Clearest pickup?

[mooncobra]

I did hear some chatter about those Eric Steckel PAF models, I've listened to some his stuff and I have to say they are pretty nice. I saw they were Alnico III magnets. I love my EVH model 78 but I may check out the Steckel's.

The steckels are the best low output PAFs I have tried and I have tried MANY. I like them a lot better than the EVH 78.

it’s hard to tell when you listen to steckel because he uses OVER THe TOP amounts of gain.

hopefully there will be some new demos soon. Definitely great pickups. They are exact replicas of a PAF in a 1960 Les Paul steckel came across and he had Seymour Duncan make exact replicas of them. I think they are absolutely amazing.

 

[Kordoba]

Ultrasonic Pickups were incredibly clean / clear with a very flat EQ response. They do appear on Reverb and eBay from time to time. I had them in my Jackson Soloist and bolt-on Jackson Strat back in the late 80s and still regret selling those guitars.

I've had a Samson Ultrasonic humbuckerer for the last 25 years or so. Was just reading that they were designed by Bill Lawrence.

Was also reading that the Ultrasonic was only manufactured for 6 months in the late 80s. I'm wondering if their marketing campaign had something to do with it lol.

 

[Laputan Machine]

I've never seen anyone explain how pickups can sound different out side of adjusting these things:

magnet type
total winds
if a ferrous plate has been put beneath the pickup or not

These are the only things you can really change when making a pickup IIRC, as far as 'normal' pickups go, not talking about weird stuff like Zexcoils or Alumitones.

The whole 'winding tension' thing is nonsense since there's no standard measurement. I've watched pickup winders say "here is a low tension wind" then wind the pickup at a million miles per hour which makes the tension pretty high (basically the faster you wind the higher the tension). Coil shape doesn't do anything. Makers like to shroud pickup building in this sort of black magic aura when in reality is super simple tech that you really can't do much with or have much control over to 'tune' the pickup.

Higher magnet rating number=more emphasis on top end
More winds= more resistance/higher output
Steel plate= more inductance, basically has the effect of bumps to mids to high mids
Wrapping coil around magnets=clearer, more even EQ
Wrapping coil around ferrous slug or rail with magnet to the side/bottom= more mids

 

[tallcoolone]

BKP are the muddiest, least ‘clear’ pickups I’ve ever tried.

I do scratch my head when I see a 7 or 8 string player do a song or demo and never leave the first 2 strings. It’s like they need more strings to use less, doesn’t make sense to me

My thoughts exactly.

 

[JackBootedThug]

Dimarzio schb’s/thread…

 

[mentoneman]

I've had a Samson Ultrasonic humbuckerer for the last 25 years or so. Was just reading that they were designed by Bill Lawrence.

Was also reading that the Ultrasonic was only manufactured for 6 months in the late 80s. I'm wondering if their marketing campaign had something to do with it lol.
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that didn’t age well

those pickups were cool.