59 + JB = ?

[Rex_Rocker]

Look at, for example, the Jerry Donahue tele pickup (7.7k, Alnico 2) versus the Vintage 54 bridge pickup (7K Alnico 5). The JD sounds LOUD, brash, thick, chewy, and a LOT louder than the Vintage54. The difference is significant. 0.7K is only approximately 500 turns if memory serves, so it's not that (both have 43 awg ). The alnico2 is also a lot weaker than alnico5, so you'd guess that makes the difference. No?

No.

The difference is that the JD is wound to have a bump in a frequency range that just sits better in our ears, distorted even more so.

or take a look at Dimarzio's Steve's Special: that's an 18K pickup, ceramic magnet. You'd expect that pickup to be a firebreather! But... it's only got 390milivolts output, compared to Crunchlab with 410mv and 11K and a ceramic magnet. DCR does not equal output, at all. it never has, it never will, and with so many parameters that are relevant to the story, only experience of using a pickup can guide you.

But at that time, you're getting into perceived output rather than actual mV realdings, no? Or am I misunderstanding?

Because in my experience, for example, I have a Black Winter and an X2N at hand right now. Both super hot. I've even had them both in the same two guitars at some point. But the Black Winter is so much more mid-focused, especially around the area of the cutting brash upper mids, that if you play them both clean, yeah, the 'Winter might come off as louder.

I have no way of measuring mV, but I have recorded DI's for both plugged into the same interface with the same input gain settings. And they both peak (and have vallies) at roughly the same level. So in reality, the BW is not higher output than the X2N.

But that means their mV readings should not be affected even if the 'Winter is putting so much energy in the high mids where it's making it seem louder than it actually is.

Or am I misinterpreting?