What is the best indicator of output?
- Thread starter skh515
- Start date
aleclee
Major General GAS
Re: What is the best indicator of output?
Depends on why you want know the output.
In terms of voicing, a mid-humped pickup will overdrive an amp faster than a pickup of comparable output with flatter frequency response. DC resistance tells you how many winds there are but the strength of the magnet plays a part, too. When you throw pickup height into the equation, I'm not convinced that marginal differences in pickup output (independent of voicing) are worth even trying to measure.
Depends on why you want know the output.
In terms of voicing, a mid-humped pickup will overdrive an amp faster than a pickup of comparable output with flatter frequency response. DC resistance tells you how many winds there are but the strength of the magnet plays a part, too. When you throw pickup height into the equation, I'm not convinced that marginal differences in pickup output (independent of voicing) are worth even trying to measure.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: What is the best indicator of output?
If you're comparing alnico 5 humbuckers to alnico 5 humbuckers, alnico 2 humbuckers to alnico 2 humbuckers, mini humbuckers to mini humbuckers, Strat single coils to Strat single coils, covered Tele neck pickup to covered Tele neck pickups, uncovered Tele neck pickups to uncovered Tele neck pickups, etc.....DC Resistance will usually be a good indicator of vintage vs. hot output MOST of the time.
If you're comparing alnico 5 humbuckers to alnico 5 humbuckers, alnico 2 humbuckers to alnico 2 humbuckers, mini humbuckers to mini humbuckers, Strat single coils to Strat single coils, covered Tele neck pickup to covered Tele neck pickups, uncovered Tele neck pickups to uncovered Tele neck pickups, etc.....DC Resistance will usually be a good indicator of vintage vs. hot output MOST of the time.
Re: What is the best indicator of output?
Thumbs down on DC Resistance. That reading when used as output never takes into account magnet strength, size, shape, or type. Doesn't take into account polepiece type/shape either.
This was also hashed out here:
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=24659&
Thumbs down on DC Resistance. That reading when used as output never takes into account magnet strength, size, shape, or type. Doesn't take into account polepiece type/shape either.
This was also hashed out here:
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=24659&
Last edited:
Re: What is the best indicator of output?
The reason I want to know is for matching up pickups. For instance, if I put an Alnico Pro in the neck position of a strat and a Vintage Staggered in the middle, will there be a noticeable difference in output?
The output bar graphs on the site don't seem to correlate to Resistance or Resonant Peak. So, I was wondering if there is some way of quantifying output.
I been playing since the stone age (or so it seems), but I just got interested in the eletronics about a year ago, when I wired my first guitar (Hotrail b, Lil 59er m, Duckbuster n). I've now done two (A trio of gold lace sensor in my MIA Ash strat) and one and a half work great!!! :banghead:
Morning Lew. Always glad to see you've chimed in on my threads.
aleclee said:
The reason I want to know is for matching up pickups. For instance, if I put an Alnico Pro in the neck position of a strat and a Vintage Staggered in the middle, will there be a noticeable difference in output?
The output bar graphs on the site don't seem to correlate to Resistance or Resonant Peak. So, I was wondering if there is some way of quantifying output.
I been playing since the stone age (or so it seems), but I just got interested in the eletronics about a year ago, when I wired my first guitar (Hotrail b, Lil 59er m, Duckbuster n). I've now done two (A trio of gold lace sensor in my MIA Ash strat) and one and a half work great!!! :banghead:
Morning Lew. Always glad to see you've chimed in on my threads.
rspst14
Tone Cat
Re: What is the best indicator of output?
Take a look at the thread that was posted, it should definitely answer your question. Since Duncan doesn't use millivolt measurements, I'd take a look at the resistances. It will give you an approximate idea of the output. If one pickup is 7k and one is 14k, you can bet that the 14k pickup will have more output than the 7k output. On the other hand, if one is 7k and one is 8.5k, you can't really tell the difference in output from that measurement.
Ryan
Take a look at the thread that was posted, it should definitely answer your question. Since Duncan doesn't use millivolt measurements, I'd take a look at the resistances. It will give you an approximate idea of the output. If one pickup is 7k and one is 14k, you can bet that the 14k pickup will have more output than the 7k output. On the other hand, if one is 7k and one is 8.5k, you can't really tell the difference in output from that measurement.
Ryan
