Charlie Christian reissue pickups & Bakelite knobs

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 22 Jan 2009 10:49 am

FYI ...... yet another source for vintage restorations and old sounds on new guitars.

http://www.ccpickups.co.uk/pickups.html

Doug Freeman · Post by **Doug Freeman** » 22 Jan 2009 11:25 am

Noticed that site last spring and was blown away by how much stuff like this is so readily available now. Always tempting to get one of those pickups and put it in a run-of-the-mill archtop. Problem is always top bracing being in the way of the big, underlying magnet. Not many guitars can handle that without serious modification. Not a problem on a lap steel, tho'.

Doug Freeman · Post by **Doug Freeman** » 22 Jan 2009 11:27 am

Oh yeah...haven't heard one myself, but I've been told those repro pickups from England sound great.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 22 Jan 2009 11:28 am

I wonder if they use the correct wire? It's got to be 38 gauge.

The repro knobs should be of interest to many Gibson owners. I know I paid about $100 for 2 of those knobs a few years ago.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 22 Jan 2009 11:47 am

The knobs are a good deal. The ES-150 pickup is about double the cost of a Lollar CC. I'd be interested in the tonal differences. I have a Lollar CC in my '37 EH-150 .... nice round sound and a bit twangy.

Jon Nygren · Post by **Jon Nygren** » 22 Jan 2009 12:45 pm

Very cool. I'm tempted to throw one of these in the neck of my esquire...wonder how much routing is involved.

Those knobs are cool too...i've seen the es250 knobs on some amps and steels of the period too.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 22 Jan 2009 1:01 pm

My luthier has one of those, traded from a customer. He's also used Jason's version of the CC PU on his guitars, and while Jason's not being a 100% true to original specs, he said the difference in tone is virtually non audible. Personally I haven't heard the UK version, only looked at it and held it in my hands and it looks great, very true to the original, a heavy SOB

I do have Jason's Tele version ( due to bracing )on my New Yorker arch top and it's simply magnificent sounding PU and because of the light top mounting suits better to an acoustically vibrant solid wood carved top.

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 22 Jan 2009 1:40 pm

Here's a U.S. source.

https://shoppingcart.djangobooks.com/ca ... ckups.html

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 22 Jan 2009 1:42 pm

Jason's not being a 100% true to original specs, he said the difference in tone is virtually non audible.

Jason Lollar offered both "original" EH Charlie Christians (with the very large bar magnets) ... and ES Charlie Christians (with the smaller bar magnets) ... for several years ...

They were never listed on his website ... but they were in his brochure ...

He advertised them in Guitar Player's 2004 Guitar & Bass Buyers Guide ... for $400 ...

I saved that issue ...

Here's the magnets I made for them ... back in 2003.

http://www.horseshoemagnets.com/_sgg/m4m2_1.htm

Jason made these while collaborating with Duke Robillard ... when he was with Jay Geils and Gerry Beaudoin ... on the New Guitar Summit tour.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=15128

Anyway ...

Andy's sounds a tad different ... because of the extremely strong NIB magnets I made for his unit ...

I called them ... Ultra Christians ...

As for ...

The C90

This has a straight blade. It will fit into any guitar and is ideal for a neck pickup for Stratocasters etc…

This is the most powerful single pickup on the planet. Price £129

Well ...

...

I'd be willing to put up a few different units to "test" this rather bold statement ...

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 22 Jan 2009 2:16 pm

Cool, a showdown.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 23 Jan 2009 3:51 pm

Probably great stuff out of England...but did you notice the SPELLING of the English language !!! Gads !

Tom Zielinski · Post by **Tom Zielinski** » 29 Jan 2009 6:04 pm

Did someone mention an esquire with a Lollar CC pickup?? The route job was pretty easy considering it already has a route for a tele pickup in it. Mine sounds fantastic! I want to put one in a steel too but I have to save some cash to replace that Seymour Duncan in the Kessel lawsuit guit. (I didn't do it)

Hey Andy! We swapped CDs a while back, good to see you. I have been gigging upright bass and jazz guitar gigs so much I lost touch with the forum. Unfortunately steel is very underappreciated here in Buffalo, but I still play for myself and my daughters $:\$ .[/img]

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 30 Jan 2009 5:04 am

Hey Tom - nice to see you on the forum! The Lollar CC is a great-sounding pickup. I like it in my EH-150 but as Rick says, I'm not sure how much his cool uber-magnets change the sound from a stock Lollar CC.

I'm in the process of customizing my '62 reissue Tele custom with a Bigsby arm and I've been on the fence on whether to put a CC or a TV Jones Filtertron in the neck position. The CC sure looks great in your Tele.