Bumhucker for a lap steel

Rob DiStefano · Post by **Rob DiStefano** » 31 Jan 2023 2:22 pm

Cheap lap steel with some mods added, mainly new electronics and a humbucking pickup I made using a pair of Strat flatware bobbins. Quiet as a church mouse and has a pleasing steel guitar tone with the bobbins wired in series but I'll try them in parallel for a bit more treble. The original pickup was a junker P90 that I replaced with an AR90 (replica of a Gibson 1946 P90) that I built, then swapped that for a Fender 1950 Esquire bridge pickup that I built. Those two replacements were pretty good, but I wanted to see (hear!) somewhat of a "thicker" (more midrange) tone, so the humbucker was cobbled together. Strung up as a C6.

Glenn Wilde · Post by **Glenn Wilde** » 1 Feb 2023 1:21 pm

I've put the Duncan Lil '59 in a couple steels and they work well.

Bill Groner · Post by **Bill Groner** » 1 Feb 2023 3:56 pm

Glad to hear that Glenn. I am finishing up a new one and it will have a lil 59 in it! I know, I said the last one, was going to be the final one, but I can't help myself. Had a chunk of Maple sitting a top my hutch on my computer desk all laid out for 5 years now and I just couldn't let it go to waste.

Rob DiStefano · Post by **Rob DiStefano** » 1 Feb 2023 4:42 pm

I don't typically like "tone" pots and will replace the one on this lapper with a DPDT switch for series/split/parallel tones, along with replacing the 250k volume pot for a 500k to spike up the treble a tad.

Mike Auman · Post by **Mike Auman** » 1 Feb 2023 8:56 pm

Rob DiStefano wrote:I don't typically like "tone" pots and will replace the one on this lapper with a DPDT switch for series/split/parallel tones, along with replacing the 250k volume pot for a 500k to spike up the treble a tad.

Rob, if you sub a much smaller cap (1.5 to 3.3 nF) for the usual tone cap (22 to 47 nF) you'll get a much more subtle treble roll-off, and can even peak the mids when it's fully CCW if you want. A separate passive bass roll-off is also useful on a lap steel, similar to the Focus or PTB knobs found on the Reverend and G&L guitars.

Rob DiStefano · Post by **Rob DiStefano** » 2 Feb 2023 3:55 am

Mike Auman wrote:
Rob DiStefano wrote:I don't typically like "tone" pots and will replace the one on this lapper with a DPDT switch for series/split/parallel tones, along with replacing the 250k volume pot for a 500k to spike up the treble a tad.
Rob, if you sub a much smaller cap (1.5 to 3.3 nF) for the usual tone cap (22 to 47 nF) you'll get a much more subtle treble roll-off, and can even peak the mids when it's fully CCW if you want. A separate passive bass roll-off is also useful on a lap steel, similar to the Focus or PTB knobs found on the Reverend and G&L guitars.

Yer preaching to the choir. Most large tone pot caps are mud city with barely a turn of the pot's knob. I use a .010uf tone pot cap for guitars for a much larger sweep of treble killing tone, and as well I mod all tone pots as no-loads in order to remove any of the audio signal hitting both the pot's resistance and subsequent cap, but with a 1/8th or so turn of the pot's knob its wiper is activated. Easy to accomplish with any quality pot (CTS, Alpha, Bourns, etc). https://www.tdpri.com/threads/no-load-m ... t-10386637

For the most part, with most any electrified stringed instrument, I find the volume pot is usually the better "tone pot" since as it's cracked down it will allow more treble frequencies to be shunted to ground - though some prefer the opposite and add a .001uf cap between the volume pot's input and wiper lugs ("treble bleed cap").

Matthew Lyons · Post by **Matthew Lyons** » 3 Feb 2023 5:27 am

Rob DiStefano wrote:Cheap lap steel with some mods added, mainly new electronics and a humbucking pickup I made using a pair of Strat flatware bobbins. Quiet as a church mouse and has a pleasing steel guitar tone with the bobbins wired in series but I'll try them in parallel for a bit more treble. The original pickup was a junker P90 that I replaced with an AR90 (replica of a Gibson 1946 P90) that I built, then swapped that for a Fender 1950 Esquire bridge pickup that I built. Those two replacements were pretty good, but I wanted to see (hear!) somewhat of a "thicker" (more midrange) tone, so the humbucker was cobbled together. Strung up as a C6.

I think I got the same brand in burst color. Had a terrible time with the nut being too close to the neck. Had to use a nut extender. Did you have a similar issue with that? Upgrades look great! Did you swap out the screws on the fretboard? Mine have like a raised edge to the screw. Looking for some screws to sit flush.

Great stuff!

This is what it was like:

This is how it's going:

Rob DiStefano · Post by **Rob DiStefano** » 3 Feb 2023 5:41 am

With a few simple mods enacted, I think this is a fine little lapper.

Yep, I had to shim the nut up about 1/4", easy peasy.

"Tone pot" gone and replaced with an on-on-on mini switch that allows series/split/parallel twin coil selections.

Matthew Lyons · Post by **Matthew Lyons** » 3 Feb 2023 6:56 am

Awesome! I'm going to have to upgrade the nut permanently like you did there.

Did you swap out the screws - yours look flush - mine are beveled. The are uncomfortable so I'm going to swap them out.

I'm not that handy with soldering so for now the pickup will do me good!

Rock on!

Rob DiStefano · Post by **Rob DiStefano** » 3 Feb 2023 7:47 am

Fretboard screws are flush - what was used are pickup bezel mounting ring screws, as Gibson routinely uses.

I solder literally every single day, it's part of making pickups and working on electric instruments.

Soldering is super simple as long as the following is adhered to ...

TOOLS
1. Use a soldering IRON (not a gun) in the 40-45watt range.
2. Use FLUX - without an intermediate, soldering will be iffy and "cold" joints can happen too easily.
3. Use quality solder - I prefer lead-free solder.

Whilst I have more than a few electronic soldering stations, none of that is necessary for the casual soldering task. A Radio Shack 45w iron is fine. Their solder flux is the best I've ever used, and I've used many over the last 60+ years. I get lead-free solder off Amazon.

PROCESS
1. Clean (emery board or fine sand paper), flux (Radio Shack amber gel), and pre-tin both components to be joined.
2. Keep the soldering iron tip constantly CLEAN - I find it best to use dry brass mesh, or coarse steel wool, or the Chore Boy kitchen pot scrubber stuff. Some folks use a wet sponge or cotton towel, but that will cool down and lower the tip's temperature and there'll be a fluctuation in tip temperature which is not good and it will take time to get up to proper soldering temp.
3. I cut the solder into small strips laid on a piece of wood and pick up a tiny drop on the iron's tip.
4. Mate the pieces to be soldered, maybe wipe with flux (optional), touch the iron's tip to the component joint and the solder will flow like water and be done in a second or less.
5. Large metal areas can be a problem, such as the back of a pot, and it will take 10x longer to get the solder to flow from a 45w iron. For soldering metal covers to Phoenix Firebird pickup frames I use an 80w Weller iron.

Hope this helps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_BYwNpo8Rg

Matthew Lyons · Post by **Matthew Lyons** » 3 Feb 2023 9:40 am

So very helpful! Thank you so much for that!

It's definitely on my list of things to learn (among so many other things!)...hopefully one day I'll be able to retire and focus on my passions the right way. For now, I get by working, playing shows, and raising my family. All good things in all good time!

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Bumhucker for a lap steel

Bumhucker for a lap steel

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