black winter pickup questions

[sneakyimp]

I just ordered a black winter pickup set from sweetwater. Three questions:

1) How do you tell which pickup is the bridge and which is the neck?

2) What comes in the package with the pickups? Any documentation? Screws? Pickup ring?

3) If I want at some point to get pickup covers installed on these pickups, what's the process? I'm guessing you have to solder them on or something if you don't want nasty microphonic feedback?

 

[Artie]

Re: black winter pickup questions

There will be a sticker on the bottom of each that designates "n" or "b". But more important, the box itself will identify them as such. They definitely will come with screws and springs. Not sure about pickup rings. Also, good documentation. They'll show several different wiring variations. Covers have nothing to do with feedback. That's a function of wax potting.

Edit: Since you ordered them as a "set", they may both come in the same box. But the stickers on the bottom will still be there.

Edit 2: Welcome to the forum.

 

[Mincer]

Re: black winter pickup questions

Welcome to the forum!

You won't want pickup covers because the Black Winters look pretty cool, as is!

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: black winter pickup questions

The packaging says bridge and neck 3 times on each. If you miss that, you aren’t paying enough attention.

They don’t feedback. The baseplates are painted, so I wouldn’t try soldering covers to that. Covers won’t help you anyway. If you just want the look, slide a black plastic one over, or whatever you want.

They come with screws and springs, no mounting ring and no documentation. Wiring diagrams are online.

 

[Artie]

Re: black winter pickup questions

. . . and no documentation.

Really? That would be a first for me with Duncans. Not doubting you. Just surprised.

 

[beaubrummels]

black winter pickup questions

Really? That would be a first for me with Duncans. Not doubting you. Just surprised.

Hard to say if the music store opened them and took it out maybe? Was a one off experience with Duncan for me too. But these winters had problems. The legs were bent out of the box and broke off the plate when trying to gently correct it, and had to be sent back to Duncan.

 

[Artie]

Re: black winter pickup questions

Ouch. Bad vibe. Sounds like you got an "open-box" return.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: black winter pickup questions

Yeah but when Duncan sent it back to me, they repackaged it and it came with screws, springs, no rings, no doc. So instead of doing me a solid, they did me a flaccid.

 

[Artie]

Re: black winter pickup questions

Well, if you need help wiring it up, let me know bro.

 

[sneakyimp]

Re: black winter pickup questions

There will be a sticker on the bottom of each that designates "n" or "b". But more important, the box itself will identify them as such.
Edit: Since you ordered them as a "set", they may both come in the same box. But the stickers on the bottom will still be there.

I bought the set, which has both pickups in a single box. Glad that I can expect stickers on each to distinguish them.

They definitely will come with screws and springs. Not sure about pickup rings. Also, good documentation. They'll show several different wiring variations. Covers have nothing to do with feedback. That's a function of wax potting.

Hope it does in fact come with documentation and wiring diagrams. At a minimum, something to explain the color coding of each pickups four conductor wires.

As for a pickup cover, a metal pickup cover will interact with the magnetic field, and if the covers are not tightly anchored to something, they could easily vibrate in in response to the sound from the speakers, causing microphonics.

Edit 2: Welcome to the forum.

Thanks!

 

[sneakyimp]

Re: black winter pickup questions

The packaging says bridge and neck 3 times on each. If you miss that, you aren’t paying enough attention.

If you read my original post, you'll see that I bought a set (i.e., a single box containing both neck and bridge pickups). If you miss that, you aren't paying enough attention.

They don’t feedback. The baseplates are painted, so I wouldn’t try soldering covers to that. Covers won’t help you anyway. If you just want the look, slide a black plastic one over, or whatever you want.

I originally removed the (gold-colored) pickup covers on this les paul in the hope that it would brighten the sound a bit. This exposed the stock pickups which eventually were damaged when my small string got hooked around the edge of the pickup spool and broke the coil wire. So yeah pickup covers can protect your pickups. They can also conceal the gothic 'seymour duncan' name printed on the pickup if I'd rather not be a billboard for SD. So they can serve some purpose.

And yeah metal pickup covers can interact with the magnetic field of your pickup. If they start vibrating, you can get some microphonic feedback. this dude explains how to install, but his instructions assume a metal baseplate is exposed so you can solder the cover to it.

They come with screws and springs, no mounting ring and no documentation. Wiring diagrams are online.

Cool regarding the springs and screws. Not cool about having to get wiring diagrams online.

 

[allstarrme]

Re: black winter pickup questions

I put covers on mine, just get real Seymour Duncan covers so the spacing is right and they sound more transparent than the cheap brass ones. Sand a spot on the baseplate to solder to. I usually tape over the slug side with electrical tape and pour a little wax in from a tea light candle then squeeze them in and solder the sides. They don’t fit in as far as you think they will because of the oversized magnets, but enough to secure the baseplate to the edge.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: black winter pickup questions

If you read my original post, you'll see that I bought a set (i.e., a single box containing both neck and bridge pickups). If you miss that, you aren't paying enough attention.

I read your post. When I bought my winters, they were a set in a single box with everything clearly marked. When I sent them back to Duncan for repair, they came back in individual boxes. So I don’t have my set box anymore to take a photo. You’re new so I guess you aren’t used to my sarcastic sense of humor yet.

 

[sneakyimp]

Re: black winter pickup questions

I put covers on mine, just get real Seymour Duncan covers so the spacing is right and they sound more transparent than the cheap brass ones.

Very nice! Do you have black winter pickups in there? If so, how do they sound with the covers?

 

[sneakyimp]

Re: black winter pickup questions

I read your post...You’re new so I guess you aren’t used to my sarcastic sense of humor yet.

I really appreciate your helpful response. I was trying to be funny myself. I've handed the pickups, a new RS Guitarworks wiring harness, and the guitar off to my local guitar tech to install everything. I'm so nervous! I hope he does everything right.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: black winter pickup questions

If he’s a guitar tech and it’s an LP type with standard wiring, pretty straight forward. He should warrant his work and fix it til it works if something was buggered, like a cold solder joint or ground problem.

If it’s a super Strat and you are doing some tricky coil splits, he should still get it right. If he’s a pro, he has to test it’s working as requested before handing it back to you.

And short of all that, there’s a forum full of experienced guitarists and repairmen here who have done all this multiple multiple times successfully.

 

[allstarrme]

Re: black winter pickup questions

Very nice! Do you have black winter pickups in there? If so, how do they sound with the covers?

They are black winters, They sound great, maybe a slight decrease in presence from the covers but barely noticeable. I would have put a push pull split on the neck as a requirement for them. The neck pickup sounds so good split for cleans I use it all the time. Mine are wired into the circuit board the standards all come with.

 

[Artie]

Re: black winter pickup questions

And remember, in a worst case scenario, your tech can always put a meter on the black and green wires, with red & white soldered or twisted together, and immediately identify which is which by the DCR reading.

 

[bldrst]

Re: black winter pickup questions

There will be a sticker on the bottom of each that designates "n" or "b". But more important, the box itself will identify them as such. They definitely will come with screws and springs. Not sure about pickup rings. Also, good documentation. They'll show several different wiring variations. Covers have nothing to do with feedback. That's a function of wax potting.

Edit: Since you ordered them as a "set", they may both come in the same box. But the stickers on the bottom will still be there.

Edit 2: Welcome to the forum.

I made the (hurried) mistake of ordering a set and wanted the Trembucker for my bridge pickup, just saying, don't do that! LoL I had to send them back and reorder.

 

[RolanTHUNDER]

Re: black winter pickup questions

Personally I love the way the Black Winters look! That stylised - "old English script" Seymour used on their logo is great. Man that looks awesome in fact! Suits its tonal character too.