Covered vs non covered pickups

[hammeron]

I have never been a big fan of 5909's. I've played several 24's with uncovered 5909s in them, and have found them to be to aggressive to my ear. But I just played a DC 22 with covered 5909's and I couldn't get over the difference. Much warmer and not quite as distorted. (And all of theses encounters have been through my rig). So my question is this: Is it the cover that's making the difference, or is it the thickness of the DC 22 body...the 22 fret/wide fat neck...or some mojo mix of them all.

Thanks.

 

[John Beef]

or some mojo mix of them all.

Yes. Thicker body, different bridge, pickup covers... everything effects everything. the pickup is only one component in the overall sound of a guitar. The only way to really judge would be to remove the covers from your current pickups and see if you hear much of a difference.

 

[NomadMike]

After switching my LP to pure nickels even the strings could be taking the edge off of the pickups.

 

[ADP]

It all depends on which 59/09s you have too. I have some that measure less than others - bass: 8.2 Kohms and treble: 9.2 Kohms. I have seen 57/08s that are as high as that.

 

[garrettb]

The covers do have an effect. It can be positive or negative, depending on what you're going for.

From the pickup master Bill Lawrence:

http://www.billlawrence.com/Pages/Pickupology/Introduction.htm

The main component of a magnetic pickup is a cored inductor -- a coil of insulated wire with a ferromagnetic core.

In 1825, William Sturgeon demonstrated that putting an iron core in a coil would increase the inductance. The increase of inductance depends on the permeability and the physical dimensions of the core. A ferrous core will also cause eddy currents which increase the effective resistance of a coil. Eddy currents are frequency dependant.

Coils without a core are called air coils. Perfectly wound coils are virtually free of eddy currents, and the effective resistance is about the same as the Dc resistance. However, a piece of metal in the vicinity of a coil, like a pickup cover, as well as a minute short in a coil, will cause eddy currents. Nickel silver or stainless steel will cause lesser eddy currents than copper, brass, soft iron or aluminum. Eddy currents interfere with the induced current in a pickup and alter its performance.

 

[yankeebulldog]

It all depends on which 59/09s you have too. I have some that measure less than others - bass: 8.2 Kohms and treble: 9.2 Kohms. I have seen 57/08s that are as high as that.

This^

Most of the uncovered non-squabbin 59/09s i've played were hotter in the bridge. Same goes for most of the after market squabbin versions, usually hotter than the early covered ones.

 

[mcbprs]

add to all of the above the effect pickup height can have on the sound and the permutations are endless and that is before you get into different timbers - methods of construction - bridge - tuners not to mention fingers and picks ;-)