The Steel Guitar Forum
Pedal Steel Archive
Sho-Bud Tone Switch
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone!
profile | join | preferences | help | search
Steel Guitar Strings Strings & instruction for lap steel, Hawaiian & pedal steel guitars http://SteelGuitarShopper.com |
Ray Price Shuffles Classic country shuffle styles for Band-in-a-Box, by BIAB guru Jim Baron. http://steelguitarmusic.com |
This Forum is CLOSED. |
|
|
The Steel Guitar Forum
Pedal Steel Archive
Sho-Bud Tone Switch
profile | join | preferences | help | search
|
This topic was originally posted in this forum: Pedal Steel |
| Author | Topic: Sho-Bud Tone Switch |
|
David Weaver Member Posts: 575 |
posted 25 January 2000 05:16 PM
I have a D10 Sho-Bud that I recently dug out of the closet and started the long journey toward competency. It has a small two way switch on the right side that has dull tone at one setting and much brighter tone at the other. There are three wires coming out of each pickup and one of these wires from each pickup goes to that switch. Does every guitar have this "tone switch", and what is it doing? Thanks.... |
|
Ed Meadway Member Posts: 34 |
posted 25 January 2000 06:40 PM
That is a dual coil pickup. They wound the coil part way, added a tap, and continued to wind the rest of the coil. The switch just changes between that tap and full coil giving you a choice 2 different tones. |
|
David Weaver Member Posts: 575 |
posted 26 January 2000 08:49 AM
Thanks Ed. That makes sense. Is this what they call " Humbucker" when they double wind the pickups? And do I understand that the 'crisper' tone that I prefer is using only the single wind? Thanks again... Dave... |
|
John Egenes Member Posts: 439 |
posted 26 January 2000 10:09 AM
David, I don't think it's a dual coil humbucker type pickup, but it might be. But Ed's correct. It is a coil tap. They put them on there so you could get that "Nashville sound" (back in the 70's, I think). It just goes from a slightly brighter tone to a somewhat less bright one. It was more a gimmick than anything, IMO. The reason it goes to both pickups is that there's a tap in each one. You can actually bypass the thing if you don't like it, or if it seems noisy. John |
|
Jay Jessup Member Posts: 345 |
posted 26 January 2000 10:13 AM
David, No, the old Sho-Bud pickups were not humbuckers,merely single coil pickups with a tap out most of the way through. You will find the full power and the best sustain from the pickup in the position that you describe as duller. I used to have an old Pro-III many years ago and the tapped postion had a very thin sound and didn't sustain too well. You will have your best results using the full power of the pickup, you may have to fool with your amp some because it shouldn't sound 'dull'. |
|
Bill Terry Member Posts: 1021 |
posted 26 January 2000 11:32 AM
I just sold a Pro I with the pickup switch. I liked it a lot, it went from 'really bright' to 'not quite so bright' without much change in volume or sustain. I found both settings useful, and the 'not quite so bright' was definitely not 'dull'. ------------------ |
|
David Weaver Member Posts: 575 |
posted 26 January 2000 04:05 PM
Thanks again everyone. I will take your advice and mess with the amp with the pickup on full. My usual practice technique is to make the amp sound as bad as possible, so that I can improve in my hands. Problem with this is that there is only so much a human can take, and I will try to ease up the sound with the amp. Obviously I have a place to practice that is far out of the wife's earshot. (8 miles or so). David.... |
|
Keith Hilton Member Posts: 1649 |
posted 26 January 2000 09:15 PM
I was reading a article of Craig Anderton's, out of Guiar Player Magazine a few years ago. He wrote that California Steel player Red Rhodes invented this coil tap switch system on a pickup. That Peavey electronics had the patent. It read like Red invented it and went to Peavey. Peavey then got the patent. Did Shot Jackson have to pay Hartley Peavey anything? I'm pretty certain these are the facts. Does Craig know what he is talking about? ------------------ |
|
David Weaver Member Posts: 575 |
posted 27 January 2000 08:38 AM
I put the switch to "full" and messed with the amp to get a good sound. Then I played some low register scales that I have been using as drills. They sounded better balanced than when I had the pickup on the "short coil" setting. By better balanced, I mean that I play a series of scales that go from a low register to a very high register. The higher ones sounded full and bright before, but the deep notes on the lower scale didn't have much "oomph". The lower scales just sound better now. The volume and the sustain are more in line with the higher register. I thought it was technique, but I think the comments about the sustain may be true. Thanks again. |
All times are Pacific (US) | This is an ARCHIVED topic. You may not reply to it! |
Note: Messages not explicitly copyrighted are in the Public Domain.
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46
Our mailing address is:
The Steel Guitar Forum
148 South Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA
Support the Forum