Pickup suggestions for my emci

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 26 Apr 2020 5:28 pm

I have george l pf-1 in now and looking for something else. I have 710s in my fessenden and raly like the matchup. Not looking for any more George Ls. Bill Lawrence, telonics, or tonaligner. Emci guys please chime in with your favorite pickup
Thanks.

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 26 Apr 2020 6:24 pm

My understanding is that the Geo L E66 was developed w George Lewis and Buddy Emmons on an EMCI in an attempt to get the tone of Buddy's Emmons.

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 26 Apr 2020 6:28 pm

I linked to recorded comparison clips of some "PUPs" here: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=357072

Wallace Truetones are getting hard to find, maybe look at the Mullen singlecoil, I think it's a great, um, pup.

Bob Hamilton · Post by **Bob Hamilton** » 26 Apr 2020 7:47 pm

Hi Quentin, I have a welded frame MCI RangeXpander that I sent you the original Barcus Beery pickups from, I replaced those BB pickups with Jerry Wallace True Tone pickups wound to 15.5k ohms (Jerry's recommendation). I'm very satisfied with the tone of that guitar now. I also tried chrome 705s in that MCI before I settled on the Truetones, but it just sounded so much better with single coils that they are still in there.

I also have a non welded frame MCI that I recently reconditioned that I installed chrome Bill Lawrence 605s, 705s, 805s, Emmons humbuckers, 17.5k and 18.5k Truetones, George L E-66, and George L 10-1 pickups in before settling on the 10-1 for the E9 and E-66 for C6, per Bobbe Seymour's recommendation. It sounds really good, tons of sustain. I'm lucky to have guitars with both pickup options available. I hope that helps some, guess I need to sell some pickups, haha BH

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 26 Apr 2020 7:55 pm

Hi Bob. Very glad to hear you like the trutones. I am more into the zingy sound if you know what I mean. I have 710s in my fessenden and fall in love with the tone every time I sit down and play it. I dont the the BBs will apeze me and can send them back to you if you want.

Bob Hamilton · Post by **Bob Hamilton** » 26 Apr 2020 8:03 pm

Not necessary Quentin, the BBs didn't work for me either. If you want zingy I'd go with the E-66 but just get one to start. I found it too zingy for E9 but great for C6 with the lower register. See what you think, depends on your amp too.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 27 Apr 2020 7:51 am

My first steel was an emci S10. I remember switching out the BB with an E66 and thinking it was a big improvement at the time.

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 27 Apr 2020 8:46 am

I put some Telonics X-10's in mine and liked them a lot. I pulled those out to put in my '68 PP. I have some Lawrence XR-16's I am going to put in the MCI. I always liked those in my Carters so I figured they might be good in the MCI.

Only thing I have run into regarding pickup swaps and MCI's is that replacement pickups don't always drop in so easily. The cavity in the neck makes for a very tight fit, to the point that I have had to shave off a little material from some pickup base plates to get them to go in. Also, mine has a solid maple insert block that goes underneath the pickup and is screwed into the body. So if the guitar you are working on happens to have the same thing, depending upon the height of the pickup you are installing you may have to make that block thinner (via planing, sanding, etc.) to achieve the correct pickup height.

Curious as the whether anyone else has run into any of this with MCI-EMCI's (?)

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 27 Apr 2020 9:00 am

Hi Tommy, I have my selection down to telonics X10s, bl 710, bl 705, but now people have me second guessing the E66.

As I say I am going for a zingy sound but without the muddiness. So I dont know if E66 have the clarity that Bill Lawrence has.

I dropped 705s into an MCI (the red one Paddy later acquired) with no mods or problems at all. It was snug on the width but did go in with some to spare.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 27 Apr 2020 2:50 pm

Quentin, I forgot to mention in our earlier pickup discussions, that when I pulled the BB's out of my MCI I put in a E66 on the C6th neck and a BL 10-1 in the E9th neck - seemed to be a pretty good balance - but I like the Telonics 409's best in this guitar of mine :-}

Bill C. Buntin · Post by **Bill C. Buntin** » 27 Apr 2020 3:18 pm

Tommy, I had to make thinner blocks for my emci when I put 705s in it. The blocks that came with the original BB pickups were too thick for the 705. And the cavity is a tight fit. Would be a good project sometime to make two adjustable plates where you could tweak the clearances.

Bill

Mike Bacciarini · Post by **Mike Bacciarini** » 2 May 2020 12:36 pm

I replaced the BB on my MCI S10 with an E66 and have been very happy with it.

Asa Brosius · Post by **Asa Brosius** » 2 May 2020 1:45 pm

I put 705s in a welded frame D10 I had- for me, beat the E66's it came with.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 2 May 2020 2:07 pm

Thanks for the info so far from everyone. E66 sounds interesting. I can imagine the 705s would shine Asa. I am very curious to try a 705 and 710.

Dave Campbell · Post by **Dave Campbell** » 2 May 2020 2:55 pm

quentin, i have an x10 widemount that is still in the package. i bought it for a an emmons p/p that i never installed it on, and i don't think i will.

we're still big on social distancing at our place, but i could leave it on the step out here for you...if you like it, send me the money; if you don't, bring it back. pm me if you want to try it.

Joel Jackson · Post by **Joel Jackson** » 3 May 2020 7:50 am

I've got a E66 in a Marlen and original 705's on a MCI. The E66 is a great pickup, lotsa growl, but those 705's on the MCI sound just about perfect to my ears.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 4 May 2020 6:05 am

Ok thanks Ill consider that on the X10

Yes I do like the growl but also clarity.

705 is a great pickup for sure.

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 5 May 2020 7:01 am

I did get the XR-16's installed. I used the original blocks that I had shaved down to allow for the X-10 installation. There was enough clearance to put some short springs in between the block and the underneath of the baseplate. This allowed for a bit of height adjustment.

So far so good!

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 10 May 2020 9:07 pm

George L's TW for EMCI.
Jerry