I mean the JB jr in the video... sorry I misspoke On that
@Addahasan3 ай бұрын
Please Dylan, do the Alnico and Ceramic differences video.
@haveagoodone58303 ай бұрын
Dylan, there's this one thing one been thinking about and couldn't find it in the webs: a given pickup+ pot + cap setup sets a specific resonance peak. A different piece in this combo means a different result in resonance peak. Ok. But does this actually mean that it CHANGES as you sweep the pot?
@dw77043 ай бұрын
I just heard that part, and thought, wait.. The Duncan Distortion is a ceramic magnet, and basically a hotter JB (or so it said on their website when I bought a JB)
@nocturnal101ravenous63 ай бұрын
Magnet decay is real, but not in 70 years as far as I know unless there are extreme things happening to that magnet to get it to lose remanence, like it being exposed to rogue strong magnetic fields, or like really vast temperature changes(Yep you covered them), I mean there is literally no guide in science to predict the half life of a magnet its not like Radioactivity where you can measure it specifically, so in another couple hundred years we may need to talk about it but the question then would be how many Tesla did it lose over a couple hundred years I would bet it is a very slight difference. Pickups well guitar playing is weird when it comes to quantifying "Tone", Pickups are designed and are a sum of all the parts that go into it, I kind of stick to saying the Tone is from you to the speaker and its a sum of all the parts, if your tone sucks figure out where specifically it needs alteration, but I strongly object that there is bad Tone, just bad placement. Some of the most famous songs in rock and roll history had bad tone when taken in isolation, on its own, but as part of the whole and why it was used to get the overall sound and effect that is needed it ends up an amazing combination and thus doesn't suck.
@GCKelloch3 ай бұрын
@@haveagoodone5830 The peak level (detemined by the cable Capacitance) drops and shifts slightly down as the tone knob is turned down until it gets to the point on the knob where the pot resistance on the tone cap is low enough that the tone cap value determines the peak. That's generally at 3~4 on an audio taper pot.
@matthewaltomare76293 ай бұрын
I'd like to see that Ceramic vs. ALNICO comparison
@jordimateubartroli9513 ай бұрын
There are. Ceramic don't sound worse if properly designed.
@realtruenorth3 ай бұрын
@@jordimateubartroli951 ceramic sound better for metal sometimes, not so great for jazz and not the same as alnico. Same with speakers I have found I love ceramic speakers for metal and rock and alnico for jazz/blues/vintage cleans.
@jordimateubartroli9513 ай бұрын
@@realtruenorth It depends on the design: the comparison I saw was between strat pickups, clean. Ceramics sounded as good and sweet as alnico. They were well designed.
@realtruenorth3 ай бұрын
@@jordimateubartroli951 yes, I have ceramics that sound great. Ceramic and alnico sound different. But better is subjective.
@scottschuster38483 ай бұрын
I would absolutely watch a Ceramic vs Alnico magnet video. Thanks for this.
@scottschuster38483 ай бұрын
This is very likely beyond the scope of what you want to do, but: it would be really cool to also hear the same test on speaker magnets in otherwise identical speakers, w/a breakdown on the effects produced on those separate ends of our tone
@lazersheep3 ай бұрын
I would love to see that Ceramic v Alnico video, I've always accidentally held the wrong idea about ceramic magnets thanks to mainline attitudes.
@picksalot13 ай бұрын
Me too. Frequency analysis and Chart comparison would illustrative as well. I've heard good sounding Ceramic Magnet Pickups in blind tests.
@ericmc64823 ай бұрын
Ceramic (ferrite) magnets are intrinsically noisy and this translates into the output. Alnico magnets are much quieter and this is audible.
@stevelaferney35793 ай бұрын
Matters not what magnet it depends on whether you like it. Jack Pearson, used to play with Allman Brothers as well as others, is considered one of the top most players, plus other top players are using stock Squier Bullet guitars w/o changing pups in all kinds of gigs. They sound just fine.
@dw77043 ай бұрын
Having both ceramic and alnico magnets in my pickups, there isn’t much difference I can hear, at least for my guitars and what I play. But I remember once hearing you should buy and use ceramic magnets because they hold their magnetic properties much longer and your alnico magnets will eventually stop working. Guitars that are much older than I am still have their original pickups and they still work. But even if they lose that property I have heard of them being re-magnetized
@Dudemandude0073 ай бұрын
@stevelaferney3579 nah those pickups are junk and noisy. The higher end Squiers with the SQR pickups are sooooo much better.
@KnowJuanSpecial3 ай бұрын
“You can’t duplicate PAFs.” Hell, they (Gibson) couldn’t duplicate it back then. lol. They didn’t make the same one twice. They grabbed anything they had sitting around. Some sounded great and some didn’t.
@bretheweb3 ай бұрын
I think there's a lot of caveats in that situation. They were a production floor, not a custom shop, so there wasn't a lot of thought going into it let alone reproducing it. Especially when "it" was such an elusive target. They were just trying to sell guitars. Remember, the LP got canceled for a reason. That hard rock adopted the PAF LP as "the sound" was a happy accident. Like the reverse of the "Friday Ford" concept. In the many decades since, there are a plethora of "magic PAF tone" pickups, but how can you tell except in isolation? I could probably tell the difference in a small room with me, the guitar and an amp or in a very controlled studio recording of guitar and amp, but otherwise? Nah. I mean BFG famously "recreates" the Pearly Gates live tone for all of his other guitars with a rack of stuff.
@cliffhanger81703 ай бұрын
People also forget pickup height makes a huge difference
@traineecanuck3 ай бұрын
Phil McNight did a tour at Kiesel and the one place they wouldn’t let him into was the pickup room. The reason being they have all the formulas for their pickups up on the wall, so they didn’t want anyone else to see that, and Jeff Kiesel stated that pickups are just math.
@Pondo12213 ай бұрын
Do the magnet swap, but do NOT tell viewers which is which.
@tgarder3 ай бұрын
It's amazing how videos where they do that (like can you pick out the cheap vs expensive pickups or cheap vs expensive guitar) in blind test videos and don't reveal the answer until a later video always gets so few comments :D :D
@josephc32763 ай бұрын
This is definitely the content I love from your channel!!! Even when you have posted similar before, because if it's not something you work with on a regular basis, I for one can't remember the details. At 70 years old I'll never stop asking WHY IS THAT? Thanks Dylan for your time Sir. jm2c
@emmettsullivan6903 ай бұрын
EVH stated in an interview in Guitar Player Magazine long ago that when he rewound his PAF pickup he didn't count the number of turns.
@eddiejr5403 ай бұрын
I’ve probably learned more about pickups in this video than I have in my entire guitar playing life…great video Dylan👍
@Mattguitarmania3 ай бұрын
You’re my favorite MythBuster in the world of guitars! I’d like to see the video comparing ceramic and alnico magnets
@beerbikesandblues3 ай бұрын
I admire your quest for awesome tones, Sir Dylan. Travel forth and discover great things for the people from the land of guitars.
@markbaldwin17763 ай бұрын
Add an extra element of nerdiness and do a side by side through an O-scope. Seeing it quantified would be pretty awesome.
@MrGlynsPickups3 ай бұрын
Thanks Dylan, you put it very well. Stopping players referring to dc resistance as 'output' is hard. Like them calling positions 2 and 4 of a Strat switch 'out of phase'. I'm right behind ya fella.
@bretheweb3 ай бұрын
Stratocasters. Tremolo. Vibrato. The most egregious. :D We forget that EEs are designing modern pickups and have been for a few decades now. It's science folks.
@gringogreen47193 ай бұрын
My main Tele has a Filtertron in the neck and it took a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder in the bridge to balance the sound. Filtertrons are LOUD pickups but they are not very strong. I also have a crazy Strat shaped (Samick Malibu) guitar where I put in a Filtertron (bridge), SD Little 59 (middle), and a Quarter Pounder (neck) and it sounds great! I have a coil split in the middle hole for the Little 59 and I have a treble bleed on the volume and a Grease bucket on the tone. Both pots are Bournes minis with 250k pots. The guitar sounds fantastic and all pickups play well together. The idea for this was AC/DC (bridge), Wayne Kramer as well as a jangle (middle and middle split) and a P-90ish tone (neck). Those Quarter Pounders are good as being a P-90 punch with the glassiness of a Strat pickup. Oh yeah magnet wise it's a Alnico ll (bridge), ceramic (middle) and Alnico V (neck) for the Samick. Again, in 2 & 4 on the five way switch, they play well with each other 😉👍✨
@thseed73 ай бұрын
Love the nerdy science part. Understanding more about how and why the gear we love works is always interesting.
@jeffmurdock83213 ай бұрын
Cat didn't even have a guitar in the video. I was afraid I'd get bored 5 minutes in, but at the end I wanted more. Really fascinating and so well explained.
@Trenchant4632 ай бұрын
No one ever told me Ceramic pickups are cheaper/lower quality than Alnico. Just different. I agree both sound great and a pickup’s performance is sum of its design and materials, not just the magnet. Same with speaker mags.
@mehAudio3 ай бұрын
The G&L MFDs are ceramic, too. I definitely rate them higher than a lot of non-ceramics…
@lazvt84693 ай бұрын
wow...didn't know...and they are truly exceptional pups!
@EvanDander3 ай бұрын
People get salty when you challenge their “beliefs “ with science. Don’t EVER stop doing that
@dw77043 ай бұрын
Well music is more an art than a science, so sometimes it doesn’t fit science, it depends on feelings. So things like pickups can sometimes be perceived to make differences that science won’t support But of course thee are still many myths that people won’t let go And these kinds of videos can still be cool
@endajd.3 ай бұрын
@@dw7704 pickup is not a music. it's technology
@dw77043 ай бұрын
@@endajd. but it’s used to make music. It’s part of the process of what we hear, which is why they exist. Yes you can use science to explain how they do what they do, but the results are not necessarily science They are music
@ramencurry66723 ай бұрын
Agreed. Science is important if you want to avoid malfunctions, fighting noise, DIY, etc. if you have a hired handyman then it’s probably not that necessary
@endajd.3 ай бұрын
@@dw7704 have people invented music or is music older than people?
@mauriciogambini17 күн бұрын
Thanks for sharing the technical perspective about it. It was very helpful. I'm looking forward to the alnico vs ceramic video !
@fat-hand3 ай бұрын
I always learn something new with Dylan and he keeps my curiosity peaked. It would be cool to see a graphical representation of your various pickups mapped to resonant peaks and Q widths and tonal qualities (potentials?) so folks who think they want a hotter pickup can actually see how to get what they’re after vs assuming. Then videos like the ceramic vs alnico swap will also have a visual representation. This video puts to rest why you rise above others in this field. Well done sir.
@stratolestele76113 ай бұрын
"curiosity *piqued*" I promise, I'm not trying to be a grammar nerd, but you seem to care about your words, so I figured I'd just pass along that tidbit as someone did for me many years ago. I'm grateful for those that correct me. 👍
@jessehutchings3 ай бұрын
Reminder that fussing about this stuff never resulted in an amazing song. Amazing songs are created by playing and recording. If you compose an amazing song it will probably be amazing no matter what your guitar had in it
@nocturnal101ravenous63 ай бұрын
I would disagree, every genre and every song from every band has a specific sound, tone plays a part into manipulation of a person's psyche and Emotional state, both Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie have had published works based on this. Paint it Black would not even remotely sound the same without that shrill high end of the highs played by Richards, or a band like Korn that used a 7 string that gave them a very very unique sound. Lets go back to early telecaster days would those songs have sounded right if they didn't sound overly compressed, how about Sevendust and the guitarists story about using a small shitty amp and when it didn't sound right in the studio with all that high end gear he ended up recording with his little Roland amp that gives them that weird heavy sound he has. Or what about U2 and the Edge. How about Brian May would We will rock you sound better or worse if he didn't fuss over that solo bit he does giving way to one of the greatest rock anthems ever made. How about the Kinks. I mean I would argue strongly against your statement because that as a guitarist is what makes you you and is what makes you stand out in the mix versus everyone else. I could compose a masterpiece but the song would be complete crap if not done by the right people in the correct way, there are countless examples of people butchering music. I can take a poorly composed piece and make it sound better, I cannot take a masterpiece and make it sound better than it has already been done and in the off chance I can it would be the exception not the rule.
@Letterspeed3 ай бұрын
This one's for the mechanics not the race car drivers
@odysseyxcycleАй бұрын
Jimmy page paid people fuss about the tone. Joe walsh fussed about the tone, jimi hendrix fussed about the tone
@violadude853 ай бұрын
Def would love to see the ceramic vs alnico vid! Love your channel and your helpful info makes cutting through a lot of the bs out there easier. Thanks man
@somestupidwithaflaregun71493 ай бұрын
Paul McCartney was once asked what kind of strings he used. He answered "long silver ones". I still laugh about that to this day. Hey...now do strings!
@erickmo11883 ай бұрын
I love the no none sense no Bs of this channel. Most people that make good/great pickups try to make you believe that this stuff is all special sauce or wizardry. Dylan’s the guy that gives it to us straight! I had a set of HW Abby pickups that I coveted for the simple fact that they were wound by her… were they the best sounding- nope. Did I like the brittle nature of the ‘69 design- nope. Sold them to someone in a CS strat and have never regretted either. The magic doesn’t come from the person or process that makes the guitar. It comes from the person that plays it.
@sea-tramp3 ай бұрын
Totally correct. It doesnt matter if its a $50 guitar or a $5000 guitar, its whats comes out of the person who plays it.
@goodknight373 ай бұрын
Just discovered this channel and loving it. Great topic here👍
@shaalis3 ай бұрын
I love these mythbusting episodes. Very helpful!
@Trollsmacker3 ай бұрын
Keep on delivering in the objective, patient, and experienced way that you do. There's so much BS out there that needs to be swept away.
@jryan79323 ай бұрын
Dude, use an Invader to swap out all the different magnet types! Love the idea! Can't wait!
@timesurfingalien3 ай бұрын
The little sticker tells you so. 🤣🤣😂😅😂🤣
@valleybudokan3 ай бұрын
This is the type of content that caused me to subscribe back when you were making videos in your back yard. Great topic! Love this approach to understanding the components that contribute to a tone.
@michaelthomas99913 ай бұрын
Fascinating episode! All I can say is, more please. Nobody has ever explained the science you discussed here, I imagine because most “experts” are pulling information right out of their butts. Thank you for posting this episode.
@stevebarnes7663 ай бұрын
The nerd in me says DEFINITELY do a Ceramic vs. ALNICO comparison video. It will be fun to watch and listen to. If there are any oscilloscopes or spectrum analyzers available to hook on the outputs of the pickups, I think they would be huge visual examples of output, Q, etc. vs. the sound you get as you change the magnet strengths, sizes or what's easier for you with what's on hand. Thanks for putting in all this work in your channel. Love the tech talk!
@jesperbc3 ай бұрын
The DC resistance thing is the most infuriating thing ever! I learned this the hard way. I bought a set of pickups from a builder advertised as having "the power and clarity of an active with all the tone and dynamics of a passive". I play metal, so that intrigued me. It had a DC resistance of 8.6 kOhm. What I got, pummeled a 100 watt tube clean amp channel into breaking up A LOT! I didn't read the fine print, but it had three magnets, ceramic and alnico, underneath, which created one helluva strong magnetic field! I had to get rid of them and get something else. DC resistance alone is balony, and I wish pickup manufacturer would advertise their products with greater specificity.
@HeyNostradamus28 күн бұрын
In regards to the strength and design of the magnet being more important than the material used for tone, if you read what Seth Lover said about magnets in pickups, basically all the magnet does is magnetize the string for the coils. Thats it. All the tone comes from the coils.
@danielserrano3433 ай бұрын
Loved this video! Thanks for the technical explanations to throw some light on it but without going too deep to lose the focus! Really enjoyed!
@chrisegg79362 ай бұрын
I have more guitars than I generally like to admit to a stranger, and one of my FAVORITE pickups out of all of them is a presumably cheap ceramic humbucker in the bridge of a cheap fender prodigy from the early 90s.
@user-bj7jz2vo1y3 ай бұрын
Excellent video, lots of pertinent info to de-mystify this subject. I’d be interested in a discussion of the different qualities of the various Alnico magnets and how they are used in specific applications. The same with ceramic, too. Are there various types of ceramics that go into pickups or is it one type of material? Thanks, good stuff!
@moparbryan3 ай бұрын
Duncan’s JB is an Alnico 5 magnet
@DylanTalksTone3 ай бұрын
Yes!!! I misspoke. JB jr is ceramic
@deanallen9273 ай бұрын
I love a nice A5 or ceramic pickup, I use all kinds. P-90, Duncan and DiMarzio HB's, strat, true single coil and HB. The DiMarzio Super Distortion is just a superb pickup and my current fave.
@stevebleetstein792 ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge.... the best
@cchavez2483 ай бұрын
Since it's possible to make ceramic pickups to sound good both clean and dirty, why don't speaker manufacturers try to make a ceramic speaker that sounds like an Alnico Blue?
@stoneglad3 ай бұрын
Thanks, interesting stuff! I’m glad I’m now better informed and more knowledgeable about pickups than I was before watching this!!
@Kabayoth3 ай бұрын
The capacitance of the wire could change with the PVC coating, but the lengths found in guitars would make this a trivial detail.
@bretheweb3 ай бұрын
At that point it's the trivial details that add up to make it more than trivial. Or least that's what the marketing told me. :D I mean have you read anything about the late Ken Fischer of Trainwreck amps? Dude said he could hear the differences in wire coating in his amps/transformers. Seymour Duncan and Larry DiMarzio basically created an entire industry on paying attention to pickup construction. I liken it to putting together a signature wardrobe. The amp/speakers/pickups are the major pieces and from there you refine, refine, refine.
@jordimateubartroli9513 ай бұрын
Yes, but this capacitance is depending on the distance between wire coils. You can make the pvc coat thickness appropiate for the capacitance you need or want.
@AAAA-lt9hqАй бұрын
This is interesting. The point about the magnet strength not noticeably decaying with time really made me reconsider the relic'ed/aged pickup fad. They do seem a little softer in the highs but that is about it. Also, I would love to see a discussion about the vintage Fender Wide Range pickups from the 70s, their CuNiFe magnet design, and whether modern reproductions come close (it is my understanding that vintage CuNiFe is no longer made). It is also my understanding that the Wide Range sound cannot be reproduced in standard sized humbuckers because the larger size bobbins are needed to create the Wide Range tone. I am curious if modifications could be made to make the Wide Range sound in a standard humbucker in the same way that P90 sounds can be put into standard humbuckers. Thank you.
@Lomoholga23 ай бұрын
Ibanez Super 58s are made with ceramic and they are amazing
@shadowminister40903 ай бұрын
Thanks, Dylan, for the nerdy stuff; very interesting.
@UncleDansVintageVinyl3 ай бұрын
Awesome! Thank you! I love vintage tones, but I also know that there ain't no magic nowhere! Thanks for being so clear-sighted and honest!
@alexwood85553 ай бұрын
Dude I'd love the ceramic vs alnico test. I appreciate the takes in this video man, love the honesty.
@carlodevivomusicontent21383 ай бұрын
I don't need that video to believe you, but I would love it because it's so interesting knowing things
@GlennTepper3 ай бұрын
I appreciate that you "squashed" all the "voodoo" I've encountered over the decades. I'm pretty much set with the guitars and their pickups that I now have - which includes a set of your P90s. So, thanks.
@andrewhouse32463 ай бұрын
Definitely do the ceramic vs video. I will super chat it Thursday. I love ceramic, maybe cuz I'm a metal kid from the 80's , but ur right, Both are worthy.
@BrianGay57Ай бұрын
Thanks Dylan, I ❤ science and guitar!
@dustyhatkins4 күн бұрын
Hey! I'm churious about one thing. We always hear talk about alnico and ceramic magnets. I was wondering though if you could talk about rubber magnets at some point (if i'm not mistaking,dearmo rythm chiefs 1100 have them, as well as some old "gold foils" - whatever gold foil means, haha). I know you just talked about the fact that it's the whole pickup design that's important; i'd just like to know more is all.
@chrisnahhas515120 күн бұрын
I have a question: Why do Gibson/Epiphone make the same pickup type in varying quality. For example; the P90. Wouldn’t it be more cost-effective to make them all to the same spec across the entire range? Is it market forces that cause them to have to make a cheaper version or is it just to get the customer to spend more? I’m looking at swapping some Gibson P-90s into a 2002 Epiphone Les Paul Special. It’s going to cost a lot of money; is the difference in price really justifiable from a manufacturing perspective?
@dexterj56153 ай бұрын
As a fellow Dylan i can say we were made to ruffle the feathers and I for one subbed for logical and scientific information which you are a wealth of.
@corycardenas7673 ай бұрын
Awesome info Dylan! Thanks again, and yes, we want that comparison video. Our friends don't believe us, lol. 👊🤠
@chrisreich403 ай бұрын
The 't' in 'often' is silent.
@FrioGamingOverwatch3 ай бұрын
I love this video this cleared up a lot of doubts that I have and questions that I had of pickups and its anatomy
@LRHutch3 ай бұрын
Great video Dylan. I didn't do a video but I record audio a couple months ago 2 tracks with 2 Telecasters, One panned left the other panned right. First one a Squier with ceramic bar magnets, Second one had vintage 65 Fender Jazzmaster alnico 5 pole magnets. One on the left the other on the right channel. All the settings were the same when recording both tracks. Now you know the difference in the size of the coils, so I thought there would be a lot of difference. I could not tell the tone difference between the two. I let ten other people listen to the tracks and they couldn't tell any difference either in the tone. Output was a bit higher with the Jazzmasters. Have a good one Dylan.
@bobdillon11383 ай бұрын
The wire is the main difference between modern offerings and vintage its not just the enamel coating it is also the impurities in the copper that aren't there today too the same degree because the smelting process is more refined Throbak had some pickups they were selling a while back that used some vintage wire they found and there was a clear difference between the exact same variety's wound on the same machines with the same magnets and hardware using the modern wire.
@matthewthompson19423 ай бұрын
I like gavitt cloth only because for me it’s easier to use. And it’s not terribly expensive for my use. Great video!
@CaptainErn3 ай бұрын
This is the content I subscribe for! Definitely do the Alnico v ceramic video
@ooloncaluphid3 ай бұрын
A couple or a few years ago Darrel Braun switched the magnets in a pickup, and in that particular instance the ceramic pickup had a "warmer" sound but the alnico was clearer and more articulate. I'd be curious to hear, if you made alnico and ceramic pickups that were exactly the same size, shape, and strength, whether there would be any difference in sound.
@robertmartinsenlb8ci3 ай бұрын
Agree 100%. Would be cool to see a video where you compare how different pickups sit and cut through in the band mix.
@leagueofsoniccuriosity5376Ай бұрын
Yes! Please do the ceramic vs alinco pickup vid!
@Jacobus-or6vf3 ай бұрын
Would love to see the Ceramic VS. Alnico vid. I have yet to find a Ceramic Tele or Strat pick up set that i like.
@RichardHazzardEsq3 ай бұрын
Love to see the swap using pickup designed for ceramic (like JB), then using pickup designed for alnico like PAF. Thanks for great videos.
@jonkerr20503 ай бұрын
Very informative. And it all makes sense. I have what I would call a “working knowledge” of electronics. Probably more than the average guy, but nowhere near what you or especially the engineers you’re referencing. But it all makes sense to me.
@JohnnyBGoode6343 ай бұрын
I loved this video. Given that guitar output is an important dimension of my overall chain, is there a reliable way to measure the actual output of a guitar? OR is DC resistance “close enough” as a relative value to help predict what might happen when swapping guitars?
@BorisRozavilovsky-Levit3 ай бұрын
Hi Dylan! Grate and very informative video. I have a question. If you wiring pickups and guitar instead of coper wire but with silver wire. How it will affects on quality and strength of the sound ? Thanks in advance for the answer.
@p.s895018 күн бұрын
I honestly dont know why anybody wants to duplicate old vintage equipment. The new stuff has evolved into way better sound and duty.
@paulmcnary42773 ай бұрын
GREAT VIDEO DYLAN ! For the few inches of copper wire used to hookup to a pickup in a guitar, like you said is is soooo imperceptible. Then includes think about all the copper used in the windings. The speed of electricity through a copper wire is approximately 98-99% of the speed of light in a vacuum, which equates to about 300,000,000 meters per second or 186,000 miles per second.
@Tonedefy3 ай бұрын
Picked up a Tremonti SE with a Duncan Distortion bridge (ceramic) and was blown away by its fat clarity and off course output!
@rendyandrian71493 ай бұрын
You answer many of my questions about pickup. My next question. Besides buying and put it in our guitar, how can we guess pickup sound ?
@runedahl14772 ай бұрын
I have a guitar with hand built pickups and they sound great. However the guy that made them seem to be more interested in research than in actually making an selling pickups. In a way that makes sense because there are so many variables that makes up the “perfect “ pickup. In addition you have the personal preference of each guitar player. To get the pickups that are perfect for you seems just as difficult as it is to pick out all the right numbers in a lottery.😊😊
@2000SkyView19 күн бұрын
#1 expensive custom pickups are better than inexpensive mass produced pickups
@ricklodewell60123 ай бұрын
My favorite videos of yours have always been the ones which are more scientific in nature. Especially the white board ones. I go back and watch 5 year old videos occasionally.
@BlackReaperMetal3 ай бұрын
This is my favorite type of video you do. It would be great to learn how each aspect affects tone and by how much using clips and maybe even freq response graphs. A lot of work but i believe your are the guy qualified to do something like that.
@henkehakansson20042 ай бұрын
There's some food for thought here, for sure. But there are way more "stupid" pickup myths around which I personally find more important. To leave out the strings is a major gaffe, since it is the strings VIBRATION that is making the magnetic field occur. I read and interview with Seth Lover that he had a lot of artists way back complaining about that this or that pickup was too weak. Now, Seth answered that those 50s pickups were made for those strings made back then. 012 set with a SPUN third string, and FLATWOUND strings, and on top of that, the wound strings may have had pure nickel around them and nickel is not magnetic at all, so they all had to "voice" their pickups to that. It was just later on, about mid 60's these "banjo" strings came around, 10-46 gauge, stainless steel, roundwound, plain third, hex cores yada yada, that jinxed the output from old pickups. And no one's going to tell me that the same alloys and ways to make strings today are exactly the same as it was in the 50s. 'it all has developed and progressed to the better. So what gives? You can very well make any pickup have stronger output with thicker gauge strings (no matter if they're plain or wound). BTW one terrific ceramic made pickup (rails) sounding great are JBE Joe Barden Pickups. Hottest passive pickups I know of without squashing dynamics, or reducing treble, OR are prone to magnetic string pull. But they are boutique and priced accordingly alas.
@jimiwills3 ай бұрын
I swapped pickups in my 335 and my LP and my strat (because I wanted coil splits... And I wanted a different colour on my strat!) They all still sound like the guitars they are.
@benebluesman3 ай бұрын
Love to see ceramic vs alnico. I've been pleased swapping ceramic bar for alnico poles in a pbass pickup.
@axilleas3 ай бұрын
The only argument regarding 2 vs 4 conductor wiring that might have some merit would be the noise. Generally speaking the more wire you have the higher your noise potential. Then again I can't say I have ever noticed a difference in real world use. P.S.: The Duncan JB is A5, you were thinking od the Distortion, same wind but ceramic magnet.
@jsquire13313 ай бұрын
I'd love to see you get together with Glenn Fricker and talk shop. I feel like you two could make such an enriching series.
@coffeerocker14293 ай бұрын
This was very insightful. Loved it. Cheers
@jasonalbert99393 ай бұрын
An A/B between ceramic and alnico would be cool.
@BackToTheBluesАй бұрын
Re cloth covered wire vs pvc covered wire. I live in a bungalow built in 1947, and my friend lives in a new build. I'm convinced my walls sound better.
@brandonjackson586519 күн бұрын
lol me too and I’m convinced we both have outlets not grounded, but honestly I hate that old cloth wiring with the ground shield wrapped around it. I’m slowly rewiring my house with modern three wire romex . I do think the old cloth covered wire is cool in guitars and easier to work with but it doesn’t make any difference on tone. I’ve used data wire to wire guitars before because it’s what I had laying around and it had different colors to make my own wiring diagram color coded and easy To follow
@WavyNinja3 ай бұрын
Learned a bunch in this one! Thanks man!
@johngeddes789421 күн бұрын
I’m a big classic rock fan, and not having access to the JBL D120 guitar speakers, which boasted a whopping 12 lbs of alnico, is quite a missing link in terms of that early ‘70s or even late ‘60s PAF sound. We can still get close, and TBH, I could prolly be happy with the right transistor amp, and some well made transistor pedals, but to ceramic magnets on pickups, those have been most popular with the metal crowd. That real dense, compressed sound with no need of a fuzz pedal. Not the tone I’m chasing.
@stratoscorp73 ай бұрын
Yes please, ceramic vs alnico comparison with all other parameters remaining the same. Thanks Dylan.
@nlanni3 ай бұрын
I would like to see the comparison. What is the formula for a less bright PU. The high E string, and the G and B strings have ringy sound when I just struming or plaing open cords. It drives me crazy. I installed Epiphone coil split ALNICO 2 Probuckers, better pots, etc. It didn't reduce the ringiness but made it clearer compared to the manufacturers cheap PU's. I've since then bought a different guitar with higher DC resistance PU's and they the same ringiness. I've tried the ToneShapers kit using different capacitors (250k vs 500k) a treble bleed kit, and 7 combinations of tone control capacitors.
@thewrongbike77093 ай бұрын
Thank you. I keep seeing people measuring the DC resistance of their pickups and it means almost nothing. The AC resistance might - at the operating frequency of a guitar string. I'd like to see a video about the effects that the different variables have. It would probably involve some math. At the end of the day though, unless you A-B compared the effects, the audience probably couldn't tell the difference and my fingers aren't impressive enough for anyone to care.
@brCharlieNagy2 ай бұрын
Great video, thanks. For great pinch harmonics what kinda pickups you recommend ? Thanks
@stu71613 ай бұрын
Love the idea of a Ceramic vs. Alnico comparison video.
@stevem.18533 ай бұрын
I wish you had mentioned cunife in part 4. There seems to be a myth built up that it was chosen for tonal reasons in the Wide Range humbucker design. Fender is even selling single coils with cunife magnets now lol.
@jordimateubartroli9513 ай бұрын
I think they used it because they could machine the screw shape with it.
@sea-tramp3 ай бұрын
@@jordimateubartroli951 Rumor had it that back in that day, the mix of metals (iron) made it difficult to cut the threads on the screws. Maybe they have changed the recipe, I dont know.
@dcamp6713 ай бұрын
I’m planning on ordering a set of matched P-90’s from you at the end of June. Love to hear your opinions on how to pick the right wire/magnet alloy/wind number to achieve the tone I’m looking for.
@iantomsic46863 ай бұрын
Being unbiased and listening objectively with our ears is as much a challenge as guitar playing.
@BuzzManiac3 ай бұрын
What is your opinion on the influence of the winding pattern for the coil wire in a pickup? How much does that influence different components of the tone?