The Steel Guitar Forum

Have any of you tri-cone players ever tried the Highlander Magnophonic x pickup for tri-cones? It is the only pickup I've heard of that is strictly designed for a tri-cone guitar. I have a Regal tri-cone that I am going to set up for lap playing and am looking for a way to electrify it.
Erv

The highlander uses a small metal piece that attaches under the T-bridge and is essentially a magnetic p/u. I've heard good and bad, both in regards to tone and feedback resistance but have not tried one myself.
I use trandsucers from this company http://www.pick-uptheworld.com/ on my tricones. The #27 to be precise. Great tricone tone, you can install it without cutting on the body if you want and you won't have feedback troubles unless you play with a full electric outfit (drums and bass)

Hi-
I heard a prototype of the tricone pickup a few years ago at the Highlander shop and was very impressed. It sounded like a tricone only louder (*much louder*). I'd check one out.
I also heard Fishman's new dobro/National pickup and was impressed. One thing that I noticed was how much rattling the pickup hears; if your axe is not ship shape, the pickup will hear and amplify all kinds of little noises that seem inconsequential acoustically.
I'm not sure if Fishman's is a tricone pickup but check them out. Both manufacturers are first rate and great folks to boot.
Cheers,
Ed

I don't think the Fishman dobro pickup is designed for a tricone, but I may be wrong.
The Highlander pickup is kind of pricey, so want to be sure before I lay down the green.
Thanks,
Erv

I have a PUTW #27 lying around that I haven't gotten around to installing in my dobro yet, but I've installed a #27 in my regular acoustic and it's the most amazing pickup quality I've ever heard. I'll also have a #27 installed in my Neil Russell weissenborn.

If this is an indication of how it will work in a tricone (and according to Mike it obviously is) then I would say that you probably won't go wrong with a PUTW #27.

I am waiting for a Superior weissenborn copy and plan to put a Sunrise magnetic pickup and a Baggs IBeam pickup in it. I just bought a Sunrise over ebay yesterday. Didn't save much money but it was available now. There is about a 2 month's wait on Sunrise pickups as I understand it. If the money holds out, I would like to run the two pickups through a Rane acoustic preamp.
Erv