Big Difference in 57/08 Volumes...WHY?

[CantankerousCarl]

I posted back in the winter about my 57/08 (covered) equipped HBII sounding a bit lower than most of my other guitars. I didn't have any other 57/08s to compare it to at the time.

I've had my Swamp Ash Custom 24 Limited for awhile now, and it has uncovered 57/08s - but just got around to performing a little experiment...so here goes.

I first measured the pickup height. Identical enough for rock-n-roll. Both guitars are set up for 2/32 bass & treble sides for neck pickup, 3/32 bass & 2/32 treble side for bridge pickup. Both are running D'Addario EXL 110s.

I then measured DC resistance with Mr. Multimeter. I think I measured them correctly, or at least consistently incorrectly:

2013 HBII (covered 57/08's): Neck = 7.75Ω / Bridge = 8.65Ω
2013 SACU24 (uncovered 57/08s): Neck = 8.03Ω / Bridge = 8.76Ω

So, not a huge difference on the resistance side either.

So, amp test. Just a little gain, "Blues" channel of the Boogie Express+ 5:50 with gain about 1/2 and power @ 5W (my favorite setting btw) and SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE...same cable, same volume...

I had the volume set for the HBII, sounds good, a little grit when I dig in, some dirt when I strum hard. Then the SACU24...MUCH louder, and more grit, almost like it was driving the amp harder.

Why such a significant difference in audible output from what are ostensibly the same pickups? Is it something in the wiring perhaps? Individual differences in guitars aside, any ideas? Is it just the "hollowbody factor" or could something else be contributing?

 

[László]

Covered pickups sound different from uncovered. And solid body guitars often have more volume than hollow or semi-hollow because the body of the guitar has more mass. Combine those two things, and there's your explanation.

 

[Leathan]

"Boogie Express+ 5:50" Great amp! Got mine back in May and am loving it.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

Covered pickups sound different from uncovered. And solid body guitars often have more volume than hollow or semi-hollow because the body of the guitar has more mass. Combine those two things, and there's your explanation.

Thanks Les - makes sense, I guess I am over-thinking things. You could have thrown in an inverse hyperbolic cotangent sine wave theory something and I would have believed you, though.

"Boogie Express+ 5:50" Great amp! Got mine back in May and am loving it.

It's a real Swiss Army knife, ain't it. Had a 5:25+ at first, and I like EL84s but it was way too easy to get flabby...the 6L6s smooth things out. And, every amp in the universe should have a "solo boost" function.