Dave Locher
New member
Assuming everything else is equal, what affect do rails/blades have on the sound of a humbucker pickup compared to trad screws & slugs or hex screws?
How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
- Thread starter Dave Locher
- Start date
frankfalbo
In Fluence Y'all
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
It's a pretty long and drawn out answer. I will have to generalize, to say that with a blade, you get a smooth, consistent magnetic field. The sound is more solid, dense, less combed. With pole pieces, the tops of the poles are actually in argument with the neighboring poles, so there is a bit of a void between the poles, but also more stray flux lines, going in many more different directions. The result is a sound with a little more comb filtering, a little less dense. More importantly though, the string is vibrating in and out of those more chaotic flux lines, and so in the attack of a chord, or 2-3 note combinations, I feel the individual strings have a little more of their own voice. Sorry if that's vague but the real answer is practically a thesis paper.
It's a pretty long and drawn out answer. I will have to generalize, to say that with a blade, you get a smooth, consistent magnetic field. The sound is more solid, dense, less combed. With pole pieces, the tops of the poles are actually in argument with the neighboring poles, so there is a bit of a void between the poles, but also more stray flux lines, going in many more different directions. The result is a sound with a little more comb filtering, a little less dense. More importantly though, the string is vibrating in and out of those more chaotic flux lines, and so in the attack of a chord, or 2-3 note combinations, I feel the individual strings have a little more of their own voice. Sorry if that's vague but the real answer is practically a thesis paper.
Dave Locher
New member
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
So...blades would likely give a bit more clarity? Perhaps more punch? Maybe a little bit more hi-fi sounding?
Would it be safe to guess that narrow blades might emphasize this more than a wider/thicker blade?
I know there are many, many other variables. I'm just looking for an (over)generalization along the lines of "mahogany sounds warmer and darker than maple when all other factors are held constant."
So...blades would likely give a bit more clarity? Perhaps more punch? Maybe a little bit more hi-fi sounding?
Would it be safe to guess that narrow blades might emphasize this more than a wider/thicker blade?
I know there are many, many other variables. I'm just looking for an (over)generalization along the lines of "mahogany sounds warmer and darker than maple when all other factors are held constant."
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
It is easy to say this: You tend to see blades in higher output pickups. Not always brighter pickups (the SLUG and Dimebucker have blades and are EQ'd differently). I am sure you can break this down into width of blades, materials, effect of types of magnets, etc. I think it is more useful to read the overall description of a pickup, than to get some sort of pre-disposed idea of what a pickup sounds (and feels) like because of how it is made, though.
It is easy to say this: You tend to see blades in higher output pickups. Not always brighter pickups (the SLUG and Dimebucker have blades and are EQ'd differently). I am sure you can break this down into width of blades, materials, effect of types of magnets, etc. I think it is more useful to read the overall description of a pickup, than to get some sort of pre-disposed idea of what a pickup sounds (and feels) like because of how it is made, though.
Dave Locher
New member
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
Good advice, but I'm actually working at the other direction - I have fallen in love with the look of a blade hum bucker but don't want something like an X2N or Dimebucker. I'm actually wondering about having a pick up made that would be more in the Tone Zone range, but with blades.
devastone
Well-known member
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
You might check out www.wildepickups.com, they are the "original" Bill Lawrence (RIP) blade pickups. They have 4 different levels of the L-500 blade humbucker, C = clean, R = rhythm, L = lead, XL = Xtra Lead (this is what the Dimebucker is based on), the R or L might be more what you are looking for.
You might check out www.wildepickups.com, they are the "original" Bill Lawrence (RIP) blade pickups. They have 4 different levels of the L-500 blade humbucker, C = clean, R = rhythm, L = lead, XL = Xtra Lead (this is what the Dimebucker is based on), the R or L might be more what you are looking for.
Dave Locher
New member
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
Also good advice! I have an old K500L and K500C set in a telecaster-ish guitar right now and I just bought a new 8h L-90 from Becky last week.
The 500s are nice, but bright and thin for my taste. Bright can be tamed, but thin is a tougher nut to crack.
I have high hopes for the L90 since they are reputed to be warmer than the 500s but it's just not as visually beautiful as the L500s are. (Those k500 pickups are what made me fall for the blade look in the first place. I just love the way they look and I've always thought Charlie Christians are beautiful pickups as well and that just got me to wondering about the blade look with a more conventional, mildly hot sound like a Tone Zone or Super 3, two of my favorite sounding pickups.)
I won't get to try out the L90 for a while and I'm just getting my ducks in a row in case it disappoints.
And my mind wanders all over the place late at night...
Also good advice! I have an old K500L and K500C set in a telecaster-ish guitar right now and I just bought a new 8h L-90 from Becky last week.
The 500s are nice, but bright and thin for my taste. Bright can be tamed, but thin is a tougher nut to crack.
I have high hopes for the L90 since they are reputed to be warmer than the 500s but it's just not as visually beautiful as the L500s are. (Those k500 pickups are what made me fall for the blade look in the first place. I just love the way they look and I've always thought Charlie Christians are beautiful pickups as well and that just got me to wondering about the blade look with a more conventional, mildly hot sound like a Tone Zone or Super 3, two of my favorite sounding pickups.)
I won't get to try out the L90 for a while and I'm just getting my ducks in a row in case it disappoints.
And my mind wanders all over the place late at night...
sedawkgrep
New member
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
Are you sure your L500 is a real Bill & Becky and not BLUSA copy? Are you sure it's wired in series, and not parallel?
Thin is one word I would not use at all about the L500, though I have only tried the L and XL versions. IME they are magical - tonally balanced, but thick. They can scream but they can also chug.
Having said that, some guitars/pickup combos just simply do not work, and perhaps that's what you have.
Are you sure your L500 is a real Bill & Becky and not BLUSA copy? Are you sure it's wired in series, and not parallel?
Thin is one word I would not use at all about the L500, though I have only tried the L and XL versions. IME they are magical - tonally balanced, but thick. They can scream but they can also chug.
Having said that, some guitars/pickup combos just simply do not work, and perhaps that's what you have.
Dave Locher
New member
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
Absolutely positive, they are Bill & Becky. Can't be wired wrong, the K500 only has three wires (hot, ground, and a tap that can be connected to a tone pot).
Maybe thin isn't quite the right word, but compared to a bottom and mid-heavy pickup like a dimarzio Tone Zone or Super 3 they have less grunt.
But I'm going to give the L90 a try, and I'm considering trying a 500xl since I love the look so much and they just might have more meat than the K500L that I have.
Absolutely positive, they are Bill & Becky. Can't be wired wrong, the K500 only has three wires (hot, ground, and a tap that can be connected to a tone pot).
Maybe thin isn't quite the right word, but compared to a bottom and mid-heavy pickup like a dimarzio Tone Zone or Super 3 they have less grunt.
But I'm going to give the L90 a try, and I'm considering trying a 500xl since I love the look so much and they just might have more meat than the K500L that I have.
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
I think what Frank was saying is essentially just the opposite. Individual poles will give you more individual string separation and therefore more note clarity. The blade will be smoother sounding because the notes from the different strings will tend to blend into each other.
Well, yes and no. Thin blades will pick up less width of the strings vibration giving you a thinner sound, which, yes, could be heard as greater clarity. The thick blade will pick up more of the string's vibration and therefore more of the tonal spectrum available. (An extreme example would be a single coil compared to a humbucker with two coils picking up much more of the vibration, and therefore a much thicker/fuller tone which generally means less clarity). But, no, small individual poles will give you the greatest clarity.
I think what Frank was saying is essentially just the opposite. Individual poles will give you more individual string separation and therefore more note clarity. The blade will be smoother sounding because the notes from the different strings will tend to blend into each other.
Well, yes and no. Thin blades will pick up less width of the strings vibration giving you a thinner sound, which, yes, could be heard as greater clarity. The thick blade will pick up more of the string's vibration and therefore more of the tonal spectrum available. (An extreme example would be a single coil compared to a humbucker with two coils picking up much more of the vibration, and therefore a much thicker/fuller tone which generally means less clarity). But, no, small individual poles will give you the greatest clarity.
Dave Locher
New member
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
Thank you for clarifying that for me! (See what I did there?)
Thank you for clarifying that for me! (See what I did there?)
Dave Locher
New member
Re: How do blades/rails affect the tone of a pickup compared to screws & slugs?
Dude, you were totally right! It turned out the old Lawrence I had was a K500MS, whatever the heck that is. Curved blades, Becky said eraly 1980s. Anyway, I got a brand new L500XL from Becky and it is AWESOME. Not thin at all, just like you said: thick and full but articulate. I have already ordered another one from her. Love the look, love the sound, love the price.
Dude, you were totally right! It turned out the old Lawrence I had was a K500MS, whatever the heck that is. Curved blades, Becky said eraly 1980s. Anyway, I got a brand new L500XL from Becky and it is AWESOME. Not thin at all, just like you said: thick and full but articulate. I have already ordered another one from her. Love the look, love the sound, love the price.
