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#1
06-12-2020, 08:51 AM
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Eliminating ice pick on lap steels
You know, lap steels with their single coil pickups seem are amazing at generating ice pick tones that can drive you out of the room. If your steel has a tone knob that can help. However, the other day I ran across a really great use for my '68 Custom Fender Princeton Reverb. I needed to cart a small amp downstairs to the living room and the smallest one in my lair happened to be the Prince. When I got it down there and played my steels through it it became apparent that I wasn't having to do much to tame the highs. I could play my steels with the tone controls nearly wide open and the rounded tone contour, said to represent the Bassman amp, rounded things off nicely. The reverb adds a nice tail to the proceedings as well. And so, it was a case of "don't raise the bridge, lower the water," and as a result, the utility of the little amp has jumped way up for me. More about the amp, HERE.
 Bob
__________________
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) 
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#2
09-29-2020, 07:04 AM
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Bob, glad you found a good sound!! Often it's just a case of "the right guitar through the right amp", as Keith once said!
When you think about it, it makes sense that a 50's voiced amp would sound great for a 50/60's era instrument. Also, to my ears lower powered amps turned up usually sound better than higher powered amps turned down. The other variable, and often the biggest, is the characteristic sound of the speaker. Some speakers really exacerbate that steely ice pick sound that's so hard to get rid of without starting to sound muddy. The re-issue Jensen C10Q's that I ran for a while in a BF Vibrolux Reverb were bad for that. I recently put in a set of Emminence George Alesandro 10's and things are much better now. Enjoy that lap steel!
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#3
09-29-2020, 08:07 AM
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Thank you! Yeah, I've got an old cut-down Hammond tone cab from the 1930s with a pair of re-coned 1960s ceramic 12" speakers in it (a vintage Jensen C12NA and a Utah) that will mellow out just about anything.
Bob
__________________
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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#4
09-29-2020, 08:28 AM
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Ages ago, I got a used Seymour Duncan "twin tube Classic" Distortion pedal. It's my go to preamp pedal for my nationals and acoustics! Sounds great with Piezo.
Set the gain to near nothing and crank the volume. Fattens and warms everything without adding distortion. Works great with my Lap Steel!
__________________
I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators
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#5
09-29-2020, 08:41 AM
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Interesting you should mention old reckoned speakers Bob. My 67' Vibrolux came with the original OXford 10"s in it and it sounded like great to my ears. Not too bright, and not too bassy. Sadly, one of them failed, and I replaced the set with Jensen RI C10Q's. They never sound as good.
Perhaps I should look into reconing the Oxford, although the last time I checked it would cost about as much as a new speaker to have it done, plus shipping. I have a buddy who does his own reconing, he just buys the kits. He had an old Fender Twin that used to blow speakers quite often, and gave it a shot himself. It worked out fine. I think I'll get in touch with him...
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#6
09-29-2020, 09:14 AM
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Interestingly enough, my old cabinet was originally populated with a re-coned Oxford 125L6-1 and the Jensen (both re-coned by the same guy in the early 1970s) until my kids put their fingers through the exposed cone of the Oxford. Before the mishap the Oxford and Jensen were virtual matches. I've still got the Oxford and may get it re-coned. Interestingly, the re-coned and reconditioned Utah cost the same as a re-cone job on the Oxford would have cost. Apparently the speaker tech I got it from re-coned it for someone and that person never paid and took delivery. The tech sold it for the value of his mechanic's lien, I suppose. More about the cab, HERE.
Bob
__________________
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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#7
09-30-2020, 05:14 AM
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I play my NIOMA through a vintage Tweed Deluxe or the drive channel of my PRS H.
Heavenly grind either way. Never heard the ice pick tone.
__________________
rubber Chicken Plastic lobster Jiminy Cricket.
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#8
09-30-2020, 02:16 PM
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Quote:
Last edited by Rudy4; 09-30-2020 at 02:36 PM.
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#9
09-30-2020, 03:08 PM
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Quote:
 I've also got a Motion Sound Sidewinder, a single rotor rotary cab that weighs half what the Leslie does:  Bob
__________________
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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#10
09-30-2020, 07:50 PM
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Quote:
I've become very minimalist as I get older, so I'm pretty content with a nice stereo amp with a good chorus built in. It's a bit like kissing through a screen door, but I'm pretty happy with the compromise. I started playing electric with a very nice Super Reverb and I'm down to a Street Cube EX which suits my needs presently. I did love your website feature about the tone cabinet. Sometimes life takes us full circle.
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#11
10-01-2020, 09:04 AM
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Quote:
Bob
__________________
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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#12
10-01-2020, 04:24 PM
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Quote:
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