Lap steel pickups

Paul Buckingham · Post by **Paul Buckingham** » 31 Aug 2023 8:41 pm

Hi team, looking for some guidance in replacing the pickups on my old lap steel please? It’s only a cheap one so the pickup / volume & tone setup is average.
I like good tone with a bit of grunt, any ideas on a good sounding alternative would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Bucko

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 1 Sep 2023 2:12 am

What kind of steel is this? Do you have a pic?

Pickups come in many shapes and sizes. Without knowing what kind of steel this is, we can't suggest something that will drop right in without additional surgery.

Paul Buckingham · Post by **Paul Buckingham** » 4 Sep 2023 10:37 pm

Thanks Noah, makes sense, its got a humbucker in it at the moment, but its no better than the original one?
Cheers,

Bucko

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 5 Sep 2023 3:49 am

Hi Paul...first thought is, that isn't likely a very old lap steel...it's been modified for sure, but SX is a more recent Chinese import brand (I've got one and like it...although I did replace the pickup).

It actually looks a lot like this one...given the (maybe? maybe not) nonstandard finish and control plate:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... 27bb3b3a13

The pickup you've got in there now looks like a hot rails humbucker for Strat. I imagine the original it shipped with was more likely a standard 6 polepiece strat style single coil.

One of the problems with giving a pickup recommendation is that it sounds like you are unhappy with both the original (single coil strat style, guessing) and a rail type humbucker (which should have rectified both 60 cycle hum issues as well as any string balance/alignment issues...both of which are why I replaced the pickup in my SX 8 string, to good effect, with a Lace Alumitone). Since those pickups cover a pretty broad base, it might help if you could put into words what exactly you dislike about each. I could give general recommendations on what I like...but I'd hate for you to spend the money on a new pickup and like it no more than the first two you tried.

Bill Groner · Post by **Bill Groner** » 5 Sep 2023 6:50 am

I have Lace Pups in 3 of mine. 2 in Maple bodies and one in an aluminum body........each has it's own voice. Mine are all P-90 Riffian Lace pups.

Paul Buckingham · Post by **Paul Buckingham** » 6 Sep 2023 9:17 pm

Thanks Nic, the standard Sx pickups tone control goes from too sharp to too dull with the smallest of adjustment played via an AER 60 which I also use for the GFI, Expo PSG and is fine. I guess what I'm trying to get is a more mellow tone with the ability to adjust it in and out.

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 7 Sep 2023 2:14 am

Paul Buckingham wrote:Thanks Nic, the standard Sx pickups tone control goes from too sharp to too dull with the smallest of adjustment played via an AER 60 which I also use for the GFI, Expo PSG and is fine. I guess what I'm trying to get is a more mellow tone with the ability to adjust it in and out.

That's not the fault of the pickup, but of the tone control. It's a function of the pot value, cap value, and pot taper - especially the last one. If you like the overall sound of the instrument, you're better off swapping out these components. A lower-resistance pot with an audio taper is the first thing I'd try.

Paul Buckingham · Post by **Paul Buckingham** » 8 Sep 2023 8:31 pm

Hi all, I didn't like the sound of the original pickup/ tone control setup, that's why I was in the hunt to improve it. thanks for the technical tips but they are a bit beyond my limit