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previous: Dick Hi All,Why are cheap pickups ru... -- 9/5/2002 12:35 AM

Re: Why are cheap pickups rubbish?

9/5/2002 4:12 PM
Mark Hammer	Re: Why are cheap pickups rubbish? The materials may not be the same. Bear in mind that the gauge of wire will determine how careful you have to be about breakage and the quality of winding equipment you need to have and maintain. I suppose it is possible for a big jobber to crank out pickups with #42 but I have my doubts as to whether they want to undertake that. Use of a thicker gauge will also mean fewer turns possible on a similar-sized bobbin. Bobbins are another area where cheap and "pro" pickups can differ. A number of cheap SC pickups I've seen will have plastic in between the polepiece and the coil, so that the polepiece can be inserted on prewound bobbins. It's not the plastic so much as the distance that creates between the polepiece and the coil. Finally, I think you need to remember that buying a $119 import not only may get you cheap pickups but a guitar that is not set up properly. I can't begin to count the number of postings on Ampage and elsewhere from people who hated the way their pickups sounded and then fell in love with them once they were adjusted properly. $119 retail is unlikely to get you that quality of post-production adjustment each and every time.

9/5/2002 4:12 PM

Mark Hammer

Re: Why are cheap pickups rubbish?

The materials may not be the same.
Bear in mind that the gauge of wire will determine how careful you have to be about breakage and the quality of winding equipment you need to have and maintain. I *suppose* it is possible for a big jobber to crank out pickups with #42 but I have my doubts as to whether they want to undertake that.

Use of a thicker gauge will also mean fewer turns possible on a similar-sized bobbin. Bobbins are another area where cheap and "pro" pickups can differ. A number of cheap SC pickups I've seen will have plastic in between the polepiece and the coil, so that the polepiece can be inserted on prewound bobbins. It's not the plastic so much as the distance that creates between the polepiece and the coil.

Finally, I think you need to remember that buying a $119 import not only may get you cheap pickups but a guitar that is not set up properly. I can't begin to count the number of postings on Ampage and elsewhere from people who hated the way their pickups sounded and then fell in love with them once they were adjusted properly. $119 retail is unlikely to get you that quality of post-production adjustment each and every time.

Replies:

SK I'm pretty certain most of the pick... -- 9/5/2002 5:47 PM