Pickup Magnetics 101 -------

[Seans]

I ordered one from the same batch ( Feb 11), it was 11.68K, steaming.....

[BobHyde]

Pardon my pickup ignorance, but does the hot winding make it have higher volume output, a different tone or both?

[badeggs]

***SALE PENDING***

[jps]

Pardon my pickup ignorance, but does the hot winding make it have higher volume output, a different tone or both?

Both, for various reasons that someone such as CJ or Scott can better explain.

[cjj]

Pardon my pickup ignorance, but does the hot winding make it have higher volume output, a different tone or both?

Both, for various reasons that someone such as CJ or Scott can better explain.

Yep. In really simple terms, higher output because higher resistance means more windings, which means you have more of them in the magnetic field to generate voltage. Different tone because you have more windings, which changes the inductance and therefore the resonant characteristics of the coil.

You probably don't want more details... Trust me...

[jps]

Pardon my pickup ignorance, but does the hot winding make it have higher volume output, a different tone or both?

Both, for various reasons that someone such as CJ or Scott can better explain.

Yep. In really simple terms, higher output because higher resistance means more windings, which means you have more of them in the magnetic field to generate voltage. Different tone because you have more windings, which changes the inductance and therefore the resonant characteristics of the coil.

You probably don't want more details... Trust me...

Well, I could have given him that kind of explanation! I was hoping for more meat.

[cjj]

Both, for various reasons that someone such as CJ or Scott can better explain.

Yep. In really simple terms, higher output because higher resistance means more windings, which means you have more of them in the magnetic field to generate voltage. Different tone because you have more windings, which changes the inductance and therefore the resonant characteristics of the coil.

You probably don't want more details... Trust me...

Well, I could have given him that kind of explanation! I was hoping for more meat.

What, you want MATH???

[jps]

Can we meet in the middle?

[cjj]

OK, you asked for it. I'll even do it without invoking math!

A pickup creates a voltage in a similar manner to a generator. You can either have a moving (changing) magnetic field near a coil of wire, or you can move the coil of wire in a magnetic field. In the case of a pickup, the strings, moving in the magnetic field cause fluctuations in the strength of the field. If you happen to have a coil of wire near by, you'll get an electric current generated in the coil proportional ti the fluctuations in the magnetic field.

Now, if you have some number of turns of that coil in the field, you'll get some voltage. If you double the number of turns, you'll double the voltage (well, not quite, there are losses and a few other factors to consider). So, more turns equates to a higher output.

Now on the tone side of things. If you have a coil of wire (known in the "biz" as an inductor), it can allow a current to pass through it. But when it is doing this, that current created it's own magnetic field and will tend to resist changes in the amount of current that is passing through the coil. In other words, it really want to remain stable and have the current remain constant. A smaller coil, with fewer turns of wire will generate a smaller magnetic field and will allow the current to change faster than a coil with a lot more turns. So, more turns will allow the current to change faster than a big coil. Faster changes equate to higher frequencies (an AC signal is measured in cycles per second, which essentially means changes per second). So, a coil with more turns will not allow as high of frequencies to pass through it (or to be generated by it, in the case of a pickup).

So, Jeff, is that enough, or do you want me to start with the math???

[jps]

So, Jeff, is that enough, or do you want me to start with the math???

That'll be up to Bob, who asked in the first place.

[cjj]

[badeggs]

Man, school's in session! Good stuff, CJ, I'm terrible with electronics but I always enjoy reading how all that stuff works.

[cjj]

Man, school's in session! Good stuff, CJ, I'm terrible with electronics but I always enjoy reading how all that stuff works.

Thanks! Been keeping myself alive for dang near 40 years doing electronics "stuff", so I hope I still have a clue as to what I'm talkin' about. Though sometimes, it gets a bit fuzzy anymore...

[teeder]

So, hypathetically, a guy, let's call him "Kevin", bought said RIHS and wanted to make it sound more '60's ish. What would you do, remove a certain amount of the windings, change the magnets, both? Just askin'.