MIDI Steel 2001: Pickup Project

chuck abend · Post by **chuck abend** » 31 Mar 2001 6:46 pm

Attn.Mike Brewer
Here's my email address in case you typed
it wrong---countrysteel@hotmail.com
All lower case letters.I was getting
Jim Smith email but not yours.
Chuck Abend<KCMO>

chuck abend · Post by **chuck abend** » 1 Apr 2001 10:36 am

Attn Mike Brewer from chuck Abend
I have the 10 stg IVL pickup pc board if
you want it.I got a scuttled unit from
Jim Smith and stripped every thing off the
circuit board.I couldn't get continuity thru
some.The circuits are too delicate to bounce
around and abuse.My brass encased frame with
mini pc perf boards superglued between coils
are problem free.
If you want,I can put together one less wire
harness so you can look it over.I coat the
bobbins with clear laquer and test the coil
to bobbin to make sure the wire is not
grounded.N-S polarity on coils are critical.
Go to a HobbyModel store and buy the med gap
filling Zap superglue and a bottle of kicker
accelerator spray to set the magnets.
The glue sets so you don't have to hold the
magnets over several sec.By the way;I haven't
found a bad amp yet.It's the Coils,pc boards
or harness,or coil wire shorted to bobbin.
Thats my input for now .Hope this helps you
Chuck Abend email-countrysteel@hotmail.com

Michael Brewer · Post by **Michael Brewer** » 3 Apr 2001 5:53 pm

Chuck Abend -

Thanks for the support. I can use anything you've got on the IVL pickups. I am going to build some of them but for now, my present design is so far along in the production cycle that they will have to wait until later this year.

For everyone's information, I just received my first shipment of magnets and coils. Enough to complete about 50 pickups. The PC boards are about two weeks away and the cable should arrive any time now. I have requests for quotations out to several injection molding outfits for the covers. I am working with an engineering/manufacturing company on my own preamp design. It will be as simple as the IVL preamps and just as reliable. If things go smoothly, I could have them on order within 30 days. In any event I will have units for sale at St. Louis. Scotty doesn't have any booths available right now so I may have to demo these in my hotel room. I do have room reservations as of last week.
More later.

Mike Brewer

Michael Brewer · Post by **Michael Brewer** » 11 Apr 2001 11:19 am

A short update on the Midi Pickup project. I spoke today to the PC board mfgr. and they start drilling the boards tomorrow. The cable is due to ship at any moment. I have the magnet/coil assemblies on hand. This means that my 1 May start date for assembly is still a good one. I don't know how many midi guitar players watch this forum but I soon will have 13 pin midi cables at a considerable savings over what you have to pay Roland for them. Anyone interested should contact me off line.

Mike Brewer

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Mike Brewer

Larry Beck · Post by **Larry Beck** » 12 Apr 2001 10:54 am

I have an IVL PitchRider. Am I correct in assuming that this can only handle six channels (strings) no matter what pickup might be used?

If that's the case, it's on no use on my 12 string Carter.

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http://members.home.net/lbeck22/

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 12 Apr 2001 12:16 pm

You can use two PitchRiders together with a MIDI blender. That's essentially what a SteelRider is.

Michael Brewer · Post by **Michael Brewer** » 19 Apr 2001 5:54 pm

Many thanks to Chuck Abend for his help on this project.

I thought a small update was in order. I am picking up the PC boards for the ten and twelve string units on Monday. The cable company has promised delivery of the six conductor cable next week. This means I will be assembling pickups before the 1st of May.

One of the first 10 string units will be wired into two IVL preamps which I have. This is complicated because the Steel Rider pickups are not wired 1-5 and 6-10. They are wired 1,3,5,7 and 9 through one preamp and 2,4,6,8, and 10 through the other. If this experiment works, I will be able to help those of you who have failed pickups as long as your preamps are OK.

I am really comfortable with the progress of this operation and all the inquiries I have had from the Forum participants.

Mike Brewer

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Mike Brewer

Dennis Boyd · Post by **Dennis Boyd** » 28 Apr 2001 11:36 am

Keep up the good work Mike. It's time someone like yourself took up an interest in this subject. Good luck to you.

Dennis

Michael Brewer · Post by **Michael Brewer** » 1 May 2001 1:12 pm

I have delayed a progress report until I have something to report.

I now have all the material to start assembly operations. I started soldering operations today on both ten and twelve string boards. I can't start installing coil/magnet assemblies until I receive some spacers which keep the magnets from touching the board. That is scheduled to start next week. Presuming of course that I receive the spacers.

The long pole in this project are the covers for the completed board assemblies. I have two shops who will do them for me but they are very expensive due the small number of units (200) in this first production run. In the end I will probably pay what they want because a cover is absolutely necessary to protect the coil/magnet assemblies.

More later.

Mike

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Mike Brewer

Michael Brewer · Post by **Michael Brewer** » 3 May 2001 4:55 pm

A quick update guys.

I assembled two pickups today. One ten and one twelve. It was a good feeling to see something rise out of the pile of parts I have accumulated. I am placing the order tomorrow for the covers (housings). There is a three week lead time so it looks like I will have deliverable units around the 1st of June. I will post a price about that time.

Mike

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Mike Brewer

Michael Brewer · Post by **Michael Brewer** » 12 May 2001 3:08 pm

It's about time make my progress report for May. I have assembled eighteen pickups, 9 12's and 9 10's. It will be about two weeks before I receive the housings. By then I will have at least 36 pickups completed. I have six sets of preamps on hand and these will be attached to the pickups and tested before the 1st of June. I am negotiating with two different manufacturers to supply me with preamps which will allow me to purchase at least 100 at a time.

So there you have it. I will also have a price around the 1st of lst of June.

I have saved all the e-mail from those who are interested and I will send you each a personal message with a picture of a completed system. I will probably know by them if I can attach one of the new pickups to the IVL preamps. That will be great news forl those of you who have operating Steel Riders.

Mike

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Mike Brewer

Michael Brewer · Post by **Michael Brewer** » 22 May 2001 3:03 pm

I am pleased to report that this project is well under way. I now have some 25 assembled pickups (tens and twelves) awaiting test. My test converters from Axon should arrive this week. I am on schedule and should have 40 completed systems tested and ready to go on July 1. Those of you who have expressed interest in acquiring a system will be notified soon. I will try to attend the show in Mobile in July. That is only 60 miles from here.

I think it is about time to close this thread. I will start a new one when there are items of interest to report.

Thanks for all your support and I am looking forward to meeting many of you in St. Louis.

Mike

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Mike Brewer