Gibson BR-9 Questions

Steve Cole · From: Everett, WA, USA

Hey everyone, new member and new to lap steels as well. A lot of my Google searches kept pointing here so I decided to sign up. Anyways, I have purchased a BR-09 husk that's basically missing the electronics (pickup, tone/vol, jack). I have some questions that I haven't quite resolved through my own searches. I do have the Gibson lap steel book by A.R. Duchossoir on its way so if there is an answer in there, just point me there.

I know that these lap steels don't have serial numbers so you have to rely on other ways to date them. I don't have the pots so that option is out. I have noticed that the pickup cavity can vary between a dog ear mount and a soapbar mount for the pickup, and the type of finish can also be an indication (solid paint vs a textured type). I have yet to receive my husk so I'm not sure about its routing but it seems like there may be three eras during the production of the BR-09? Is that accurate?

Since I'm missing the pickup, I need to source one. Through searches here, I found a recommendation for Sentell Pickups as they make two that match the 58mm string spacing- the LS69 and LS5. What is throwing me is this- when I looked for previous Reverb listings for the BR-09 pickup, the listings I found which included a resistance reading all measured in the 8.5K range but the LS69 from Sentell has a 4.8K range (the LS5 is listed as 7.5K). Is that 8.5K value correct for the original pickups? Also what Alnico magnet would that have had? Two?

Sentell does allow modifications so I have that ability but I'm not sure what to substitute. Right now I'm leaning towards 7.5K/8.5K with either Alnico 2,3, or 4 magnets. Last question- does anyone know the distanced between the back of the bridge and the back edge of the body? I want to know if there might be enough room for a set of the Peters shorty benders which need 2 inches.

Thanks!
Steve

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

A wise decision to invest in the Duchossoir book. The information is hard to find elsewhere, and the photography is excellent. I have rescued a handful of BR-9s from stripped-out husks. Here are two of 'em:

You are correct in the supposition that Gibson produced three distinct body styles of BR-9s between 1947 and 1959. They differ slightly in the body shape; there are barely discernable differences to the shapes of the "hips" (for lack of a better term) of their lower bouts. (See Duchossoir, page 130.)

There are two distinct finishes -- the gloss ivory, and the crinkle-coat (akin to the trunk paint in a '64 Bel Air). The crinkle-coat paint began circa 1954/55, and ran through the end of production.

Initial BR-9 production uses the original postwar wide-oval aka racetrack pickup which has six alnico slugs for polepieces. About 1951, the factory fitted the all-new P-90s on all of their lap steels, with two magnets underneath the coil, and adjustable polepieces.

Jerry Sentell will custom build whatever you like, within reason. Pictured above are two of his LS5 P-90 style pickups. The one on the left measures 7.24K; the one on the right measures 7.28K.

The measurement from the back of a stock BR-9 bridge to the butt end is approximately 1-3/4 inches.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your project!

Steve Cole · From: Everett, WA, USA

Thanks, Jack. My book arrives tomorrow and the husk finally arrives Friday. At that point I’ll be able to remove the bridge cover and finally see what type of pickup mount it has inside and narrow down in what timeframe it belongs to. The paint on mine isn’t in as good a shape as yours but it’s like the one on the left in your photo.

Yours is also what I’ll be doing to mine- removing the plexiglass bridge cover and then making a replacement pickguard out of acrylic that’s a similar color to the original cover. I mulled over the idea of adding a tele neck pickup in a new route between the P90 and the fretboard but it’s more of an idea than a serious thought.

Regarding the LS5 pickups you put in- they’re about the stock resistance of 7.5k so are they also stock A3s or did you have him change that? Anything you would have changed or have you been happy with them, as is?

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Both of the Sentell pickups pictured above are stock, but I supplied the StewMac cream-colored pickguard material for the top bobbin on the instrument on the left. I have commissioned several custom pickups from Christine & Jerry, as well as their stock models. I have also had Jerry rewind a handful of dead pickups, from Gibson wide-ovals to Ric horseshoes. They have been uniformly excellent, and competitively priced. I have yet to be disappointed with Sentell Pickups.

Here's a pair of Sentell P-90s with standard guitar spacing that I installed in a rescued 1960s Kalamazoo KG-2. This thing really honks & just screams:

If you want to save a bit of hassle, George Boards has produced some very nice laser-cut control plates with a cutout for P-90s (scroll all the way down):

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=399823

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