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Post by newey on Sept 12, 2012 5:53:42 GMT -5
Dark-
Your images aren't showing up. I tried to help, but there's no fix from my end, as I didn't see any obvious coding problems.
ProBoards' software uses an antiquated (and non-standard) version of HTML and not all photo-hosting sites "play well" with ProBoards.
It does support .png files, so that's not the problem.
Imageshack and Photobucket are the two hosting sites we know will work here. Others may, but it's a bit of a crapshoot.
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Post by darkavenger on Sept 12, 2012 7:09:00 GMT -5
Hmm... they showed up for me?
Anyway, Flickr was down earlier, but I've uploaded there and switched links. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Edit: I'd also like to state, for the record, that ceramic magnets, size for size, are generally a bit stronger than alnico 5 in the sizes used in pickups. That goes for ceramic 5 or 8.
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Post by reTrEaD on Sept 12, 2012 16:29:28 GMT -5
When I say "accurate" I mean microphone-like. An "accurate" pickup faithfully reproduces the sound of a guitar string as I hear it, harmonics and all. You probably don't mean that as literally as it comes across. But it does bring up an interesting point. What does a guitar string sound like? When we hear the sound from a stringed instrument we aren't actually hearing the sound the string is imparting to the air. We're hearing a large area of wood or other material that's vibrating because of the energy transferred via the nut and bridge. The sound is highly colored. Even in an electric guitar that isn't plugged in, most of the actual sound comes from the body. I suspect the sound being produced by the string is not only weak, but the ability to couple a coherent wave increases with frequency. Because of the round shape and small cross-sectional area, the air tends to just slip around the profile at lower frequencies. In short, I would expect it to sound rather tinny. So I would guess a better idea might be to create an electric analog of the motion of the string rather than the actual sound?
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Post by geo on Sept 13, 2012 0:02:27 GMT -5
When I say "accurate" I mean microphone-like. An "accurate" pickup faithfully reproduces the sound of a guitar string as I hear it, harmonics and all. You probably don't mean that as literally as it comes across. But it does bring up an interesting point. What does a guitar string sound like? When we hear the sound from a stringed instrument we aren't actually hearing the sound the string is imparting to the air. We're hearing a large area of wood or other material that's vibrating because of the energy transferred via the nut and bridge. The sound is highly colored. Even in an electric guitar that isn't plugged in, most of the actual sound comes from the body. I suspect the sound being produced by the string is not only weak, but the ability to couple a coherent wave increases with frequency. Because of the round shape and small cross-sectional area, the air tends to just slip around the profile at lower frequencies. In short, I would expect it to sound rather tinny. So I would guess a better idea might be to create an electric analog of the motion of the string rather than the actual sound? Yeah, I was exaggerating to make a point, but you hit the nail on the head. I want a pickup that measures string displacement accurately so the signal current is as directly as possible representative of the motion of the string. Didn't quite know how to put that. (I'm prone to gross simplification when I model a problem, so the sound of the string in my mind is exactly that.) It's worth noting that the resonance of the body affects the motion of the string; you can think of them as a coupled spring system.
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Post by long813 on Sept 24, 2012 22:13:04 GMT -5
Because this is all about humbuckers, I just want to post this image that I found extremely enlightening. If you ever wanted to know the HB construction without tearing one apart,
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Post by gckelloch on May 9, 2013 22:25:49 GMT -5
You probably don't mean that as literally as it comes across. But it does bring up an interesting point. What does a guitar string sound like? When we hear the sound from a stringed instrument we aren't actually hearing the sound the string is imparting to the air. We're hearing a large area of wood or other material that's vibrating because of the energy transferred via the nut and bridge. The sound is highly colored. Even in an electric guitar that isn't plugged in, most of the actual sound comes from the body. I suspect the sound being produced by the string is not only weak, but the ability to couple a coherent wave increases with frequency. Because of the round shape and small cross-sectional area, the air tends to just slip around the profile at lower frequencies. In short, I would expect it to sound rather tinny. So I would guess a better idea might be to create an electric analog of the motion of the string rather than the actual sound? Yeah, I was exaggerating to make a point, but you hit the nail on the head. I want a pickup that measures string displacement accurately so the signal current is as directly as possible representative of the motion of the string. Didn't quite know how to put that. (I'm prone to gross simplification when I model a problem, so the sound of the string in my mind is exactly that.) It's worth noting that the resonance of the body affects the motion of the string; you can think of them as a coupled spring system. I hope I don't overstep my bounds, but I truly believe these pickups are what you are looking for. Well designed Lo-Z PUP's are generally the most accurate, but we guitarists are stuck in the Hi-Z realm. If you haven't already found some other solution, you're in luck. Bill Lawrence has made it his life's work to recreate the accuracy of his original Lo-Z PUP's from the early 50's. He has done so, even surpassed them with his affordable Hi-Z Wilde MicroCoils. Like his other models, they are mathematically phase-aligned, but with with a very compact/dense coil using ~1/2 the windings of a comparable Fender design wound with properly annealed 0.044mm (~46 awg) wire with his proprietary winder which stabilizes tension around the bobbin ends to eliminate any wire deformation. The heat generated during the high speed winding actually serves to patch any crazing that might occur in the insulation, so internal capacitance is as low as can possibly be achieved. Like with his other designs, he uses a special Nd magnet/moderator bar magnetic circuit to maximize efficiency, all configured as part of the phase-alignment process. What this all means is that MicroCoils are most likely the most efficient and accurate Hi-Z design available. Since the wind count is very low, the resonant frequencies for each PUP position are well above the usable range of an electric guitar. The small external coil area and efficient magnetic structure produce a much better S/N ratio than a standard Fender SC. I've measured the hum it to be ~10dB lower than average. As with his other designs, an internal copper shield provides RFI rejection, so no further PUP cavity shielding is necessary/useful. As well, internal capacitance is insignificant, so there is more leeway with external capacitance load via cabling to allow more highs through. MicroCoils have the strongest fundamental of any of his designs with smooth and extended highs. This promotes a full, sweet and clear sound -- assuming your guitar can deliver it. Sensitivity and dynamics is also noticeably better than any PUP I've tried in my more than 35+ years as a player. The entire frequency range is reproduced as clearly as possible for a sort of "multidimensional" sound with an exceptional detail that one must hear to truly appreciate. As with any PUP, the external capacitance and resistance load will alter the resonant frequency character, and the high frequency range and balance. I found that 250k R pots with a cable of ~200-250pF C works quite well. Higher C loads could possibly produce a harsher sound on the lead PUP . Much lower loads can produce an acoustic-like sound that may not work well with amplifier gain. I've been able to use a good deal of "lead level" gain before hum starts to become at all prevalent. PS: I've also found Sfarzo Alloy 5109 strings produce strong, rich, lively and vocal tones unlike any other string material. Also inexpensive and last very long.
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