After rewinding a few pickups I have noticed some funny things while checking the DC resistance of the coils.
These same things I first noticed while winding transformers.
If I wind a transformer coil and check the DCR, I get one reading.
After installing the coil onto the steel transformer core, I get a different reading.
This difference has been large or small, depending on the coil I use and the type of steel that is used for the core. A nickel core seems to make a bigger difference than the steel cores.
I was using a digital multimeter to make the DCR measurements.
As a hunch from the experiences I had with the transformer measurements, I decided to see if this also happens with pickups.
Sure enough, I noticed that measuring one coil of a humbucker before installing it onto to the magnets gave one reading, and after screwing it to the brass base plate and adding pole pieces, I get another reading. I know about the posts changing readings but this is without the pots soldered.
Also, if I measure two individual coils, I might get 4 K Ohms a piece. Then when I solder them in series and measure the resistance, I get a number that is a bit different than 8 K.
I have not tried using an analog meter like an old Simpson, but will try that in the future.
I was just wondering if anybody else has experienced this.
Maybe some of you DIY winders can try a few experiments and post results.
I wonder what type of meter Seymour Duncan uses.
Thanks!
cj
These same things I first noticed while winding transformers.
If I wind a transformer coil and check the DCR, I get one reading.
After installing the coil onto the steel transformer core, I get a different reading.
This difference has been large or small, depending on the coil I use and the type of steel that is used for the core. A nickel core seems to make a bigger difference than the steel cores.
I was using a digital multimeter to make the DCR measurements.
As a hunch from the experiences I had with the transformer measurements, I decided to see if this also happens with pickups.
Sure enough, I noticed that measuring one coil of a humbucker before installing it onto to the magnets gave one reading, and after screwing it to the brass base plate and adding pole pieces, I get another reading. I know about the posts changing readings but this is without the pots soldered.
Also, if I measure two individual coils, I might get 4 K Ohms a piece. Then when I solder them in series and measure the resistance, I get a number that is a bit different than 8 K.
I have not tried using an analog meter like an old Simpson, but will try that in the future.
I was just wondering if anybody else has experienced this.
Maybe some of you DIY winders can try a few experiments and post results.
I wonder what type of meter Seymour Duncan uses.
Thanks!
cj
Last edited: