Way cool. (and pedals, too) Sure does look similar - deluxe version with adjustable polepieces rather than the bar magnets.
No, that pickup is not similar. It's the conventional humbucker design, as mentioned in the excerpt from Duchossoir's book.
I am just thrilled to be able to confirm this for myself. When I started at the House of Guitars in '76 they literally had piles of lap/pedal steels (really I mean piles) and I don't remember any with a Thunderbird like pup, they all had P90 looking units. I may have to go back and buy this thing, why I don't know. But with the Thunderbird connection and besides it is just so beautiful.
I agree that this one is beautiful but it doesn't have a Thunderbird connection.
Keep in mind that what Lull is talking about is a pickup from an 8-string
lap steel that was discontinued in 1962. This is a pedal steel that used the original PAF design. I'd love to own it too but its pickup is not the basis for the Thunderbird pickup.