uOpt
Something Cool
Chaps,
in these threads:
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?p=1960310&highlight=rwrp#post1960310
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=155029
we were talking about whether a Strat pickup set with RWRP middle pickup (for hum canceling in the notch positions) sounds different than all pickups with same polarity.
One theory why it could make a difference is that the magnetic field in the RWRP case would be shaped differently. Instead of all south up and hence having three indepent narrow dome-shaped magnetic fields the RWRP case could have much wider fields, because now the neck pickup still has south up and a field could extend to go "into" the north pole of the middle pickup, which is now pointing up. I can make a drawing if this isn't clear.
If the above theory is correct, then a RWRP middle pickup would change the sound of just the neck or bridge pickup without the RWRP middle pickup even being on. On the other hand, it is likely that the magnetic field of the individual pickups just isn't wide enough for them to mess with each other and none of this is audible.
To test this I wanted to record the same things, same guitar, same rig two times: one with a regular middle pickup, one with a RWRP middle.
My collection of Seymour Duncan APS-1s contains:
(All measurements re-taken right now to exclude differences in temperature or multimeter.)
Obviously, using #4 and #5 for the two tests in the middle position is as perfect as it gets. #2 in the bridge, #3 in the neck.
%%
Unfortunately, after recording the non-rwrp set I discovered that my RWRP APS-1 - isn't
. Bummer.
I had to run the RWRP set with my Ant Surfer in the middle. Still, this allows us to see whether the sound of the APS-1 in the neck or bridge alone changes when there is a reverse polarity pickup in the middle.
For good measure I threw in recordings of three different tone pot capacitors.
Four clean Strat sound tests each:
Start with "quart", it is smallest file and IMHO most telling.
Download "chord" last. It's a little wired, the compressor I use for the cleans doesn't play well with it.
%%
Example anatomy of filenames inside zipfiles:
"rwrptests-acblazer-revantpolarity-neckandmiddle22nfup-clean5a-specsingle.mp3"
I have the individual files (total 64 mp3s) available for download if you can't handle the zipfiles, p.m. me.
I can also give out *.flac files for those who don't trust mp3. P.m. me.
So what do you think?
in these threads:
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?p=1960310&highlight=rwrp#post1960310
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=155029
we were talking about whether a Strat pickup set with RWRP middle pickup (for hum canceling in the notch positions) sounds different than all pickups with same polarity.
One theory why it could make a difference is that the magnetic field in the RWRP case would be shaped differently. Instead of all south up and hence having three indepent narrow dome-shaped magnetic fields the RWRP case could have much wider fields, because now the neck pickup still has south up and a field could extend to go "into" the north pole of the middle pickup, which is now pointing up. I can make a drawing if this isn't clear.
If the above theory is correct, then a RWRP middle pickup would change the sound of just the neck or bridge pickup without the RWRP middle pickup even being on. On the other hand, it is likely that the magnetic field of the individual pickups just isn't wide enough for them to mess with each other and none of this is audible.
To test this I wanted to record the same things, same guitar, same rig two times: one with a regular middle pickup, one with a RWRP middle.
My collection of Seymour Duncan APS-1s contains:
- #2: 6.25 Kohm
- #3: 6.23 Kohm
- #4: 6.17 Kohm RWRP
- #5: 6.18 Kohm
(All measurements re-taken right now to exclude differences in temperature or multimeter.)
Obviously, using #4 and #5 for the two tests in the middle position is as perfect as it gets. #2 in the bridge, #3 in the neck.
%%
Unfortunately, after recording the non-rwrp set I discovered that my RWRP APS-1 - isn't
I had to run the RWRP set with my Ant Surfer in the middle. Still, this allows us to see whether the sound of the APS-1 in the neck or bridge alone changes when there is a reverse polarity pickup in the middle.
For good measure I threw in recordings of three different tone pot capacitors.
Four clean Strat sound tests each:
- "quart": running up and down some quarts on D and G string.
All recordings for quart: http://www.cons.org/music/rwrp-tests/chord.zip - "picking": fingerpicking.
All recordings for picking: http://www.cons.org/music/rwrp-tests/picking.zip - "chord": a chord 5th fret mellow to louder.
All recordings for chord: http://www.cons.org/music/rwrp-tests/chord.zip - "single": single notes, mostly meant to look at them in a spectrum analyser.
All recordings for single: http://www.cons.org/music/rwrp-tests/single.zip
Start with "quart", it is smallest file and IMHO most telling.
Download "chord" last. It's a little wired, the compressor I use for the cleans doesn't play well with it.
%%
Example anatomy of filenames inside zipfiles:
"rwrptests-acblazer-revantpolarity-neckandmiddle22nfup-clean5a-specsingle.mp3"
- "rwrptests-acblazer": constant
- "revantpolarity" == recording with RWRP Ant Surfer in middle or "normalpolarity" == regular APS-1 in the middle
- which pickup:
- neck, neckandmiddle, middle, middleandbridge, bridge
- neckandmiddle22nfup: 22 nF capacitor in pickup hardness, switch up
- neckandmiddle22nfdown: : 22 nF capacitor in pickup hardness, switch down (different cap)
- neck2: another recording of the most important position, the neck, just in case the first recording is screwed up
- "clean5a-spec": constant
- "quart", "pick", "chord", "single": what is being played, see above
I have the individual files (total 64 mp3s) available for download if you can't handle the zipfiles, p.m. me.
I can also give out *.flac files for those who don't trust mp3. P.m. me.
So what do you think?
Last edited: