Re: Ohms readings

[Tama]

Ok, say I have a suspect pickup and want to test it.
I understand pickups to be simply a coil around a metal post....like an electro-magnet.

So, yes, if I get NO continuity when testing a pickup coil, then obviously there is a problem. Same goes for a dead short.

But what if I get a reading (in ohms) and am not sure what it should be?

Is there a "generic" reading that can determine if the coil is good or not?
Or do each brand and model of coil carry their own specific ohms reading?

If so, is there an online guide I can look up the coil ohms parameters?


This would be helpful info. in case I have a problem in the future.

Thanks in advance.

Dave

[Jo6Pak]

What kind of pickup is it? Find one like it online and compare the specs to yours.

[SGD Lutherie]

It depends on the pickup, but it should be in the thousands of Ohms, typically between 7K and 12K.

If you get no reading, you have an open circuit. If it's a Fender type pickup, you can sometimes fix them by re-soldering the connection on the pickup flatwork.

If you get a very low reading (typically a few hundred Ohms) you have a short.

Not much you can do about that except rewind the pickup.

What kind of pickup is it.

[dmusic148]

You are correct. There must be 'some' resistance. But all pickups are different. It's safe to say though, that if you measure a pup and find 'some' resistance it's fine. Infinite resistance=broken wire, hardly any resistance/dead short=short, but it's hard to see how a pickup could short as they don't get hot. Things like electric motors and transformers can short, but they get hot.

[Tama]

It is a passive pickup. I think it is called a "J" It's on my Peavey Millenium BXP-4.

Also, I'm having a hard time finding a wiring schematic.
Any ideas?
Dave