New Stacks?

Re: New Stacks?

I'm really interested in these... sooner or later they will design a great singlecoil sounding Fender style pickup without hum!
 
Re: New Stacks?

I dunno, this was mentioned on another forum and I'm inclined to agree with the posted opinion...in that:

true Single Coil pickups generate a magneting field that's specific to single coil pickups....adding another coil changes that magnetic field...even if the coil isn't in the signal path of the pickup.

I like the idea that the stack plus pickups employ a smaller coil and some other means to cancel the hum, but the problem is, they're still employing an additional coil....which means, no matter how small, the magnetic field of the main coil will get affected...and the sound of the pickup as well.

I'm not going to be like most of the internet naysayers out there, that will poo-poo a product prior to testing it....but I can not kill my skepticism, simply because of what I just stated in this post...

we'll see....
 
Re: New Stacks?

OK, but somebody needs to test that instead of us just assuming it. A tele baseplate definitely affects the field, but it's a thick piece of steel. A coil is much less mass, and copper is NON magnetic, so the bottom coil *itself* shouldn't affect the field much if at all. Now, the noiseless ones I'm most familiar with (Dimarzio HS) have a thin shield between the coils that IS magnetic - this does shape the field (they even mention it), and I assume it makes the pickup sound more authentic, since they kept this concept in their newer virtual vintage line. Other designs use slugs in the bottom coil which might affect the field as well (though the HS do not).

Some interestic FEMM scans here:
http://www.ampge.com/SKGS/sk/Images/pickups/Pickup stuff/Magnetics.htm
 
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Re: New Stacks?

Jester, respectfully you sorta contradict yourself...

A tele/fralin style baseplate is a small plank of steel connected to the bottom of the pickup...we all can conceed that the baseplate DOES affect the sound of a pickup....probably because it affects the magnetic field of the pup.

Having said that, how can you say that a coil doesnt? A coil is effectively an electromagnet. That being known, a coil would affect the magnetic field FAR MORE than a baseplate would....

And...if a baseplate noticably affects the sound of a pickup, by the above logic would create far more signigicant of a change...
 
Re: New Stacks?

strangegrey said:
Jester, respectfully you sorta contradict yourself...

A tele/fralin style baseplate is a small plank of steel connected to the bottom of the pickup...we all can conceed that the baseplate DOES affect the sound of a pickup....probably because it affects the magnetic field of the pup.

Having said that, how can you say that a coil doesnt? A coil is effectively an electromagnet. That being known, a coil would affect the magnetic field FAR MORE than a baseplate would....

And...if a baseplate noticably affects the sound of a pickup, by the above logic would create far more signigicant of a change...
I am a layperson on this, but that makes no sense to me. Copper is not ferromagnetic, so I don't get how it would affect the field itself. As an electromagnet, OK, but the coil is not being subjected to external power, so I don't see how that applies either; unpowered, it ISN'T an electromagnet.

But this is a good point. I'd love to see an FEMM test with one of those stack designs.

BTW, there are a couple of major players who DON'T concede that the baseplate affects the sound. It's pretty obvious that a steel one changes the field, but a couple pickup makers say the difference in sound isn't due to that but rather other differences. Personally, I think it's too much a "common wisdom" to discount until I see some decent evidence otherwise.
 
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Re: New Stacks?

sorry to break from all the technical talk, but how do you think these p'ups would sound as compared to the lace hot golds? more single coil chime? less compressed? any opinons? i think my choice is between either a set of these or the hot golds for my next strat...
 
Re: New Stacks?

Technical talk aside, I think this is a case where you need to let your ears decide.

Lew and a couple other forum members that have experience with several noiseless designs did a fair amount of testing with the prototypes and as I remember the comments were nothing but positive. I don't have specifics, but maybe Lew or one of the others can chime in here or direct us to the original threads regarding the prototypes.
 
Re: New Stacks?

Wymore Guitars said:
Technical talk aside, I think this is a case where you need to let your ears decide.

Lew and a couple other forum members that have experience with several noiseless designs did a fair amount of testing with the prototypes and as I remember the comments were nothing but positive. I don't have specifics, but maybe Lew or one of the others can chime in here or direct us to the original threads regarding the prototypes.

I agree. I think of Lew as someone who's seriously into "vintage" Strat tone, and he seems to love them.

Artie
 
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