Stock Strat Pickup and Toasters similarities

nic37 · Post by **nic37** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:55 am

Is there any similarities between a Strat pickup and toasters from a construction point of view? I don´t have a Rick with toasters, but a friend of mine told me he AB´d a strat against a 325V59 with none original 7.4K pickups and the sound was very close specially in the "in Between" position.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 6:44 pm

The Strat pickup uses two bobbins made of forbon with small alnico magnets glues into the top and bottom bottom bobbin holes. The bobbin and magnet assembly is either lacquered and/or taped or both, and then the bobbin is wound with 42 gauge wire until the pickup is around 6k DC resistance and an inductance of around 2.2 henries. The bobbin is tall and thin from side to side, which results in a tone that is very precise and a good combination of clarity and power.

The RIC toaster I don't know as much about in terms of the steps of production, but it is similar in that it has a top bobbin and a bottom bobbin with the magnets in the middle. The magnets in the RIC are wider than the Strat. The bobbin itself is wider than a Strat in addition to not being as tall either as the Strat. The magnets extend below the bottom bobbin wheras in the Strat the magnets are flush on the bottom and extend out the top a little. The RIC toaster is wound with 44 gauge wire usually to around 7.4k DC resistance, and the inductance is around 1.7ish. Since everyone hears differently since our ears are different, what may sound to him as being close to each other sounds very far apart to me. The pickups are made similarly in concept, but in execution are quite different, and sound different too as a result.

nic37 · Post by **nic37** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 1:16 am

Thanks Greg!!!.Very clear.I better send my friend a package of Q-tips. Ahaha!!. The wire alone should make the difference. Stock Strat Pickups inductance are around 2.2H.¿Am I Right?

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 2:09 am

and the 7.4kOhms Toasters' inductance is about 2.5H, best jangly sounding with a guitar cable capacitance of 1,000 - 1,200 µµF

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 12:42 pm

A stock Strat, as long as it is a vintage type, will have an inductance of around 2.2 henries. The new Fender "vintage" types are always lower...around 1.7 henries, and despite that they typically have around 6K DC resistance, sound nothing like a vintage strat.

The toasters I have measure around 1.7 henries, although they measure weirdly on my Extech meter. It wouldn't surprise me if some other toasters would have a higher inductance, and a 6 pole hi-gain I just got from Jeff Rath measures around 3 henries.

Yes, things like the wire used, the thickness and type of insulation on the wire used, the tension, the speed you are winding at, etc. all play a large difference in the sound of a pickup. And of course things like bobbin size and arrangement, magnet size, composition and arrangement in the coil, etc. play a large difference too. Its really an art more so than a science.