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  How Much Difference Does Changing Pickups Make? (Page 1)

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Author Topic:   How Much Difference Does Changing Pickups Make?
Joey Ace
Sysop

From: Southern Ontario, Canada

posted 11 May 2003 04:48 AM     profile     
Comments made on another post by Donny and John prompted me to start this thread.

If you're not totally happy with the sound of your guitar, does replacing a perfectly good pickup make much of a difference?

How much?

I'm not talking about replacing a pickup that's gone bad.

Joey Ace
Sysop

From: Southern Ontario, Canada

posted 11 May 2003 04:56 AM     profile     
My reply is:
Pickups make a big difference.
You need a good guitar as a start, but you might have a great guitar and the stock pickups don't suit your style.

I've changed my D10's GeorgeL TWs to XR-16s in the past year. It made a big difference. Better to my ears.

Others may like the sound of the TWs better. The point is there was a big change the in "Tone Color".

Bill Moore
Member

From: Manchester, Michigan

posted 11 May 2003 05:22 AM     profile     
Joe, see my earlier post on TrueTone pickups. This pickup has transformed this Remington guitar. I'm asuming that some of the difference is the change from a humbucking pickup to a single coil, some to the construction of the pickup, whatever, there is a huge difference between the Wallace pickup and the old George L.
Fred Shannon
Member

From: Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas

posted 11 May 2003 08:37 AM     profile     

[This message was edited by Fred Shannon on 06 December 2004 at 02:24 AM.]

Jason Lollar
Member

From: Seattle area

posted 11 May 2003 09:33 AM     profile     
Part of it is the way the coils are wound, I assume Jerry is still winding on a machine like mine which is kind of primitive like the way they did from the 30's through early 60's.
Then the tendancy later seems to have been to overwind too much in an attempt to make the steel sound smoother but you loose definition.
Alot of it also has to do with design, after the 50's pickup designs became homogonized so many companies are working with the same basic design.
Thats my take on it which has been affirmed by talking to several players that use "newer" pickups but I am no expert on later model steel pickups, I am stuck back no later than the 60's and keep working backwards in time.
Donny Hinson
Member

From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.

posted 11 May 2003 11:39 AM     profile     
Fred, you haven't exactly disagreed with me. My comments were meant more more along the line of the differences in humbucker pickups. The differences in sound between humbucking designs and single-coil designs is more significant than the differences between different humbucker designs (which is what most guitars come with now).

Still, as John Bechtel said, a lot of the inherent tone comes from the guitar itself. Also, a "capable" amplifier will also go a long way towards perfecting a good tone. I still maintain that the pickup is the least significant aspect in the equation of

S=P+A+G+P+S

Sound(or tone)=player+amp+guitar+pickup+speaker

chas smith
Member

From: Encino, CA, USA

posted 11 May 2003 11:45 AM     profile     
My favorite guitar, a Professional, has had the original pickups, 705's, ZB triplecoil/splitcoils, Danny Sheilds Bigsby copies and now the copies with the 705's in the neck position. The guitar has its sound, the pickups have their sound and the combination of the two is what the instrument sounds like, in the "world according to Chas".

I have a pair of Lollar Stringmaster 10's in one of my (white top) E-Harps. The difference between the original Epiphone pickup and the Lollars is like getting religeon and they really "bring out" what a 60 year old piece of wood can sound like.

quote:
after the 50's pickup designs became homogonized so many companies are working with the same basic design.......... I am stuck back no later than the 60's and keep working backwards in time.
I broke down and bought a '77 Lincoln Mark V....
quote:
Did any of you guys wear a polka-dot suit to your wedding?
First marriage, we wore matching purple velvet bell-bottoms, white lace shirts and lavender scarves....I guess that discredits me from the logo in the wrong direction argument....
Larry Bell
Member

From: Englewood, Florida

posted 11 May 2003 01:10 PM     profile     
I'll have to chime in on the TrueTones as well. I had two single 12 Fessenden guitars, both of which started out with BL712 pickups. I really believe that, for a bright sounding guitar, WITH AN ACTIVE VOLUME PEDAL (e.g., Hilton, the newer Goodrich models) OR A MATCHBOX, the 700 series pickups are too hot for my taste. With a simple pot pedal they sound much better to my ear.

In any case, one guitar ended up with a BL912, which I though sounded much better, but still not the clarity of my Emmons p/p S-12. I also thought the GUITAR was capable of that degree of string separation and overall clarity -- which is what I look for in a push-pull -- and a sound I look for in all guitars, but rarely find. My newer Fessy came with the 712 and I immediately swapped it out for a TrueTone after talking to Jerry Wallace on the phone. Great guy, BTW. I set the 912 guitar up with the TrueTone guitar and adjusted the EQ for a good sound. I thought it was pretty good -- not the p/p clarity -- but pretty good. Then, I plugged in the new guitar with the TrueTone on it. It was like someone had pulled a wad of cotton out of my ears. I've made some recordings of both Fessies and my p/p on the same tune, same rig, etc. The TrueTone in the newer Fessy rivals the push-pull. It's not the SAME sound -- it's the same CLARITY of sound.

So I'd recommend considering the volume pedal and matchbox/buffer amp (or lack thereof) AND the brand/model of pickup. But, yes, the pickup can make a big difference. Can it make a bad guitar sound great? Probably not, but it can make a noticeable difference -- AND -- can make a great guitar sound better, IMHO.

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Roger Crawford
Member

From: Locust Grove, GA USA

posted 11 May 2003 03:17 PM     profile     
This is starting to sound like an add for TrueTone's. However, I did replace the BL910's on my Zum with Jerry's pick ups. And to answer the question, the pick up can (and does) change the tone of the guitar. And in my case for the better. The BL's were quiet, but too dark in the mids for my taste. TT's got me the single coil sound I was looking for with minimal noise and mega TONE!
C Dixon
Member

From: Duluth, GA USA

posted 12 May 2003 07:48 AM     profile     
I replaced a set of 19K PU's for 14.5K PU's in a '69 Emmons' P/P. It made a decided difference in the tone.

I bought a new Sierra Session D-10. I paid extra for Sierra's CT (crap-trap) slide in PU's. I also ordered a set of George L's slide ins. I could never tell one iota of difference between the different make PU's.

So, in my case at least, it depends on what one has; and what you are going to.

carl

Michael Brebes
Member

From: Northridge CA

posted 12 May 2003 07:54 AM     profile     
My experience is also that pickups definitely have their own sound. I've actually got lots of experience in that area with six-string guitars. A prime example is Seymour Duncan, who makes a number of different pickups for each style (Gibson humbucker, Strat, Tele, etc.). They've got atleast 30 different versions of the Gibson humbucker, and there are subtle (and not so subtle) differences between each one.
In regards to the comment regarding humbucking pickups in steel guitar, I had SuperSustain pickups on my MSA D10 that sounded muddy and a touch rude. Replaced them with the L710's and got a nice open sound with clarity and definition. From my experience, a humbucker is not a humbucker is not a humbucker...
Jim Cohen
Member

From: Philadelphia, PA

posted 12 May 2003 08:23 AM     profile     
The question I'm often left with is this:

Granted that different pickups have different tonal characteristics, but to what extent can you neutralize or compensate for those differences by how you set your amp (i.e., adding or subtracting highs, mids, lows, etc)? If you can compensate via the amp, then it doesn't much matter which pickup you use. (It does seem to me, though, as if string separation may be a different matter, since that presumably can't be adjusted on the amp.)

Comments?

Fred Shannon
Member

From: Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas

posted 12 May 2003 08:59 AM     profile     

[This message was edited by Fred Shannon on 06 December 2004 at 02:25 AM.]

Pete Burak
Member

From: Portland, OR USA

posted 12 May 2003 12:52 PM     profile     
FWIW, I've expierienced a significant amount of joyous experimentation by way of the Sierra Modular Pickup feature.
For example, At the 2002 ISGC I had at least a dozen pickups on hand in the Sierra booth and many of us Sierra pickers had a ball swapping them in and out and experiminting with the different pickups and amps on hand (Peavey 2000, Session 500, and 2 Fender Deluxes) and amp settings, and effects and effects settings.

Jim Cohen
Member

From: Philadelphia, PA

posted 12 May 2003 01:42 PM     profile     
Great, Pete. So then my question for you is whether, for your guitar, you found ONE pickup that you felt was superior, regardless of the amp, or the amp settings, or whether you could choose an amp and/or amp settings to satisfy your ear with just about any of the pickups.

My second question for you is: are you gettin' any sleep these days?

Pete Burak
Member

From: Portland, OR USA

posted 12 May 2003 03:10 PM     profile     
Hey Jim,
The Modular Pickup setup makes trying/comparing pickups (A/B/C/etc...) really easy, and most Sierra players I've met own at least 2 or more pickups (and amps for that matter) and enjoy mixing, matching, experimenting, trading, etc.

I usually use my Danny Shields CT-12 because of all the pickups I've tried, I just like the way it sounds. Also, it's a hard to find, no longer made pickup, that not many players have, so it has a uniqueness about it that I like too.

I'm currently down to 4 pickups from a dozen or more. I've found that there are alot of pickups that sound very similar, and there are some pickups that sound drasticly different.

For example, I have one Danny Shields pickup that sounds so great with a Fender Twin Reverb amp, but I prefer the CT-12 with my Walker Stereo Steel setup.

I recently got a True Tone single coil, and also have a custom DiMarzio (made by Steve Blutcher) that is cool too.

On the other hand, I played an Emmons for 18 years and never changed pickups.
I've never changed pickups on my Sho-Bud either.

The bottom line, as you know, is...
If it's "acceptable" to you, then why change?... unless you want to find out for yourself what other pickups will sound like in your guitar through your setup for your style, etc.

I'm amazed that every steel brand doesn't offer modular pickups, and that there isn't an industry standard such that anyone could swap pickups with anyone in 5 seconds.

I don't know if that answered your first question or not... but as for your 2nd question, I get a good 2-4 hours of sleep between crying/feeding/changings!... but still get a total of 6-8 hours or so a night.

Mark van Allen
Member

From: loganville, Ga. USA

posted 12 May 2003 08:40 PM     profile     
I know these questions come up when changing pickups- it would be cool for all guitars to have modular fixtures so we could more easily compare tones- but when changing pickups on my Carter recently I really wanted a stab at objectivity so I recorded some backup tracks in several different styles, and overdubbed steel to them before and after switching from George L's to Truetones. I used exactly the same preamp/tone/volume settings and played as close to the same attack and phrasing as possible, and the differences were unmistakeable. My previous post goes into a lot more detail, but to sum up, Truetones RAWK.

------------------
C'mon by and visit!- www.markvanallen.com
My Bands: Sugarland Kate and the Retreads Kecia Garland Band Shane Bridges Band Dell Conner Blues Band


Jim Cohen
Member

From: Philadelphia, PA

posted 12 May 2003 08:51 PM     profile     
quote:
I used exactly the same preamp/tone/volume settings and played as close to the same attack and phrasing as possible, and the differences were unmistakeable
I'm sure that's right, Mark, but I think the more crucial question is whether if you did NOT use the same preamp/tone/volume settings, the difference would still be unmistakeable. After all, the thing we're really interested in is how good can we make it sound with any given pickup, after we tweak everything else in our system to bring out the best in the pickup. To NOT change settings does, of course, provide a controlled test of the starting difference between two pickups, but we're more interested in the final difference, i.e., after we've done our darndest to maximize each one. So tweak away! Agree?
Pete Burak
Member

From: Portland, OR USA

posted 12 May 2003 11:35 PM     profile     
Jim,
If I read your posts right, you are asking if any one pickup can be made to sound like any other of the various pickups available by use of outboard gear tweaks.
Sounds like a good question for Bill Lawrence!
I'm always attracted to the ones that are unique, and whose tonal coolness can't be replicated by another brand/model pickup with or without outboard gear tweaking (I really don't even use any outboard gear other than Reverb and/or Delay).
I did find several pickups that imho sounded very similar no matter what knobs you turned, and in the end decided I only need one that sounds like that, and traded the others away (not that there was anything wrong with them, just didn't need the tonal duplication).
Again, I never even thought of experimenting with other pickups before I got the Sierra, and then it just became a fun and interesting part of the overall hobby.

[This message was edited by Pete Burak on 12 May 2003 at 11:37 PM.]

Bobby Lee
Sysop

From: Cloverdale, North California, USA

posted 13 May 2003 12:09 PM     profile     
Pickups make a big difference in the sound. At first, it doesn't seem that great, but after you start swapping them a lot you learn to appreciate the differences.

I currently perform with 3 pickups on hand for my Sierra. The pickup sound I want for country is very different from the pickup sound that drives effects well, IMHO. Maybe that's why so many steel players have lousy rock tones! You can't just take your country twang and run it through a fuzz tone and expect it to sound good.

Good rock guitarists are as knowledgable and as picky about tone as good country steel players. They know enough to put down the Les Paul and pick up the Tele when they want to play country. Steel players, though, expect to get an appropriate sound for all kinds of music from the same axe. Switching pickups is the only way I've found to do that.

Chuck Wright was really onto something when he invented the Sierra pickup system.

------------------
Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 13 May 2003 at 12:10 PM.]

Donny Hinson
Member

From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.

posted 13 May 2003 05:42 PM     profile     
quote:
(It does seem to me, though, as if string separation may be a different matter, since that presumably can't be adjusted on the amp.)

The only reason one pickup exhibits more "string separation" than another is through the modifying it's frequency-response characteristics. Guess what? That's exactly what the tone controls in an amp do! There's no voodoo or "black magic" involved. A good pickup will give you 99% of what the guitar is producing (or what you want...the two are not always the same). A bad pickup will simply give you less.

Pete Burak
Member

From: Portland, OR USA

posted 13 May 2003 10:08 PM     profile     
Donny,
What pickups have you tried for your Millenium?
Just curious.
Thx,
~pb
Donny Hinson
Member

From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.

posted 14 May 2003 06:27 PM     profile     
So far Pete, I've tried the E66's, the 710's and the 910's. I've also played around with a single-coil of secret design, and I plan to order the TW's, Wallace TT's, the XLR16's. I figure that if I have every one they make, then I'll be able to please everybody!

(And maybe even prove what I've been saying!)

b0b
Sysop

From: Cloverdale, California, USA

posted 15 May 2003 11:38 AM     profile     
quote:
The only reason one pickup exhibits more "string separation" than another is through the modifying it's frequency-response characteristics.
I respectfully disagree, Donny. String separation is created by each string having a slightly different frequency response in the pickup. You can't adjust that in the amp because, by the time the signal gets there all everything is mushed together into one monophonic signal.

The way that a string excites the coil is determined by the physical relationship between the string, the coil and the magnetic field. Individual pole magnets produce better separation than blade magnets, because of the shape of the magnetic field. You can't change that in the amp.

------------------
               Bobby Lee
-b0b-   quasar@b0b.com
-System Administrator

John Steele
Member

From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

posted 15 May 2003 01:27 PM     profile     
Gee... and I was told it's "all in the hands".
-John
Donny Hinson
Member

From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.

posted 15 May 2003 04:52 PM     profile     
Well Bobby, I guess we'll just have to "agree to disagree", then!

But...

What you say seems reasonable, but when we look at what a normal pickup actually does (and I'm speaking of a pickup with only two wires coming out of it), it's function is quite simple. It produces a small A-C voltage from the strings cutting through the magnetic lines of force. That's all it does! Any differences in frequency response are caused by either a difference in the A-C voltage, or the waveform of that A-C voltage...there's nothing else coming out of those two wires! There is no way to "tailor" that frequency response between individual strings unless the magnets are adjustable, or have different lengths, compositions, strengths, etc..

So you see, saying that one pickup has "better string separation" than another might sound logical, but in truth there is no way to measure this ""perceived" characteristic electronically, and no scientific explanation for it. I still contend that this characteristic we call "better separation" stems simply from a reduction in midrange response. The same reduction that results in "improved string separation " in Peavey amps using the mod kits. If the "string separation" characteristic you speak of originated from the design of the pickup itself, a change in the amp wouldn't make any difference. But if the change came from merely lowering the mids (as I contend), then that change anywhere in the sound-chain would produce a similar effect, and I think that's the case.

Dave Robbins
Member

From: Nashville, Tnn. USA

posted 16 May 2003 12:19 AM     profile     
I have to agree totally with bOb on the "string seperation".
Sorry, but if it ain't at the guitar first, it ain't gonna be at the amp!

Dave

David Doggett
Member

From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

posted 16 May 2003 08:51 AM     profile     
I'm no expert on this, but there is acoustical analysis equipment that would clearly show the frequency signatures of different pickups, amps and amp settings. A little playing around with this stuff would show what signature corresponds to what we are calling "string separation" and show whether that same signature can be gotten with EQ settings.

Another thing is the "feel" aspect. My p/p single-coil plays louder than my all-pull humbucker. Of course I can just turn up the amp so the listener may not notice the difference, and it wouldn't record. But I can feel the response difference. Same thing with string separation. Maybe I can compensate with with technique, but I have to work harder to hear all the strings on the all-pull humbucker than on the p/p single-coil. It feels very different to me, and seems easier to get a balanced sound, even if the listener can't hear it.

I have a final practical question. I love the quietness of my humbucker, but with my new Hilton pedal the BL 712 is way too bright. I was thinking of getting the 912, but Larry Bell's comments make me think I should try the True Tone instead. How quiet is the True Tone compared to other single coils? And how does it compare in brightness to the 712 and 912? This is a great discussion for me right now. Thanks, guys.

------------------
Student of the Steel, and cheap instrument connoisseur: customized 1970 Sho-Bud Maverick, Fessy S12U, Emmons S12 E9 P/P, Nashville 400, Fender Squire, Peavey Transtube Supreme into JBL 15", 1968 Gibson J50, '60s Kay arch-top, 7-string Raybro, customized Korean Regal square-neck, roundneck Dobro 90C, 1938 Conn Chu Berry tenor sax, '50s Berg mouthpiece, Hamilton upright piano. You make it, I'll play it (more or less)


Kevin Hatton
Member

From: Amherst, N.Y.

posted 16 May 2003 09:24 AM     profile     
Dave, Truetones have very little hum. Barely noticeable. They are a GREAT pickup. You are correct about the Lawrence pickups and the Hilton. You don't need a Hilton if you have Lawrence pickups. I got the same response. Thats why I didn't buy a Hilton. If I was running single coils, I would. They are a fabulous pedal.
Pete Burak
Member

From: Portland, OR USA

posted 16 May 2003 10:31 AM     profile     
FWIW, I traded away all the pickups I had that didn't have adjustable pole pieces because I like to make adjustments and experiment alot.
I recently traded for a True Tone single coil which is the only non-adjustable pole peice pickup I currently own.

This is niether here nor there, but FWIW, here are Danny Shields comments on the subject from an instruction sheet that came with my Danny Shields CT-12 pickup (a humbucker with 2 adjustable pole peices per string).
The following is word for word from Danny's instruction sheet:

"The pickup is raised to a height that allows between a quarter or a dime to be placed between the screws and the strings [1/8 inch]. I usually opt for a dime but make it fit loose.

Adjusting your pick-up is simple if you remember the following; when adjusting for loudness turn both screws in or out the same (equal) amounts. When adjusting to shade the tone (sharper or fatter) turn one screw in and the other out the same (equal) amounts. So you just need to compensate for your guitars personallity. Go slow, take your time and play it some between adjustments. Recent research demonstrates the brain can not begin to tell sound changes for at least 20-30 seconds. I think in my case that's minutes.

Set the loudness first before starting the tone shading. Usually you pick the louder strings and then bring up the others up to that level. BUT sometimes it works better if you just quiet the loud ones a little. It really depends on how many strings you have to adjust, do the least amount of adjusting you have to do.

Remember that in adjusting the pairs of screws per string, it is tone shading, not like adjusting the bass and treble, more like picking real close to the bridge or up around the 18-20 fret."

richard burton
Member

From: Britain

posted 16 May 2003 11:36 AM     profile     
I guess I must have had a noisy TrueTone; the hum was loud enough to distract me. However, I think the hum is within the acceptable parameters for a single coil pickup, it's just too noisy for me.

[This message was edited by richard burton on 17 May 2003 at 03:35 AM.]

Bobby Lee
Sysop

From: Cloverdale, North California, USA

posted 16 May 2003 12:32 PM     profile     
quote:
I love the quietness of my humbucker, but with my new Hilton pedal the BL 712 is way too bright.
The BL 712 is designed to match a 500k ohm impedence, which is to say a passive volume pedal. The BL 912 is designed to match the much lower impedence of active volume pedals like the Goodrick 10k and the Hilton.

Donny, the shape of the magnetic field is different from the view point of each vibrating string. When you use a separate magnet for each string, the points of intersection between that magnet's field and the coil are unique to that string.

I'd like to hear an experiment (but I'm too lazy to do it myself). String up a guitar with all .014's tuned to E and a Sierra pickup slot. Mesure the frequency response on each string. If your theory is correct, all of the strings would have exactly the same response, not matter what pickup was used. If I'm correct, each string would have a different response curve.

------------------
Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Bobby Lee
Sysop

From: Cloverdale, North California, USA

posted 16 May 2003 12:36 PM     profile     
Richard, the trick is to mount the single coil pickup closer to the strings. That will make it louder and give you a better signal-to-noise (or music-to-hum) ratio. 3/32" seems optimal for me.

------------------
Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 16 May 2003 at 12:38 PM.]

jerry wallace
Member

From: Artesia , NM - 35 mi from Roswell UFO CITY

posted 16 May 2003 05:27 PM     profile     
Richard, email me and I will see if I can help you get the hum down, refund your money, repair or replace the pickup..How long you have had it does not matter..

Jerry Wallace

------------------
Jerry Wallace-2001 Zum: D-10,8+6, "98 Zum: D-10,8+8,Nashville 1000,Session 500 ,Session 400 head only amp,Tubefex,ProfexII, Artesia, New Mexico
http://www.jerrywallacemusic.com

[This message was edited by jerry wallace on 16 May 2003 at 05:52 PM.]

richard burton
Member

From: Britain

posted 17 May 2003 03:30 AM     profile     
Jerry, that is a very fair offer.
I think that my comments on your pickup reflect my over-critical nature. I think that the hum from a truetone is within the acceptable parameters of a single coil pickup, it's just too noisy for me.
I feel that I have done you a dis-service with my harsh judgement of your product, and for this I offer my apologies.
Richard Burton.
Craig A Davidson
Member

From: Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA

posted 17 May 2003 05:45 AM     profile     
I went to BL-710's mostly for better string separation and to cut out the hum.

------------------
1985 Emmons push-pull,Evans SE200

Bill Moore
Member

From: Manchester, Michigan

posted 17 May 2003 06:42 AM     profile     
Craig, I can understand why you would want to change the stock Emmons pickups for the 710's, but the TrueTone pickup is much more quiet than the Emmons pickups. I still have stock pickups on my Emmons, but comparing them to the TrueTone pickup on the Remington guitar, if the noise from the Emmons is a 10, the TureTone is a 2. They are that much quieter. t I love the sound of the Emmons, and the hum doesn't really bother me so much, but if it became an issue, I would defintely try the TrueTones on the Emmons.
David L. Donald
Member

From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

posted 17 May 2003 06:50 AM     profile     
Just so's I know, what pickups are these?

Donny I lean toward b0b on this one.

quote:
String separation is created by each string having a slightly different frequency response in the pickup

The change in magnet structure and characteristics will create a different type of magnetic field or symathetic parallel fields. Hence a different interaction with each string.

(These pickups above have 2 parallel magnets and 2 coils that are summed in some fashion.
2 fields and 2 coils interacting.)

AND the change in # of windings, wire gauge and type of wind pattern relative to those magnets also changes the characteristics of the modulated signal out those 2 wires.

Coils and magnets are inductors, the inverse to capacitors electronicly. Inductors pass lows and caps pass highs.
Changing the windings changes the frequencies it inducts and converts to modulated voltage signal.

So you have variations of field or fields and the difference in frequency band or harmonic bands relative to the strings exciting the magnetic field. Hence the change in tone.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 17 May 2003 at 07:27 AM.]

John Fabian
Member

From: Mesquite, Texas USA

posted 17 May 2003 08:08 AM     profile     
Depending on the DC Ohms reading they could be Bill Lawrence 605's, 705's or 805's.

John Fabian

Jerry Horner
Member

From: Tahlequah, OK, USA

posted 17 May 2003 03:14 PM     profile     
I just installed a rewind (TrueTone) that Jerry Wallace done for me and I could not be more pleased. After playing for 53 years and using a bunch of different pickups, I had never had a good combination of highs, mids and lows in one pickup untill the True Tone rewind I just installed. The string separation is incredible. I play a 1974 MSA Classic S12, solid maple and the tone I'm getting is the best I've ever had.
Great work Jerry and my eternal gratitude to you.

Jerry


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Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46

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