Melody Maker pickups

[SpareRibs]

Hello,
The pickups in the (59-60) Melody Maker were the same as the pickups used in the 60's Korina Skylark steel guitars. There was a photo of the bottom of one. I even saw the brass plates mentioned by Bill M. Now just to find the spacing between the two flats.
To big tee I understand your comment about the excessive hum, but I doubt it could be worse than some of the same problems concerning Fender pickups. It would seem the same solutions could apply.
I am just curious about the raw, crude sound. As I stated previously, these guitars are being used by a few people and that sound is being raved over. As opposed to just using a P90, it seems a reasonable facsimile of the original could be easily constructed.

[big_teee]

Heck Yes, give it a whirl.
as far as height between the flats.
You can figure like this.
All bar mags are 1/2" wide.
Thin forbon is .062" or so, and what ever the brass is.
.500 - .124 =.376 - .030 for brass = .30 - .35 inches between the flats.
What is the purpose of the brass, don't see the need for that, unless it provides some eddie currents to make it less bright?

[SpareRibs]

Hello,
It talked about fire bird pickup nylon bobbins but I am not familiar with those. I also found a Gibson part number for the 60's Melody Maker pickups but they may be the smaller of the two. The number is PU380.

[SpareRibs]

Hello,
This is the guitar I am working with. It already has a really hot DiMarzio pickup in it. I used a 5 position 4 pole switch. It has 5 different sounds 2 of them are single coil. I also installed a .1 cap to get a fuller richer sound. I just thought a copy of a vintage Melody Maker pickup maybe in the neck position would be great. If I can pull that off I may put one in both positions.
It turned into a rather expensive parts project, but it was all parts from other projects that started and the parts were not used or unnecessary for the project at hand. I am sure everyone here is aware of how things accumulate.

[big_teee]

Looks good!
So are you wanting to put the blade in the neck or replace the humbucker at the bridge?

[SpareRibs]

Hello,
I am not sure yet. I am thinking, getting it functional in the neck position. I can use some of the 5 position switch to set up a neck pickup that would be either, or both at the same time. I will have to get the pickup together first.

[big_teee]

Don't know if your guitar body is routed under the pickguard.
It appears you have enough pickguard to add whatever pickup you wnat.
Like you mentioned, a Melody maker blade, a strat pickup, mini humbucker, or a tele neck pickup.
for a switch you could use a LP type 3 way switch and use the remaining two Pots for Vol and Tone.
I did a similar thing on a bass, I installed the 3 way LP switch, and it worked slick.
A Mini humbucker firebird pickup would make a great neck pickup.
They are small and workd well, and you could build it with 2 blades in the bobbins, with your choice of bar magnets.
You have lots of choices.
T

[SpareRibs]

Hello,
T, Here is a diagram of how the guitar is wired currently. You can find out more about the guitar construction in the thread (Epiphone Les Paul 2 finish question), I know you commented on it.
I think with the 5 way switch I can wire in a neck pickup. I am going to do further research on the Melody Maker pickup. I am sure someone on one of the steel guitar forums will know a great deal about them as the model PU380 was used in a lot of steel guitars.

[copperheadroads]

"Melody Maker 42 PE 10,000 CCW 7.3 A5 "rail"
Early versions of most Gibson pickups were wound the same for both positions, slug side north where applicable. The HB/P-90 Bar magnets are also the Melody Maker "rail" magnets. Nylon bobbins from Firebird HB's were also used in Johnny Smith, LP Deluxe Mini buckers, Epiphone, and some Silvertone."
taken from SK's site
Pickups specifications, Fender , Gibson, etc..

[big_teee]

For those that don't know it's there?
I have quite a bit of data, and pickup specs on the Resources Thread.
Feel free to use whatever works for you.
It is the Sticky Thread at the top of the B/H forum.
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t30228/
T

[Mark Hammer]

I had a late-60's melody Maker pickup. Still have some of the parts of it; the cover and the bar magnet. The coil pretty much disintegrated on me; a rather flimsy bobbin. Couldn't point to the magnet, though, since it sits in a drawer with a bunch of others, and, well, 40 years will give you plenty of time to forget which one.

You have to wonder if it's the sort of design that could have gained more traction if it had had a nice soft-iron bottom plate, coupled to the bar magnet, analogous to the Tele bridge pickup. Just something to give it a little more oomph.

[SpareRibs]

I had a late-60's melody Maker pickup. Still have some of the parts of it; the cover and the bar magnet. The coil pretty much disintegrated on me; a rather flimsy bobbin. Couldn't point to the magnet, though, since it sits in a drawer with a bunch of others, and, well, 40 years will give you plenty of time to forget which one.
You have to wonder if it's the sort of design that could have gained more traction if it had had a nice soft-iron bottom plate, coupled to the bar magnet, analogous to the Tele bridge pickup. Just something to give it a little more oomph.

Hello,
I think adding metal to the bottom of pickups was recently discussed in this forum. I added metal strips to some Epiphone humbuckers 650R and 700T. It seemed to help tone down some of the sharpness. When I attempt winding Melody Maker's that will probably be one of the options I explore.

[SpareRibs]

Hello,
In the event anyone is as curious as I am about the Melody Maker pickups I found a very good source of information on a steel guitar website. It is Gibson Electric Steel Guitars 1935-1967 / A.R. Duchossoir. Pertaining to the PU380, which is the Melody Maker pickup. The pickup was used 1 year 1959 exactly as manufactured for the steel guitar, the big version. Then in 1960 was reduced in size utilizing a nylon bobbin, to better fit under a smaller 5/8ths cover.

[big_teee]

Hello,
In the event anyone is as curious as I am about the Melody Maker pickups I found a very good source of information on a steel guitar website. It is Gibson Electric Steel Guitars 1935-1967 / A.R. Duchossoir. Pertaining to the PU380, which is the Melody Maker pickup. The pickup was used 1 year 1959 exactly as manufactured for the steel guitar, the big version. Then in 1960 was reduced in size utilizing a nylon bobbin, to better fit under a smaller 5/8ths cover.

I don't know where the above website is?
Could you list the weblink when you find something we could all look at?
Thanks,
T

[rjb]

I don't know where the above website is?

I just did the same thing as you- automatically went looking for the website.
Figured out that SpareRibs' source is a *book*- one of those things made of paper, lol.