Quack,quack !

SnazzyGeezer · December 2018

Ok,I'm not sure if this is a bit quackers,but does the order of the pickups in a Strat produce more/less quack depending on they're location
What I mean is this,if the neck p/up is 5.5k middle 5.8k and the bridge 6.4k
would the No4 pickup position have more/less quack if I put the 5.8k in the neck and 5.5k in the middle or doesn't it make a jot of difference ?
btw, these are all Dimarzio Area noiseless pickups.

thegummy · December 2018

The further you get from the bridge, the louder the string rings - that's why they've made the pickups gradually weaker as they get further from the bridge, so it counters the string getting louder and they all balance more.

So if you swapped the middle and neck pickups, it would make the neck pickup louder than it is now so they would be less balanced.

Hard to define terms like "quack" but I think that when 2 pickups are on together in parallel, the closer they are in output, the more it would have that characteristic sound (that I'd personally call "hollow") and the more that one is louder than the other, the less it would have that characteristic in-between sound and it would have more of the sound of the louder one.

Having said that, it's 0.3K of a difference, is that even more than the tolerance of the specs? Even if they're exactly as specced, I can't imagine it would make much difference when they're that close.

ICBM · December 2018

The 'quack' is strongest when the pickups are both accurately matched for output (windings and magnet strength) and set so their string signal is closely matched.

Using a hotter pickup reduces the 'quack' compared to a normal (ie matching the other one) pickup set higher to compensate for the string movement.

Even given that, if you want to maximise the quack I would still put them in the original order. If you reverse the neck and middle you would need to increase the difference in heights.

axisus · December 2018

For quack I always check how much I paid for them. The secret's in the Bill.

Funkfingers · December 2018

ICBM said:

The 'quack' is strongest when the pickups are both accurately matched for output (windings and magnet strength) and set so their string signal is closely matched.

Using a hotter pickup reduces the 'quack' compared to a normal (ie matching the other one) pickup set higher to compensate for the string movement.

Even given that, if you want to maximise the quack I would still put them in the original order. If you reverse the neck and middle you would need to increase the difference in heights.

I find this to be true.

On a HSS Stratocaster, with a low output humbucker, I do not bother coil splitting it for the bridge + middle selection. With a high output humbucker, coil splitting is the only way to prevent the humbucker almost completely overpowering the single coil.

Similarly, with an increased output single coil in the bridge position, it is necessary to strike a balance for volume. The alternative is a dual output level bridge position pickup. The tapped output is used in conjunction with the middle pickup. The full output would be engaged via a "blower" switch.

SnazzyGeezer · December 2018

As per usual,loads of great info.
Many thanks

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