Gibson Charlie Christian

Pickup features: Single coil, solid blade under 3 bass strings, individual bars under others
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson EH-185 6-string lap steel guitar
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar: no
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: This is one loud and complex-sounding pickup. Easily the most powerful single-coil I've ever heard
Tone: Quite balanced, favoring the mids and the bass more than treble. The sounds are very round.
Sonic evaluation: I use a blackface Super Reverb with master volume added. Turn amp volume to 10, master to 4, reverb to 6. Plug in with the lap steel volume half way, tone control rolled off a bit.
This is one of the sounds that keeps me playing. If I play mid-string, not close to the bridge, it gets this scooped, intimate hollowness. Move to the bridge and the sound hardens and gets louder. The p/u overdrives early without getting muddy. Gets thick, evil and really loud. Best thing is that (partially because of string harmonics from steel bar), you can get each note right up to feedback without going over. It's the heaviest sound I've ever heard!
The p/u is only part of it. A big factor is the all metal body basis for the lap steel. Wood parts are bolted onto one metal piece. Plus, the 10 inch speakers in the fender have a depth I don't hear from other amps.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play blues. Lot's of steel players revere other pickups. Hell, I do too. But this one has something I've never heard before. Wich I had a couple more of these pickups. Would love to hear one on a tele!

Comments: God forbid I ever lose this lap steel. This is an old, original piece. Would be hard to duplicate without buying another vintage instrument and spending a fortune.
I really can't understand why this p/u did not stay as popular as the later humbuckers. The only modern pickups that remind me of this one at all are the Barden blade type, which I think would sound wonderful on a lap steel.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: ES175CC
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Danny Gatton, Barney Kessel
You musical style(s): Choppy Jazz, Western Swing, Blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: This can sound soft if you like or as hot as you want to take it. It's very powerful.
Tone: The tone is very rich. It is bassy & that can be a problem on the Gibson hollow body. If you play loud, you may pick up a little rumbling feedback. No squeals though.
Sonic evaluation: I've never heard a more resonant sound, especially for a single coil pickup. On two different occasions, I've had other guitarists that I've been performing with complain that there must be something wrong with either their own guitars or their amps because the tone they were achieving seemed so tinny compared to the Charlie Christian.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Typically, this pickup is used as the only pickup on a guitar. It is used in the neck position. It is absolutlely a jazz pickup but translates well to blues & swing. It does not produce a headknocking rock & roll sound & would be wasted if you tried to use it that way.

Comments: I would buy it again, but only if the one I have gets lost or stolen. It was advertised by Gibson in a 1979 pamphlet as the historic, much in demand Charlie Christian pickup. I have always treated that guitar as a collectors item & would never sell it. The variety of sounds I can achieve with one pickup is unique. The only problem is the low end feedback that I occasionally experience but that can be handled with a little attention to amp positioning etc. Cosmetically it has a very nuveau look & it's black & white streamline construction looks great with Gibsons black pickguard & white binding.