Question about a set of single coils I have

T-Bone-BBQ

New member
I have a cheap, but decent set of Alnico V single coils I'm planning to put in an inexpensive guitar, but the pickups aren't labeled for bridge, middle or neck. One of them seems to have the magnets reversed in polarity from the other two. Would that be the RWRP middle? I'm thinking that's right, but I'm not sure. I don't have a multimeter to check them either. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Re: Question about a set of single coils I have

Update. They are labeled with B, M and N, but it seems that the one with the B has the reversed magnets. The pickups with the N and M will stick to each other with the top of one pickup sticking to the bottom of the other, but the B pickup has to be flipped around with the bottom sticking to the bottom of one of the other pickups, so am I right in saying that one is reversed on the polarity?
 
Re: Question about a set of single coils I have

Yup that one would be middle. What I would do is first put the one with the longest leads in the neck and the shortest in the bridge. Test it out and if you can't get it to work for you and it's obvious they are switched, just switch them back.

Edit: If the neck and middle stick to each other from the top of both pickups, that means they are reverse polarity. If the bridge pickup sticks to the middle in the same way, the middle is RWRP. If it doesn't, the neck is RWRP.
 
Last edited:
Re: Question about a set of single coils I have

I got a multimeter from a friend and here's the readings.

N = 7.11k ohms
M = 7.16k ohms
B = 7.63k ohms

I think maybe they got the magnets flipped on the B pickup?
 
Re: Question about a set of single coils I have

I actually only need two of the pickups as I'm putting a used Tone Zone S in the bridge, so if the pickup with the B is reversed polarity I can use it in the middle and use the N or M in the neck. I'm only planning to use these pickups temporarily until I can get better ones to put in. Just don't have the $$ right now.
 
Re: Question about a set of single coils I have

I misread your magnet orientation thing. So you're saying that the pickup labeled M doesn't stick bottom to bottom with both of the other two pickups? If the bridge is intact RWRP, I'd actually put it in the neck and the middle one in the middle.
 
Re: Question about a set of single coils I have

The top of the M pickup will stick to the bottom of the N pickup and vise versa, but the B pickup has to stick to the N or M pickups top to top or bottom to bottom.
 
Re: Question about a set of single coils I have

In that case I'd try putting them in as B,M,TZ. I don't have experience with those pickups, but I like a bit of a boost in the neck position for solos.
 
Back
Top