steve |
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