Fender Lapsteel pickuk Early 50s

[big_teee]

I was called to get this pickup today from a local guitar shop for repair.
Never seen anything quite like it.
It supposed to be off a 53 fender lapsteel.
According to note 319, 7600 turns of 42 or 43 wire.
301-325 - Seymour Duncan
http://www.well.com/~wellvis/steels/...derDeluxe8.JPG
http://courses.physics.illinois.edu/...pickup_rsz.jpg
Here are the pics of it.

If you have any tips, let me know!
T

[John_H]

Do the strings go through the pickup?

[Rick Turner]

I'll be damned! A trapezoidal pickup. I made trapezoidal pickups for early pre-Alembics in 1969. Didn't do 'em as a sidewinder, though. Cool. Doesn't look like enough clearance for strings, though, unless I'm not seeing something.

[John_H]

I did a little research, and found this...
1954 Fender Deluxe Eight 8-string Lap Steel Guitar-tone | 8 String Guitar

Interesting, the strings go right through the coil.

[big_teee]

This pic shows it best.
http://courses.physics.illinois.edu/...pickup_rsz.jpg
If you look at the spacers on each end of the pickup pic, they are the magnets.
Probably cobalt, maybe.
They are gaussed around 600.
They magnetise the steel around the coil, and that is all there is to it.

[big_teee]

I've got it apart and fixing to go wind it.
The old wire measured .0025 on the nose.
Maybe 43 HFV.
I'm going back with 42 that measures .0026.
There is no form on one side.
I thought I would wind a while stop, and put some fingernail polish on the edge then let it dry.
Then wind some more.
Do that several times so the wire doesn't try to fall off so bad?
Cheesie but I think it will work.
That is all I have, right now.
Then I will do a quick potting when done.
T

[John_H]

Obviously there are six, and eight string versions
That doesn't look like 7,600 turns in your picture. Has it been re-wound before?

[big_teee]

It is wound over a 3/4 inch wide area.
I can't tell, but It may have been rewound.
Looked like some super glue on things in places.
by the looks of the bobbin it is a six string.
T

[Rick Turner]

Very cool indeed.

"String-through" pickups have a long history with lap steels...Rickenbacker, and Valco/National to name a couple. Jason Lollar makes repros of the V/N style, and he and I have both made Rick-style horseshoe pickups...and been threatened for doing so by John Hall of Rickenbacker. 'nuff said about that...

[kayakerca]

I was called to get this pickup today from a local guitar shop for repair.
Never seen anything quite like it.
It supposed to be off a 53 fender lapsteel.
According to note 319, 7600 turns of 42 or 43 wire.
301-325 - Seymour Duncan
http://www.well.com/~wellvis/steels/...derDeluxe8.JPG
http://courses.physics.illinois.edu/...pickup_rsz.jpg
Here are the pics of it.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]29270[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]29271[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]29272[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]29273[/ATTACH]
If you have any tips, let me know!
T

Item 328 from the SD FAQ lists specs on 5 more old Fender and K&F lap steels.

[big_teee]

I got it wound.
I'm fixing to give it a quick potting, as soon as the pot heats up.
I will take a few more pics before I take it back.
That bobbin wasn't the easiest thing to mount on my winder.
Kind of hard to mount a triangle!
But, I gotter Dun!
T

[Jim Darr]

Super cool pickup. Are you going to be able to hear it on the lapsteel? If so, let us all know what it sounds like.

[big_teee]

No I won't be able to hear it.
Just a rewind, I will return it Tuesday.
Here is the finished product, came out ok I think, especially since there is no flange on one side.
pulled out the magnets on pic 2.
I put a piece of tape under the wires, that is where the break was on the old coil.
the wires had worn through several layers.

[John_H]

Nice work.

[Jim Darr]

I'll be damned! A trapezoidal pickup. I made trapezoidal pickups for early pre-Alembics in 1969. Didn't do 'em as a sidewinder, though.

Rick,

I recall seeing a Alembic modified Guild Starfire Bass on ebay a while back that had trapezoidal shaped pickups. Only one I've seen with those pickups. As I recall, it was a natural finish (likely a refin) with the typical Alembic logo on the headstock, multi-laminated back of headstock, active electronics, and brass bridge with separate tailpiece. It also had brass looking pickup surrounds which were very large (possibly to hide the holes from the Hagstrom Bi-Sonics). Cool looking guitar.