Question About Base Plates for Single Coils.. .
- Thread starter zozoe
- Start date
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Basically all the same. There may be minor variations in thickness of the steel.
But I don't think the carbon content makes much difference, as it does with some components.
So probably all about the same effectiveness IMO - subtle, but audible if you listen for it.
But I don't think the carbon content makes much difference, as it does with some components.
So probably all about the same effectiveness IMO - subtle, but audible if you listen for it.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
What kind of single coils? Fender Strat vintage-style singles are a fiber/felt kind of base, modern ones plastic, Telecasters have metal plates, as do P-90s.
Basically any one of the many Duncan's, Fenders A5's with flat underbellys.... thnx
LLL
New member
Callaham pickups are (special-wound) Fralin pickups; cryogenically treated.
Artie
Peaveyologist
I'll have to try this with my CV 50's Strat. The bridge is just a hair too bright.
ErikH
Well-known member
While you're in there, change the pots to quality 250K and put in a .1uf tone cap. You'll be glad you did.
ErikH
Well-known member
I normally don't use a .1uf cap but with these single-coils, I felt it was necessary. When I had an American Standard Strat, I put a set of Fender SCNs in it and wired it up EJ style with a .1uf cap. It sounded fantastic so my first instinct with this one was to go that route with the cap if I felt it was too bright.
Artie
Peaveyologist
I'll definitely do the good 250's. I've got a cap substitution box that I'll use to select the ideal cap. (And a bridge baseplate.)
freefrog
Well-known member
Gentlemen, that's putting much trust in my geekiness. 
I had seen this topic. I've not replied because I had no useful data to share about alloys & thickness of Callaham / Fralin and other "inductance plates".
Now and if generic thoughts have any interest:
-steel baseplates boost a wee bit the inductance and alter a tad the magnetic field, making the resonant peak slightly lower pitched and flatter. Which makes the pickup theoretically warmer. But that's old news that people can find by googling...
-Yep, materials have an influence: a brass baseplate would make the resonance flatter but also and paradoxically higher pitched when measured because of Foucault currents. A copper plated steel plate would flatten the resonance too but would promote only the frequency range under resonant frequency... and so on. But that's not really relevant here, since Callaham / Fralin BP's appear to be made only of steel (whose grade is unknown: a metallurgical analysis would be necessary);
-such added baseplates haven't the same influence according to the lenght and staggering of the rod poles: flat poled single coils seem more sensitive to the presence of a steel baseplate (IME. YMMV). That's maybe the only "useful" thought that I can share here but it makes the effect of inductance plates strongly dependent on the model of pickup used. So I'm still not sure that my rambling is helping.
FWIW.
I had seen this topic. I've not replied because I had no useful data to share about alloys & thickness of Callaham / Fralin and other "inductance plates".
Now and if generic thoughts have any interest:
-steel baseplates boost a wee bit the inductance and alter a tad the magnetic field, making the resonant peak slightly lower pitched and flatter. Which makes the pickup theoretically warmer. But that's old news that people can find by googling...
-Yep, materials have an influence: a brass baseplate would make the resonance flatter but also and paradoxically higher pitched when measured because of Foucault currents. A copper plated steel plate would flatten the resonance too but would promote only the frequency range under resonant frequency... and so on. But that's not really relevant here, since Callaham / Fralin BP's appear to be made only of steel (whose grade is unknown: a metallurgical analysis would be necessary);
-such added baseplates haven't the same influence according to the lenght and staggering of the rod poles: flat poled single coils seem more sensitive to the presence of a steel baseplate (IME. YMMV). That's maybe the only "useful" thought that I can share here but it makes the effect of inductance plates strongly dependent on the model of pickup used. So I'm still not sure that my rambling is helping.
FWIW.
Artie
Peaveyologist
They do. Thanks for weighing in. All info is good. I guess, the ultimate test would be to try several, and see if a difference can actually be heard.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Yes, absolutely. Duncan has variants of the first Tele pickups: ,copper, stee baseplatesl, changes the sound.
