Upgrades for SX lapsteel w/P90
Moderator: Brad Bechtel
- Alex Cattaneo
- Posts: 986
- Joined: 17 Sep 2010 9:01 pm
- Location: Quebec, Canada
Upgrades for SX lapsteel w/P90
Hi folks,
I found many threads regarding the SX Lapsteel and I was wondering if anyone has had any luck doing some upgrades. Some mentionned swapping for a bridge without saddles, and possibly a piece that is straight, as opposed to guitar bridges which are radiused. Anyone found a good wraparound bridge that fits this description?
Also, pickups. A Lollar P90 would be an obvious choice, but I'm wondering about the Lollar Supro pickup, because I really want a humbucker. Lollar Imperial is another possibility. A friend of mine has a pair of those on his Asher Hawaiian JR and they sound awesome.
I found many threads regarding the SX Lapsteel and I was wondering if anyone has had any luck doing some upgrades. Some mentionned swapping for a bridge without saddles, and possibly a piece that is straight, as opposed to guitar bridges which are radiused. Anyone found a good wraparound bridge that fits this description?
Also, pickups. A Lollar P90 would be an obvious choice, but I'm wondering about the Lollar Supro pickup, because I really want a humbucker. Lollar Imperial is another possibility. A friend of mine has a pair of those on his Asher Hawaiian JR and they sound awesome.
I anchored the wraparound bridge through the body. Very stable now. Used chrome hardware so it looks right. Also installed a pair of Alumatone P 90's via blend pot. Love those pups. Loud, clear, and warm. Clear and warm don't usually go together, which is why I find them so amazing. The neck pickup gives a deep bluesy sound. The bridge pickup is more biting, and together they give a stratty/stringmaster-ish sound that is really sweet.
- Alex Cattaneo
- Posts: 986
- Joined: 17 Sep 2010 9:01 pm
- Location: Quebec, Canada
- Alex Cattaneo
- Posts: 986
- Joined: 17 Sep 2010 9:01 pm
- Location: Quebec, Canada
I think this bridge would be amazing, as long as it fits:
http://www.electrohawaiian.com/sbr1-ash ... psho1.html
http://www.electrohawaiian.com/sbr1-ash ... psho1.html
For the bridge anchors I took some long barrel nuts and rounded the hex corner edges so that the barrels were a bit more cylindrical, cut them to the width of the body and epoxied them in. Chrome hex head cap screws top and bottom, with chrome washers. Small diameter washers on top for proper bridge height spacing. Large washers in back for added stability. The rounded heads of the cap screws make things comfortable.
The controls are blend and tone. No volume pot. I use a volume pedal. The warmth I'm hearing probably comes from the wood which I believe is probably ash on your model. Mine was listed as mahogany but I think it's more like sapele. Kinda soft and light, which may be a good thing but it sure didn't hold the bridge well. It never would hold tune.
The controls are blend and tone. No volume pot. I use a volume pedal. The warmth I'm hearing probably comes from the wood which I believe is probably ash on your model. Mine was listed as mahogany but I think it's more like sapele. Kinda soft and light, which may be a good thing but it sure didn't hold the bridge well. It never would hold tune.
- Peter Jacobs
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- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Northern Virginia
The strings are too close to the pickups to be able pick in that area but the sound is SO good that way that I probably won't change it. I put it together as a prototype with the thought of routing the body to sink the pickups deeper but decided to just leave it. Love blend pots. Use 'em on my basses too.
- Peter Jacobs
- Posts: 982
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Northern Virginia
I have the same model as Darrell and also had the same problem. I finally took the bridge out and replaced it with one of these.Darrell Birtcher wrote:Kinda soft and light, which may be a good thing but it sure didn't hold the bridge well. It never would hold tune.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LAP-STEEL-GUITA ... 56434d3889
Then I drilled 6 holes through the body and used Telecaster ferrulles to hold the strings. Replaced the original tuners with Grovers, put a P 90 in it and replaced the electronics with decent stuff.
Looks rough around the edges but really screams.
- Alex Cattaneo
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- Location: Quebec, Canada
- Mark Mansueto
- Posts: 635
- Joined: 21 Dec 2007 9:30 am
- Location: Michigan, USA
Here's a link where you can see the two Rondo's that I have:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=
One has a Vintage Vibe P90 and the other has a Bill Lawrence humbucker with coil switching. Both have LP JR stop type bridges with the tops flattened.
The one with the Lawrence has been my main player ever since I finished it. Sounds and plays excellent and is dead quiet.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=
One has a Vintage Vibe P90 and the other has a Bill Lawrence humbucker with coil switching. Both have LP JR stop type bridges with the tops flattened.
The one with the Lawrence has been my main player ever since I finished it. Sounds and plays excellent and is dead quiet.
- Alex Cattaneo
- Posts: 986
- Joined: 17 Sep 2010 9:01 pm
- Location: Quebec, Canada
- Alex Cattaneo
- Posts: 986
- Joined: 17 Sep 2010 9:01 pm
- Location: Quebec, Canada
Allright, just took a walk down the street and came back with an SX lap steel! This is the one with the P90; I really like the fact that it came with a hard case featuring a shoulder strap. Best of both worlds.
Now, I have to get a new tailpiece, either an LP Jr or that awesome Asher/Hipshot I mentioned earlier in the thread.
For the pickup, I think I really should go with another dog-eared P90, otherwise it's going to look like a mess.
Darell, how in the world did you fit two pickups in there? Did you change the scale and move the bridge back?
Mark, I'm impressed with what you did with yours, pickguards and all... but way beyond my skill set!
Now, I have to get a new tailpiece, either an LP Jr or that awesome Asher/Hipshot I mentioned earlier in the thread.
For the pickup, I think I really should go with another dog-eared P90, otherwise it's going to look like a mess.
Darell, how in the world did you fit two pickups in there? Did you change the scale and move the bridge back?
Mark, I'm impressed with what you did with yours, pickguards and all... but way beyond my skill set!
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- Location: Ontario, Canada
- Alex Cattaneo
- Posts: 986
- Joined: 17 Sep 2010 9:01 pm
- Location: Quebec, Canada
Clayton, I thing you'd be better off keeping the wraparound format with something like this:
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Les-Paul-Ju ... p_449.html
or this:
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Wilkinson-L ... p_892.html
It would be less work anyway and esthetically it wouldn't mess up the instrument so much. Some people simply file down the one in the first link... I'm not sure I want to get into that but either those options would be better than the original SX bridge.
Question though, does it matter if the bridge is intonated? I mean, we don't need it on a steel, but does it take anything away?
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Les-Paul-Ju ... p_449.html
or this:
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Wilkinson-L ... p_892.html
It would be less work anyway and esthetically it wouldn't mess up the instrument so much. Some people simply file down the one in the first link... I'm not sure I want to get into that but either those options would be better than the original SX bridge.
Question though, does it matter if the bridge is intonated? I mean, we don't need it on a steel, but does it take anything away?
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- Posts: 31
- Joined: 15 Nov 2012 2:01 pm
- Location: Ontario, Canada
- Alex Cattaneo
- Posts: 986
- Joined: 17 Sep 2010 9:01 pm
- Location: Quebec, Canada
- Mark Mansueto
- Posts: 635
- Joined: 21 Dec 2007 9:30 am
- Location: Michigan, USA
Yes, I just took a medium file and hand filed the top until it was flat across where the strings lay.Alex Cattaneo wrote:Thanks MArk, very interesting thread.
You mean you filed down the tailpiece yourself?
FYI, Asher uses the same bridge on the JR model with the arched saddles and I haven't heard of anyone complaining about it so you could leave it as is. I had a file so I flattened mine.
The LP JR bridge is compensated for intonation which was a concern but turned out to be no problem. Besides, I got it cheap from Guitar Fetish and it's an EXACT fit so it was a no brainer to try. For anyone contemplating a bridge change on a Rondo I highly recommend trying a LP JR before hacking up the guitar.