What champ lapsteel pups can be used in a tele bridge?

[opdev1]

I was interested in maybe getting a pup from a champ lapsteel for a 52 relic.

Maybe an early flat pole to get the broadcaster sound.

One of the ones I saw was an early 50's that the dealer said it was not quite a tele shaped pup?

What are the steels to get that have the right pup? Are there any other caveats to using them?

[mellecaster]

None I've ever seen have the same Baseplate as a Tele ?....some Modification is required...Mark Davis did one awhile back...maybe he can share what was involved.

[Mark Davis]

The pickup from the Champion is the one you wanna use its shaped like a Tele except it doesnt have a baseplate you have to add a baseplate just as a base so you can install it to a Tele bridge. The other ones from the Champ are more like a Strat pickup and a lower output.

The earilest Champion lap steel pickups from 49-51 are usually wound just like the Broadcaster cause thats the pickup Leo based the Broadcasters on usually 8.5-10k ohms the Champion pickups from 52-54 are a little lower in ohms 5.9-6.2k and they sound alot like Jeff Becks Esquire he used with the Yardbirds.

These are some grteat pickups that sound just like Vintage Tele pickups.

For many many years you could find these Champion steels in pawn shops for $25-75 now they are around $600-1000 so its not as easy as the old days when you could buy one cheap and rob all the parts. The knobs are also the high domed heavy kurnled knobs from the early 50's the heavy ones.

[jwells393]

Here's what those Champion pickups look like.

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[opdev1]

Thanks for the help!

Can I just adapt this to a standard tele bridge baseplate (I have one)

The lapsteel is expensive $900 but the 50's tele pups on ebay seem to be more than that I assume I can still get a few hundred back on the steel.

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by opdev1

Thanks for the help!

Can I just adapt this to a standard tele bridge baseplate (I have one)

The lapsteel is expensive $900 but the 50's tele pups on ebay seem to be more than that I assume I can still get a few hundred back on the steel.

I just Sold (2) Early 50s Champion Lapsteels...one thru Gruhns in Nashville...and $900.00 is Way over Market Price...about $650.00 is current for a working all Original.

[jwells393]

With all the pickup choices available in this day and age, destroying a vintage lap steel to get the pickup seems like such a waste. What's a Champion without a pickup worth ......... not much.

[ljslider]

I love teles, but I also have a late 40s early 50s Fender Champion lap steel, and I think it would be absolute sacrilege to wreck such a wonderful instrument. I don't know if its the pick up in mine but with a set of 13s flat wound strings on it and the amp wound up it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, its like a chorus of angels (or cursing demons!). The pick up is so powerful that I have to "tame" it with an equaliser. I can understand why people want these pups but it seems such a shame to consign a fine vintage instrument to the scap heap.

[RandyMcC]

I too have a late 40s early 50s Fender Champion lap steel and I lost the case in a watery basement a few years ago. I am wondering if anybody out there knows where I can find a case for this cherished instrument? The one I lost was the original tweed with leather end bindings.

[tonewoods]

"I too have a late 40s early 50s Fender Champion lap steel and I lost the case in a watery basement a few years ago. I am wondering if anybody out there knows where I can find a case for this cherished instrument?"

I had a "Champion lap steel" search saved on e%$y for quite awhile, and those cases came up quite regularly....


"I love teles, but I also have a late 40s early 50s Fender Champion lap steel, and I think it would be absolute sacrilege to wreck such a wonderful instrument."

I agree...

but....

I really want to build just one Broadcaster for my own personal use, with the Champion parts I acquired from a pretty trashed (but still functioning) lap steel...

Seymour Duncan now makes a replacement pickup for the Champion, so I'll put the guitar back into shape with new tuners, pots, etc.

And I'll have a Broadcaster for the rest of my life with early 50's guts...

Maybe I'm rationalizing...

[tadeo]

I have one. Already ready to drop in a tele. For sale, if you want to pm me

Tony

[soundhound6]

Uh...You folks are talkin' about 2 different Fender lap-steels here.
There's a "Champ' model, which is an entry level student model and there's a "Champion" model, which is the next model up.
Then of course, you get into the "studio deluxe" models and such.+$$
I have a '59 Champ with the original electronics,and tweed case w/o handle.
( It was $699 Canadian, on ebay.)

The PUP in mine is a Strat standard vintage bridge. Nothing made especially for a lapsteel, they just used what they had.

Why not just buy a vintage Strat pup and throw that in?
Or are you going for the antique original thing?

If the lap-steel was truly garbage I wouldn't hesitate to scavenge the pup.
If fully functional and complete,I don't think I would.Your call though.

Jan

[Alamo]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

The pickup from the Champion is the one you wanna use its shaped like a Tele except it doesnt have a baseplate you have to add a baseplate just as a base so you can install it to a Tele bridge. ...

I don't know if a baseplate is mandatory, but Keith's Micawber sports a lapsteel pickup held with 2 screws for many years & gigs.


pict, courtesty of BlackguardBob

[Mark Davis]

The Champions were made from 49-54 and the Champ was made from 54-72.

The Champ pickup is basiucly a Strat pickup and doesnt sound like the Champion at all.

Here are 2 Champions a rare blue one and the Yellow standard one and the champ

[tonewoods]

Originally Posted by Alamo

I don't know if a baseplate is mandatory, but Keith's Micawber sports a lapsteel pickup held with 2 screws for many years & gigs.


pict, courtesty of BlackguardBob

Anybody recognize the make of that bridgeplate, or is it a custom job??

It's got 3 holes for the normal Tele pup install, so maybe it's off the shelf??

[soundhound6]

Hey Mark...thanks for the info.That's interesting.
I thought that they were issued at the same time. Live and learn,eh?LOL
Or should I say Live and keep learning,better yet.

That MOT is something else and it looks to be in pretty good shape too. Nice stuff!
What year is your Champ,btw?

The finish on my Champ looks more yellowish and has normal wear and tear on the body.
(the case interior is the gold)

How different are the respective sounds on these puppies.Now I'm curious.LOL

Jan

[Alamo]

Originally Posted by tonewoods

Anybody recognize the make of that bridgeplate, or is it a custom job??

It's got 3 holes for the normal Tele pup install, so maybe it's off the shelf??

It's supposedly a Schecter bridge.
also Schaller used to make these brass bridges with slightly different, more roundish saddles.

so yes, off the shelf - back then.
some person posted a link to a company who make them again.
a good keyword for the search gizmo would be "brassbridge" I guess.

...and sorry for the off topic excursion.

[Mark Davis]

Originally Posted by soundhound6

Hey Mark...thanks for the info.That's interesting.
I thought that they were issued at the same time. Live and learn,eh?LOL
Or should I say Live and keep learning,better yet.

That MOT is something else and it looks to be in pretty good shape too. Nice stuff!
What year is your Champ,btw?

The finish on my Champ looks more yellowish and has normal wear and tear on the body.
(the case interior is the gold)

How different are the respective sounds on these puppies.Now I'm curious.LOL

Jan

My Champion which is the yellow one in that pic was a 53. I never owned a Champ.

The Champion pickup sounds like an old Tele the Champ doesnt huge difference in sounds.

I dont know anyone thats used a Champ pickup in a Tele they sound really thin and weak.

[noisemaker]

looks kinda "gold-ish".. but i dont get your point?

[timmer]

Originally Posted by Alamo

some person posted a link to a company who make them again.

Are you thinking about the "Andy Summer's" bridge?

[Alamo]

Yeah, that's the one.
thanks for helping out, Timmer.

[soundhound6]

Your statement that "it sounds thin and weak" is spot on, Mark.

I actually gutted the electronics (stored for safe keeping/future sale.)and replaced the whole works with good quality pots, pickup and that.
I replaced the pup with a SD Coolrails,which I like a lot more.I never liked that
"vintage pup" from the get go.

Jan

[spicolli]

definately dont rape a vintage working condition lap steel, just get a early customshop nocaster bridge pup or another custom wound pup if you really want the broadcaster.

[Brass Saddles]

Folks: I just bought a pick up off of EBAY from a guy in Nashville for reasonable money. I need to add the faceplate and I'm off. I have done this in the past.
Thanks for the good input!! This is why I enjoy The TDPRI !! Thanks Mark Davis, I always enjoy your information.

Brass Saddles
Boston, MA.

[Mark Davis]

Originally Posted by Brass Saddles

Folks: I just bought a pick up off of EBAY from a guy in Nashville for reasonable money. I need to add the faceplate and I'm off. I have done this in the past.
Thanks for the good input!! This is why I enjoy The TDPRI !! Thanks Mark Davis, I always enjoy your information.

Brass Saddles
Boston, MA.

Your welcome glad I could help. When I did mine I just mounted the baseplate on the pickup with double sided tape so I could attatch the pickup to a Tele bridge. I didnt wire it to the pickup cause I wanted the same unfocused sound the lap steel had without the baseplate.

What I ended up with was a Tele that sounded alot like Roy Buchanan it was slightly microphonic was very responsive and alive. It sounded just like an old vintage Tele.

[Brewboy]

NOOOO!!
A champion is the last 50's Fender collectable I can afford. Hate to see them parted out. Hoping to get one before the price goes any higher. Shhhh!

[dual_tone]

dude, there are more aftermarket Tele bridge pups out there than you can shake a stick at, all less expensive than doing what you propose; leave the original lap steels alone!

[Alamo]

Were those Champion pickups always made with flat pole-pieces, or did they also come with the staggered slugs at some point?

[edwardjeffrey]

Try a SD STL1b pickup.It's a reproduction of the Broadcaster pickup.Looks and sounds great! Plus you don't have to destroy a vintage musical instrument to get one!
An old fool from the old school

[macatt]

Don Mare makes the 0038 which is a great copy of the early champian lap steel pickup. It measures at 11.5

S Mac

[Lostheart]

Originally Posted by jwells393

With all the pickup choices available in this day and age, destroying a vintage lap steel to get the pickup seems like such a waste. What's a Champion without a pickup worth ......... not much.

+1
I really hate it when people gut vintage guitars....

[noisemaker]

seymour duncan has a antiquity lap steel pickup..
think you should try that out before ripping apart a vintage istrument

[noisemaker]

here it is:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...03445_1950_la/

it even looks vintage... thats a plus