The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi all,

Hello from the UK, it's great to meet y'all!

I'm in the early stages of learning pedal steel on an old MSA Classic D10, and one of the many things I'm struggling with is that some of the strings seem louder than others. I'm wondering if this is just a technique issue, or whether there could be setup factors that are partly responsible. In particular I find that strings 1 and 3 on the E9 neck -- ie. the thinnest ones -- are noticeably quieter than all the others.

There doesn't seem to be any scope for moving the pickup around, but it is noticeable that the pole pieces get gradually out of alignment with the strings towards the treble side. The string 10 pole piece is directly under the string but strings 1, 2, 3 etc fall somewhat in between pole pieces. How much of a difference would that make?

All advice gratefully received!

Sam

Sam, the UK is huge, almost as huge as some of the smaller American states.

Whereabouts are you?

I'm near Cambridge.

The Mideast! I don't pass that way often, but good to know

Sam, are you using an .011, if so try a .012 on 3rd. Also if you have your amp tone dark it will sound weak. Pick closer to the pickup. Other things are bar pressure, and if the rollers are gauged and out of place.

I don't have experience of pickups with pole pieces, but what Sam says about the alignment (or lack of it) sounds significant. Maybe. Just sayin'.

Much of your issue could be technique, along with the picks you're using. It also helps to have good (read: fairly new) strings when making evaluations. I don't find that alignment of the poles on the pickup to be very important. (See photo below - of one of the reputedly "best" steels out there.)

Agree with Larry - I had that issue with a (non-steel) archtop guitar with vintage BJB pickup. Couldn't hear anything from top string so changed to one gauge heavier and problem solved.

Thanks all,

Heavier strings sounds like a good tip. I am using a set of Ernie Balls and though I no longer have the packaging I think the 3rd might actually be a .010. Not sure how much variety is on offer on this side of the pond but I'll look for something a bit chunkier.

also don't overlook that if your pickup has the ability to be lowered a tad on the THICK strings side , give it a shot.

Physics and magnetic fields tell us that thin strings may not be as loud as thicker strings.

Another consideration, even though we buy strings in sets, not all SETS perform the same on every guitar.

Our picking style also comes into play , the individual string volume levels is a balance , a sum of all the parts and technique.


As an early player , concentrate on playing and improving your technique/skills, everything else will follow. The more time you put in on your Instrument the more you will come to understand it. All Instruments are not equal, even two that look identical to each other.

The good news is most of us have had these exact same questions and issues as early players, the bad news is most of us have had these exact same questions and issues as early players !


Enjoy !

Decades ago, Danny Shields created pickups with adjustable poles so that you could balance the volume of individual strings. After he passed away, Tonealigner pickups continued the tradition. Today, similar pickups are made by Telonics Pro Audio. I've used all 3 brands on various guitars with excellent results. The picture below is from the Telonics web site:

b0b, Was that not a Zane Beck design originally. The early day Z.B.s had that adjustable pole piece? J.R.

I never heard that, J R. You may be right.

Hi Sam,
I played one of the old MSA's and some of those plywood guitars were inconsistently out of balance..You may own one of those?..Since those old pickups were not adjustable about the only thing you can do is replace the pickup to see if there is any difference...If so, problem solved, if not? its the guitar.

If you are just starting out, work on your blocking technique to make sure you are hitting each string with a consistent attack pressure....Also as strings go dead, any of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th strings can become very noticeable...They lose their brightness and sustain which will sound like a volume drop.

Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Paul

I 2nd Mr. Franklin on what the problem may be.
I have a MSA D10 I traded up about 2004. The man I got the guitar off of had replaced both pickups in the guitar. He said, "There was a problem with both pickups of some kind". He did not go into detail on the problem with the pickups. He works on steel guitars and said he had replaced several pickups on older MSA guitars.
Both the original pickups was in a card box that came along in the trade.
Time may have taken its toll on the wire lacquer or magnets in these pickups.