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Topic: Slanted pickups |
JB Bobbitt
From:
California, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2018 9:06 am |
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'nudder newbie question: Why are some pickups (most appear to be single-coil) installed at a slant to the strings?
Thanks a heap,
-jbb |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2018 10:25 am
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I’ve always thought the slant was to accentuate the treble by placing the treble side of the pole pieces closer to the bridge.
_________________
Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe. |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 22 Sep 2018 12:22 pm
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That was my perception too. Same as on Telecaster and Stratocaster bridge pickups.
However, I always kind of preferred (at least conceptually) the reverse...further away from the bridge on the high strings to give a smoother, bell like tone on the higher notes, and closer to the bridge for the bass strings to give a sharper, more focused tone on the low notes.
_________________
Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Butch Pytko
From:
Orlando, Florida, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2018 6:28 pm
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I wondered why the pickups were slanted, too. I always wanted a Magnatone and had noticed the slanted pickups in pictures and then for real when I finally bought one. Here's a file photo of the Lyric G-85-DW I have and the Magnatone catalog...
In my research about the slanted pickups I found out 2 things: First, who came up with the idea. I discovered that in the book "The Hawaiian Steel Guitar And Its Great Hawaiian Musicians", compiled by Lorene Ruymar. This is an excerpt regarding the R & D process that resulted in slanting the pickups, as told by Paul H. "Bud" Tutmarc's father, Paul H. Tutmarc, who did the work...
And, Second, I found this about Paul Bigsby...
So, at that point in time, Paul Bigsby, most likely was aware of that information--to slant the pickups, and incorporated it in his designing of the Magnatone line of steel guitars. However, for whatever reason it didn't catch-on, as the other steel guitar brands had mostly straight/horizontal pickups to the bridge. My 1957 Stringmaster is a good example of that. |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 23 Sep 2018 4:29 am
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| The early Tutmarc/Audiovox steels did not have slanted pickups, but the Dobro All-Electric did in 1933 (which, incidentally, used Tutmarc's pickup design). That was probably the first. By Bigsby's time, there were several examples out there (such as Gibson starting in 1940). |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2018 5:55 am
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If the pole pieces on the pickup are too far apart to match the strings on your guitar, by slanting the pickup, the pole pieces can be made to match the spacing of your strings. 
Erv |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2018 11:20 am
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Some pickups today...like Telonics for Pedal Steels - have two sets of adjustable pole pieces, to maximize bell-like high tones and growling low tones - you usually adjust to a continuous slant to the height of the poles, reversing the slant for front and back pieces...
_________________
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Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Jon Zimmerman
From:
California, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2018 3:19 pm Lorene Ruymar. (Google or Wiki her)
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| The book mentioned by Butch P. in the earlier post.. not sure if it's still in print, (soft bound is the one I have) but if you find a used one, SNAG IT! Very comprehensive, beautiful in its details...and, you will have yourself many "Aha!" moments to clarify what/where all those lap-ferver's origins came about. |
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