dc resistance

metallicaxlxl

metallicaxlxl

New member
ok i would like to know what this is, and does, and how it effects the sound of a pickup.

what would be the difference between 11k and 6k dc resistance, and how 3k dc resistance would sound like. im planning on splitting my pickups. my neck is an sm-1 6.3k resistance and bridge WILL be 11k a2p/cc hybrid. so split the sm-1 would be about 3.1k and the hybrid would be 7.2k (im using the CC coil for the split, and the cc is originally 14.4k) what would the difference be? and how will they both sound?

sorry for so many questions, but i really want to get this cleared up in my head.

thank you.
 
Re: dc resistance

DC resistance is a number in ohms indicating how much of a load the pickup places on the circuit. It's a general way of indicating the output of the pickup. That said, output and DC resistance aren't necessarily equivalent. There are other factors that affect output, including magnet size and strength, pole piece material and shape, and distance from the strings.

All other factors being constant, a 6k pickup will sound weaker than an 11k pickup. Weaker isn't necessarily bad, mind you. It depends on the sound you're going for. 3k will sound VERY weak, kind of like a Danelectro lipstick tube pickup.

I should also point out that you can't split an SM-1 unless you re-wire it with a 4 conductor cable. I don't think there's much value in splitting one anyway - it would sound very thin and weak.
 
Re: dc resistance

yes im going to rewire the sm-1 to 4-conductor. it might not sound good, but i want to try it anyways. it cant hurt to do it. if i dont like it ill just undo it and put the 2 wires back together, but i think id like having the option of going single coil with it.
 
Re: dc resistance

metallicaxlxl said:
yes im going to rewire the sm-1 to 4-conductor. it might not sound good, but i want to try it anyways. it cant hurt to do it. if i dont like it ill just undo it and put the 2 wires back together, but i think id like having the option of going single coil with it.
Click to expand...

I've never taken the cover off my SM-1, so I can't really say for sure whether or not you'll F it up by doing that. However, I was under the impression that if you take the cover off the whole pickup falls apart. Maybe that's the Phat Cat ... I'm not sure. Hopefully someone else has tried and can say for sure.
 
Re: dc resistance

i emailed seymour duncan, theyve told me that it IS possible to make it into 4-conductor wiring. now, they sent me an old picture of an sm-1 opened up.



so, im guessing (and i hope this guess is accurate) that the wires with the red tape around them are the ones that i need to extend to be able to split. can anyone confirm this?
 
Last edited:
Re: dc resistance

metallicaxlxl said:
yes im going to rewire the sm-1 to 4-conductor. it might not sound good, but i want to try it anyways. it cant hurt to do it. if i dont like it ill just undo it and put the 2 wires back together, but i think id like having the option of going single coil with it.
Click to expand...

It will work great as some experience in learning about pickups and how they are put together, but unless you have really unusual tastes, you'll find that 3.1k is just totally un-usable.
 
Re: dc resistance

thats all there is to the name, the sm-1 mini-humbucker. its under the specialized pickup section.

off topic: under youre name it says talk to me so-cal members. talk about what????
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top