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Post by simes on May 17, 2011 10:14:04 GMT -5
The other day I tried out two guitars built by a friend, both with rosewood fingerboards:
1. Maple top mahogany body/neck LP Standard equipped with uncovered "Classic II" alnico II humbuckers by GFS, with a nominal resistance of 7.8K neck and 8.2K bridge.
2. All mahogany SG '61-style equipped with covered "Vintage '59" alnico V humbuckers by GFS, with a nominal resistance of 8-8.2K neck and 8.5-8.8K bridge.
Surprisingly, the LP had a lot more high end and output than the SG. I can only think that either (a) the PU's are not as per the advertised specs, or (b) the nickel cover of the alnico V's have a great effect on the sound.
Any comments?
Cheers,
simes
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Post by andy on May 17, 2011 10:42:07 GMT -5
I have found that covered humbuckers generally to tend to sound 'smoother and warmer' (ie less highs) than uncovered. There's also a maple top in the mix compounding that difference.
I would imagine that the difference between alnico II and alnico V is less than the effect of those two factors.
Plus the covered ones (going by a rule of thumb on the resistance) are probably wound a bit hotter, which will also darken the tone a fraction.
Your findings sound like just what I would imagine from what you've told us!
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Post by simes on May 17, 2011 17:02:50 GMT -5
I rather imagined the maple top and the cover would have some influence, but the thing that surprised me was that the II's had a noticeably higher output than the V's, despite the latter indeed being wound a little hotter, to the point of driving the amp considerably more.
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Post by newey on May 17, 2011 18:31:41 GMT -5
More proof that a coil's DC resistance is only one of many factors in a pickup's output.
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