Which pickup is which?

mynameistrouble

Many years ago I replaced the stock pickups in my firebird with some Duncan SN-3s. These served me well when I was playing jangly pop-rock but recently I've reverted to type and I'm mainly playing 80's metal and I want to see if the stock pups are more suited.

The old pups were put into the boxes that the SDs came in, but I'm not totally sure that they were put in the correct boxes, and I want to know if there's a foolproof way to tell neck from bridge. The tech that took them out (or Gibson, I don't know which) wrote R and L on them - is this a standard shorthand and from which perspective would it normally be looking i.e. from player's perspective where R is bridge and L is neck, or from looking at the guitar front-on which would be the opposite.

I thought measuring the resistance might give me a clue but I've also hit a stumbling block there. One (the one marked R) comes out at 15.53 (measured on the 20kohm setting) but the other one is refusing to give a reading at all, whether I try it hooked up to a jack or just touching the bare wires - even though when it's plugged in there is definitely a signal coming through because it clearly picks up me dragging a screwdriver over the cover.

What does it all mean?!

guitargeek62

R = Rythm (Neck)
L = Lead (Bridge)

mynameistrouble

guitargeek62 said:

R = Rythm (Neck)
L = Lead (Bridge)

...obviously. Why didn't I think of that? Thank you!

Okay, first problem solved. Before I go the trouble of installing them, can anyone opine on my 'no reading' issue with the bridge pickup? Is it broken?

Revolting1

Higher than 20 K resistance?

mynameistrouble

Revolting1 said:

Higher than 20 K resistance?

Is that feasible? Seems like a crazy high output. Not in the workshop now so can’t test it, but when i do what setting do I select, 200k? 

Funkfingers

Seems to me like an excellent opportunity to get the lead/Treble pickup professionally repaired and, possibly, overwound by up to 15% above stock.

mynameistrouble

Okay so i measured on the 200k setting and it came back at 25.1!

That means 15.53 for the neck and 25.1 for the bridge - are my readings out or were 2012 firebird pickups just crazy hot?

Funkfingers

The published DCR statistics for Seymour Duncan SM-3 pickups are 6.29k (neck) and 11.60k (bridge). 

The hottest pair is the SM-2 Custom at 8.25 and 16.41, respectively.

I do not know the specs for Duncan Designed ‘bird ‘buckers.

mynameistrouble

Funkfingers said:

The published DCR statistics for Seymour Duncan SM-3 pickups are 6.29k (neck) and 11.60k (bridge). 

The hottest pair is the SM-2 Custom at 8.25 and 16.41, respectively.

I do not know the specs for Duncan Designed ‘bird ‘buckers.

Ah, I’m talking about the stock gibson mini humbuckers. I’ve never seen anyone talking about pups that are more than 15/16 which id why 25 sounds like it must be wrong...

Funkfingers

Yes. Some recent versions of Gibson Firebird pickups really are that overwound. On the “Skunk” Baxter signature model, they had coil split switching. 

Revolting1

Crazy hot at 25.1k seems an understatement.

 That's getting on for Thermo-nuclear,

    Seems high but still within Funkfingers bridge to neck ratios.

 Potentially very well suited for 80's metal-you'll want the guitar well screened at that resistance.

Headphones

My Gibson minis from an SG Special from 2018 read 25k (bridge) and 16k (neck) in the guitar (has 500k pots and a treble beleed).  They'll be slightly more out.

mynameistrouble

Revolting1 said:

Crazy hot at 25.1k seems an understatement.

 That's getting on for Thermo-nuclear,

    Seems high but still within Funkfingers bridge to neck ratios.

 Potentially very well suited for 80's metal-you'll want the guitar well screened at that resistance.

I mean I remember them being hot, which is why I swapped them out at the time, but this is crazy! I’m intrigued to see how they sound...

Winny_Pooh

Are they 4 conductor wires? If so then you can install with a partial split (white or green wire?through a 5k resistor to ground) 

mynameistrouble

Winny_Pooh said:

Are they 4 conductor wires? If so then you can install with a partial split (white or green wire?through a 5k resistor to ground) 

Nope it’s vintage braid wiring. I’m hoping to have time this evening to do the switch, so we shall see.