What is the explanation for a high output P/U with a low DC

[5F6-A]

I guess it's the construction and a stronger magnet. Am I right?

I have a high output humbucker that reads 7.34k. I reckon that somehow the magnet bar should be very strong or the whole design is made for that purpose.....

What do you think???

[dave_mc]

i think it's the thickness of the wire, possibly.

probably other factors, too, like magnet strength.

[Davey]

a ceramic magnet the size of jupiter

[Eric]

Magnets are part of it. Wire is also a large factor. Tim or Steve could explain this better than me but I'll do my best. With a thicker guage wire you need fewer turns to get a given resistance. So if say two pickups were wound to 15k but one used 44 guage wire and the other used 42 guage wire the 44 guage wire one would be less powerful and brighter because there is simply less wire around that bobbin.

[MDV]

Yeah, magent type and wire length (number of turns) are the output variables. More wire (= more turns) give more output and more magnet gives more output.

This is why DC resistance is given as a rough guide to the power of a pickup: its an estimate of the length of wire and the number of turns (as the resistance is proportional to length). But as Eric and dave rightly say, the thickness of the wire affects its resistance, so you can have alot of turns of thick wire at lower DC.

[Steve-Mr Pig 2U]

What exactly is the pickup in question?

[5F6-A]

HD vintage plus
apparently the pickup "has a machined baseplate that shapes the magnetic field and directs it toward the strings". That could shed some light on the matter

[Jaicen_Solo]

HD vintage plus
apparently the pickup "has a machined baseplate that shapes the magnetic field and directs it toward the strings". That could shed some light on the matter

You'll probably find that the 'magic' baseplate is made from nickel silver, so has very little effect on the final tone of the pickup. If it is steel, it would have the effect of spreading the magnetic flux over a larger area, not concentrating it! Think of it in terms of a Tele vs Strat bridge pickup. The Tele sounds wiry and less focused than the strat precisely because it has a steel baseplate (although the bobbins are slightly shorter on a tele as well). Without it, the pickup just doesn't sound the same.

As for the number of turns/output question; for the same number of turns, thicker wire will have a higher inductance than thinner wire and hence more output. It will also have less DC resistance.

[Steve-Mr Pig 2U]

I expect the baseplate is dispersing the magnetic field through the coils as well as the pole pieces, Same principle as a tele bridge. Are the pole pieces the same as a normal humbucker or are they magnetic rod?

[5F6-A]

I expect the baseplate is dispersing the magnetic field through the coils as well as the pole pieces, Same principle as a tele bridge. Are the pole pieces the same as a normal humbucker or are they magnetic rod?

I don't know for sure but they look like the usual thing. So summing up the pickup sounds hotter as;

- uses some kind of baseplate
- might use more turns of thinner wire
- uses a stronger magnet

uhm...very interesting...

BTW, the base looks kind of dull golden colour...is that of any help?

[Steve-Mr Pig 2U]

I expect that is brass, which is odd as it is not magnetic.

[5F6-A]

I expect that is brass, which is odd as it is not magnetic.

yeah it does loo like brass actually... what 'd be the effect of such material????

( it seems to me that HD's Scott Petersen has for sure a unique way of understanding p/u making )