Best/favorite pickup for Hawaiian steel

Alex Cattaneo · Post by **Alex Cattaneo** » 8 Mar 2014 7:55 am

Eihter 6 or 8 strings, vintage or current. What works, what doesn't, what do you prefer?

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 8 Mar 2014 8:06 am

I have a Lollar Chicago and a Vintage Vibe CC. I like them both a lot. The Lollar sound more fat and is very responsive and have lots of mids but is noisy, the Vintage Vibe is cleaner but sound rich too.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 8 Mar 2014 11:26 am

The basic Wallace has served the $ minded steel world well for decades and is perfect in my DynaLap, covering all styles. Hard to (cheaply) beat a great vintage PU with old wirings tho.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 8 Mar 2014 11:30 am

My Rickenbacher pickups surely lead the field in my musical appreciation while my BIGSBY pickups follow in second place. My Emmons has great pickups as well. I believe it's how they are played as opposed to their inherent mechanical/electronic characteristics.

C. E. Jackson · Post by **C. E. Jackson** » 8 Mar 2014 12:40 pm

The Charlie Christian pickups on my vintage Gibsons are my favorites. However, I agree with Ray that the vintage Rickenbacker pickups really sound great.

C. E.

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 8 Mar 2014 12:49 pm

C. E. Jackson wrote:The Charlie Christian pickups on my vintage Gibsons are my favorites.

C. E.

Me, too. It's my favorite to record with.

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 8 Mar 2014 1:21 pm

Like Ray said: Rickenbacher's rule. They are the source of beautiful sounds by Bobby Ingano and others. I love the sound of by B6. My Fender pickups are a little too bright (Deluxe 8, Stringmaster D8 & T8), but they are so nice to play, but my Canopus pickups are ok.

Michael Kienhofer · Post by **Michael Kienhofer** » 9 Mar 2014 4:52 am

My Vote go,s to the Fender "Traps"

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 9 Mar 2014 5:53 pm

I'm not big on Gibsons, but I have a pre-war 7-string EH something, (EH150 ? ) with the Christian pickup, that has a sound all it's own. It's a hollow body guitar, and has some acoustic type sounds that are hard to explain.

I could be from all the glue I had to use, to put it back together after it fell apart before I got it !

Ian McLatchie · Post by **Ian McLatchie** » 10 Mar 2014 9:09 am

I love the Rickenbacher horseshoes and would also put in a word for the Supro wrap-arounds. As for a favourite, though, I'm with Michael: Fender trapezoids all the way!

The Steel Guitar Forum

Best/favorite pickup for Hawaiian steel

Best/favorite pickup for Hawaiian steel

I'd have to say................