The Steel Guitar Forum

It's a BR-6 from 1947.

BEFORE:





AFTER:






Because I liked the sound of the humbucking pickup on a previous rescue Gibson (a 1957 Ultratone), but disliked its narrow string spacing, I ordered a custom humbucking pickup from Sentell Pickups with 58mm pole-piece spacing.

I replaced the crumbling plastic tuner buttons on the original Kluson strips with blonde buttons from Stew-Mac. I fabricated a new control/pickup mounting plate and pickup mounting ring using blonde Stew-Mac pickguard material. I installed new pots, tone cap, jack, and jack-plate.

I'm happy with the results, and it sounds just great. The humbucking pickup takes effects pedals really well. This will be my new go-to lap steel where and when 60-cycle hum is an issue.

Another nice one, Jack. How did you cut your pickguard material? Jigsaw, router or something else? Looks really nice whatever you did.

That is a beautiful restoration.

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Bill Sinclair wrote:Another nice one, Jack. How did you cut your pickguard material? Jigsaw, router or something else? Looks really nice whatever you did.

Thank you, Bill. Much appreciated.

The pickguard material was doubled-up to make it a suitable thickness for the both control plate and pickup ring.

The control plate and pickup ring were cut with a router. The actual routing time was miniscule compared to the time spent measuring and marking, fabricating templates, and screwing around with double-stick tape.

Ron Simpson wrote:That is a beautiful restoration.

Thanks, Ron.

About the only thing that visually sort of bugs me is the shiny brand new look of the new parts on the 70 year-old body. Sort of like a new set of tires on an old rust bucket.

But as far as functionality goes, it's a lot like a brand-new instrument that's been given the "relic" treatment.

There's a lot to be said for the way modern pickups work with modern amplification. And the "modern" saturation with radio signals - cell phones, every satellite message on the planet overloading my psychic caveman pineal message gland, talk radio in yer braces... sigh

Nice job, Jack, as usual.

C. E.

Jack Hanson wrote:

Ron Simpson wrote:That is a beautiful restoration.

Thanks, Ron.

About the only thing that visually sort of bugs me is the shiny brand new look of the new parts on the 70 year-old body. Sort of like a new set of tires on an old rust bucket.

But as far as functionality goes, it's a lot like a brand-new instrument that's been given the "relic" treatment.

Stew Mac has some utube vids on how to age parts... might be worth a look.
Nice job, by the way!

wow, very well done.

i'm glad to see someone taking the time to put something back together and using it, instead of tearing it into parts and selling them.

play music!

I am such a damned traditionalist when it comes to old instruments and amps that I hate to see something modified from stock EXCEPT whan it has been RESCUED as you have this one. Otherwise it would be gone and our collective hearts would be a little sadder.
I do have to take issue with the screws holding the tailpiece on- you must find some nickel-plated screws (I am picking nits only because the rest was so well done. Please forgive me).

Nice to see an old guitar brought back to life !!

I had Sentell re-wind a pickup for a Dual Pro I had. worked great & matched volume with the other neck OK..

David Mason wrote:There's a lot to be said for the way modern pickups work with modern amplification. And the "modern" saturation with radio signals - cell phones, every satellite message on the planet overloading my psychic caveman pineal message gland, talk radio in yer braces... sigh

The most frequent culprits in my experience have been fluorescent fixtures and neon lights. Good shielding in the pickup cavity and the new humbucker from Jerry Sentell seems to have put that issue to rest.

C. E. Jackson wrote:Nice job, Jack, as usual.
C. E.

Thank you kindly, C. E. As always, your positive comments mean a lot to me.

James Phillips wrote:Stew Mac has some utube vids on how to age parts... might be worth a look.
Nice job, by the way!

Thanks, James. I will be sure to check out those Stew-Mac videos.

Michael Butler wrote:i'm glad to see someone taking the time to put something back together and using it, instead of tearing it into parts and selling them.

As much as I disdain the practice of cannibalizing perfectly functional vintage instruments, I recognize that purchasing derelict guitar bodies validates the practice to some extent. It's my hope that refurbishing these old instruments is doing more good than harm.

John Dahms wrote:I do have to take issue with the screws holding the tailpiece on-

I agree 100%, John. Those screws look terrible, but they do hold the bridge on. Rest assured they are intended as temporary. One of the pitfalls of relocating from an urban center of nearly 4 million to a somewhat isolated rural area of about 50,000 is the absence of a decent, old-time hardware store.

Bill Creller wrote:I had Sentell re-wind a pickup for a Dual Pro I had. worked great & matched volume with the other neck OK..

I wholeheartedly recommend Sentell Pickups. The humbucker is the third custom pickup Jerry has built for me. The previous two were both 58mm spaced P-90s that sound every bit as good, if not better, than the originals from the '50s.

"I agree 100%, John. Those screws look terrible, but they do hold the bridge on. Rest assured they are intended as temporary. One of the pitfalls of relocating from an urban center of nearly 4 million to a somewhat isolated rural area of about 50,000 is the absence of a decent, old-time hardware store. "

Jack, I knew I could count on you.