Post by antigua on Jul 27, 2019 12:52:26 GMT -5
I've bought a couple more Bootstrap products , in addition to the '54 Vintage and Golden Ale sets www.strat-talk.com/threads/bootstrap-54-vintage-golden-ale-technical-analysis.498881/ , the Sun City Selects and '54 Vintage Sparkle:
bootstrappickups.com/products/bootstrap-54-vintage-sparkle-set-for-strat®
Bootstrap '54 Vintage Sparkle Set
Bridge
- DC Resistance: 5.702K ohms
- Measured L: 2.286H
- Calculated C: 147pF
- Gauss: 550G (AlNiCo 3)
Middle
- DC Resistance: 5.70K ohms
- Measured L: 2.313H
- Calculated C: 160pF
- Gauss: 550G (AlNiCo 3)
Neck
- DC Resistance: 5.8K ohms
- Measured L: 2.341H
- Calculated C: 146pF
- Gauss: 550G (AlNiCo 3)
Bridge unloaded: dV: 13.5dB f: 8.08kHz (black)
Bridge loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 7.2dB f: 3.98kHz (blue)
Middle unloaded: dV: 14.1dB f: 7.90kHz (red)
Middle loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 7.2dB f: 3.98kHz (green)
Neck unloaded: dV: 14.1dB f: 7.90kHz (pink)
Neck loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 7.2dB f: 3.98kHz (gray)
Compared to the "'54 Vintage Pro Set", both sets have three pickups with DC resistances around 5.7k, with the main difference being that the Sparkle set uses AlNiCo 3 pole pieces and the Pro set uses AlNiCo 5 pole pieces. A consequence of using AlNiCo 3 is that is has a higher permeability than AlNiCo 5, so the inductance of the Sparkle set is that around 2.3 henries, while the Pro set has an inductance around 2.0 henries, and the loaded peak frequency of this set is ~4.0kHz, versus ~4.2kHz for the Pro set. IMO, if you equate treble with sparkle, the Pro set might arguably be the more sparkly of the two, but adjectives of sounds are always subjective, anyway. The difference here is rather small though, you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart in a double blind A/B test.
The thing about two near identical pickup sets, where one uses a strong magnet that another, is that, according to physics, you can duplicate the effect of the weaker magnet, using a stronger magnet, and by lowering the pickup away from the strings. Let suppose that using AlNiCo 3, the flux field at the strings is 30 Gauss, where as using AlNiCo 5 yields 50 Gauss at the same distance. You can lower the AlNiCo 5 pickup by about two or three millimeters, and it too will read around 30 Gauss at the strings, so with the stronger magnet you have more options, which is why stronger magnets have generally been the objective of technological advancement. If you are the sort of person that likes to have the pickups set further from the strings, a pickup with AlNiCo 2 or 3 will just ensure that you end up with that result, even if the pickups are set closer to the strings. Maybe some would say a weaker magnetic pull results in "sparkle"? It's all subjective.
Where as I measured closer to 200pF capacitance for the Pro set, I get values closer to 150pF with this sparkle set.
bootstrappickups.com/products/bootstrap-sun-city-selects-set-for-strat®
Bootstrap Sun City Selects Set
Bridge
- DC Resistance: 7.44K ohms
- Measured L: 3.463H
- Calculated C: 131pF
- Gauss: 1050G (AlNiCo 5)
Middle
- DC Resistance: 6.55K ohms
- Measured L: 2.723H
- Calculated C: 123pF
- Gauss: 1050G (AlNiCo 5)
Neck
- DC Resistance: 6.46K ohms
- Measured L: 2.611H
- Calculated C: 133pF
- Gauss: 1050G (AlNiCo 5)
Bridge unloaded: dV: 15.6dB f: 6.97kHz (black)
Bridge loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 6.3dB f: 3.24kHz (blue)
Middle unloaded: dV: 15.0dB f: 7.99kHz (red)
Middle loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 6.9dB f: 3.72kHz (green)
Neck unloaded: dV: 15.0dB f: 7.72kHz (pink)
Neck loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 6.9dB f: 3.72kHz (gray)
The Sun City Selects are likened to Texas Specials in the product description. Based on the measurements I made of Texas Specials, this set has a hotter wound bridge than Texas Specials (which is apparent by just looking at the DC resistance), while the neck and middle pickups are very similar to the Fender Texas Special set. Where as the Texas Special's middle pickup is a bit hotter than the neck pickup, the Sun City neck and middle pickups overlap very closely. As for the material used, the important parts appear to be substantially the same as Fender Texas Specials, from the cloth hookup wire to the AlNiCo 5 magnets, though the Texas Specials are wound with a blood red enamel wire, and the Bootstrap pickups appear to use something clear, and all of the Boostrap Strat sets appear to be gray bottomed instead of black.
At the currently listed price of $49.99, these cost one quarter the list price of Texas Specials, listed at $199.99. How does Bootstrap do it?? I don't know!
The capacitance for this set is around 130pF, which is the lowest I've seen of the four Bootstrap Strat sets I've ordered. As to the reason the capacitance varies betwene 130pF and 200pF depending on the set, I can't say, but maybe Bootstrap knows. Different winding pattern? Different insulation build? The difference between 130pF and 200pF capacitance is similar to the difference between about a foot and a half of length in a typical guitar cable, which is a trivial increment.
bootstrappickups.com/products/bootstrap-54-vintage-sparkle-set-for-strat®
Bootstrap '54 Vintage Sparkle Set
Bridge
- DC Resistance: 5.702K ohms
- Measured L: 2.286H
- Calculated C: 147pF
- Gauss: 550G (AlNiCo 3)
Middle
- DC Resistance: 5.70K ohms
- Measured L: 2.313H
- Calculated C: 160pF
- Gauss: 550G (AlNiCo 3)
Neck
- DC Resistance: 5.8K ohms
- Measured L: 2.341H
- Calculated C: 146pF
- Gauss: 550G (AlNiCo 3)
Bridge unloaded: dV: 13.5dB f: 8.08kHz (black)
Bridge loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 7.2dB f: 3.98kHz (blue)
Middle unloaded: dV: 14.1dB f: 7.90kHz (red)
Middle loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 7.2dB f: 3.98kHz (green)
Neck unloaded: dV: 14.1dB f: 7.90kHz (pink)
Neck loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 7.2dB f: 3.98kHz (gray)
Compared to the "'54 Vintage Pro Set", both sets have three pickups with DC resistances around 5.7k, with the main difference being that the Sparkle set uses AlNiCo 3 pole pieces and the Pro set uses AlNiCo 5 pole pieces. A consequence of using AlNiCo 3 is that is has a higher permeability than AlNiCo 5, so the inductance of the Sparkle set is that around 2.3 henries, while the Pro set has an inductance around 2.0 henries, and the loaded peak frequency of this set is ~4.0kHz, versus ~4.2kHz for the Pro set. IMO, if you equate treble with sparkle, the Pro set might arguably be the more sparkly of the two, but adjectives of sounds are always subjective, anyway. The difference here is rather small though, you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart in a double blind A/B test.
The thing about two near identical pickup sets, where one uses a strong magnet that another, is that, according to physics, you can duplicate the effect of the weaker magnet, using a stronger magnet, and by lowering the pickup away from the strings. Let suppose that using AlNiCo 3, the flux field at the strings is 30 Gauss, where as using AlNiCo 5 yields 50 Gauss at the same distance. You can lower the AlNiCo 5 pickup by about two or three millimeters, and it too will read around 30 Gauss at the strings, so with the stronger magnet you have more options, which is why stronger magnets have generally been the objective of technological advancement. If you are the sort of person that likes to have the pickups set further from the strings, a pickup with AlNiCo 2 or 3 will just ensure that you end up with that result, even if the pickups are set closer to the strings. Maybe some would say a weaker magnetic pull results in "sparkle"? It's all subjective.
Where as I measured closer to 200pF capacitance for the Pro set, I get values closer to 150pF with this sparkle set.
bootstrappickups.com/products/bootstrap-sun-city-selects-set-for-strat®
Bootstrap Sun City Selects Set
Bridge
- DC Resistance: 7.44K ohms
- Measured L: 3.463H
- Calculated C: 131pF
- Gauss: 1050G (AlNiCo 5)
Middle
- DC Resistance: 6.55K ohms
- Measured L: 2.723H
- Calculated C: 123pF
- Gauss: 1050G (AlNiCo 5)
Neck
- DC Resistance: 6.46K ohms
- Measured L: 2.611H
- Calculated C: 133pF
- Gauss: 1050G (AlNiCo 5)
Bridge unloaded: dV: 15.6dB f: 6.97kHz (black)
Bridge loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 6.3dB f: 3.24kHz (blue)
Middle unloaded: dV: 15.0dB f: 7.99kHz (red)
Middle loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 6.9dB f: 3.72kHz (green)
Neck unloaded: dV: 15.0dB f: 7.72kHz (pink)
Neck loaded (200k & 470pF): dV: 6.9dB f: 3.72kHz (gray)
The Sun City Selects are likened to Texas Specials in the product description. Based on the measurements I made of Texas Specials, this set has a hotter wound bridge than Texas Specials (which is apparent by just looking at the DC resistance), while the neck and middle pickups are very similar to the Fender Texas Special set. Where as the Texas Special's middle pickup is a bit hotter than the neck pickup, the Sun City neck and middle pickups overlap very closely. As for the material used, the important parts appear to be substantially the same as Fender Texas Specials, from the cloth hookup wire to the AlNiCo 5 magnets, though the Texas Specials are wound with a blood red enamel wire, and the Bootstrap pickups appear to use something clear, and all of the Boostrap Strat sets appear to be gray bottomed instead of black.
At the currently listed price of $49.99, these cost one quarter the list price of Texas Specials, listed at $199.99. How does Bootstrap do it?? I don't know!
The capacitance for this set is around 130pF, which is the lowest I've seen of the four Bootstrap Strat sets I've ordered. As to the reason the capacitance varies betwene 130pF and 200pF depending on the set, I can't say, but maybe Bootstrap knows. Different winding pattern? Different insulation build? The difference between 130pF and 200pF capacitance is similar to the difference between about a foot and a half of length in a typical guitar cable, which is a trivial increment.