The Steel Guitar Forum

Just picked up a new custom lefty pedal steel. It came with a BL705 pickup, which seems to get a lot of praise on this site but I am getting a significant amount of distortion/cracking coming through my amp when I pluck more than one string at a time (its particularly pronounced when combining strings 4,5 and 6 in any fashion). I am going completely direct and have used multiple amps to assure its not the amp. I have the same results with each. I've done a search and found a couple older posts/threads from others experiencing this same problem, whom I've reached out to here on a private message but have not heard anything back regarding.

Anybody else have any similar experience with this pickup and if so, what was your solution?

Sounds like you're not using a volume pedal. If that's the case, try again using a volume pedal set around 50% volume. Steel pickups are pretty hot and can easily overload the front end of an amp.

To me it sounds like a grounding issue. Check the ground on the pick-up and check the nut on the jack. See if it's tight. Actually maybe loosen it a little and tighten it back up.

Joel Jackson wrote:Sounds like you're not using a volume pedal. If that's the case, try again using a volume pedal set around 50% volume. Steel pickups are pretty hot and can easily overload the front end of an amp.

I'm a newb. Not ready for a volume pedal yet. Still getting comfortable with the basics.

Craig A Davidson wrote:To me it sounds like a grounding issue. Check the ground on the pick-up and check the nut on the jack. See if it's tight. Actually maybe loosen it a little and tighten it back up.

If it was a grounding issue, wouldn't I hear the same distortion when playing a single string/note? It only happens when I play multiple strings.

I was going with the crackling description.

When I had distortion problems with my 705, I was able to fix it by lowering the pickup a little but. I’d also really recommend picking up a volume pedal, even as a beginner. Never too early to start working on VP technique, and it might help with this problem as well.

Michael Conway wrote:When I had distortion problems with my 705, I was able to fix it by lowering the pickup a little but. I’d also really recommend picking up a volume pedal, even as a beginner. Never too early to start working on VP technique, and it might help with this problem as well.

Yes, lowering the pickup is what I suggested to the maker. It's pretty hot right now. I only have to turn my amp up to 2 when I practice. And I do have a volume pedal. As a newb, figured it was more important to focus on learning the other 3 pedals and knee levers first before worrying about swells...but your advice is obviously valid and appreciated.

Common practice is to attack the strings with the volume pedal between 1/3 and 1/2 volume only. Try this and report back - I’m guessing the distortion won’t be present set this way.