The Steel Guitar Forum

Thank you!

It never ceases to amaze me when I read through all these comments, that people would want to take a vintage instrument like this and swap out the pickup..This is the way the guitar was designed and sounded back in those days..Those pickups gave it that desired vitage sound..That sound can`t be exactly duplicated by anything today, IMHO.. I`ve owned one of these since 1959, ( and yes the case was changed from a tweed to a hard shell fiberglass case like shown here, in 1960. )If a person isn`t happy with that original sound,my suggestion would be to not buy this vintage instrument and risk butchering it to get what one wants..Look for something that has your desired tone.. These things are scarce as it is in their original form..If you must change it, make sure you keep the original and re install it if one decides to sell..I`m a vintage guy, and this little steel does exactly what I want it to do today,, as it did in 1959..But it`s a personal choice,, Just my two cents from an old guy...

This is the first time I recall seeing this old thread from Steinar (RIP). Coincidentally, I too installed one of Pete Biltoft's Stratocaster blade pickups (with a special flat-ground blade and the AlNiCo V magnet) in my rescue Studio Deluxe. It dropped right in, with no modifications to the instrument whatsoever. It sounds like a million bucks. A massive improvement over a stock SD or Champ.

In general, I fully support Larry's philosophy on vintage instruments. But since I purchased my SD as a Candy Apple Red repaint with all of its electronic components stripped out, presumably the Vintage Police will cut me some slack.


To get the best sound and maximum sustain out of a Studio Deluxe (or a Champ), it's essentail that the five screws behind the bridge are torqued down as tightly as possible.

Along with a Roland battery-powered Mobile Cube amp, my Studio Deluxe (in its rifle bag) has found a home in the back of my van, so that any time in my travels I happen across an opportunity to play music, it's at hand. (I would never even consider risking one of my vintage Ultratones or my Bakelite for ride-along duty.) I often receive complimentary remarks on the Fender's tone.

Jack Hanson wrote: ...
To get the best sound and maximum sustain out of a Studio Deluxe (or a Champ), it's essentail that the five screws behind the bridge are torqued down as tightly as possible.

It doesn't help when they're torqued so tight that the plate is distorted... actually lifts the plate from the wood. All these guitars (even SM's) can benefit from a string-through 'hot-rod' job... Junior's Guit-Steels are string-through. I put a DiMarzio SDS super-hot pickup in one of my Champs and it's *still* kinda thin-sounding... gonna pick up some Tele ferrules and get the drill press out! The SM's have the four screws right behind the bridge, that helps a lot... Deluxes and Champs missing those.

Along with a Roland battery-powered Mobile Cube amp, my Studio Deluxe (in its rifle bag) has found a home in the back of my van, so that any time in my travels I happen across an opportunity to play music, it's at hand.

The Mobile Cube is a secret weapon... amazing sound comes out that little box. Kevin Brown and Bobby Ingano swear by 'em.

Stephen Cowell wrote:... gonna pick up some Tele ferrules and get the drill press out!

If you do, please report back on your conclusions. I have considered doing likewise, but have yet to pull the trigger.

I serviced one a couple weeks ago for a local guitar store (cleaned/lubed electronics, de-gunked it lightly buffed the finish and metal) and inspected it for originality.

I checked the ferrules only because I've seen some replaced (the originals must have fallen out) with oversized ones - this one was stock and the ferrules were identical to Tele ferrules.

Jim Sliff wrote:I serviced one a couple weeks ago for a local guitar store (cleaned/lubed electronics, de-gunked it lightly buffed the finish and metal) and inspected it for originality.

I checked the ferrules only because I've seen some replaced (the originals must have fallen out) with oversized ones - this one was stock and the ferrules were identical to Tele ferrules.

Ferrules? Like string-through? None of these guitars shipped with string-through.