Electronics Question: Taming Hot Pickup Output?

[WoodGrain67]

Hypothetical question for those with electronic expertise: if a guy had a set of hot active pickups and wanted to lower their maximum output signal to the amp, could a resistor of some appropriate value be added to do so without hurting the quality of the tone? Maybe solder the resistor at the end of the signal path at the output jack?

 

[uOpt]

Re: Electronics Question: Taming Hot Pickup Output?

That won't work. With actives you can't mess with the resonance peak anymore. The best you can do is a regular EQ (such as the EMG electronics set).

But if the pickup is already "hot" then that means the resonance peak is very low and there is nothing to EQ up above the resonance peak.

 

[CTN]

Re: Electronics Question: Taming Hot Pickup Output?

uh...why don't you just turn your volume knob down?

 

[karpathion]

Re: Electronics Question: Taming Hot Pickup Output?

uh...why don't you just turn your volume knob down?

I was thinking the exact same thing!

 

[WoodGrain67]

Re: Electronics Question: Taming Hot Pickup Output?

It's hypothetical, forget turning it down.

Think of the resistor as a limit on max volume, placed at the 1/4" output jack where one plugs in their instrument cord that goes to their amplifier.

 

[Multi Angle Vise]

Re: Electronics Question: Taming Hot Pickup Output?

Yeah you can do it. Best to do it as a voltage divider, so you'd need two resistors. One option is to use your existing volume control to find the ratio, by turning it down to the level you want, then removing it and measuring either side of the wiper. Otherwise you can just make educated guesses until you get the ratio you like.

The old Live Wires came with a circuit diagram for reducing their output to match passive pickups in same guitar.

Edit: Dug out the old wiring diagram. They just provided a 200kilohm resistor to place in series with the signal wire of the active pickup, if mixing with passive pickups. One resistor, easy.

 

[WoodGrain67]

Re: Electronics Question: Taming Hot Pickup Output?

M.A.V., thanks for the useful info!

Cheers!:friday: