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Topic: The "Dining Car" Pickup for Sierra 8 - Video Added |
Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 22 Apr 2012 2:30 am |
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Basically it is a CoilSurround Pickup with a fixed air gap.
I have mounted it in my own Sierra ... Here's some photos:
First I had to modify the pickguard designed for a Geo L to accept the unit ...
Sierra (1st Generation) pickup bay and control cavity ... note the ground wire attached to the aluminum sheet that runs the length of the steel ...
I didn't have a cavity for the players side switch ... so I milled one ... The Sierra has a hard molded black plastic shell ... a composite wood body ... a slap of aluminum ... more composite and the back molded plastic shell. I went with an On-On-On Toggle to switch it from Humbucker/Single Coil/A$$ Kicking Modes ...
Everything just dropped in like a charm ... I played it for several hours late last night.
I'll post photos of it installed and all strung up ... once the sun rises (I'm up with a screaming baby right now) ...
I'll have the girls make a video today too.
It's going to be hard for me to remove it and send it off ... My Sierra has never sounded nor looked this good  
Last edited by Rick Aiello on 24 Apr 2012 2:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 22 Apr 2012 8:00 am
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John Limbach
From:
Billings, Montana, USA
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Posted 22 Apr 2012 9:24 am
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| Looks great, Rick. Can't wait to hear it. Hope I have that cavity on mine, otherwise, out comes the router bit! |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 22 Apr 2012 10:21 am
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I heard the ones made after they started offering the 10-5 have the players cavity.
The plastic and composite was like milling butter ... But getting thru the aluminum slab would not be fun without a milling machine.
Worse case scenario ... A concentric pot could be used for volume and tone and the toggle can go in the tone hole ... That cavity is deep.
That's what I was going to do to test it ... But I didn't have one and didn't want to wait.
Don't worry ...
Just waiting for the Chris and the girls to get home ... Sent them to town looking for an IPad holder ...
I've been downstairs warming up ... Hope I can pull off a decent demo this time ...
Where's Neer when you need him ...  |
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Ralph Czitrom
From:
Ringwood, New Jersey
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Posted 22 Apr 2012 11:02 am
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| Looking forward to that video Rick. |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 2:57 am
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I'm very happy with the video ... 
Not so much with getting it on YouTube 
It's almost 15 minutes in HD / higher quality audio ... And I've been trying to get it loaded for a day
Hopefully it will be up by day's end ...  |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 4:31 am
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Rick, that looks like a masterpiece. It's nice to know that steel players can have something the rest of the guitar playing world can't (for the time being).
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 2:15 pm
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I had to go to my wife's office to use her hi-speed internet. Took 5 minutes off too ...
Anyway ...
I channeled my "Inner Byrd" to try and pull off two old Hawaiian songs acappella ... using the two tunes at various pickup configs and tone settings ... to demonstrate the various sounds that this unit can produce.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ5tOpJMIMw |
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Brian Hunter
From:
Indianapolis
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 4:32 pm
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Lord that sounds beautiful.
_________________
Brian |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 4:37 pm
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...very decent, Rick!
The differential of the pickup configs. are quite discernable.
I'd like to try "channeling my outer Byrd" on it. 
..cannot wait to hear the Pullman. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 5:02 pm
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| The future for steel guitar pickups is so bright we'll have to wear shades, especially when visiting Rick's growing room! |
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Don Kona Woods
From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
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Posted 24 Apr 2012 10:21 pm
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I am impressed!  And it takes a lot to impress me.
A very nice job of constructing and a nice job of presenting.
Bring it to Joliet for your live demonstration!
Aloha, 
Don |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 25 Apr 2012 4:07 am
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Rick, @ 1:36...haha...my next book will be anger management for steel players.
Rick, this sounds truly amazing. Love the range of tones. I've got to have one, but I don't have a guitar to put it in. Congratulations.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 25 Apr 2012 4:21 am
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| One of the best parts of Rick's pickups & cast steels are........their names..... |
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Ron Simpson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 25 Apr 2012 4:54 am
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A most excellent video, and two of my most favorite songs.
Ron |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 25 Apr 2012 6:18 am
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Thanks for all the kind words y'all ...
They didn't come home with an IPad stand ... So I made one from a cardboard box
I haven't played in a long, long time ... And I really wanted to get a nice representative sample of what this rascal can do.
I'm removing it today and sending it on its way ... It sure was nice in there ... My Sierra has never sounded that good ...
PS: Mike, I was hoping no one would catch that ... I edited out all the other choice phrases that were uttered that evening ...  |
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Danny James
From:
Summerfield Florida USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2012 6:47 am
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Hey Rick, old friend, I am impressed beyond words. Not only with your great sounding music using your newly designed "Dining Car" pickup, but with what I'm seeing and hearing with your execution with your hands, especially with forward & reverse slants--- Touch & Tone, per Jerry Byrd.
You have come a long way in getting some wonderful use of your hand and arm back, and what an inspiration it is to me, as I am aware of some of the struggles you have gone through to get where you are. It truly shows what one can do when we are determined to keep on plugging away. You never cease to amaze us all I think.
Keep on doing what you do best.  |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 26 Apr 2012 7:15 am
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Danny, you can't keep a good man down and Rick is the best of them.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 26 Apr 2012 8:54 am
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| Amen to that Mike...... |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2012 12:42 pm
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| HowardR wrote: |
| One of the best parts of Rick's pickups & cast steels are........their names..... |
It looked more like a "Dining Car" before it was wrinkled ...
I was thinking about calling it the "Airstream" ...
Thanks again for the nice comments ... |
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Mike Anderson
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 26 Apr 2012 12:56 pm
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| Holy crap, I never imagined so much variety of tone was available from a pickup! It's downright spooky... |
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Mitch Druckman
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2012 1:05 pm
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The Woodblock |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2012 1:19 pm
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Mitch, have you always been clairvoyant ? ....  |
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Joseph Meditz
From:
Sierra Vista, AZ
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Posted 27 Apr 2012 3:25 pm
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It sounds great Rick! The beginning and the part starting at about 6:56 of the video were very open sounding.
What is the shell of the pickup made of? I think it looks better plain. Less work for you, and it would still be dining car
Joe |
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