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!
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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Pete Martin
www.PeteMartin.info
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www.WoodAndStringsBand.com
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Western Swing music
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
Have you ever played one David?
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Pete Martin
www.PeteMartin.info
Jazz and Bluegrass instruction books, videos, articles, transcriptions, improvisation, ergonomics, free recordings, private lessons
www.WoodAndStringsBand.com
Jazz trio
www.AppleValleyWranglers.net
Western Swing music
Not the mandolin. I've played CC guitars ( ES150?) and for certain things love that sound from those big bar magnet pickups.
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.
Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!
Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls
One thing I've heard is these pickups are noisier than other pickup types. Did you guys find that true?
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Pete Martin
www.PeteMartin.info
Jazz and Bluegrass instruction books, videos, articles, transcriptions, improvisation, ergonomics, free recordings, private lessons
www.WoodAndStringsBand.com
Jazz trio
www.AppleValleyWranglers.net
Western Swing music
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.
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).
Last edited by Jim Garber; Jan-27-2016 at 10:10pm.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
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.
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.
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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Pete Martin
www.PeteMartin.info
Jazz and Bluegrass instruction books, videos, articles, transcriptions, improvisation, ergonomics, free recordings, private lessons
www.WoodAndStringsBand.com
Jazz trio
www.AppleValleyWranglers.net
Western Swing music
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Pete Martin
www.PeteMartin.info
Jazz and Bluegrass instruction books, videos, articles, transcriptions, improvisation, ergonomics, free recordings, private lessons
www.WoodAndStringsBand.com
Jazz trio
www.AppleValleyWranglers.net
Western Swing music
Orcas Island Tonewoods
Free downloads of my mandolin CDs:
"Mandolin Graffiti"
"Mangler Of Bluegrass"
"Overhead At Darrington"
"Electric Mandolin Graffiti"
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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Pete Martin
www.PeteMartin.info
Jazz and Bluegrass instruction books, videos, articles, transcriptions, improvisation, ergonomics, free recordings, private lessons
www.WoodAndStringsBand.com
Jazz trio
www.AppleValleyWranglers.net
Western Swing music
Pete:
I hope that mandolin inspires you to transcribe more Charlie Cristian tunes!
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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Pete Martin
www.PeteMartin.info
Jazz and Bluegrass instruction books, videos, articles, transcriptions, improvisation, ergonomics, free recordings, private lessons
www.WoodAndStringsBand.com
Jazz trio
www.AppleValleyWranglers.net
Western Swing music
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.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
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...
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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Pete Martin
www.PeteMartin.info
Jazz and Bluegrass instruction books, videos, articles, transcriptions, improvisation, ergonomics, free recordings, private lessons
www.WoodAndStringsBand.com
Jazz trio
www.AppleValleyWranglers.net
Western Swing music
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