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Topic: pickup quality vs. steel quality |
Donald Dunlavey
From:
Jonesboro, Georgia, USA
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Posted 16 Sep 2006 4:42 pm |
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Hope to get some feedback from some of you who have experience, with pickup changes vs the character of the steel itself. I have a BMI twelve string frame and a half, Jerry Wallace says it has an Emmons style pickup on it with three taps. 3 way tele switch. position one is fairly rounded tone, 2 is less low end, 3 is skinny thin. yuck. I use a black face twin,with 2 15's, and a goodrich 7a matchbox. Problem is no matter how I set the tone controls, it sounds to bright on the unwound strings. When I cut back on the treble enought to fatten, the low strings are too dull. Wallace suggest a pickup 19.5 minumum or up. Question is will this really make a difference in the high string low string dilema or is it just characteristic of the steel itself, mech, frame, changer, etc. Don't mind the investment in a new pickup if it would really make the difference. Need some input from you guys out there. Donald
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 16 Sep 2006 5:59 pm
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Donald,
By lowering the treble side of my pickup a little bit, I managed to make my high end less harsh and more transparent. It may not be the solution to your problem, but it's worth a shot if you haven't tried it yet. |
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 16 Sep 2006 6:05 pm
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Donald. I hear what you're saying. Adjustable polepieces would help.
I had Jerry Wallace wind me a couple of 16k Sho Bud Single coils.
Also I had him raise the polepieces on the higher wound strings. I had to send him the exact incriments that I wanted.
No more "volume difference" on the highest of the wound strings, and no more "blaring" of the thickest plain strings.
I'm surprised more pickups don't offer it.
That's the biggest reason I like my G&L adjustable polepiece "focused field" pickups on my ASAT Tribute tele.
If you want JW to wind some custom pickups for you, give him a call. I can't speak enough to his integrity, and service.
EJL |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 16 Sep 2006 10:17 pm
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| if you're using nickel wound strings, you might want to switch to stainless. |
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Donald Dunlavey
From:
Jonesboro, Georgia, USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2006 5:05 am
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I agree about adjustable pole pieces, which I definetly know from all my years with six string. But with the bobbin being so large on a 12 string pickup and the amount of windings, its a bit harder to figure. Average single coil on 6 string is 6 to 6.5 ohms, average humbucker is 7.5 to 8.5 so when dealing with a steel pickup at 18k or more its bit hard to figure what the outcome will be as pertains to steel. Pole pieces that screw up and down on a single coil are definetly going to raise the price considerably, because they have to be the magnets also. Humbuckers have magnets on bottom of coil. But it is a great idea. I am certainly talking with Jerry Wallace about it. Just looking for you guys experience.
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Herbie Meeks
From:
Arkansas, USA
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Posted 18 Sep 2006 1:55 pm
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Donald. I am from the Dinasour days. I have an Emmons. S 10 , serial # 1200-s I played it 3 to 6 nights a week for over 30 years. Dont know much about the Pick Up, but have been told, there was a few years then, that the pick ups were made different, and those are in demand now, never had a problem with any kind of tone,or volume clashing between the strings, no matter what kind of Amp I used, also always used ,Ernie Ball Strings, The only time I ever changed a string, was when one broke, Or maybe a new set ever couple years, No problem staying in tune,even hauling it many miles between gigs. A couple Studio Musicians asked to trade me a new double neck, for it, but that would be like trading off an old friend, There is a few tunes in my Profile, I recorded here in my front room , with a Keyboard for, Bass, Drums,etc, after I retired, and posted them on Sound Click,thinking some new Steelers might hear something they could use, My picking influence is all West Coast, I grew up with, Pee Wee Whitewing, Bobby Black, Bob White, Zane Beck, and to many I can't recall right now, that influenced me. We're talking late 1940's and on up, Lap Steels, and growing up with the pedal steel. as it became what it is today.
Steeler Friend
Herbie
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