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Thread: Charlie Christian pickup?

  1. #1
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Default 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!
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  3. #2
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    It's been done already!



    http://www.vintageinstruments.com/mu...5efulpage.html

    "1938 Gibson F-5 "E" Electric Mandolin
    With Original bound "Charlie Christian" pickup "

    The whole CC family


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  5. #3
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Have you ever played one David?
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  6. #4
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default 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.

  7. #5
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    I had one of the old EM150s with the CC pickup but I sold it to Zeke!
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

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  9. #6
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    One thing I've heard is these pickups are noisier than other pickup types. Did you guys find that true?
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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete Martin View Post
    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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  12. #8
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default 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).

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	GibsonES_ETG_EM150_03.jpg 
Views:	308 
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ID:	143137
    Last edited by Jim Garber; Jan-27-2016 at 10:10pm.
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  14. #9
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    The pickup has a giant magnet (in the guitar esp) and weighs a bunch.
    Lovely!

    I'd love to have one of those guitars.......

  15. #10
    Registered User Rick Jones's Avatar
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    Default 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.
    All my life I wanted to be somebody, now I realize I should have been more specific.

  16. #11
    Registered User bbcee's Avatar
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    Default 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.

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  18. #12
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Quote Originally Posted by bbcee View Post
    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.

  19. #13
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Default 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.
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  21. #14
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Here is the CC installed.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Mann CC1.JPG 
Views:	304 
Size:	1.84 MB 
ID:	144238
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  23. #15
    wood butcher Spruce's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete Martin View Post
    Here is the CC installed.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Mann CC1.JPG 
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ID:	144238
    ...and??

  24. #16
    Registered User Travis Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete Martin View Post
    Here is the CC installed.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Mann CC1.JPG 
Views:	304 
Size:	1.84 MB 
ID:	144238
    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!
    Thanks,
    Travis

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  25. #17
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Default 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.
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  26. #18
    Registered User John Soper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Pete:

    I hope that mandolin inspires you to transcribe more Charlie Cristian tunes!

  27. #19
    bass player gone mando
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    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).

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	GibsonES_ETG_EM150_03.jpg 
Views:	308 
Size:	221.5 KB 
ID:	143137
    wow! That is a sight to see ...
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  28. #20
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Default 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!
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  30. #21
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    Default Re: Charlie Christian pickup?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    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).

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	GibsonES_ETG_EM150_03.jpg 
Views:	308 
Size:	221.5 KB 
ID:	143137
    Hi Jim,

    After this long the tenor must have sold, right?

  31. #22
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default 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.
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  32. #23
    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default 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...

  33. #24
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Default 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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  35. #25
    Registered User Mark Seale's Avatar
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    Default 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.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Stevens CC.jpg 
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