SUSPENDED Charlie Christian - Pete Biltoft/Vintage Vibe

[ruger9]

Very cool.... never saw a suspended CC before...

[DRS]

Is this yours?

[Klatu]

How authentic is the pickup? From what I understand, the original Charlie Christian pickup is a huge apparatus with a large plate hanging underneath the visible magnet. This pickup looks great, but does it work along the same principles as the original or is it more aesthetic than authentic?

[ruger9]

No, it's not mine- Pete posted the pic on his FB page (Vintage Vibe). I have no idea how "vintage accurate" his CC pickup is. But this is a custom-made; it's not on he offers as a std model on his website... at least not yet. But Pete will make anything you want, apparently- custom one-offs are his specialty.

[fritz jones]

Hi,
I am the owner of the guitar and pickup in the picture.
It sounds great with 250k pots and .047 cap.
I think 500k would be ok too.

[robertm2000]

Pete Biltoft of Vintage Vibe Guitars offers a "standard" pickup, one he calls a CCRider. It's a great pickupwith a full yet very single coil sound. It looks like a Charlie Christian pickup, wound with 42 gauge wire. It doesn't sound exactly like the original Charlie Christian pickup - the one with the 7-in long bar magnets that serve as mounting brackets. Pete told me that he can wind one of his CCRiders with 38 gauge wire and come very close to the old Charlie Christian pickup sound. And you can change the magnet in any of his pickups in seconds, to an Alnico 2, 3, 5, or ceramic magnet - a big change in sound. He includes your choice of two kinds of magnet with each pickup. And he answers his phone in person. He will talk with you till he knows exactly what sound and pickup style you want, then he builds the pickup. I have a guitar with two of Pete's pickups and when I installed them I sold all the rest of my electric guitars, over a dozen of them. Impressed? Darn right!

[DRS]

Pete Biltoft of Vintage Vibe Guitars offers a "standard" pickup, one he calls a CCRider. It's a great pickupwith a full yet very single coil sound. It looks like a Charlie Christian pickup, wound with 42 gauge wire. It doesn't sound exactly like the original Charlie Christian pickup - the one with the 7-in long bar magnets that serve as mounting brackets. Pete told me that he can wind one of his CCRiders with 38 gauge wire and come very close to the old Charlie Christian pickup sound. And you can change the magnet in any of his pickups in seconds, to an Alnico 2, 3, 5, or ceramic magnet - a big change in sound. He includes your choice of two kinds of magnet with each pickup. And he answers his phone in person. He will talk with you till he knows exactly what sound and pickup style you want, then he builds the pickup. I have a guitar with two of Pete's pickups and when I installed them I sold all the rest of my electric guitars, over a dozen of them. Impressed? Darn right!

I have a VV CC in my chambered tele. It sounds really nice.

Hi,
I am the owner of the guitar and pickup in the picture.
It sounds great with 250k pots and .047 cap.
I think 500k would be ok too.

What are the dimensions of it. I thought about CC for my Eastman but I think they are too deep to fit between the top and the springs. But yours seems to work.

[Melodic Dreamer]

I have two CC-Riders in a Tele. The 38 gauge wire lowers the mids and adds a little brightness, the 42 has a warmer and fuller sound.

[fritz jones]

I have a VV CC in my chambered tele. It sounds really nice.


What are the dimensions of it. I thought about CC for my Eastman but I think they are too deep to fit between the top and the springs. But yours seems to work.

it's 11 mm.

you probably would need to cut out a bit of the pickguard to fit the pointy part of the cc pickup on the Eastman

[2bornot2bop]

Well, this thread deserves a 2.6 year old bump. I'm curious how many others have taken the VV CC suspended plunge?

Add me to the growing list of VV CC pickup fans. And Pete will work with you to ensure you have the proper pickup height measurement for your guitar. He's a heck of a guy to boot.

[David B]

Well, this thread deserves a 2.6 year old bump. I'm curious how many others have taken the VV CC suspended plunge?

I've been in touch with Pete about one for my Moffa. Just need to send him the current pickup so he can match the dimensions and attachment method.

Pasquale Grasso has one floating on his new Trenier guitar.

[whiskey02]

From the thread title, I thought CC maybe got into a heated political argument in a guitar technique thread about Benson picking and, ya know, things just got ugly and the mods stepped in. I've seen it happen before!

[princeplanet]

From the thread title, I thought CC maybe got into a heated political argument in a guitar technique thread about Benson picking and, ya know, things just got ugly and the mods stepped in. I've seen it happen before!

Yeah I went looking for Charlie's posting history and couldn't find it, so I assumed the same... Too bad he's not around to settle some questions, like "Is it true you hardly ever played upstrokes?"....

[skykomishone]

Great thread. I'm trying to decide whether to put a floater on my '44 L7.

I'd sure like to play 2B's Mr. Wu so I can hear what these guys sound like.

[David B]

Great thread. I'm trying to decide whether to put a floater on my '44 L7.

I'd sure like to play 2B's Mr. Wu so I can hear what these guys sound like.

[ruger9]

Just beautiful, David B.... the tone reminds me of a mix between my 2 favorites: Charlie Christian and Johnny Smith. Just gorgeous.

Ditto your playing- gorgeous! I hope someday I can play jazz like that...

[petermelton]

Here's a beautiful guitar from Woodrow Thomson with a CC Floater. I've never played one of his guitar but they all look so good.

[pingu]

Here's a beautiful guitar from Woodrow Thomson with a CC Floater. I've never played one of his guitar but they all look so good.

Omg beautiful how much is one of those ? Approx ?

[petermelton]

Omg beautiful how much is one of those ? Approx ?

I'm not sure. I've talked to him a few times, very friendly guy, but haven't talked specific prices. I need to make the time to make the trek across LA to go play his stuff. Here's a link to his website. Lots of beautiful guitars to see up there.

Woodrow Thomson Guitars

[David B]

[bananafist]

Pasquale Grasso has the most amazingly long fingers, reminds me of the old photo of Robert Johnson, those stretches are huge! Maybe he's visited the same crossroads?

[Gitpicker]

Cool thread and nice photos! These look great and I may have a guitar that's a good candidate for one.

Can any of you who have used these comment on the string balance? Any better than the old ones or is the balance between the B and G still far off?

Thank you in advance!

[Fred Archtop]

Hi Doug,

I'm the owner of the L5C presented above, with the CC floater from Pete Biltoft. There will be no misbalance between the strings if your guitar has a nice acoustic sound. I also asked the same question to Pete when he was about to build thsi floater for me. He adviced not to notch the bar, as some used to do under the B string, on my guitar. And he was right !

Cheers.

Cool thread and nice photos! These look great and I may have a guitar that's a good candidate for one.

Can any of you who have used these comment on the string balance? Any better than the old ones or is the balance between the B and G still far off?

Thank you in advance!

[Gitpicker]

Great! Thank you for your advice!

[Cunamara]

I too have a version of this pick up without the notch under the B string. It is exceedingly well balanced from string to string. I gave one in a Tele and a floater on my archtop. Happy happy happy with this pickup.