All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

[Jeff_H]

Well, except the PG+ I recently acquired. I know there is a 5% +/-, and that the DC Resistance is not the only indicator of tone, but I was just thinking the other day about the humbuckers that I had been through, and I remembered all of them reading higher than the posted specs. I guess if there is a +/- range, there should be somewhat of a balance between hotter and cooler. This is just an observation and discussion for fun.

My Specs - SD Specs

C5TB... 14.68 - 14.40
59'TB... 8.97 - 8.13
PG+... 8.52 - 8.65
59'... 7.73 - 7.43
Seth... 7.35 - 7.20


Also, are TB's supposed to run a litte hot? Just curious really.

 

[beandip]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Yeah, it's just the +/- thing. you just happen to get the hot ones. I dunno about the TB's though.

 

[Artie]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Also, you can have quite a variance in reading on small, inexpensive meters. At our calibration lab, we calibrate ours once a year. Most folks never get theirs recalibrated once they buy them.

 

[midnite_man]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Also, you can have quite a variance in reading on small, inexpensive meters. At our calibration lab, we calibrate ours once a year. Most folks never get theirs recalibrated once they buy them.

That was the first thing that popped into my head....plus, if your meter is battery powered, that could make a difference as well in the reading.

....Bob

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Well, I do have a small handheld unit that is battery powered. It has not been calibrated since I bought it, which is about a year or so ago. That is probably what is causing the difference in readings.

 

[tone4days]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

are your readings taken with the pups out of the guitar, or in the guitar? ... it occurred to me that if you measure in the guitar, other components might be causing the slight bump in DC resistance

just a thought
cheers
t4d

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Measured them all out, except for the 59'TB.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

TB's are wound to (slightly) higher resistance numbers. This is due to having the same wire guage and # of turns as a regular bucker, but since the bobbins are wider, there is effectively more wire in each bobbin. No more turns, just more wire, this gives you a slightly higher DC resistance.

 

[Inge Malmstein]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Yes. That's also my opinion. I measured out my 7-string PU's and the JB-7-String measures more than 20k!!! Then i thought that more wire is nedded for the same number of turns.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Jeff,

Do a quick experiment. Connect the wires to the meter and while you read the DC value start to hold the pickup in your hand. Better yet rub it quickly onto some cloth. You'd note that the DC value will rise, and generally the rise would be quite noticable.

You need to caliber your meter. In order to do that you'd need to get a pickup SD made DC value written. Generally antiquities have that and that's how I did my meter. Then leave the pickup sitting on your desk, so that the reading you get will be done with the room temperature. Then you'd have a pretty good idea (about the magnitute too) if your meter is is right on the correct caliber.

For example the cheap radio shack I have is + ~0.20K, and the most expensive radio shack I have is +/- ~0.02K. See?

B

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Thanks Doc....I'll try that. I belive when I order my Heritage Les Paul I'm going to go with the Antiquities. I was thinking Seth Lovers, but I think the Ants will fit the bill better, as I am ordering the Heritiage to 1959 historically correct specs.

Unless someone has an Antiquity laying around they want to send me...just for fun. :laugh2:


*edit....that also makes sense about the TB's....same turns but more wire = higher DC. I learn something new around here every day!

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Thanks Doc....I'll try that. I belive when I order my Heritage Les Paul I'm going to go with the Antiquities. I was thinking Seth Lovers, but I think the Ants will fit the bill better, as I am ordering the Heritiage to 1959 historically correct specs.

Yummy! You guys, talking about heritages and all, are making me itchy! :laugh2: I have a warmoth double fat strat, and lately I was thinking of letting it go and get a plaintop R8 kinda heritage myself.

Are you gonna get it from Wolfe guitars?

B

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Yummy! You guys, talking about heritages and all, are making me itchy! :laugh2: I have a warmoth double fat strat, and lately I was thinking of letting it go and get a plaintop R8 kinda heritage myself.

Are you gonna get it from Wolfe guitars?

B

Yup....wouldn't order a Heritage from any other source. Jay is fantastic, and the price sure is right. Totally a side note, but check this Heritage out. This is amost EXACTLY what I want, except for the body wood. I want SAM to get the historically correct specs.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3739801511&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Yup....wouldn't order a Heritage from any other source. Jay is fantastic, and the price sure is right. Totally a side note, but check this Heritage out. This is amost EXACTLY what I want, except for the body wood. I want SAM to get the historically correct specs.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3739801511&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Looking good! I am more of a plaintop guy. And don't forget some of the real 59's were out of limba too. But of course I see what you say, honduras mahogany right? :cool3:

I am gonna be contacting him soon for a h535 type guitar. That's what I am missing. Hope is not too expensive. On gbase I saw some cheap ones, bt they did not have the right bridge, and the right pickups.

B

 

[theodie]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

From what I have heard (i do not remember the source though) coils are made for a pickup and some may have a few extra turns or a few less turns. They are then matched together with another coil of similar resistance. Hence the +or-

 

[Kent S.]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Pups are made within a tolerance, I think Evan said within 5% or so ... plus resistance varies with temperature also ... so it's not unusual.

 

[sweet_lou]

Re: All Of My SD Humbuckers Measure Hot

Did You try measuring them away from your new avatar? :smack: