Charlie Christian pickup?
Has anyone built an electric mando and used a Charlie Christian pickup? If yes, do you have any thoughts, videos, sound files, etc?
I am very seriously considering having this done but would like to talk to anyone who has done this first. Thanks! :popcorn:
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Have you ever played one David?
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Not the mandolin. I've played CC guitars ( ES150?) and for certain things love that sound from those big bar magnet pickups.
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
I had one of the old EM150s with the CC pickup but I sold it to Zeke!
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
One thing I've heard is these pickups are noisier than other pickup types. Did you guys find that true?
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pete Martin
One thing I've heard is these pickups are noisier than other pickup types. Did you guys find that true?
No more than any other large single-coil to my recollection. See this:
https://www.lollarguitars.com/blog/2...-hum-or-noise/
So about like a P90.
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Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
I have three of the originals, all from circa 1937: ES-150, ETG-150 (also called EST-150) and an EM-150. The first time I heard one was Nick Forster played and ES-150 with Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers. It is a nice dirty soulful sound. The pickup has a giant magnet (in the guitar esp) and weighs a bunch.
Here are my three, tho I think the tenor might be sold (fingers crossed).
Attachment 143137
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jim Garber
The pickup has a giant magnet (in the guitar esp) and weighs a bunch.
Lovely!
I'd love to have one of those guitars.......
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Beautiful trio! I have an L-50 guitar, from 1936. It is the same body size/shape as your ES-150, but purely acoustic (or it was until I made a new pickguard and hung a custom-wound Kent Armstrong from it). It is a gem - I think it was under somebody's bed for 70+ years.
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Pete, you are in pickup maker heaven where you are. You could discuss it either with Jason Lollar of Lollar Pickups or Pete Biltoff of Vintage Vibe Pickups. Both are nice, approachable guys who make well-respected CC pickups, and I imagine they would love the challenge of making one for a mando.
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bbcee
Pete, you are in pickup maker heaven where you are. You could discuss it either with Jason Lollar of Lollar Pickups .
Lollar was wonderful to work with the couple times I bought pickups and had rewinding done.
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Jason is going to install the pickup in my Mann EM5 in two weeks. When it is done, I'll post a video. :mandosmiley:
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Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Here is the CC installed.
Attachment 144238
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pete Martin
...and?? ;)
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pete Martin
I would never presume to speak (write) for others, but I think there are a good number of us eager to hear a sound file! :popcorn:
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
I'm currently doing a lot of mixing of 2 band demos so haven't had much time to play with it and no time to record anything. i'll get to it as soon as I'm able to free up a few hours.
What I can say is I really like to tone, especially through my Vintage 47 EH185 clone amp. It is way noisier than any other pickup I've had, so I REALLY have to watch and listen where I am standing relative to the amp. But that Charlie Christian tone I've always yearned for is THERE.
Soon, folks, soon. :crying:
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Pete:
I hope that mandolin inspires you to transcribe more Charlie Cristian tunes!
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jim Garber
I have three of the originals, all from circa 1937: ES-150, ETG-150 (also called EST-150) and an EM-150. The first time I heard one was Nick Forster played and ES-150 with Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers. It is a nice dirty soulful sound. The pickup has a giant magnet (in the guitar esp) and weighs a bunch.
Here are my three, tho I think the tenor might be sold (fingers crossed).
Attachment 143137
wow! That is a sight to see ...
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Got to play my first gig with this Saturday night. As I needed a lot of amp power, I didn't take the Vintage 47 amp, I took my Quilter MicroPro. 100 watt solid state amp and while not quite the sound of the V47, still very good. The CC pickup performed great plus both myself and my band mates loved the sound.
Still workin to free enough time to make a video to post here, soon!:popcorn:
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jim Garber
I have three of the originals, all from circa 1937: ES-150, ETG-150 (also called EST-150) and an EM-150. The first time I heard one was Nick Forster played and ES-150 with Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers. It is a nice dirty soulful sound. The pickup has a giant magnet (in the guitar esp) and weighs a bunch.
Here are my three, tho I think the tenor might be sold (fingers crossed).
Attachment 143137
Hi Jim,
After this long the tenor must have sold, right?
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Yes, the tenor sold first and the six-string a few months later. They are great instruments but I wasn't giving them enough attention.
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
Can't believe this thread has just surfaced - I had no idea it was even here - and today I happened to be boxing up a new electric 8 string with.... a Charlie Christian pickup. Oh and a second humbucker pickup as well for good measure :)
On grounds of size and weight I used a modern-inspired version by John Anthony Guitars that fitted in a standard single coil mounting ring, none the less that big central steel bar is ideal for mandolins or indeed anything that's not a guitar. Sounds nice too, albeit with a little hum (unlike the humbucker - I'm used to pickups with zero noise!). Can't imagine using a true CC copy on something as small as a mandolin.
I'll post more details when the instrument is safely in the hands of it's owner...
Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
I get a hum from the CC pickup when I play in my office (3 computers) but have found the Electro-Harmonix HumDebugger to work great. Use it on gigs as well sometimes when the location has dirty power.
Unlike what I've heard about 6 string guitar, the HumDebugger doesn't subtract anything but the hum from the 5 string mandolin.
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Re: Charlie Christian pickup?
To the original post, Michael Stevens created this little wonder a couple of years ago. It is not mine, though I wish.
Attachment 168270