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Topic: Twangiest pickups |
Cliff Swanson
From:
Raleigh, NC
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Posted 9 Mar 2021 11:27 am |
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Suppose you wanted a super twangy lap steel. What pickup(s) would you use? I'm thinking of going down this road 
Cliff |
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John McClung
From:
Olympia WA, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2021 2:17 pm
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I haven't tried them, but revived ZB-style pickups are available from a Forum member, just can't remember his name. ZB's had that twang in spades.
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E9 INSTRUCTION
▪️ If you want to have an ongoing discussion, please email me, don't use the Forum messaging which I detest! steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2021 2:34 pm
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| Quote: |
| but revived ZB-style pickups are available from a Forum member, just can't remember his name. ZB's had that twang in spades. |
Scott Swartz make them
https://www.steeltronics.com
Old Fenders get pretty twangy as well...just as much if not more
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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John McClung
From:
Olympia WA, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2021 2:42 pm
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True Dave, getting that twang on modern psg's isn't easy. I plan to buy a 12-string pickup from Scott in the near future. Thanks for posting the link!
_________________
E9 INSTRUCTION
▪️ If you want to have an ongoing discussion, please email me, don't use the Forum messaging which I detest! steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net |
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Cliff Swanson
From:
Raleigh, NC
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Posted 9 Mar 2021 3:22 pm
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Thanks John and Dave. I'm interested in a 6-string pickup and I don't see any on the Steeltronics site.
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Cliff |
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Ian Worley
From:
Sacramento, CA
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Posted 9 Mar 2021 7:08 pm
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Jerry Sentell can make just about anything you want
https://sentellpickups.net/Steel.html
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All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2021 4:49 am
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....actually Steetronics does offer a 6 string pickup called the B6...not sure how twangy it is though. Check it out:
https://www.steeltronics.com/product/b6-string-through-pickup
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Cliff Swanson
From:
Raleigh, NC
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Posted 10 Mar 2021 6:56 am
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Thanks Dave! Still looking. The problem is most pickup demos are made using a fairily overdriven tone. I have lap steels that play that role quite well to my liking. I'm also interested in something more twangy/bouncy...if that makes sense.
I appreciate your responses, regardless.
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Cliff |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2021 8:20 am
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You can maybe do that with some kind of stomp box. 
Erv |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2021 10:27 am
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My Fender Champs have *too* much 'twang'... ice-picky, really.
I understand that they use Musicmaster pickups... so a lower-impedance single coil is what you want. 5-7kOhms.
You can reduce the twang by loading the pickup... Sarno makes a box just for that.
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Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
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Posted 10 Mar 2021 2:25 pm
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For 6 string, how about a Tele or Strat pickup. Do either of those have the twang you're looking for?
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Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso
Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100 |
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Cliff Swanson
From:
Raleigh, NC
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Posted 10 Mar 2021 2:33 pm
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Thanks everyone.
I've given the Tele pickup some thought as well. I have a Cavalier Hydra Lion, which would offer the extra virtue of three selectable voices.
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Cliff |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 11 Mar 2021 6:32 pm
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You might try getting one of the custom winders to wind you one in the range of 8000-10,000K. Be aware you're not going to get as much gain as with 17,000-2000, but it should be enough with an amp with sufficient power. A plus is you will get more variance in tone from your amp as the pickup will not exhibit as much character of its own.
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LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro
Last edited by Clyde Mattocks on 13 Mar 2021 5:32 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Jim Cooley
From:
The 'Ville, Texas, USA
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Posted 12 Mar 2021 9:13 am
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| Everybody needs a good laugh nowadays, so I'll throw this out there just to put a little levity in y'all's lives. Filtertrons are very versatile and seemingly often overlooked for six string guitars. They can sound twangy and bright or deep and bluesey. I have wondered if a Filtertron or one of its clones is viable for lap steel. Let the guffaws commence. |
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Cliff Swanson
From:
Raleigh, NC
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Posted 12 Mar 2021 4:09 pm
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Not a laughing matter at all Jim . I have a one pickup partscaster with a Filtertron in it that I play as a lap steel with a nut riser. I love it's tone and have been able to milk a couple of different voices out of it with pedals through a Twin. That guitar was sitting around all lonely in a corner until I rigged it as a lap steel and now it's played often. Good idea!
| Jim Cooley wrote: |
| Everybody needs a good laugh nowadays, so I'll throw this out there just to put a little levity in y'all's lives. Filtertrons are very versatile and seemingly often overlooked for six string guitars. They can sound twangy and bright or deep and bluesey. I have wondered if a Filtertron or one of its clones is viable for lap steel. Let the guffaws commence. |
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Cliff |
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John Drury
From:
Gallatin, Tn USA
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Posted 12 Mar 2021 9:49 pm Re: Twangiest pickups
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| Cliff Swanson wrote: |
Suppose you wanted a super twangy lap steel. What pickup(s) would you use? I'm thinking of going down this road
Cliff |
I built this steel a while back and used a Fender Telecaster pickup, just the right amount of "Twang"!
I notched the ashtray bridge, at the first string change, it works much better now!
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John Drury
NTSGA #3
"Practice cures most tone issues" ~ John Suhr
Last edited by John Drury on 13 Mar 2021 1:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Cliff Swanson
From:
Raleigh, NC
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Posted 13 Mar 2021 2:30 am
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That's a nice looking steel, John! The more I consider this the more I like the idea of a Tele pickup.
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Cliff |
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John Drury
From:
Gallatin, Tn USA
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Posted 13 Mar 2021 7:13 am
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| Cliff Swanson wrote: |
| That's a nice looking steel, John! The more I consider this the more I like the idea of a Tele pickup. |
Thanks Cliff! I put that thing together from stuff laying around the shop! Finish is rattle canned.Body is 2 X 4's glued together. One of the finer sounding steels that I ever had!
The 24 1/4 inch Emmons scale length gives it a little bit of a growl, can't really explain it but it sounds cool through my Princeton when I put it in the kitchen!
I put that thing together for under 50 bucks!
I have another one that I slapped together a while back that sounds awesome! Just a piece of pressure treated 2 X 4 with a 24 inch scale length SHO~BUD fretboard and a Tele Tex-Mex pickup as well. I call it the "SHO~STUD", ha!.
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John Drury
NTSGA #3
"Practice cures most tone issues" ~ John Suhr |
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Jim Fogarty
From:
Phila, Pa, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2021 11:05 pm
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| Cliff Swanson wrote: |
Thanks Dave! Still looking. The problem is most pickup demos are made using a fairily overdriven tone. I have lap steels that play that role quite well to my liking. I'm also interested in something more twangy/bouncy...if that makes sense.
I appreciate your responses, regardless. |
I have the Steeltronics B6 in a Georgeboards steel, and love it. If you check out the demos on the Steeltronics site, they're crystal clear, not overdriven at all.
I have a couple Supro string-thru's as well, and while they're more gritty, the B6 is "twangy" and crisp. Don't confuse them. You won't be disappointed.
Also, Scott told me he can make 6 string versions of most of his pickups. Just need to ask.
(PS.....the B6 CAN do overdriven extremely well, also, if you use a pedal or driven amp). |
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Cliff Swanson
From:
Raleigh, NC
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Posted 29 Mar 2021 5:28 pm
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Thanks for your input, Jim. I'll check out the B6 pickup.
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Cliff |
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Cappone dAngelo
From:
Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Posted 29 Mar 2021 5:45 pm
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| Jim Cooley wrote: |
| Everybody needs a good laugh nowadays, so I'll throw this out there just to put a little levity in y'all's lives. Filtertrons are very versatile and seemingly often overlooked for six string guitars. They can sound twangy and bright or deep and bluesey. I have wondered if a Filtertron or one of its clones is viable for lap steel. Let the guffaws commence. |
I recently built a 6-string lap steel and tried a few different pickups I had laying around (including P90s and Burstbuckers) and FilterTrons were my favourite. That said, I may be a bit biased as I'm a huge fan of Gretsches with FilterTrons ... |
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