Re: Fender Magnet gauss
This from Guitarnuts website:
http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/pickups.php
Pickup design/selection issues:
There are far too many variables in pickup design to even approach a thorough treatment of the subject here. However, the following tips will help you understand how pickups affect tone so that you can make a more intelligent decision if considering aftermarket pickups.
* How "hot" the pickup will be depends primarily on two variables; how strong the magnet is, and how many turns of wire are on the coil. However, both of these factors also affect the tonal response of the pickup.
* Any coil of wire is an inductor, and the impedance (total resistance) of an inductor varies with frequency (the higher the frequency, the higher the impedance). When you add more turns of wire to a coil, you are increasing the inductance and thus altering the frequency response. "Overwound" coils and humbuckers usually have less high frequency response (cleverly marketed as "stronger midrange").
* Changing the guage (diameter) of the coil wire changes inductance and thus alters the frequency response of the pickup.
* Changing the size or shape of the coil changes the inductance and thus alters the frequency response of the pickup.
* Coils not only have a certain inductance, they also have a certain amount of "parasitic" capacitance. Different winding techniques will result in slightly different capacitance and thus affect the tonal response of the pickup.
* Making the magnet stronger also has an effect on tone, in that the stronger magnet will generally give a sharper attack and "harder" tone. However, the greatest impediment to simply using very strong magnets to get a very high output is the fact that strong magnets will kill sustain by "dragging" the strings.
* As a generalizaton:
o "Soft" magnet and fewer turns on coil - sweet, bell-like clear tones.
o "Hard" magnet and fewer turns on coil - glassy hot Strat sound.
o "Soft" magnet and more turns (or humbucker) - smooth, buttery midrange.
o "Hard" magnet and more turns (or humbucker) - grunge or "Texas" sound.