What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

[extendedping]

Ok I am sure this is not the case...I have a JB in my agile 3500 bridge and am getting a pearly gates bridge (and neck) in my malden karma...the jb says 16.4 and the pearly gates says 8.3. What does this mean in terms of output in the real world? that two guitars through the same amp different pickups one will be twice as loud? I doubt it but what is the relationship between resonance and actual loudness? and speaking of loudness who likes 80's japanese hair metal?

 

[Colma]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

loudness owns.
crazy doctor is such a good song

 

[aleclee]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

"resistance", not "resonance"

A pickup with higher resistance is probably (but not always)hotter. Unless you're playing a completely clean amp, you probably wouldn't notice a volume difference either way. The hotter pickup would give a bit more distortion.

 

[doveman]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

It's actually "DC Resistance" and my experience has been ... the bigger the DC resistance, the louder but it's nothing like double.

Example: When comparing two '59 pickups 7.4k (neck) and 8.4k (bridge) with the same guitar 7.4k (neck) and 14.4k Gibson 498T (bridge). The 498T is a bit louder and if I turn the volume down to 7-8 it has about the same output.

I think it's just an indicator and the tones are affected by type of wire, number of winds, types of magnets and overall DC resistance ... probably a lot of other stuff.

My site (see below) has a clip of the difference between 8.4k '59 bridge and 14.4k 498T bridge (if your interested those clips are near the end). The volumes are similar but tones are different.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

In the case of the JB and the Pearly Gates, they use two different gauges of coil wire, which to make a long story short, means that the 16.2 of the JB isn't really twice as hot. More like +/-30% hotter, and that's asssuming the same magnet with the same level of charging and other variables. But all other things being equal, including the magnet, the JB is equivalent to about 10.5k in #42 wire relative to the Pearly Gates. It will push the amp harder and be louder, but not necessarily 30% more decibels.

 

[extendedping]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

In the case of the JB and the Pearly Gates, they use two different gauges of coil wire, which to make a long story short, means that the 16.2 of the JB isn't really twice as hot. More like +/-30% hotter, and that's asssuming the same magnet with the same level of charging and other variables. But all other things being equal, including the magnet, the JB is equivalent to about 10.5k in #42 wire relative to the Pearly Gates. It will push the amp harder and be louder, but not necessarily 30% more decibels.

Yea but my pearly gates is gonna sound better eh? :birthday:

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

I've never tried a JB but I have tried some PG's and I do like them. From what I hear, the JB is a little bright and thin for a higher output pickup so I would probably prefer a PG too.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

I think the resonance peak play a more drastic role in loudness than the dc resistance. The hight, shape and frequency of the peak is very important to that.
The dc res play its own role though.

 

[yegbert]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

Lindy Fralin has a nice brief and simple description here of the differences you can expect when all other factors are equal in two pickups' designs, but there is a difference in the number of windings.

In brief...

Pickups of all kinds will be stronger but darker with more turns of wire. Fewer turns will result in a more open, cleaner, and brighter pickup.

The thing that is implied in that reference, and relevant to the discussion here, is that the DC resistance is directly proportional to the number of windings. A pickup with more windings will have a higher DC resistance. That may seem obvious to most folks here, but worth stating here for those who haven't studied pickups much at all.

Whether a pickup is better if made with a hotter or a lower output is subjective and relative.

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

Higher DC resistance makes the pickup a bit louder and thicker but less dynamic ; my experience with JB , Demon and Custom .

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

I think the resonance peak play a more drastic role in loudness than the dc resistance. The hight, shape and frequency of the peak is very important to that.
The dc res play its own role though.

No, the resonant peak is about the tone, not the overall output. You can have two pickups with the same or similar resonant peak but one might be a good deal louder than the other.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

No, the resonant peak is about the tone, not the overall output. You can have two pickups with the same or similar resonant peak but one might be a good deal louder than the other.

I meant that you can have two pickups of the same output and the one can be much louder from the other. Maybe the tone play its role to loudness. You know, much hi-mids are louder than much bass or low-mids for ex (maybe I'm wrong with that), but I don't insist though.
Maybe I didn't understand the term "loudness" right. I thought loudness=presence and not loudness=output......?

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

Actuaaly the loudness comes from the amp and the higher the DC resistance is the thicker the tone is .
At the same volume amp , a higher DC will be a bit louder ( but less dynamic)but definitely thicker .

 

[yegbert]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

the Merriam-Webster online definition of loudness:

loud·ness
Function: noun
: the attribute of a sound that determines the magnitude of the auditory sensation produced and that primarily depends on the amplitude of the sound wave involved

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: What does "DC resonance" mean in terms of loudness

the Merriam-Webster online definition of loudness:

Exactly. The loudness is defined mostly by the human ear sensitivity. The ears hear much more easily the mid frequencies than anything else, that's why I mentioned the resonance peak frequency before. When a pickup is middy is louder than another which is bassy-trebly even if they have the same output.
There's another point though, when two pups have the same tone, the output (so, many times DC res) defines the loudness. Loudness is a little comlicated I think and it's not just output..

What fab.regnaut said about the amps is true and I would say, put the volume of the amp to 12 o'clock for example and turn the presence all the way down. Then crank the presence. Which one is louder?