I have two nearly identical guitars. I am using 59 Model Humbuckers in each and they sound very different from each other. One is also much louder. The wiring is the same and they use the same pots and caps. One has the code 12H9M on the label, the plating on the steel is a bit brass like, and was purchased direct from SD in 2019. The other has the code 11I1O on the label, the plating on the steel is more silver like, and was purchased direct from SD in 2016. I measured the resistance and they are both 8.2k. Are these indeed the same bickups and should they sound the same?
Pickups sound different
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Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Unless your guitars, setup, strings, and wood are identical, they will most likely sound different.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Welcome to the forum
They may sound different, but one shouldn't be significantly louder than the other. Sometimes, if the EQ of the sound is significantly different, you might hear that as a volume difference when it's actually a tone difference. To comment further, would need to know what guitars we are talking about and see photos of the pickups to ID possibly what's going on.
They may sound different, but one shouldn't be significantly louder than the other. Sometimes, if the EQ of the sound is significantly different, you might hear that as a volume difference when it's actually a tone difference. To comment further, would need to know what guitars we are talking about and see photos of the pickups to ID possibly what's going on.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Generally, if two pickups are constructed the same way with the same resistance they're going to sound similar to one another in the same guitar. My understanding is that the construction of the '59 hasn't really changed much in production in quite a long time - so your pickups should be built the same way unless there's some defect, and it's a good sign that they measure the same resistance. There are a lot of Chinese knock-offs out there, but if you bought direct from SD you should be good on that front.
So that suggests a difference between the guitars or electronics themselves. Make sure that you've measured distance from pickup to strings on both guitars - pickup height can change the sound and feel of a pick up a good deal. Then double check the actual measured value of pots (it's not uncommon for potentiometers to be +/- 20%, which will make an audible difference). The amount/type of wire that you use to do hookups inside the guitar itself can also add capacitance - if one guitar has longer runs than another then it will tend to sound darker. Then, as mentioned, strings and wood of the actual guitar can factor into things as well. I guess that it's also possible the quieter humbucker somehow became degaussed. Maybe it got stuck next to a really powerful magnet at some point or something?
So that suggests a difference between the guitars or electronics themselves. Make sure that you've measured distance from pickup to strings on both guitars - pickup height can change the sound and feel of a pick up a good deal. Then double check the actual measured value of pots (it's not uncommon for potentiometers to be +/- 20%, which will make an audible difference). The amount/type of wire that you use to do hookups inside the guitar itself can also add capacitance - if one guitar has longer runs than another then it will tend to sound darker. Then, as mentioned, strings and wood of the actual guitar can factor into things as well. I guess that it's also possible the quieter humbucker somehow became degaussed. Maybe it got stuck next to a really powerful magnet at some point or something?
freefrog
Well-known member
What are exactly the guitars involved and is the wiring exactly the same in both (including 2 or 4 cond cables on PU's) ? Some parameters of inner wiring like parasitic capacitance can vary noticeably in some instruments / situations and bring surprising tonal changes / side effects but that's not easy to measure, even with lab meters, and it's even harder to diagnose online... :-/
Anyway: varying the output of a very same pickup without changing anything else is doable by altering the flux strenght (Gauss level) of its magnet...
...and a very same pickup, even unchanged, might exhibit different tones/loudness in two supposedly identical guitars. Depends on how acoustic and electrical resonant peaks work in synergy or not, IME. Subjective experiences may vary.
In such a case, I'd swap both sets in order to know if the louder pickup remains louder in the other instrument or not..
Anyway: varying the output of a very same pickup without changing anything else is doable by altering the flux strenght (Gauss level) of its magnet...
...and a very same pickup, even unchanged, might exhibit different tones/loudness in two supposedly identical guitars. Depends on how acoustic and electrical resonant peaks work in synergy or not, IME. Subjective experiences may vary.
In such a case, I'd swap both sets in order to know if the louder pickup remains louder in the other instrument or not..
80's_Metal
Underglazed Hair Metalologist
Is your Pickup height the same?
beaubrummels
Well-known member
I've never seen a Duncan with 'brass' looking baseplates. But he says he bought both from SD directly, so... need to see what's going on. Unless it was the Ali-Baba "Duncan" site.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Ah yes, the ubiquitous See-More Done-Kin pickups do not seem to be the same quality.
ehdwuld
A Ficus
Both pickups for 16 and 19 respectively should have the logo stamped on the baseplate
Both should be light siver colored base plate
nickel plated brass i think
Pickup height would be the first suspect if volume isn't the same
Neck woods and body wood might change eq bu not volume
Strings might buzz or ... something
What two guitars?
Les Paul and Tele?
Charvel and Jackson?
Harley Benton and Firefly?
Both should be light siver colored base plate
nickel plated brass i think
Pickup height would be the first suspect if volume isn't the same
Neck woods and body wood might change eq bu not volume
Strings might buzz or ... something
What two guitars?
Les Paul and Tele?
Charvel and Jackson?
Harley Benton and Firefly?
RanchManSandy
New member
Volume difference if distance to strings is identical is suspicious.
But also, your pots probably have a tolerance of 10-20%. That can be huge. One could, potentially, have a 500k vol pot read 450 and the other guitar has one measuring 550. I'd bet the treble responses would be noticeably different there.
But also, your pots probably have a tolerance of 10-20%. That can be huge. One could, potentially, have a 500k vol pot read 450 and the other guitar has one measuring 550. I'd bet the treble responses would be noticeably different there.
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Masta' C
Well-known member
Nickel silver is not the same as nickel-plated brass. SD doesn't use brass baseplates on their humbuckers, nickel-plated or otherwise.
I suspect the OP isn't being fully honest about the origins of the pickups. Perhaps he was told by the seller that they were purchased direct from SD.
Or maybe one of them just happens to be yellower nickel silver, and he describes it as looking kind of brass-like? Not everybody knows offhand what materials are used for baseplates or anything else... he said he thought they were plated steel. I think I would have assumed that at some point, too. I see no reason to assume the guy isn't being forthright. Side by side pics might help.
eclecticsynergy
New member
A brasslike color is definitely suspect - that sounds quite unDuncanlike.
Yah, pics would be helpful. I realize that isn't convenient with the pickups already installed in guitars, but...
Is it possible that the weaker pickup was inadvertently degaussed? Powerful magnetic fields can do that sometimes.
An old style TV set or a strong neo magnet could be the culprit, and you wouldn't know except by the output.
Even being stored next to a ceramic mag pickup can affect the charge, depending one orientation, proximity, and time.
A neo magnet can do it in mere seconds.
Yah, pics would be helpful. I realize that isn't convenient with the pickups already installed in guitars, but...
Is it possible that the weaker pickup was inadvertently degaussed? Powerful magnetic fields can do that sometimes.
An old style TV set or a strong neo magnet could be the culprit, and you wouldn't know except by the output.
Even being stored next to a ceramic mag pickup can affect the charge, depending one orientation, proximity, and time.
A neo magnet can do it in mere seconds.
Masta' C
Well-known member
I understand that suggesting the OP may not have been completely forthcoming about the pickup's origin was a bit presumptive on my part, though the point still stands: A brass baseplate, if true, means it didn't come "directly from SD" as the OP asserts. Even if the baseplate was swapped at some point, it still didn't come from SD that way. That's all I'm saying.
It's entirely possible that the pickup is a genuine SD, straight from the house of Duncan as the OP says. I would love to see some pictures of the actual pickup in question, but I figure we've got a 50% chance of ever hearing from them again, LOL!
Anyone care to share pics of the "brass-like" or "yellowed" nickel-silver Duncans you've come across? I've seen nickel-silver darken and tarnish, but never "yellow" to the point it appeared "brass-like". Bonus points if your example is 2016 or newer!
Any suggestions as to what can be wrong here depends on knowing if these are genuine SDs or not. Of course, all suggestions go out the window if they aren't genuine...but if they are, we can start looking at other things it might be. Pics of the pickups (front and especially, the back) will help tremendously.
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