Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Gooby on November 12, 2008, 08:41:51 AM

Title: Sound difference using different pole types??
Post by: Gooby on November 12, 2008, 08:41:51 AM

Does anyone how using a double row of Allen heads instead of the usual Slugs and Screws would effect the overall sound of a pickup?

I am considering ordering a pair of pickups. Part of that of course is how it looks, however I would not compromise the sound I want for looks.


Martin

Title: Re: Sound difference using different pole types??
Post by: MDV on November 12, 2008, 09:48:21 AM

Allens are brighter and more focussed in the lows

Its not a lot of difference, but its there.

Title: Re: Sound difference using different pole types??
Post by: Gooby on November 12, 2008, 04:36:34 PM

Thats interesting.

I am planning on putting a pair of VHII's in an Ibanez PGM301 with a double row of Allen bolts on each pickup instead of the usual slugs and screws.


Martin

Title: Re: Sound difference using different pole types??
Post by: Philly Q on November 12, 2008, 06:31:53 PM

Nolly has a VHII with double rows of screw poles - I guess that will sound slightly different again.

There are pictures towards the bottom of this page:

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5209.735 (http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5209.735)

Title: Re: Sound difference using different pole types??
Post by: Nolly on November 12, 2008, 07:10:30 PM

As Philly says, I've got a double-screw pole VHII, and also a double-allen Cold Sweat.
From talking to Tim, I believe the difference between allens and screws is basically undetectable, but there is a difference between them and the slugs. The allens and screws both go right the way through the baseplate, which as I understand, projects the magnetic field more strongly upwards. The stronger the field/output, the more low-end in the signal (you need much more power to produce bass frequencies than treble - hence why bassists' rigs tend to be far higher wattages than guitarists), so having two rows of allens or screws, will add bass and round off the some of the highs.
I've not had a chance to compare my pickups with standard screw/slug versions in the same guitar, and I think I would have to do so in order to be able to tell the difference. Having twin rows of adjustable screws or allens does mean you can tweak the pickup's tone a bit more than usual though.