Can someone explain these meter readings?

[Introvox]

Ok....have a bunch of pups, and a digital meter

I am led to believe lower readings, make better pups???

My Aria Pro II pups J style...measure N: 6.76 B: 7.04
excellent punchy pups

Bought a neww bass today, removed pups also J style
measure N: 4.73 B: 8.90 (I think there is something wrong with this ones neck pup.....works but major "Clacky"

Now, a third pup on an elcrapo measured 5.93

Explain to me how the readings work please.

[Introvox]

perhaps you care to elaborate?

lead me to the truth behind the readings.....

[Introvox]

it makes sense....thank you ...so metering the pup alone will not really give too much indication of quality?, I need to weigh in the wire size, magnets, ..

funny, I've seen ads for pups, that showed meter readings....

So is there like a secret to fender P and J pups, for that "sound"?

[Groover]

Great replies GlennW!. I've been wondering myself how all this worked.

[The Craw]

DCR readings are only useful if you're comparing apples to apples. Not just the same kind of pickup but the same kind of construction.

For example, the vintage American P pickup sold by Fender is 10.5K. If you want to compare it to another P pickup with standard size 3/16" magnetic polepieces and 42 gauge wire, you're okay. But change the magnet size or type, or the wire gauge, and there's no basis for comparison.

[Introvox]

Originally Posted by GlennW

The meter will tell you if it's alive. If it isn't, it's probably disconnected where one of the leads ise soldered to the coil.

DCR readings for pickups are sort of like horsepower numbers for cars (there's a saying, horsepower sells cars, torque moves them). Most high distortion guitar pickups have very high DCR's, and would most likely sound like crap on a bass, but, oth, a coil tapped HB might sound ok.

Lindy's site gives some specs of his vintage winds, but they're an approximation. Most high volume winders, and most winders in general, have an idea of how many turns it takes to get a given DCR with a given wire. That makes it easy for them to wind because they watch the turn-counter. If they wound to a specific DCR they'd have to break the wire and measure it. But, they've done their homework and can achieve consistant results going by turn-count with a particular wire.

J pickups sound brighter than P pickups partly because of the coil shape. Tall and thin coils will usually sound brighter, short and fat ones, like a P-90, will have less treble. Those are guidelines so you'll have an idea of what to expect a pickup to sound like compared to another one. If you have a J that's 6K, it's a safe bet that one that's 8K will be darker sounding, all other things being equal. In other words, if you want something brighter than the 6K J pickup, don't waste your time with one of a higher DCR or one about the same with a short fat coil. Again, these are generalities.

The pros who try to duplicate vintage stuff are concerned with every little detail, especially magnet strength and wire/insulation.

As far as quality, let your ears decide - it's pretty much just a bunch of wire wrapped around a magnet.

Thank you Thank you....very helpful!!!!

[Introvox]

Originally Posted by GlennW

Glad to help. Here's a fine example of how a low DCR doesn't mean poor quality. I think these are wound with 38, which is unusual.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...3030&rd=1&rd=1

Wow...neat pup, and 2.18k ...I like the compensated B string dip in the blade, why would they have had to do that?

To level the B with the rest? why would the B come out stronger?