Anyone Else Modify Their Chandler?(poor man's Asher content)

[William Craven]

This is one of three main lap steels I'm currently playing. This one I've got in a Ben Harper CGCGCC tuning for about four songs a night. It's Ben's fault I'm a lap steel guy; heard him in middle school and thought "what is making that sound?"
Chandler makes great American made steels but their pickup is useless for my needs; very thin and Hawaiian sounding


Enter Mr. Seymour Duncan and Voila! So much warmer, so much more rock and roll. It's really a poor man's Asher. Bill makes by far my favorite steels on the market today, but I have to have at least three of these things onstage every night. One day I'll have a few of the real deals but until we get some more radio play, this will have to do.

[Chris Walke]

Neck position pickups are often omitted in lap steels, which is disappointing to me. I love that mellow sound, and with a little grit added in, it's heavenly.

Even on my standard electrics, I rarely play the bridge pickup. I'm more of a middle or neck pickup guy.

[Twayn Williams]

Chandler makes great American made steels but their pickup is useless for my needs; very thin and Hawaiian sounding

Yes, those bridge pups can be really bright, especially if you run your amp bright. I find the trick is simply to crank down the tone knob. I would say they're probably not a good pup for massive amounts of overdrive. Chandler does make a humbucker version that would be a drop in replacement. You might give 'em a call.

As for neck humbuckers, I'm not a fan. Mud city for my amps and how I play, but to each his own! For what it's worth, I had an import Asher that I replaced the bridge and pups on and while it was a fine guitar, I never really bonded with it so I sold it.

[Bob McElroy]

William,
Trying to figure out from photos and can't get it; what fret is the neck pup coil under now?

Which Duncan?

Bob

[William Craven]

The center of the pickup is under the 24th fret-ish. Upon further review it's actually a DiMarzio pawn shop find. I put the SD in a different slide that I've since sold. Exact model is unknown

[Bob McElroy]

I have an ancient Dimarzio PAF that I will be using. It came out of the guitar that taught me about neck PUP placement: a 24 fret Ibanez Artist. Beautiful guitar that was lacking sonically in the neck position compared to guitars with a pickup at the 24th fret.

Is neck/bridge setting useful?

[Darrell Urbien]

Next up, hollow tone chambers?

[Bob McElroy]

Please tell me that is NOT an option. I have fought ES addiction for years.

[Tom Pettingill]

Though not for everyone, two pickups can be a lot of fun

.

[William Craven]

I really can only use the neck setting because, to my ears, the stock Chandler is just a piece of junk. I'll replace it one day.... one day

[Andy Volk]

I really enjoyed the Chandler when I owned one. It was the too narrow neck width and string spacing that made us part company more than anything else.