Are higher output pickups really darker?

[R3-AUA]

Re: Are higher output pickups really darker?

So are higher output pickup darker? My opinion is it doesn't matter. Choose the pickup based on the tone you want, using your ears as Demoniac says, and go from there.
Now wasn't that straightforward? We didn't need to introduce mV into this in the first place.

My opinion is that it does matter. A pickup can sound completely different in your guitar, not because of the pickup itself but because it's flavored by your gear: your amp, your guitar, your pedals. This is why one pickup can be praised by some and be totally worthless for others.

I started this thread to get a better understanding of how pickups work and how that translates to the sound they produce. And now I feel I gained a heap of knowledge I wasn't even aware of. Thank you all!!

 

[Jacew]

Re: Are higher output pickups really darker?

I wouldn't call pickups mV output useless information... Isn't that the best way to figure out the actual level of your guitars output with different setups?

Most amps sound different with different level of input, so you can evaluate better what your gear might sound with certain pickups. Also, higher output pickups generally seem to attenuate guitars "overall tone", while lower output pickups and booster combo would amplify it compared to just guitar and amp rig. At least mV information seems much more useful than DC-resistance, as it pretty straightforwardly tells you the output level of pickup.

Making graphs of it are pretty much overkill. You'll never really know what pickups sound like by them, no matter how much time you're willing to spent with that project...

Where that SD pickup voltage output data was from someone posted here earlier? And is it Vrms or Vpp? I would be interested to look at that chart if I find it anywhere...

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Are higher output pickups really darker?

I wouldn't call pickups mV output useless information... Isn't that the best way to figure out the actual level of your guitars output with different setups?

depends. first off, since there is no standardized way to measure mV output, it's relative to the brand. comparing the Duncan company mV reading to DiMarzio's mV readings is NOT apples to apples. secondly, it's the level of the output of the pickup. the pickup still has to go through the wire and the pots and the switches before it even gets to the guitar cable.

Where that SD pickup voltage output data was from someone posted here earlier? And is it Vrms or Vpp? I would be interested to look at that chart if I find it anywhere...

you'll have to do a search for it. and then, unless it's been changed, you'll have to dig back a bit in that thread to find the updated info. and as was pointed out earlier in this thread, some #s (like 666) can be seen by some as more of an attempt at humor.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Are higher output pickups really darker?

depends. first off, since there is no standardized way to measure mV output, it's relative to the brand. comparing the Duncan company mV reading to DiMarzio's mV readings is NOT apples to apples. secondly, it's the level of the output of the pickup. the pickup still has to go through the wire and the pots and the switches before it even gets to the guitar cable.

Is there any telling what way SD measures mV readings? You'd have to have some standardized method how current is generated from pickup I guess...

Wire, pots, etc... was actually what I meant by different setups.

you'll have to do a search for it. and then, unless it's been changed, you'll have to dig back a bit in that thread to find the updated info. and as was pointed out earlier in this thread, some #s (like 666) can be seen by some as more of an attempt at humor.

Are those measured by company, some forum guru, or just some random guy?

EDIT: Ok, I found it. You may ignore this..

 

[EDX]

Re: Are higher output pickups really darker?

measured by company and the reading and method for seth set was backed up by a forumite, i bet that they just messed the parameters to read the nazgul at 666 and then measured the rest with the same method

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?278978-Seymour-Duncan-mV-Data

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Are higher output pickups really darker?

The more wire you wind, the more the pickup behaves like a band pass filter. The first thing that happens is the resonant peak gets lower in frequency. Right after that peak the high frequency response drops off.

That peak can fool people into thinking that a hot pickup is bright; but that's an upper midrange peak, and not treble. A stock Tele or Strat is bright. A JB or other hot pickup is not.

If you wind enough wire you also lose the low end. But that takes a lot of wire! The typical response is a boost in mids and lows and the resonant peak is lower but higher in amplitude. Putting a cover on the pickup reduces the peak.


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