The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi all...I have a question for a friend...what are the guide lines for setting the pickup on a Melobar SLS 6 String Lap Steel? He just bought a new one & the pup had been raised...Thanks...Terry V.

I have one of those -- if it has the Bill Lawrence strat-size pickup (smooth cover, no polepieces, might say "USA" on it), then start by following Bill's advice, using nickels -- one nickel from pickup to the high string, two under the low string (I usually raised the low side up a little, though).

BTW, I checked with Bill and Becky, and this pickup is an L-250XL, a high output humbucker. Works fine, but ultimately not the sound I was going for, so I recently swapped it out for a Vintage Vibe single blade pickup, which has a lot lower output -- it has a much more open and vocal sound than the BL. Different strokes, etc.

Oh, I almost forgot - BL pickups have very low magnetic pull, so they can get closer to the strings than most other p'ups. So, pickup height is strictly a matter of taste with the BLs.

Peter

Hey Peter...Thanks for the info...which Vintage Vibe pup did you use??? Terry V

Terry - I went with his Strat single-blade pickup -- it's kind of like a Charlie Christian. It's the 8th one down on this page:
http://vintagevibeguitars.com/pickup_sc.html

Pete underwinds lap steel pickups (unless otherwise requested) so they have a really full sound without overpowering the amp. It's still a loud pickup, but without the midrange-heavy sound of an overwound design.

I was originally thinking of his SP-90, which is a P-90 sounding p'up in a Strat-size body. With the one I got, the highs and lows are big, the mids are definitely there, but don't dominate. It's a very smooth sounding pickup, too -- no ice pick. I can get great overdriven sounds, but it cleans up well (which the BL never did). Plus, my tone control actually does something!

BTW, I'm digging that Dynamic in your avatar. I've been jonesing for one (or a New Yorker or a Supro Airliner), but haven't found one yet.

Peter

Peter, I put that VV blade pickup in today and it's a huge improvement over the original IMO. I love it. Thanks for the tip. Pete Biltoft is great to deal with, too.

BTW, keep you eyes off that Dynamic. I've had my eyes on it for a while. TV let that one get away but I know where it is. Someday, I'm gonna get that sucker.

Rock - glad the pickup worked out -- I don't know how Pete knew it was the right thing for me, but I couldn't be happier.

"Where in the world is TV's Dynamic?" Now, I'm intrigued!

Peter

It's still in NC.

Now you're just teasing me...

Ok fellows, settle down, that one might have got away, but I kept two of the best Dynamics that have ever been made...TV.