Suggestions for magnetic pickup in reso guitar

[twilson75]

Hi, I recently bought a Takamine DB-180E resonator. I love this guitar, but the humbucker pickup is dead. I'm going to rewire it with a new PU and pots, but I'm unsure of what PU to put in it. I'm using the guitar for slide.
Any recommendations or thought s are welcome.

I'm thinking of using a PAF type humbucker like a Seth Lovers, or a 59. A Phat Cat P90 may be a good choice as well.

I know something like a Highlander will give me a better reso sound, and I'm considering it, but I'd still want to replace the humbucker.
Thanks.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Suggestions for magnetic pickup in reso guitar

It's hard finding the right pickup for a resonator.

I think a Highlander is too good and too expensive for that guitar. Plus it's very difficult to install right the first time.

These are two of the best magnetic pickups for resonators thatI know of: Lace and National.

The third is the Flatbucker: http://www.flatbucker.com/index.php/en/flatbucker-en

Regular guitar pickups tend to sound "clanky" in a resonator.

 

[twilson75]

Re: Suggestions for magnetic pickup in reso guitar

Thanks for the reply.

I have a Lace on a metal reso and I like it; I was hoping to replace old HB with another regular guitar PU but a stick on PU could be an option... although now it looks like I'll be keeping the old pickup.

After I wrote the original post, I decided to try rewiring the old HB with new wire and new pots. And surprise (or maybe not), it still works and it sounds great. It has a nice warm tone, very cool with just a bit a reverb added. I should know by now not to write off old PUs until I've had a chance to work on them.

Thanks again for the info and video.
Tony

 

[Jeffblue]

Re: Suggestions for magnetic pickup in reso guitar

I created a brass top guitar that I built especially for slide, and one of the pickups I had installed is a PRail. Imagine having a switchable P90, humbucker or a strat sound in one pickup.

 

[twilson75]

Re: Suggestions for magnetic pickup in reso guitar

I've always wanted to try a PRail in a guitar. I bet it would be good for slide.

 

[Jeffblue]

Re: Suggestions for magnetic pickup in reso guitar

I've always wanted to try a PRail in a guitar. I bet it would be good for slide.

That is an affirmative. Slide on a PRail is sounds exquisite.

 

[chadd]

Re: Suggestions for magnetic pickup in reso guitar

For some reason, the dimensions on that pickup look strange to me.

 

[twilson75]

Re: Suggestions for magnetic pickup in reso guitar

For some reason, the dimensions on that pickup look strange to me.

You have a good eye. It's a bit narrower than a standard humbucker:~1.3"/33mm. All the photos I've found online of the DB-180E show a single coil pickup. Maybe this humbucker was installed by a previous owner, maybe it was a limited run by Takamine, don't know. There's no label or serial number on the pickup. I've read that Guild supplied pickups for Takamine, and SD made some of those under contract to Guild. This Takamine has been modified (new tuners, new knobs), and although the soldering looks old, there was new scotch tape securing wires to the body.

As I stated above, now that I've rewired it with new pots, the old pickup sounds great. I'm going to keep looking for more information on it.

 

[chadd]

Re: Suggestions for magnetic pickup in reso guitar

I wanted to say that it looked like a Guild humbuckers. I've seen those in the old starfires.