my brand new seth lover bridge measures 7.9k
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Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: my brand new seth lover bridge measures 7.9k
Possibly, temperature changes and cheap meters can account for low DCR readings. Find something you know for a fact the DCR of, for example, you might have a bunch of pots that you know the advertised value for. If they all read low, you know your meter probably reads low.
Another member recommended getting a 10k resistor that is advertised with narrow tolerances (the one I linked to has +/- 1%). They are also useful if you need to calibrate your meter.
Possibly, temperature changes and cheap meters can account for low DCR readings. Find something you know for a fact the DCR of, for example, you might have a bunch of pots that you know the advertised value for. If they all read low, you know your meter probably reads low.
Another member recommended getting a 10k resistor that is advertised with narrow tolerances (the one I linked to has +/- 1%). They are also useful if you need to calibrate your meter.
dotsdad
New member
Re: my brand new seth lover bridge measures 7.9k
Means you can see what your meter reads against a 'known' baseline. My guess is that such a large number will show up clearly any inaccuracies, but not be outside the typical tolerance of accurate reading. As an example if you tried to calibrate bathroom scales with a 10g weight its likely the scales would not read that range well enough predict any inaccuracy.
Means you can see what your meter reads against a 'known' baseline. My guess is that such a large number will show up clearly any inaccuracies, but not be outside the typical tolerance of accurate reading. As an example if you tried to calibrate bathroom scales with a 10g weight its likely the scales would not read that range well enough predict any inaccuracy.
Re: my brand new seth lover bridge measures 7.9k
I've had a few seths and pearly gates sets measure at the 7.9k bridge, 7.1 k neck territory and they sound exactly the same as all the others. I think the resistance varies on different spools of wire, but the number of turns makes the difference and the Duncan's have been wound to very precise counts for several decades now. A cold house will do it too. A pickup that measures 7.9k at 68 degrees will probably measure 8.2 at 78 degrees. An extreme example in the other direction, I live in Phoenix and my mailbox faces west and sits in full sun, it's probably 140 degrees in July, and I've had a pearly gates bridge measure at 9k (and had some of the wax potting melted out), 12 hours later after cooling down it measures at 8.3k just like it should.
I've had a few seths and pearly gates sets measure at the 7.9k bridge, 7.1 k neck territory and they sound exactly the same as all the others. I think the resistance varies on different spools of wire, but the number of turns makes the difference and the Duncan's have been wound to very precise counts for several decades now. A cold house will do it too. A pickup that measures 7.9k at 68 degrees will probably measure 8.2 at 78 degrees. An extreme example in the other direction, I live in Phoenix and my mailbox faces west and sits in full sun, it's probably 140 degrees in July, and I've had a pearly gates bridge measure at 9k (and had some of the wax potting melted out), 12 hours later after cooling down it measures at 8.3k just like it should.
PicoRiveraTele
New member
Re: my brand new seth lover bridge measures 7.9k
DC resistance isn't really a proper way to test a pickup. All it can tell you is whether there is or is not continuity, and we know that there is.
That added resistance might owe to a deviation in the wire away from the nominal resistance per foot. It can be too thin or too thick, causing the DC resistance to be a little higher or lower over the length of the coil, and in practical application, it really doesn't matter, because the difference in series resistance is very small, so if it's off, it's no big deal, except to the guy at home who ends up confused when his pickups measure off spec.
If you could measure the inductance, which can be done with a $90 LCR meter, that would more closely tell you of the pickup is actually "off spec", because that is a value that should be fairly consistent, regardless of series wire resistance. Unfortunately, Seymour Duncan doesn't publish that spec, so even if you could determine it, you'd have no reference to compare against, aside from inductance values that other people on the internet report for that pickup.
I think the best bet in this case is to consider how likely it is that the pickup actually is defective. Their machine wound pickups are wound with modern winders that we can be pretty sure lay the wire in a consistent manner and probably stop winding the instant they hit a specified turn count. I highly doubt the modern wound pickups are really off spec to any significant degree. The Seth Lovers, though, are supposedly wound on a Leesona winder, which is an older machine from the 50's, and I suspect that it doesn't get the turn counts perfectly accurate, since it's said that the Leesona wound PAF's from the 50's also had a lot of variability. We don't really have any assurance that Seymour Duncan operates their Leesona is more accurate than how it was done in the 50's. Just another consequence of being kept in the dark regarding the specifics about their pickups and how they're made.
DC resistance isn't really a proper way to test a pickup. All it can tell you is whether there is or is not continuity, and we know that there is.
That added resistance might owe to a deviation in the wire away from the nominal resistance per foot. It can be too thin or too thick, causing the DC resistance to be a little higher or lower over the length of the coil, and in practical application, it really doesn't matter, because the difference in series resistance is very small, so if it's off, it's no big deal, except to the guy at home who ends up confused when his pickups measure off spec.
If you could measure the inductance, which can be done with a $90 LCR meter, that would more closely tell you of the pickup is actually "off spec", because that is a value that should be fairly consistent, regardless of series wire resistance. Unfortunately, Seymour Duncan doesn't publish that spec, so even if you could determine it, you'd have no reference to compare against, aside from inductance values that other people on the internet report for that pickup.
I think the best bet in this case is to consider how likely it is that the pickup actually is defective. Their machine wound pickups are wound with modern winders that we can be pretty sure lay the wire in a consistent manner and probably stop winding the instant they hit a specified turn count. I highly doubt the modern wound pickups are really off spec to any significant degree. The Seth Lovers, though, are supposedly wound on a Leesona winder, which is an older machine from the 50's, and I suspect that it doesn't get the turn counts perfectly accurate, since it's said that the Leesona wound PAF's from the 50's also had a lot of variability. We don't really have any assurance that Seymour Duncan operates their Leesona is more accurate than how it was done in the 50's. Just another consequence of being kept in the dark regarding the specifics about their pickups and how they're made.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: my brand new seth lover bridge measures 7.9k
If you wire it in, does it sound off?
If you wire it in, does it sound off?
hamerfan
Well-known member
Re: my brand new seth lover bridge measures 7.9k
l see only one reasonable explanation: It's a hard time. SD tries hard to cut costs and puts lesser wire on the bobbins for the same money.
For the same reason: no more overwound pickups :sad:
l see only one reasonable explanation: It's a hard time. SD tries hard to cut costs and puts lesser wire on the bobbins for the same money.
For the same reason: no more overwound pickups :sad:
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: my brand new seth lover bridge measures 7.9k
Not at all unless you have a cheap multimeter with with very low resistance settings. This works with even the multimeter you could find at Wal-Mart.
Not at all unless you have a cheap multimeter with with very low resistance settings. This works with even the multimeter you could find at Wal-Mart.
Discharged
New member
Re: my brand new seth lover bridge measures 7.9k
/Peter
One of mine did too. Sounded nothing short of amazing.
/Peter
