Need some Pickup advise / ideas

[DrD]

So I bought my self an older Fender Champ lap steel clone.
It had the originals a older set of Guyatone pickups in it.
It is a 2 Pick model with the bridge slanted like a Strat.

I have a SD JB-JR Strat bridge pup.
Pretty sure I am going to order the JB-JR Neck to go with it.
I am going to replace the pots in it as well, came with a 100k Tone pot and 500k volume pot with a .020mF - 50VDC CAP.
Is there any advantage to keeping the Volume pot a 500k and using a 250k tone pot? Or should I just go 250k for both?

I would think a .047mF 200VDC Cap would be an improvement.
Anyone think there there is a good advantage with a treble bleed kit or the grease bucket kit in this application.

Any suggestions of ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thanks D

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Need some Pickup advise / ideas

Welcome to the forum!

What works the best for me for versatility is a 250k no load tone with a 22nf cap. Then a 250k volume for warm or 500k for bright with a 220pf cap only treble bleed.

 

[beaubrummels]

Need some Pickup advise / ideas

Welcome to the forum!

What works the best for me for versatility is a 250k no load tone with a 22nf cap. Then a 250k volume for warm or 500k for bright with a 220pf cap only treble bleed.

Clint, you play lap steel?

To the OP, why are you changing the values? Why did you decide on JB Jr for a lap steel? What overall effect are you trying to achieve?

 

[DrD]

Re: Need some Pickup advise / ideas

Beau,
The original were/are a mess with no values at all right now.
The JB-JR choice for the bridge was because I had one and thought why not a neck to match.

I bought this little project as a lap steel, is probably my best shot and being able to keep playing at all.
Trashed my neck and left arm in an MC accident a few years back. At 67 you just don't bounce any more.
I have one a friend as left at the house and its working nicely.

What I like is Driving/distorted blues, so what I would like to do is get this thing to howl a bit.
I am open to any pick up combo. The JB-JR can go back in the parts been not worried about that.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.
D

 

[beaubrummels]

Need some Pickup advise / ideas

Since the JB Jr is not a true single coil, I’d keep the 500k volume (might even consider a 1M pot if you want to get to the top end twang of a single coil on occasion, or Clint’s treble bleed wouldn’t be a bad idea), maybe bump the tone to a 500k also. Swapping the .020 cap to a .047 cap will just make it sound darker when rolled all the way off. Might be good to have more range of tone with the .047

 

[DrD]

Re: Need some Pickup advise / ideas

Thanks I appreciate it !!
D

 

[Mincer]

Re: Need some Pickup advise / ideas

Well, the JB Jr was designed to fit into a Strat with no other mods, so if you have 250k pots in there, see what it sounds like first.

 

[DrD]

Re: Need some Pickup advise / ideas

Thanks, I am putting the thing back together I think I am going to just run some long leads with clips on them and try a few combos.
I have time on my hands and like experimenting.

One of my old band mates sent me a care package lots of caps, pots and a few pups I did not have.
Should be able to find something that I like.
Then plug into the JCM 800 4/12 and see if I can rattle a window or 3

Thanks again