The Steel Guitar Forum

I don't play with a volume pedal. I play an extemely touch sensitive tube amp (two-rock) set more or less wide open and rely on my fingers and pick attack solely for dynamics. Ext. C6th, definetly much more in the realm of lap steel than country-style E9th. Playing like this, has led me to want- for more tonal options- what guitars have.
That is: tone knob and volume knob for the pickup. Can a pedal steel have 2 pickups?Then you can have a 3 way toggle switch. I know a change in pickup would have an effect, but I am thinking of controls on the pedal steel guitar that can be used in real time during the music. Just like a guitar.
Does anyone have any thoughts or past experiences with this type of thing?

A good many "name" players like Buddy Emmons and Sneaky Pete Kleinow have used multiple pickups, and I'm sure many other lesser-known players have tried it too. Some steels, like the old Fenders, even came with two pickups. However, the idea never really caught on, probably because multiple pickups seem to often get in the way of normal right-hand techniques.

You're free to experiment with the idea, and it has some merit if you're looking for very mellow tones. Most players, though, are simply against the idea of hacking new pickup holes in their steels!

<SMALL> I'm sure many other lesser-known players have tried it too.</SMALL>

Since I border on the unknown, I thought I'd weigh in. Three pickups might be a little unwieldy for a 10-string because of their size, although you could use Jason Lollar 10-string stringmaster copies. What works for me is 2 pickups, where the bridge pickup is always on and the neck pickup can be blended in. On E9, if I need a little more bite, and I'm not using a volume pedal with the side to side tone control, I can back-off the bridge pickup, in addition to picking closer to the bridge. For C6, since I'm going to want a 'fuller' sound, I blend in more of the neck pickup.

I have a Bill Lawrence 210 pickup that is flat and made to be added to any steel without much modification. It sounds similar to a strat in the "slot" position.
He might still have some around.

Another thing to check out are those flat magnetic pickups that are used on acoustic guitars. I have an old Barcus-Berry I used to mess around with.

For handy knobs to turn I used to use a Goodrich Super Sustain matchbox that had a tone and volume control on it. It mounts on the leg.

About half my gigs these days are using a Fender Stringmaster with a blend control on its 2 pickups plugged straight into an old Fender Deluxe. No volume pedal for me either.

As I think about what your post says it might be worth checking out one of those Fender volume/tone swivel pedals.


Bob<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 24 February 2003 at 11:17 PM.]</p></FONT>

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2510543335&category=2385

James,
I found an example of the flat magnetic pickup on Ebay. Thats the one I have. It didn't cost very much if I remember right.

Bob

I have an S-8 3+4 that I built 27 years ago using pickups from a Stringmaster (who knew?). I mostly like to use the two pickups evenly blended, but I can select either alone and it's a nice tonal variety. I would definitely be interested in a pair of Jason's new 10-string Stringmaster replicas, but meanwhile I have a spare single coil from a Fender 800/2000 to add to the E9 neck on my 2000 one of these days.

A lot of sound difference just results from different pickup placement, and a pickup that could slide a couple of inches toward or away from the changer would accomplish much the same thing, although many players would not want to dig a big hole in their steel to do it.

Just to be clear...there can be two pickups in one physical pickup piece, correct?
Are these what the stringmaster pickups have?

A regular stringmaster set up is about 2 1/2 inches for both pickups. You might be able to cram both stringmaster pickups into one hole on a pedalsteel but it would not be the same sound you would get by having one pickup closer to the neck.

Bob

here is a link to a stringmaster picture:
http://wug.physics.uiuc.edu/courses/phys398emi/guitars/guitar_pix/56Fender_Stringmaster_Dbl8_Blonde.jpg <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 25 February 2003 at 10:07 AM.]</p></FONT>

Most fun I've had since the
"Mars Attacks !" pinball machine added the video feature :

http://www.till.com/articles/PickupResponseDemo/index.html

Bob