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Post new topic Valco string thru p/u. Can it wire in phase w another p/u?
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Author Topic:  Valco string thru p/u. Can it wire in phase w another p/u?
Marc Stone

 

From:
Louisiana, USA
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2017 5:23 pm    
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Have a Coodercaster-ish thing here and want to use the middle position. Problem is, the old Valco (Oahu, National, Supro, etc) string thru p/u design has two sets of three poles wired opposite each other, so my top three strings are in pbase with the other p/u, but the three bass strings are out of phase.
Any workaround for this? Thx!
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Tom Wolverton


From:
Carpinteria, CA
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2017 10:39 pm    
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This might help you. Read about phasing when combining with a 2nd pickup...

https://www.lollarguitars.com/blog/tag/valco-lap-steel/
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Marc Stone

 

From:
Louisiana, USA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2017 12:00 am    
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Thanks Tom. Unfortunately Lollar just explains that if run q second p/u half the strings will be out of phase. No mention of a fix
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Tom Wolverton


From:
Carpinteria, CA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2017 5:42 am    
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Unfortunately, the fix is to only have one pickup active at any given time.
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Jerry Jones


From:
Franklin, Tenn.
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2017 6:48 am    
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The way a Supro pickup is configured the 2 coils share a common magnetic polarity but are connected 180 degrees opposite. That makes the coils hum-canceling but still mechanically out of phase due to the common magnet polarity. Normally that would be a problem except that they sense separate sets of strings.... so no problem.

You will need to reverse the wires of just one of the Supro coils thereby negating the hum-canceling effect.

You can always configure the new pickup so that you have a hum-canceling situation when both pickups are on.
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Marc Stone

 

From:
Louisiana, USA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2017 9:15 am    
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Thx guys!
Jerry - thx. That's what a local tech told me, and suggested using a dummy coil to make it hum cancelling again. BC as viciously strong as that p/u is, I can't imaging what it would sound like if it wasn't hum cancelling
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Jerry Jones


From:
Franklin, Tenn.
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2017 9:24 am    
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If you wanted to get creative you could wire a phase reversal for that coil that engaged only when both pickups are selected.


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Jerry Jones


Last edited by Jerry Jones on 14 Dec 2017 6:29 am; edited 1 time in total
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Bill Sinclair


From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2017 11:20 am    
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I wonder how it would work to use a set of these Teisco Spectrum repro pickups as the other pickup. Would you have to arrange them so the polarity was reversed from the Valco? I have no idea if these pickups sound any good or not.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Split-Coil-Neck-Pickup-Great-for-Cigarbox-guitars-too-EZPZ-GUITAR-PARTS-TEISCO/232577593587?hash=item3626b470f3:g:UWoAAOSwJoNZwHut
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Stephen Abruzzo

 

From:
Philly, PA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2017 12:53 pm    
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The late Tom Pettingill custom-built me a Shovelhead that had the Lollar "Cooder pups"....the Valco/Supro in the bridge and Gold Foil in the neck.

This is what he had to say about the pick-ups and how they sounded:

"Hi Steve

Yes, 3 position rotary switch - Supro-Combined-Gold Foil

The Supro and Gold Foil sound great by themselves.

The Supro has always kind of reminded me of a P90 in that they are very sensitive / pick attack responsive and can go from angelic cleans to rude with an attitude when you dig in.

The Gold Foil does some sweet cleans too with a vocal kind of roundness to it. Its a lower output pickup than the Supro, so it does not hit the front end of the amp as hard, but the result is sweet and rich and very controllable when you are riding the edge of breakup.

The middle combined setting is pretty decent too, definitely usable.

Tom
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Lee Holliday


From:
United Kingdom
Post  Posted 2 Dec 2017 11:10 am    
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Ok either learn to live with it and its unique sound when out of phase, or as I do either switch to the neck pickup with whatever pickup you place there, or the Valco at the bridge.

The best compromise was when I dropped a Lollar into a Godin Radiator which had a volume pot for each pickup and one tone pot, no switch required just blend the two pickups.



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Tom Wolverton


From:
Carpinteria, CA
Post  Posted 3 Dec 2017 6:38 am    
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I wish Lollar would make those 4 screws on the top plate countersunk. So my hand wouldn’t feel them.
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Peter Leavenworth

 

From:
Madbury, New Hampshire, USA
Post  Posted 14 Dec 2017 5:34 am     Valco string thru p/u
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I have several Supro lap steels with those pickups, you can remove the top plate and countersink the holes to take flat head screws. Wonderful pickups!
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2008 Zum D-10, 1996 Mullens PRP D-10, 1974 Emmons D-10, 1976 Emmons D-10, early 70s Emmons GS-10, Milkman Sideman head w/Telonics 15" speaker, 1966 Fender Super Reverb, 1970 Fender Dual Showman head, Wechter/Scheerhorn and Beard Dobros, 1962 Supro lap steels, Gibson 1939 RB-11 banjo, Gibson 1978 RB-250
banjo......and way too much more
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Tom Wolverton


From:
Carpinteria, CA
Post  Posted 14 Dec 2017 4:09 pm    
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Thanks. I was thinking that was do-able.
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