The Steel Guitar Forum

Thought some might get a kick out of this. I'm building a set of 8 string Telecaster style pickups for a project and besides having to make the pickup bobbins, I also had to fabricate a cover for the neck pickup, and ... well, this is what I came up with.

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Nice work, that looks sweet

Tom, are you sure you haven't done some time travelling back to the days of Art Deco ????

That could only look nicer in two-tone.

This is gonna be another drool-inducing masterpiece, I can already tell...

Damn! Besides being a master at wood craft, now your a metal-smith also.Looks real good Tom

Thanks guys, I am very happy how it came out, one of those fleeting moments of clarity

Its made from a couple regular nickle silver 6 string Tele covers. Because an invisible butt joint would be virtually impossible, I figured that rather than fight it, I'd just embrace the seam and fancy it up a bit.
Anyways, this should be a fun steel, swamp ash body, figured black walnut top, and some birdseye maple. Its a new offset body style of mine we are calling the Junkyard Dog.

Here are the Tele style bobbins I made for it, 50's style with fat .195" Alnico 3 magnets


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Geez Tom....first wood, now metal artistry?

The color of that Tele-style pup should contrast nicely with the figured black walnut top.

Tom, that looks great. what gage nickle did you use?
I have been a western silversmith (hoby) for over 20 years and would like make something like this with bright cut engraving on it, however my eyesight is giving out so I' afraid the engraving will be a little crude. Any way great work and be sure to post pictures when finished. Henry

Thanks Stephen and Henry

Henry, I used to do some silversmithing years ago and this is my first venture back in some time. The material I have measures out just shy of .02" so that would make it 24 gauge.

Very Nice!!

Some impressive work Tom!

According to Bill Lawrence, a metal cover over a pickup should not work. A pickup is a magnetic device and metal should alter it's magnetic properties and if the metal cover is grounded it will block the pickup.

Jack Stoner wrote:According to Bill Lawrence, a metal cover over a pickup should not work. A pickup is a magnetic device and metal should alter it's magnetic properties and if the metal cover is grounded it will block the pickup.

It does work, and it does alter the magnetic properties, which is why Tele neck pickups sound like they do.

I know it works, I have a Tele.

Thanks again all

Metal covers definitely do alter the tone of a pickup, some more than others. Of the metal covers, nickel silver has historically been the preferred material as it is the most "transparent". Plated brass "can" be used and is very often found on the cheap mass produced low quality import stuff as brass is significantly cheaper than nickel silver.