The Steel Guitar Forum

I have my pattern finalized. Is there any rule of thumb for placement of the pickup in regards to the bridge or is it just personal preference? I am using 22.5 scale.
Thanks, Ron

Both my Fender Stringmaster & National Dynamics are 22.5 scale & the pup is about 20 inches from the nut...they sound great...Terry V.

Terry, I am referring to the bridge on the business end, not the nut. I hope you are enjoying that D-6. I played it a few times but Ron wouldn't let me have it for a song, even Sleepwalk, LOL. I really wanted to restore it.

Ron

The measurement is the same. He is measureing from the nut. Just subtract 20' from 22.5" and you will have the distance the pickup is from the bridge on his instruments--2.5 inches.

In my opinion, for what it's worth, you will get a muddy sound if you go two inches from the bridge to the centerline of the pickup. I place them one and a quarter inches max from the bridge, after experimenting with various spacings.

On my homemade lap steel (23" scale), the centerline of the P90 pickup is located at about 2.5" from the bridge (I arrived there by pure experimentation to find out what sounded best).
On my Supro Supreme (22.8" scale), the centerline of the pickup is located 1.65" from the bridge.
On my Melobar Rattler (that I sold already, so I can't make measurements) the humbucker pickup was mounted as close as physically possible to the bridge, and that guitar sounded mostly thin and shrill.

Generally, a position closer to the bridge will give you a cleaner sound, more treble (more bite), less mids and bass, lower output.
A position farther away will give you less treble, more mids and bass, higher output, a dirtier, bluesier sound.
Maybe you can jury rig something, connecting the pickup to a cable and holding it face down above the strings, sliding it back and forth, to find the position and sound you like best, that's what I did for my homemade!

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Roman Sonnleitner on 27 November 2006 at 02:27 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ron, if you want to read this :-
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/009563.html

I may or may not help, depending on what type of sound you're looking for.

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Thanks Basil, very interesting. As I play blues and rock/roll, I will move it 1-2" away. My Gibson is 2", bridge to pup center. Now to decide on a pup.

Ron<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Ron Victoria on 27 November 2006 at 05:19 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ron, are you building a 6- or 8-string?

For a 6-string, and for playing rock and blues, a P90-type pickup would be great - power and 'attitude' like a humbucker, but transparency and clear treble like a single-coil, and lots of sweet mids, too! I personally use a Vintage-style P90 from Seymour Duncan, but there are quite a few other makers of that type.

If you are going for 8-string, take a look at Jason Lollar's 'Chicago Steel' - that one is hot! I want to build an 8-string over the course of this winter, didn't have time to start yet, but I already have the Chicago Steel here, and experimented with it by mounting it to my 6-string, and it sounds great, a very full, fat tone that would work great for blues or rock with a bit of overdrive.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Roman Sonnleitner on 28 November 2006 at 01:34 AM.]</p></FONT>

It's a 6. I mostly play blues and rock.
Ron

I seem to remember some model of guitar from the 70's or 80's that had the pickup(s) mounted on rails, so that it could be moved to change the sound of the guitar.

The guitar you are referring to was the Ampeg "Dan Armstrong". The body was made of clear lucite.

the pole spacing on pickups and string spacing on nut and bridge, I have found, is hard to justify.
string spacing on lap steel is wider than on electric guitars.
I have been unable to find a P90 with the correct pole spacing. that is why I have used Seymor Duncan Antiquity series single coils.
they are nice.
many of you have posted very fine hand made laps with all sorts of pickups.
I am wondering if my understanding is wrong.
question for Ron: are you thinking of mounting the pickup at a slant or straight across?
my first lap I mounted the pickup straight across. the second I slanted. I like the sound from the slanted pickup better.

straight. I will slot the bridge to match the poles.

That's what I did, too.
The P90 has a pole spacing of about 10mm = 3/8", and that seems to be a popular string spacing at the bridge for lap steels, anyway.

BTW, Pete Biltoft from http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/pickups.html makes some P90- and Charlie Christian style pickups with blades, not pole pieces, these might be useful for other string spacings; no personal expereinces with those, but his pickups get great reviews on TDPRI.

since I am away from my lapsteel I wracked my brains to remember the string spacing.
and 3/8's posted above triggered my memory. that is the spacing on my 1939 and 1940 Epiphones. 1 7/8" is the total. and very close to a few pickups made.

Ron. it would be great if you could post some pics of your progress.
when I get home and get back to my latest project I will begin posting shots.

They tell me that there is a sweet spot for a pickup like harmonics but when you bar it it changes the spot? Right or wrong?

Robro Ron

Ron: I used the 2 inch spacing of the p/up from the bridge on all 14 lapsteels that I've built, including 3 Steel Gitfiddles. That seems to be just right for all of them. All have good sustain & a pleasing tone. I don't use any tone or volume pots on them. Just wie direct to the jack. I use a v/pedal to control swells etc. Looking forward to some pics. when you get ready. Hope I helped you a little.
Andy H.