IVL Pitchrider

Jerry Brightman · Post by **Jerry Brightman** » 7 Feb 2001 4:58 pm

Hi guys...

Does anyone know of anyone who can repair or rebuild a IVL 10 string pickup? I've searched this board and it looks like there was a couple of guys that did it but I can't seem to get any response from them.

Thanks for the help!

Jerry[This message was edited by Jerry Brightman on 07 February 2001 at 04:59 PM.][This message was edited by Jerry Brightman on 07 February 2001 at 04:59 PM.]

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 7 Feb 2001 6:42 pm

Unfortunately, those pickups are sealed in epoxy and can't be repaired. I've heard of many people in the same boat, most with every other string (one channel) not working. I have a 12 string pickup that the first string doesn't work on.

Chuck Abend countrysteel@hotmail.com has built some replacement pickups by using bobbins from the six string IVL pickups that aren't sealed in epoxy, but he hasn't been able to come up with any more pickups to salvage from.

BTW, the steel version of the IVL is the SteelRider and the six string guitar version is the PitchRider.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 9 Feb 2001 4:44 pm

Not being a "smart-alec" or anything, but what is it with "midi pickups" that makes them fail so often? They seem to fail a LOT more often than standard pickups! Do they use finer wire, or what?

Jerry Brightman · Post by **Jerry Brightman** » 9 Feb 2001 5:17 pm

Hi Donny,

No one is sure...I had mine before it failed for 15 years. Although, I didn't travel with mine so the wear and tear wasn't too bad.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 9 Feb 2001 7:37 pm

For one thing each string has it's own bobbin so you in effect have either 10 or 12 individual pickups in each MIDI pickup. That's a lot of very fine wires to hook up individually to the output wires, then to the preamp. Add to that mess that the steel guitar MIDI pickups are sealed in epoxy and you have an unrepairable unit.

Chuck Abend takes the heat shrink tubing off six string MIDI pickups that he can find and builds his own steel MIDI pickups, using bigger wires between the individual bobbins and the preamp, and uses heat shrink tubing to seal the pickup. It is less likely that the internal wiring will break, and if it does, the heat shrink can be removed to make repairs.

If anyone knows of any six string IVL PitchRider pickups, please contact Chuck. He makes a fine pickup but has run out of the six string pickups to make any more.

Jerry Brightman · Post by **Jerry Brightman** » 9 Feb 2001 8:05 pm

Jim,
I second that..Chuck is a great supporter and is trying to help us get some hard to find items re-assembled into usable parts.

Any parts I find will be on the way to Chuck.

Jerry[This message was edited by Jerry Brightman on 09 February 2001 at 08:06 PM.]