The Steel Guitar Forum

Here's some photos of the first 3 Airstream Series pickups ... An eight string Dining Car ... A six string Dining Car ... & an eight string Fountain v.2















The 8 stringers are going into Sierras ... and the 6 stringer is going overseas & put in a guitar (slide, I think).

They are exactly the same units as I've been making ... in polished aluminum and flat black epoxy.

They look awesome!

Hey Rick, wow,-- those are beauties. Had you thought about integrating those dining cars with the bridge similar to the Fender boxcar & trapezoid pickups? What better way to get the bridge close to the pickup? Or would that be a plus?

Thanks for the kind words, y'all ...

Danny, these are tough enough to build ... ... ...

WOW!
Ricks quality plus they look flippn Sweet!!
I got to get one for my new FP!

Rick Aiello wrote:Thanks for the kind words, y'all ...

Danny, these are tough enough to build ... ... ...

Hey Rick, isn't that part of what makes those pickups so unique.

Of course tone, & strength & design, etc. enter into it too.

Nothing like a challenge to get Ricks thinking stimulated.

Glad to see him back out there in his shop cranking out his ideas.

These are beautiful. Can't wait to hear them.

Super job on those, Rick.

You've out-toastered Rickenbacker toaster pickups.

Thanks

They are just shiny versions of the black wrinkled Dining Car that I demo-ed here ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ5tOpJMIMw

Handsome looking p.u.s!

Aloha Rick,

That is a great demo, but then I've always been fond of "Kauii Beauty".

I suddenly find myself wondering if one of your new new six string pickups would fit into a Rickenbacker Ace.

Ron

Ron, that little six stringer has a Ricky mount ...

They are 1.5" wide ...

I put a Fountain v.2 in my little wooden Ricky SW6 ... I had to mill out the chromed brass surround ... It did slide into the original routing easily.

I also have a wood body of a Ricky S102. The original routing is a tad too narrow to hold it ... Plus the surround issue ... That's my next home project ... When I get some time.

Not a biggie, but it's not a simple drop in ... Like it would be for a prewar.

My first "Sacred Steel" ...





Sure would like to be there when the gentleman rips into this rascal ...

Dare I say ... it'll be heavenly

Couldn't be a better cosmetic match, and who wouldn't want to test'r out? Pretty bad ass.

Rick, I can't wait to get her home Again you have out done yourself with your attention to detail and your electronic genius.Thanks loads. i think I will take the day off after I get it, LOL

I need this Pastor Harvey. Might want to do the same to my Sierra. Dwight

Rick, that is such a beautiful combination, an Art Deco masterpiece! The picture belongs in a coffee table book. You've really outdone even yourself! The only downside is that the pickup is so elegant in that Sierra that you may have to hang up your Hawaiian shirts and play in black tie and tails to be worthy of it

Rick,
In your opinion how much difference is there in sound / tone, and strength, of your Dining Car pickups and your Fountain V.2, and also your earlier MRI pickups such as you and I experimented with years ago that I put in my lap steel guitar with the changer in it?

I totally agree that the Fountain V.2 really compliments that Sierra for beauty. You've done it again !
Danny

The two new ones are pretty close ... The nod going to the Dining Car ... Strings running between two coils is tough to beat ...

But for folks not wanting any right hand obstruction and still have that " 360 degree" sound ... The Fountain v.2 is as good as it gets. The modified Halbach array really shoots a unifiorm field high above the unit ... So the strings are being bathed in parallel lines of force ... The return to the opposite pole occurring high above the strings.

And the differences in the 3 modes (Humbucker, Single Coil, Kick A$$) ... we're much more evident in the Sierra than the one I put in the little wooden Ricky I have.

As far as my MRI ... It was a real nice unit ... Basically a neodymium powered Fender Trap/Boxcar.

But it can't "hang" with these new ones. They have tremendous power and are ultra hi- fi ...

I'm presently retro-fitting my Black Mamba (25.5" cast aluminum, all black wrinkled) that Andre N. now owns ... Replacing the original MRI with a black wrinkled 6 string Dining Car pickup.

It requires pretty extensive modification ... Because the MRI didn't need a deep pickup bay ... And I am having to mill out quite a lot to fit this one in ( about as deep as a Ricky horseshoe).

I'm hoping he'll record some overdriven blues/rock stuff for my website ... Hint, hint

Rick, do you have a 6 string version that would drop into my Electar Model M?

If the pickup bay is a tad wider than 1.5"

Your Sierra really looks sharp, Rick.
Feeling a rush of guitar envy coming on.
Yup, here it comes......

Hey Rick! I'm with out a doubt going to record some nasty blues with the new pickup! But I'm glad I finally was able to record something on Rosie's forthcoming album with the Black Mamba w/ MRI pup. Very clean setting tuned to BM7, the tuning you turned me on to. I'll send you a copy when the record if finished.

Well, the postman delivered my new "Airstream" pickup yesterday and less than an hour later I had it installed in the Sierra.

I had been expecting a lot, and its safe to say that my high expectations have been exceeded. This thing is amazing, even better than the demo you posted on YouTube. You truly have to hear it in person to get the full effect.

I LOVE the A$$ Kicker mode and right now I doubt that I'll ever switch to the other two settings. I think you could sell a lot of A$$ Kicker only units and eliminate the switch and coil tapping, etc.

My Sierra came stock with a GeorgeL S10 that I never much liked the sound of. Kind of sterile sounding with a sharp edge to it. I put in a Wallace TrueTone which was a good deal better. Took the hard edge off anyway. When I put the Airstream in and fired it up I knew there was going to be a major improvement, but it was really a quantum leap! I wasn't prepared for that. It's amazingly rich, lush and mellow. I'm still grinning like an idiot!!

I unreservedly recommend Rick and his Airstream to one and all. He's a real gentleman, innovator and all around master of the magnetic field.

Thanks again, Rick

Thanks for that nice review ... I'm glad you like it !!