New PRS TCI Pickup Video !

[Andrew Paul]

It seems that PRS plays with just pickups, not other electrical components. But eventually there's no explanation on how PRS tuned those TCI-suffixed pickups and how the precess differs from the way other pup manufacturers do.

Such loose explanation that leaves many questions will no doubt leads someone to think that TCI might be just another marketing term from PRS.
I think PRS should reveal a bit more of in-depth info with solid evedence on how they applied TCI method/tooling/technology to their lineups.

Yeah they’re not gonna give up that information. All I know is the TCI pick ups on the Paul’s Experience guitar when it first came out sounded incredible. I own one and love it.

 

[Andrew Paul]

You should go read everything Bill Lawrence wrote. I think you might enjoy that.

I remember Bill Lawence, made cool pups. I used to have a set in my Les Paul years ago, I’ll read up his information.

 

[jak3af3r]

I remember Bill Lawence, made cool pups. I used to have a set in my Les Paul years ago, I’ll read up his information.

I'm pretty sure it was him who went in depth on RC circuits which is what TCI is.

There's a good article on Premier Guitar that goes into the noiseless splits using the typically grounded coil as an active filter.

There's a lot of good reading out there between those two and the article posted before.

All of this put together is what I believe PRS is doing in a very controlled form when they're building pickups and tuning them post-winding.

Unfortunately finding the measurement of inductance in a pickup is nearly impossible without expensive test equipment and winders have pushed DC resistance as the most important factor in a pickup. After reading, I believe inductance is more important than DC resistance in determining pickup tonal characteristics. Get that right and controlled then the resistance and capacitance can be more easily tuned.

And for a few dollars, you can buy all the stuff you need to do this in a test guitar and see what you like (if you like it).

 

[Andrew Paul]

I'm pretty sure it was him who went in depth on RC circuits which is what TCI is.

There's a good article on Premier Guitar that goes into the noiseless splits using the typically grounded coil as an active filter.

There's a lot of good reading out there between those two and the article posted before.

All of this put together is what I believe PRS is doing in a very controlled form when they're building pickups and tuning them post-winding.

Unfortunately finding the measurement of inductance in a pickup is nearly impossible without expensive test equipment and winders have pushed DC resistance as the most important factor in a pickup. After reading, I believe inductance is more important than DC resistance in determining pickup tonal characteristics. Get that right and controlled then the resistance and capacitance can be more easily tuned.

And for a few dollars, you can buy all the stuff you need to do this in a test guitar and see what you like (if you like it).

Thanks! I won’t be able to search for it until later so if know the link please post it.

 

[László]

Really, if you think about it, how many of us are able to quantify and break down exactly why a particular instrument sounds great, and another one doesn’t?
The corollary is, does that even matter?

 

[RickP]

Really, if you think about it, how many of us are able to quantify and break down exactly why a particular instrument sounds great, and another one doesn’t?
The corollary is, does that even matter?

In the end, no. Well, no, it shouldn't. With all the factors combined, it is entirely likely that a certain TCI guitar will sound less pleasing to the ear than another Non-TCI guitar, and vice-versa. Perhaps the intent is to improve the consistency of response so that there is one less variable in the build. It's a total guess at this point.

My 2016 and 2018 594s sounded awesome before there was TCI. I checked them again this morning. Darned if they don't still sound awesome. Weird how that works.

 

[jak3af3r]

Thanks! I won’t be able to search for it until later so if know the link please post it.

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/26783-mod-garage-the-sound-of-silence

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/28052-mod-garage-the-sound-of-silencerevised-and-expanded

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

Have fun!

 

[Andrew Paul]

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/26783-mod-garage-the-sound-of-silence

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/28052-mod-garage-the-sound-of-silencerevised-and-expanded

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

Have fun!

Thanks much!

 

[Bob Hundemer]

I'm enjoying this whole discussion. Being a sort of nerd it's interesting to follow this topic. I believe the point of tci is to make each guitar sound optimum respective to their specific model. The silver skly is a strat. The goal was to make it sound like the embodiment of the iconic strats. ( My guess but hey if you can do that then why not).
Same goes for PRSs take on the classic Les Paul SOUND. Some one, perhaps via. analysis found the signature tones of classic les Pauls and used that as their bench mark. That too would make sense to me.
In the end its ALL a decision of assigning a sound to a specific guitar model with the goal of it being a really good sound for that model.

 

[Andrew Paul]

I'm enjoying this whole discussion. Being a sort of nerd it's interesting to follow this topic. I believe the point of tci is to make each guitar sound optimum respective to their specific model. The silver skly is a strat. The goal was to make it sound like the embodiment of the iconic strats. ( My guess but hey if you can do that then why not).
Same goes for PRSs take on the classic Les Paul SOUND. Some one, perhaps via. analysis found the signature tones of classic les Pauls and used that as their bench mark. That too would make sense to me.
In the end its ALL a decision of assigning a sound to a specific guitar model with the goal of it being a really good sound for that model.

Well said

 

[Domingo Lantigua]

One of my favorite threads ever!!! Lots of good information has been posted. I think ( in my geeky engineer /teacher and scientific way) that Thor in the first movie explained to Jane Foster about a combination of science and magic. I believe this could be the case here. When Ted McCarty designed the humbucking pickup I'm sure he didn't apply a process to it. He probably wound it until it sounded good to him. The science is all the formulas, measurements, winding and oscilloscopes and processes. When we play put our fingers to string and fretboard that's where the magic comes in

 

[László]

When Ted McCarty designed the humbucking pickup I'm sure he didn't apply a process to it.

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

(Ted didn't invent the humbucker, Seth Lover is credited with that. ).

 

[Tonart]

Really, if you think about it, how many of us are able to quantify and break down exactly why a particular instrument sounds great, and another one doesn’t?
The corollary is, does that even matter?

These fellows here, they can..

 

[Teletex]

I'd be interested to know how the research and methods Paul and his father developed in forming Digital Harmonic figured into the development of the TCI pickups. I would bet that instead of any combination of materials and construction the real magic happened in the process of using the technology from DH to tune and tweak the TCI pickups.

https://digitalharmonic.com/

 

[Tony M.]

If I understand this correctly, they’re able to tune the resonant frequency of each pickup.

On a synth, the resonant frequency is set with the lowpass filter and resonance control. The resonance is a high frequency peak right at the point where the filter starts to roll off high end. It can be set to create a small peak, or a large peak in the frequency response, or something in between, or it can be turned off.

Some filters allow more than one resonant peak. But wherever you set resonance, it’s going to affect that frequency, I.e., that note. And because all notes throw off multiple harmonics, you’re always going to hear that frequency to a greater or lesser degree in the overtones.

On most pickups, that resonant peak is left to random chance. Paul’s doing what a synthesist does with a resonant filter - - he’s tuning it to compliment the particular guitar design.

You’re hearing it of course; resonances and harmonic overtones are what makes a Strat sound different from a Les Paul. It’s the stuff that gives a guitar a particular voice.

What Paul’s doing is tuning that voice. Cool concept.

It isn’t necessary that one is able to identify the frequency of that resonant peak. It’s basically still a question of whether the guitar sounds good to us when we play it.

Because the pickups aren’t the only resonance a guitar has. There’s also the wood, the metal parts, the strings, and even the plastic bits. They all vibrate, and they all have their own resonances. But being the transducer directly connected to the amp electrically, the pickups’ resonances are pretty important.

This is so much easier to understand than what Mr. Smith said in his video.
Les gave me an explanation I could understand and Paul gave me a sales pitch.
Thank you Les.

 

[Bluesverb]

Tuned Capacitance Inductance are old radio engineering terms used to narrow in a specific Frequency/band width. As if you tune your 60s or 70's radio knob on your Am'FM radio. You are more than likely tuning a variable capacitor with air being the dielectric.

Oh wait...... you millennials don't know what I am talking about. Don't worry I am sure there is an App for it! LOL

If you look at Xc or Xl or any formulas to include "Q" type equations, along with mutual inductance equations, you can see how any one attribute variable will effect the equation. You need special equipment to measure inductance and magnetic fields and I assume Paul has everything he needs.
Don't forget a humbucker will have Series Mutual Inductance. A coil will induce a magnetic field into the other coil in a Humbucker. Yes, like a transformer. I am going back a bit to the 80's and college so I could be making all this up. LOL

Now how PRS specifically "tunes" their pickups is their secret. They probably measure certain components and adjust spacing, windings etc.. to end up with a certain Q.

For example: 2x10=20. Right? If you need the number "20" as an end result of an equation, then 1x20, 2x10, 4x5 all get you there.
Therefore, in theory, you can adjust parameters to compensate for other parameters. However, one parameter may be more musically sounding than the other.
For example, Fender used Chokes (an Inductor) to filter out 60 cycle hum in their amps. Today, people use resistors as part of the circuit (as in Mesa Boogies, any modern amp, etc.). Resistors are cheaper. However, it all depends on the engineering, parts, and what end result the engineer and sales department can agree to.
BTW - this line of "theory" is what got Fender in trouble with their amps when CBS took them over. The theory and physics may be correct electrically but it may not be "musical" sounding. Tubes vs Transistors? Modeling? Class D amps?

Well I hope this helps out a bit.

 

[László]

The theory and physics may be correct electrically but it may not be "musical" sounding. Tubes vs Transistors? Modeling? Class D amps?

I love it when you talk musicality to me.

I could go on and on about this stuff. But I couldn’t say it more effectively. Well said!

 

[László]

This is so much easier to understand than what Mr. Smith said in his video.
Les gave me an explanation I could understand and Paul gave me a sales pitch.
Thank you Les.

Being able to explain other people’s very good ideas makes me marginally useful. I kinda wish I had the ideas for other folks to explain!

 

[Domingo Lantigua]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

(Ted didn't invent the humbucker, Seth Lover is credited with that. ).

Yes. my mistake. Ted was the president of Gibson at the time

 

[Domingo Lantigua]

There is a scene in the movie" The Red Violin" where a tech is measuring the resonant frequency of a very rare violin. The machine goes apes^&t when it hits that frequency, don't wanna spoil the movie but it's a must watch. Eventually, I just wanna look under the hood of one of the new guitars and see if components are being added after the fact, like some folks think. Since I only play in dmin (the saddest of all keys), I wonder if when I get my PS built I can ask for a specific frequency?