Lapsteel PUP?

[boldaslove6789]

After a recent claiming of an old 53 harmony Lapsteel (with all the original case candy) with a Rickenbacker single coil pup in mint condish. I was baffled by how folks deal with the hum and OD. The pup sounds great (w/ my ODS HRM BM )but this hum has to go. All my other steels have humbuckers or Supro split coils (1/2 of the Single coil is opposite polarity). Most steels have quite a low output and FET is the next addition to my ODS. Anyone have any advise for hum canceling methods without sacrificing tone of the pup?

[Cliff Schecht]

Add in a second pickup 180 degrees out of phaseand go differential on the ODS input stage? That'll kill more hum than the best humbuckers (can you say 100+dB of CMRR!).

You could try adding in some sort of dummy coil but this usually causes some sort of phase cancellation and resonant frequency shift that gives that goofy quack sound associated with the 2 & 4 position on your standard Strat.

Perhaps dump the pickup but keep the metal pickup guard and try to jig in a stacked single coil. I love the sound of SC's and agree that it's worth the struggle to keep awesome tone. Good luck .

[Roe]

I got a humbucking George L you can get for cheap

[boldaslove6789]

I got a humbucking George L you can get for cheap

Which George L's pickup is for a 6 string? I only see 10+ string pups?

[Roe]

sorry its for a 10 string

[statorvane]

Have you checked to see if the pickup cavity is shielded? Checked for ground loops? Some things to consider before resorting to PU swapping.

BTW, that is a very cool lap steel you've got there .

[nickm57]

^this
volume pedal, and you'll need to find Mecca (no offence)

[boldaslove6789]

Have you checked to see if the pickup cavity is shielded? Checked for ground loops? Some things to consider before resorting to PU swapping.

BTW, that is a very cool lap steel you've got there .

Thanks, it was a rare find, sitting in the attic of a music store that hasn't been open in 50 years. (the guy I got it from gave tons of vintage stuff to a dear friend of mine who's allways on the prowl for gems like this.)

BTW the pickup cavity isn't sheilded.

I've been thinking I might get this Electro Harmonix Hum Debugger (just for the sole intentions of this steel. I don't know if it will mess with the overall tone of the steel but It might be worth it regardless. Its not a Noise Gate but simply a pedal designed to get rid of single coil hum.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Electro-Har ... =589357767

[statorvane]

Okay. That's a $118 gamble, but I think you will really benefit from shielding the pickup cavity. It is not hard to do, will run you maybe $5.00.

Check the Guitarnut's website. Some tips there on grounding too, though I'd imagine that is probably grounded fine. Hey, you never know.

Again, fine piece o' steel you got there. 50 years.... really cool.