Author Topic: screw/polepiece question (Read 4776 times)

shaman · « **on:** January 13, 2007, 03:48:08 PM »

I have always mounted hums in my pauls with screws facing outward-towards fingerboard and towards bridge-question is...what happens to tone if mounted with screws facing inward??I might like the look better on this set because of the zebra colored bobbins-searched around for info on this site, but got frustrated-thought I would post directly..
be gentle, oh tone meisters

Philly Q · « **Reply #1 on:** January 13, 2007, 05:06:55 PM »

It'll make a small difference if one coil is wound differently from the other - which is the case with BKP humbuckers, I believe. There's usually a slight offset between the two coils so they "hear" different frequencies, which gives a bigger, more open sound.

I'd say try it and see - you can always change it back if you don't like it.

blue · « **Reply #2 on:** January 13, 2007, 10:49:53 PM »

i read once that when asked this very question, Seth Lover, designer of the gibson humbucker, said he put them in with the screw coils facing out because "it looked better".

i think i've read on this forum that the screw coil will tend to have a slightly higher output. as PhillyQ says, turning them around will probably give a slightly different sound, but i would doubt that it would be anything dramatic.

gingataff · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2007, 02:14:57 AM »

I think the VHIII is (one of?) the most offset windings so that may well have a noticeably different sound :?
uhh, that'll be VHII. I don't think anyone wants to sound like VHIII

PhilKing · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2007, 02:03:12 PM »

The real problem will come with split coil combinations. If you aren't splitting the coil then you can mount the pickups however you like. If you have covers then it will make more of a difference than if they are open coils (as the screws are higher than the slugs with covers).

If it is just to have the cream and black coils the opposite way round, you can order 'reverse' zebra pickups (this is what I usually get anyway as most of the original Gibson zebras have a black screw coil and cream slug coil).

The new BK PG set is designed to have the neck pickup mounted with the screws inwards (but the bridge the correct way), this is how Peter Green put his back in after the rewind. With this set the combination will give an out of phase thin sound (much more like a Strat), which was part of Peter Green's sound (listen to the original Black Magic Woman to hear what I mean).

shaman · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2007, 02:10:46 PM »

thanks !! I just got a set of RY's yesterday and they were going in a cherryburst lp custom..as I was looking at things, I realized I might like them better zebra(set was rev zeeb)..I put them in both ways before grabbing the soldering iron...the decision...drum roll please...traditional!
-looks great-now if I can just get that darn neck pup adjusted correctly, I will be in tonal heaven...
I gots questions, the BK Nation gots answers!

MDV · « **Reply #6 on:** January 14, 2007, 02:43:38 PM »

Itll increase low end.

The scre pole is generally hotter and the screws closer to the strings so if you swap it round that hotter coil picks up more from a part of the sting closer to the neck with a wider vibration and the other weaker coild from the trblier part of the string nearer the bridge: increased heaviness. Its a trick Ive used in the past to decent (if not massive) effect.

shaman · « **Reply #7 on:** January 14, 2007, 03:50:46 PM »

mark-I read your post and thought I would switch the neck pup-it was sounding like a single coil almost-too trebly and glassy-just tried it and I think that is going to help fatten her up some-now I have just got to pull it out and swap the pup ring -boy, I sure love remounting pups -those spring thing-e's are sooo much fun
..we will she how she goes from here-more from the deep south later

lulusg · « **Reply #8 on:** January 14, 2007, 07:04:54 PM »

Hi Shaman. I have the RYs also on a GLPS, and they sure Rock hard. Just this weekend we managed to squeeze the guitar into a music shop after they closed, we always get requested the Les Paul just because it is an awesome sounding guitar and ( I swear, true power) we plugged into a JCM 800 and a 4x12 1960 marshall. Then at volume level and gain never tried before(on that store, and on the JCM 800, residential area, shhhh.... ). Then the beast was unleashed, as they took their moment to play with it. As the manager put it pointing a finger to the guitar Rock, then to the Amp, and Roll . It was a very shamanistic moment. Man you got to give it its right place, to those RYs. From the even deeper south, and birthplace of the blues. Cheers :)

shaman · « **Reply #9 on:** January 14, 2007, 07:45:48 PM »

that is too cool!!I cannot wait to open her up-my wife is flyin' to Chi town for the week, so I am going to see what I can do to this residential area I live in-first, a 50 watt 1974 Marshall JMP /4x12...a Boogie Mark IV/Thiele cab for dessert-the RY has now been spotted in sippi and bama-lets meet in the middle and claim this whole damn place!!
-shamanistic,indeed!

BloodMountain · « **Reply #10 on:** January 14, 2007, 09:35:49 PM »

hey, on the subject of polepieces and stuff, if you flipped a Warpig, would that make any difference because all polepieces are screws...

maverickf1jockey · « **Reply #11 on:** January 15, 2007, 06:24:32 AM »

i think the coilings are different, so maybe...

BloodMountain · « **Reply #12 on:** January 15, 2007, 04:43:27 PM »

oh yeah... im an idiot :)