Which Pickup For Rogue Lap Steel

[Doug Taylor]

1 1/2 years ago when I started my steel guitar adventures I bought a cheap Rogue lap steel. I am getting ready to order the conversion kit to increase the scale and want to put a better pickup in at the same time.

I am doing this because I am curious if this thing can be made into something better and I just want to, and am not worried about resale or getting my money back.

So what would be a good pickup to put in this thing?

[Mike Neer]

I just had a pickup made for my Rogue by Nick Fryer. It was built to my specs and it uses a blade rather than poles. I have a very specific use for this steel but it sounds great and I can recommend. Nick can make it any way you’d like at a very reasonable price.
nickfryermusic@gmail.com

[Doug Taylor]

Thank you Mike, I will email him

[Travis Brown]

I put a Lace Sensor Gold in mine, and it sounds fantastic.

I got the Lace Sensor off ebay as a factory 2nd for $45. Make sure you don't get the "Hot Gold" version accidentally. I haven't tried the Hot Gold, but folks seem to dislike them. Who knows, might be perfect for lap steel!

[Bill Groner]

I just had a pickup made for my Rogue by Nick Fryer. It was built to my specs and it uses a blade rather than poles. I have a very specific use for this steel but it sounds great and I can recommend. Nick can make it any way you’d like at a very reasonable price.
nickfryermusic@gmail.com

Mike, can you post a video of the Rogue in action with the new pickup?

[Mike Neer]

Nick Fryer custom-made pickup demo
https://youtu.be/yuLJfCCvETw

[Doug Taylor]

Mike I have been emailing back and forth with Nick today, pretty sure I will be getting one of his pickups, thank you. Very nice guy and he responded very quickly.

[Brad Richard]

I've been fooling around with my Rogue for awhile now. I used a GeorgeBoards 22-1/2" fretboard conversion and made a new nut and bridge out of aluminum angle. I'm just finishing up installing a Bill Lawrence L45S pup. It's a strat-size dual blade humbucker. Runs about $60. I should be done tomorrow and I'll let you know how it sounds. Oh, and I also did a complete re-wire with CTS pots and an Orange Drop cap.

[Doug Taylor]

Please let me know how it sounds Brad

[Brad Richard]

Hi Doug,
Well I finally got it finished. I played it through my Peavey Bandit 65 and it really sounded good. Very clean and clear, but when I cranked the amp, it got nice and dirty. I also played it through a Line 6 Spider 15. It still sounded good, but not like through the PV. Big difference in amps!
I think you'll be in good shape no matter which way you go. Have fun.

Brad

[Doug Taylor]

Thanks for all of the good advice! I ordered the conversion kit from Georgebords and a pickup from Nick yesterday. Will see how it goes.

[Perry Mattingly]

I've been fooling around with my Rogue for awhile now. I used a GeorgeBoards 22-1/2" fretboard conversion and made a new nut and bridge out of aluminum angle. I'm just finishing up installing a Bill Lawrence L45S pup. It's a strat-size dual blade humbucker. Runs about $60. I should be done tomorrow and I'll let you know how it sounds. Oh, and I also did a complete re-wire with CTS pots and an Orange Drop cap.

Brad do you have a source for these pickups?

[Brad Richard]

Doug - Sounds great! Happy sliding.

[Brad Richard]

Hi Perry,

You can buy direct from Bill Lawrence. Bill's passed away, but Becky's still hard at it.

[Perry Mattingly]

Hi Perry,

You can buy direct from Bill Lawrence. Bill's passed away, but Becky's still hard at it.

Thank you Brad

[Doug Taylor]

I finished my Rogue conversion and am happy with the way it turned out. I used the conversion kit from Georgeboards. And a pickup from Nick Fryer that was recommended above, and a set of Stew Mac tuners.

The sound is much fatter and much more pleasant, and it is very playable.

[Nick Fryer]

Doug -

Glad you like it !

The blade also has a great look on the guitar!

- Nick Fryer

[Doug Taylor]

Thanks for the great service Nick, the pickup turned out great!

[David Irving]

I'd already replaced the pickup mine came with, with a Seymour Duncan strat-sized humbucker which sounded pretty good.

When I did the scale conversion, I found the sound mellowed somewhat because the pickup is now further from the bridge, and I'm still getting used to it.

[John Larson]

I put a Duncan Custom Mini Humbucker (the firebird type) in mine. I added a three way toggle with the pickup wired standard series, split single bridge side coil, and parallel coils. Sounds awesome and it super versatile. I made a new pickguard for this as well. Didn't require any routing.

[Travis Brown]

I'd already replaced the pickup mine came with, with a Seymour Duncan strat-sized humbucker which sounded pretty good.

When I did the scale conversion, I found the sound mellowed somewhat because the pickup is now further from the bridge, and I'm still getting used to it.

I've been trying to decide whether to do the scale conversion - how do you like it?

Did it have any noticeable effect besides moving the pickup forward a bit?

[David Irving]

It makes it a hell of a lot easier to palm-mute the strings. My hand used to get tangled up in the tone and volume controls.

I only did it a few days ago,and I'm still getting used to the changed sound, but I feel like it's improved my intonation a bit.

[Gene Tani]

Hi Perry,

You can buy direct from Bill Lawrence. Bill's passed away, but Becky's still hard at it.

You can get 710s and xr16s from them but not 705's

https://www.wildepickups.com/products/steel-guitar

As far as Fryer customs talked about here, Mike Neer's demo is pretty convincing as far as Jaco simulators go.

[Tony Oresteen]

I have 3 of these lap steels. I have modded two so far. I used DiMarzio Area 58 silent single coils. These work very well.


https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/stacke ... at/area-58

I also put brass nuts on them from George Boards.

I built a console table for them:







I wired up a three way toggle box for them and I can select the neck I want or have both on. Near neck is tune to C6, far neck to Open E.

I used two 1/4" - 20 screw inserts on the bottom of each lap steel and wing nut screws hold them to the table from below.

Still working on the mods to the 3rd one. It's a bit more radical.

[Bob Sykes]

I had recently put the George Boards kit on my Rogue and finally started bonding with it. When I took it out in a band setting, it squealed like a pig if I was near my amp.

I assumed the pickup was cheap and microphonic so replaced it with a Seymore Duncan SL59. When I put it back together and tightened the strings, I did not put the pickguard screws back in. I plugged the guitar in and the microphonics were even worse. As I replaced the screws with the guitar "live", the microphonics were reduced, but still bad once all screws tight.

My current theory is that (at least) the new pickup is fine and the steel pickguard is the root of the problem. After doing a little net digging I find almost no ferrous pickguards are used in shoulder guitar world. The "metal" ones are aluminum, brass or copper. Next step.... plastic pickguard. I'll install a coil tap switch and shield the cavity then too.

Plenty of room on the inside


Now where do I put that switch