Pickup Identification?

[EyeMGod]

I recently purchased an 8 string guitar that had been previously modded. The stock pickups have been swapped out with Bare Knuckle pickups and I would like to determine which model the BK's are. I have read that I need to check the DC resistance with a multimeter and compare it to the BK website.

Do I need to remove/disconnect the pickups before testing them? How do I set up my multimeter (link: http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/multimeters/manual-ranging-multimeter )? Which wires do I test on the pickups?

[darkbluemurder]

Do I need to remove/disconnect the pickups before testing them? How do I set up my multimeter (link: http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/multimeters/manual-ranging-multimeter )? Which wires do I test on the pickups?

If you want the pure DC resistance of the pickups you need to disconnect them from the switch or volume pots - otherwise the volume pot is in parallel with the DC resistance. This means that a pickup with an unloaded DC resistance of 10k would show a resistance of (10k x 500k)/510k = 9.8k. As a ballpark figure it would be OK though.

Cheers Stephan

[EyeMGod]

If you want the pure DC resistance of the pickups you need to disconnect them from the switch or volume pots - otherwise the volume pot is in parallel with the DC resistance. This means that a pickup with an unloaded DC resistance of 10k would show a resistance of (10k x 500k)/510k = 9.8k. As a ballpark figure it would be OK though.

Cheers Stephan

Thank Stephan!! For what it is worth, I have tested the pickups by plugging a guitar cable in and testing that. I tested them using this method and I got a reading of 14.47 for the bridge pickup and 11.84 for the neck pickup. Am I to understand that these results point towards the pickups both being Aftermaths?
Also, both the neck and bridge pickups have double rows of Allen head poles, in case that may help determining the model of the pickups

[Chris Rowberry]

From the reading you're getting and the fact they have 2 rows of screws I'm confident to say you have a set of Aftermaths there. If they're open coil you should be able to see the red wire in the viewing holes too.

[Telerocker]

From the reading you're getting and the fact they have 2 rows of screws I'm confident to say you have a set of Aftermaths there. If they're open coil you should be able to see the red wire in the viewing holes too.

Now when BKP starts to label the pickups? That would eliminate a lot of guessing. 

[Chris Rowberry]

It could, as long as stickers didn't fall off I guess. We just think that if you bought a Bare Knuckle or a guitar with a Bare Knuckle in that you would have asked what model it was :)

I will bring this up though.

[Kiichi]

I see your point Chris, but you know, at some point it gets a bit complicated in reality too. With the amount of BKPs I have floating around at home I already made labels myself to not mistake my IT middle for my SH middle when both happen to be out of a guitar for a moment, for example.

And in the second hand market things can get lost at times too I recon. Someone sells a guitar with NBs. Next person sells it again but only remembers BKPs as they did not care about the pickups, but rather only about the guitar itself. Things like that.


I would not need to be a big sticker either. I recon instead of the full name a short like the ones we use here all the time could suffice.

Maybe you could even go the minimalist route and have the stickers not on but as an extra in the box if you want to keep the look alive and just offer it as an extra.

[Chris Rowberry]

t.
 

Maybe you could even go the minimalist route and have the stickers not on but as an extra in the box if you want to keep the look alive and just offer it as an extra.

Nice idea. I will mention it! 

[With Full Distortion]

or do it just as dimarzio done before and mark the back plate of the pickups with that hot iron mark with the pickups model and if its F spaced or not.

[m t soule]

Yeah man labels wild be cool.
I write on mine in marker as i get em.