E stamped pickups readings

[kmarccoco]

Ok the new ST 100 E pups surprised me with the readings. They read as follows

Neck 5.5 middle 5.6 bridge 5.7

They still sound really sweet though, just different from the other St 100 and St 80. My other St 100 reads high 6.1 6.2 6.3... and the ST 80 reads bout the same. mabey a little less.

Strange

 

[JohnA]

ST60 E-series 5.5 5.35 5.36

Stratman's ST80 E-series 5.41 5.41 5.43

Stratman's ST60 E seriies 5.48, 5.65, 5.65

So they look about normal to me.

 

[jeotokai]

DMM readings on my '78 tokai st-60

neck and middle = 5.81k ohms
bridge = 5.85k ohms

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you to my secretary for posting the readings of my E pickups. :lol: Having just bought a Silver Star (see separate post), I find that these pickups read higher than the Us (6.3/6.4K), but sound thinner than the Es. I am now wondering if resistance readings are not the issue - is it actually about the resonant peak?

To use a comparison with Seymour Duncan pickups, the SSL -1 Vintage Strat pickups have similar resistance readings to the APS-1 Alnico II pickups, but the Alnicos sound warmer and fatter as the resonant peak is lower. I think this might be the case with the Tokai pickups. The Silver Star pickups seem to be voiced for a more trebley 70s sound, & the Es for a 50s sound - this would expain why maple board Springy owners like them, but why they don't sound "right" on a rosewood board Springy, which should be a copy of a 64 Strat (except for the ash body, V neck, etc. etc.)

The Us seem to me to give the best early 60s sound, which is what I want - a bit darker and fatter than the Es. It's not a question of power, it's a question of tone. Of course, my comparisons are complicated by the fact that my Springys are ash (which sounds brighter), while my Goldstars are alder. But then again, the Silver Star also looks like alder.....

Any views on this theory?

Mike

 

[kmarccoco]

how do you change the resonant peak?

Ive been reading about capacitors and tone pots.. these too I guess can make a difference in tone.

 

[Anonymous]

how do you change the resonant peak?

Ive been reading about capacitors and tone pots.. these too I guess can make a difference in tone.

I don't know! Ask Seymour Duncan....

I don't think it's something that can be changed by the user, I think it's determined during manufacture by the type of magnets used, the number of turns of wire, the gauge of that wire and what it's made from, etc. The SD website has an interesting tone chart that shows not just DC resistance, but resonant peak, and an idea of bass, middle & treble output:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/comparetones

When you are familiar with the sound from a couple of the SD pickups, the chart makes a bit more sense. It's a shame that more pickup manufactureres don't provide this information for comparative purposes.

The value of a pot can make a difference to the sound, though it's rare to use anything other than 250k for a single coil fitted guitar. Caps only affect the tone when turned down - with a tone pot set to 10, the cap has no effect on the sound (I think I'm right here, please correct me if I'm wrong).