What is up with the holes in the top of the bobbins?

[Kyle]

I installed a set of Rebel yells recently, and while thoroughly impressed I am slightly curious,  on the bass side of the bridge pickup and the trebble side of the neck pickup their are 2 holes.  These holes go right through the bobbin and you can see the winding (clearly on the neck, white globbed on the bridge, presumably wax).   

Is the neck unpotted on the RY set unpotted?  Anyone know what is up with these holes?  (note: these are not the holes on both sides that do not go through, that I assume have something to do with the winding process).


One other question, is it normal for the pickups to amplify when a pick hits them?  I play with a stone (agate) pick and it can be fairly prominent in the odd times it happens.  I have never really experienced this before, it is mostly on a return from a tap on a sweep (still learning that stuff)  I am running these pickups a bit high as there seems to be very little string damping, quite nice. 

[B3]

Hi Kyle,
since nobody else has answered, I'll try. The holes that you suggest are probably to do with the winding process are actually part of how the pickup is held together and if you look inside, you'll see the screws holding everything together from the back!
The other holes where you can see the winding, are decorative, and a nod towards the history of pickup making - old pickups from the 50's have this feature.  Hope this helps.
How do they sound?

[Kyle]

Thanks a lot B3

I really like them.  I play with Agate picks and they don't seem to pick up the clack, but retain good attack (my last pickups needed to have the treble backed a bit and still got the pick clack).  I like stone as you can play pretty freely, it never moves out of place.

The bottom is good and tight, little less than I am used to but easily corrected as running a Mark V there is no shortage of bass to dial in.  The mid presence is huge and awesome, where my stock carvin pickups were scooped, and kind of sat back, these have serious in your face character.  I have not used them jamming but good mids I assume would cut well.  Even with all the mids and a fair bit of treble, they are never harsh.  Nice and smooth, always defined.  The stock pickups were both bassier, less tight, and harsh.  They were literally every improvement I was looking for.  Not to mention the increase in harmonics.. Yeouch, even at the neck, which never mudds up on me.  

The lack of string damping from the magnets is seriously impressive, I run them right up and don't lose sustain.  My last pickups had some heavy drag issues.  

I already have my second set of BKP's picked out if that is any indication.  On an upcoming (in the beginning hurdles) Strictly 7 guitars build. 

[B3]

Sounds like they're doing their job then! Tim is first and foremost a guitarist with years of playing live gigs under his belt and you can be sure he has designed and roadtested every one of his pickukps to shine though!
By the way, from what I know that is normal to get some noise from the pick. The trade off is to lose all the pick noise, you also have to loose some output from the pickup. When you're playing with a drummer though, you can hardly hear the noise. If you listen carefully to someone like Van Halen, or Brian May, there's lots of extra noises in there, but with the rest of the band, you have to listen really carefully to hear it - a bit like scr@ping noises from roundwounds which are always there, but not offensive.
I've heard good things about those agate picks from a few people, and also glass picks.

[Kyle]

Funny you mention offensive round wound pick noise.  Someone was telling me to try it on my bass it might sound awesome.  It sounded like the scratchiest thing you have every heard.  I have never taken up the pick on a bass thing, and just rounded my 10 year mark, that was painful.

The pick noise is not a concern, just a curiousity I am sure it is working fine. I see what you mean about all or northing, would make sense.  I think it has to due with a pickup being slightly microphonic, but all my pickups are like that.  Measure are taken to provide huge microphonic problems, but this one might be pleasing/required for feel if nothing else.