MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

[gimmieinfo]

Among the various MIM made pickups such as classic series and tex mex and whatever else they have made there NOT counting any ceramic bar models if there are any, do you think they are all the same pickup just wound different? Far as i can tell they are all A5, the windings judging by the DCR in respect to the output level i see from each i have tried tells me they are all 42 gauge. So i would assume the MIM plastic bobbin alnico pickups are all the same aside from DCR. So if for example you took a 7.5k tex mex bridge pickup and unwound it to about 5.7-6k where most of the classic series pickups are, it would be the same pickup and sound the same. Any reason not to assume this is the case? I guess there could be some that are scatter and some not, and differences in tension. But i somehow just dont see that happening in MIM guitars. They generally don't get that detailed at that price point i don't think.

 

[AlexR]

Re: MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

I would never assume that. There are too many variables involved in pickups to just make such a broad generalisation. The Tex-mex are a specific toned pickup and not only were designed for the Jimmy Vaughan guitar, were wound to achieve a certain goal.....rather than trying for a generic vintage strat.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

Hair splitting is one thing.... Hair Splitting about plastic bobbins of MIM pickups? Waste of time.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

I guess you could take a few apart to see.

 

[dotsdad]

Re: MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

If you break the ceramic magnets off the standards and replace the slug poles with alnico magnets they actually sound pretty good

 

[gimmieinfo]

Re: MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

Hair splitting is one thing.... Hair Splitting about plastic bobbins of MIM pickups? Waste of time.

I happen to like them and have my reasons for the question. Your reply is simply your preference and has nothing to do with mine or the question.

 

[gimmieinfo]

Re: MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

I would never assume that. There are too many variables involved in pickups to just make such a broad generalisation. The Tex-mex are a specific toned pickup and not only were designed for the Jimmy Vaughan guitar, were wound to achieve a certain goal.....rather than trying for a generic vintage strat.

Thats what i was wondering, but everything about them is the same but for one thing.....the actual wind tension and scatter vs non, etc. I guess that could be where a big difference could be achieved? It seems like the TM's have a rather soft attack compared to the 5.8-6k classic series pups and are a bit dark in the neck/middle compared to classic series pickups. I don't know if the extra 500R is responsible for that or something else, but it doesn't seem like 500R should make as much difference as i noticed.

 

[AlexR]

Re: MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

How do you know that everything is the same????
If the wind is not the same (including the insulation type) that there is 50% of the overall generally speaking. Magnets tend only to tweak the 'chassis' tone that the wind is.

 

[gimmieinfo]

Re: MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

How do you know that everything is the same????
If the wind is not the same (including the insulation type) that there is 50% of the overall generally speaking. Magnets tend only to tweak the 'chassis' tone that the wind is.

I didn't say they were, i only said the plastic bobbin, magnets, and PROBABLY (99%) the gauge are the same. Thats why above i said in reply to you "i guess thats where a big difference could be achieved?" with a ? after. The mags i'm 99% sure are A5 for several reasons including the fact fender states they are. I also know the gauge is 42 because i called fender and got the specs, plus i was already quite sure due to the amount of output they have compared to the DCR.

But i didn't disagree with you that the wind couldn't be it. I do however find it unlikely that at the MIM facility they bother with that on thier lower end guitars. They put USA pups in the ones they want to be the higer end MIMs like the baja/classic player series or artists like the cray, etc. But for the classic series and tex mex pups i seriously doubt fender bothers winding them to different tensions and sactterwinding some and not others etc. So much of the specs are the same for the tex mex and classic series, thats a fact according to fender. ALL differences in build would have to be in the winding technique. But like i said i doubt that and think the difference is much more likely to be the different amount of wire because the classics are all 5.6 to 6k while the tex mex are 6.4k for N/M and 7.5 for the bridge. The whole reason i posted this was to see if we could figure out if the difference i heard was due to the DCR or the winding pattern/tension. I THINK it's probably DCR judging by all the evidence, but the one thing that made me unsure is the tone difference seemed like it was TOO different from DCR alone. But i could be wrong.

 

[AlexR]

Re: MIM plastic bobbin strat pickups theory...what do you think?

MIM pickups will still want to adjust wind parameters to create tone - of course they will.

Its just that they will not be deviating from knowledge already established from Corona - and fed into the computers that control the winding machines.

A few hundred turns here and there that gets you the difference will barely change the tone at all - if you wind to keep that vintage tone.
If you wind to be fat.......well that little bit less won't suddenly give you a clucky Hendrix like pickup.