Do pickups have a break in period ?

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Do pickups have a break in period ?

In my opinion it is extremely possible that you're right!

The phenomena of electrical components and wiring "breaking or wearing in" has been observed and commented on for decades.

It is generally acknowledged that speaker cables, and electronic components such as tubes and capacitors benefit from a period of settling in to an electrical current running through them.
It is not uncommon to hear the expression "buring in" related to a new set of capacitors in an amplifier. In the world of high end audio, CD players, amplifiers and tuners are said to sound less harsh and smoother after a burning in period.

Some suggest that it's all hocus pocus, (love that term) others say it's true.
I fall into the later category and think that most if not all electronic components, pickups included, can benefit from a wearing in period.

In the case of electric guitar components, it's hocus pocus. Amp components deal with much-much-much higher levels of current and voltage, higher by several orders of magnitude, enough to blow the tip off a screwdriver (as those who've tried to do a shortcut on draining the caps have found out), so amp components will definitely change and even break down. Pickups don't "break in", at least not over a period of weeks or months. More like decades as someone said, unless exposed to strong magnetic fields that would jack around with the pickup magnets.

 

[JB6464]

Re: Do pickups have a break in period ?

Still can't explain it,but these unpotted 59's sure sound good. Maybe it is just me getting used to them and dailing them in after a month.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Do pickups have a break in period ?

You may also be playing differently too. The way you hear your tone affects your playing technique (at least, it does mine).

This happens for me when I play my different guitars... at first it feels and sounds off, but then my ears and hands get the mojo going...

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Do pickups have a break in period ?

it's a combination of different weather, worn strings, and very likely changing technique. in my case, in cold weather my strings would deaden out very quickly and sound dull. is this what you're talking about?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Do pickups have a break in period ?

The only thing in a pickup that will age is the magnets and that takes years...say 50 to 100 years! If you hear a difference in the pickups it's mnore than likely that they have been moved up or down in the rings, the strings have gotten old or were recently changed, amp settings, etc...pickups won't change in a month...

 

[wanmei1]

Re: Do pickups have a break in period ?

In the case of electric guitar components, it's hocus pocus. Amp components deal with much-much-much higher levels of current and voltage, higher by several orders of magnitude, enough to blow the tip off a screwdriver (as those who've tried to do a shortcut on draining the caps have found out), so amp components will definitely change and even break down. Pickups don't "break in", at least not over a period of weeks or months. More like decades as someone said, unless exposed to strong magnetic fields that would jack around with the pickup magnets.

Hocuspocus.... you just don't knowcus!

No one does.

If some feel that pickups change after some playing time then it may be possible.
Some people believe that a solid body git improves with playing and there's not exactly 400+ volts running through it.

High end hi-fi CD players and tuners work off very low dc and they sound better over time to some.
High end hi-fi speaker cables also.

Interesting to note Larry Carlton has his original Gibson ES-335 pickups magnets re magnetised every few years.

Hocus pocus.....may not be a jokeus !

 

[Jet-Jaguar]

Re: Do pickups have a break in period ?

I'm going to say it's placebo effect. On the tech forums I'm on, you'll get people saying the same thing about computers. Only with computers, there are actually tests you can run, to measure speed, and the speed is the same.