Do the little things make that much of a difference?

[GuitarIv]

Cheers guys,

being a member in this forum for quite some time I couldn't help myself but stumble lot of times across threads where different options that are offered for pickups are said to make a difference. For example, I read a lot about Overwound Nailbombs, but never understood what difference overwinding a pickup makes. I read that hex screws change the sound to make it fatter than normal traditional screws, covers make the pickup sound warmer, plain enamel wire is used with 43 AWG? I'm sure I don't remember everything but could anyone give me a basic insight on how pickups are made or to put it better which aspect you change about a pickup changes it's character?

I hope you can enlighten me a bit,

Cheers

[Afghan Dave]

How long is it?

(sorry..  :?)

[FELINEGUITARS]

Too late


But yes everything counts, but then so does everything on your guitar and in your signal chain

A pretty exhaustive subject - a bit like reading EVERY forum post since the beginning

[ericsabbath]

overwinding means winding more wire turns from the stock design of a pickup, making it hotter and more compressed and getting a higher dc resistance
according to Tim, getting 10% more turns, delivers approximately 10% more bass and mids and 10% less treble 
and also more compression
most of his of bkp models have offset coils (one of the coils is overwound in comparison to the other) so they don't lose the high end
overwinding does make a lot of difference, and that's why they don't offer that option anymore
results can be good or not
most of the models are already overwound or slightly modified versions of other models
the rebel yell is somewhat of an underwound and more symmetrical nailbomb
the cold sweat is an underwound ceramic nailbomb
the aftermath is like a ceramic nailbomb with matched coils and side magnets (a completely different pickup)

[Philly Q]

most of the models are already overwound or slightly modified versions of other models

This is an important point - if you overwind (or underwind) a pickup it essentially isn't the same pickup anymore.

So it becomes kind of meaningless to talk about an "overwound Nailbomb" because it may sound as different from a regular Nailbomb as, say, a Cold Sweat sounds from a C-Bomb.

Or you could adopt the Lindy Fralin approach, where he basically doesn't give his pickups names, just talks about "plus or minus" 5% or 10%.


And that's not even mentioning wire types or magnets....

[GuitarIv]

I see the topic seems to be way to large to cover it properly in one thread haha :P
So another thing I'd like to know is what are the differences when using hex screws instead of normal ones?

I think it would be great if the BKP stuff (or some dedicated forum member) would try to sum this stuff up in a post... but I could as well just use google and read every article out there about pickups ^^

Cheers!

[Afghan Dave]

...but I could as well just use google and read every article out there about pickups ^^

Cheers!

That's what 99% of the rest of us did.

The answer is within 2 clicks.

[Slartibartfarst42]

Although it's a big subject, I think it's a good idea for a thread. I looked into Hez screws and bolts etc. a few years ago but all I remember now is that they changed the magnetic field in some way. Unfortunately, I can't remember what way  :?

I don't understand what different wires do to the tone at all but I'd like to and recently, there's been some talk about lowering pickups and raising pole pieces that I found really interesting. Never any harm in learning a little more.  :D

[Lucifuge]

The really important question is: what is the difference between maple spacers and spacers made from other materials?  :P

[Afghan Dave]

The really important question is: what is the difference between maple spacers and spacers made from other materials?  :P

But what part of the tree was the maple cut from? Does the maple used have knots? Is it old growth.

Those are questions that I believe are not answered everywhere on the web...

As for the other...

http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/tips-and-tricks/tinkering-with-pickups-101/

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/3090462-post10.html

http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?203809-Pole-Piece-Changes-in-a-JB

Two f**king clicks from Google... I mean if you have so much time on your hands why don't you try it. PDT_046 PDT_038

[Alex]

The viewpoint I take is that Tim has probably tried all or at least most of the options in his workshop, as he has all the tools and parts there, and then deliberately settled on the final design of each pickup. After all, it is a balance of all the parts that makes the pickup what it is. If he felt a certain wire worked with this design, and the hex polepieces with the Aftermath, then it is probably because he tried the alternatives and felt they weren't as good. Why would I then, as amateur bedroom player, doubt that wisdom and experience, and start experimenting with different magnets and polepieces. I'm 99,9% certain that I will NOT suddenly find a pickup combination that the majority of guitar players will agree is superior to the original. That is what all those.... people... on the Seymour Duncan forum don't get. They think that by changing one particular part they will create the ultimate tone machine (Alnico 8 magnets are their favorite snake oil).

[Kiichi]

If he felt a certain wire worked with this design, and the hex polepieces with the Aftermath...

One that note I was given the option of either hex or screws for my AM set. Seemed to me like they did not believe it would make only a negligible sound difference. Went for screws for looks.
From what I know now I might have liked the sound of hex better. Now the set is guitarles until I find a baritone axe for them (or fender scale at the very least).

[Philly Q]

One that note I was given the option of either hex or screws for my AM set. Seemed to me like they did not believe it would make only a negligible sound difference. Went for screws for looks.

Although I'm not really into higher output pickups, I've often toyed with the idea of getting a set of Warpigs just for fun.  If I ever did, I would go for screws and conventional shiny covers, regardless of the effect on the sound, because the hex bolts and battleworn cover look is simply too OTT for me.

Actually, I would also consider cream open coils and hex bolts, for that '70s DiMarzio look, depending what guitar it was for..... either way, I'd be choosing more for looks than the subtle effect of the polepieces on the sound.

[GuitarIv]

Well in the end I guess I'll just do some research on my own and jfgi (as Afghan Dave has pointed out in a very subtle way :P )

Who knows, maybe I'll start a thread about it here one day and you guys can correct me as far as my informations are either true or utter horseshitee hahaha ^^

Cheers

[Toe-Knee]

The viewpoint I take is that Tim has probably tried all or at least most of the options in his workshop, as he has all the tools and parts there, and then deliberately settled on the final design of each pickup. After all, it is a balance of all the parts that makes the pickup what it is. If he felt a certain wire worked with this design, and the hex polepieces with the Aftermath, then it is probably because he tried the alternatives and felt they weren't as good. Why would I then, as amateur bedroom player, doubt that wisdom and experience, and start experimenting with different magnets and polepieces. I'm 99,9% certain that I will NOT suddenly find a pickup combination that the majority of guitar players will agree is superior to the original. That is what all those.... people... on the Seymour Duncan forum don't get. They think that by changing one particular part they will create the ultimate tone machine (Alnico 8 magnets are their favorite snake oil).

WHilst this is true for the most part what you are missing is that Tim's tastes as to what he thinks sounds better may be entirely different than what you think sounds better.

If you remember way back the C-bomb was never an option. A5 was the key and thats how it was sold until people kept asking for it and now it seems that is the option preferred by the masses.

I also prefer Neodymium magnets in a lot of pickups. The nailbomb being one of them it has a similar sound to say the A5 version with a tubescreamer.

Another good example is the 59/jazz hybrid from SD everyone liked that so much from forum members experimenting that it is now a production model