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k to mV question

voltage & resistance? sounds like Ohm's law, which I was never really good at.  Fairly sure you need 2 knowns to calculate a third though. (current?)
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_2/1.html
 
I'm assuming that you are trying to equate DC Resistance to output voltage? In which case, the two are unrelated. Otherwise, you would apply Ohm's Law.

DCR is simply the measure of a coil's opposition to a direct current. This does not account for the complex part of the impedance.
Also, the DCR is subject to change with many factors. For example, wiring two coils in series will produce a total resistance of RTotal=R1+R2, while parallel would produce a resistance of RTotal=1/([1/R1]+[1/R2]). Resistance can also change with wire gauge. Thinner gauges of wire will have a higher resistance while thicker gauges will have a lower resistance. In many cases, this difference in resistance can be quite significant, but if the number of turns of wire are equal, there won't be much difference in output. The DCR of a coil changes with temperature as well.
 
AutoBat said:
voltage & resistance? sounds like Ohm's law, which I was never really good at.  Fairly sure you need 2 knowns to calculate a third though. (current?)
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_2/1.html

When you apply Ohm's Law to complex impedances, you must substitute the impedance for resistance.
It is easy to obtain the DCR of a pickup with an Ohm meter, but the impedance is a much more difficult value to measure or calculate, as it changes with frequency.
 
Super SauroPOD said:
DMRACO said:
how many mV is 15.8k?  Is there a formula to use?

Too many.

If you're talking pickups that is.

8k is the sweet spot.

I would be inclined to agree. A high DCR is most often the result of a greater-than-average number of turns of wire. (Though this is not always the case!) Overwinding shifts the resonant frequency of the coil downward, emphasizing midrange, and costing you treble.

For the life of me, I just don't understand this fascination with high output pickups. While it can be preferable to keep the output level of an audio device as high as possible from early on in the signal chain to keep the SNR high, it is simply not worth sacrificing tone. Most amplifiers and stompbox overdrives/distortions/whatevers have the capability to boost the frick out of the signal, making it as loud as you want it. There is no excuse for not being able to push a gain stage into overdrive.
 
DMRACO said:
how many mV is 15.8k?  Is there a formula to use?

This is one of the great questions of the universe, but it was resolved years ago by Deep Thought. The answer is: 42

Although, the form of the question is similar to "How many gallons is 23 miles per hour?"

In other words, there's no direct relationship between the two. Unless you're asking something along the lines of "what color is a blue jay?"

You'll have to be more specific.
 
OMG...sorry I did not get my PhD!    :laughing11:  I am simply tring to figure out the output of a semour duncan pickup.  I am used to mV.  They only provide k...15.8 in this case.
 
DMRACO said:
OMG...sorry I did not get my PhD!    :laughing11:  I am simply tring to figure out the output of a semour duncan pickup.  I am used to mV.  They only provide k...15.8 in this case.

The only way you're going to figure out the output level is to physically measure it. I've been asked to measure the output of a bass a couple of times for various threads on TalkBass, and I approximate the best I can by watching the waveform dance in real time on an oscilloscope screen. It's quite difficult to identify exact measures, given the many variables involved, but of course, I take it you're more interested in a ballpark figure of how the pickup in question will compare to others. If you want to know what pickups output in milliVolts, find someone with an oscilloscope to let you play a guitar into. (And before anyone hassles me, yes, there are sophisticated measuring devices which can measure signal voltages over time and provide peaks and averages, but this equipment is very expensive and not as easily accessible as a common oscilloscope.)
 
DMRACO said:
OMG...sorry I did not get my PhD!    :laughing11:  I am simply tring to figure out the output of a semour duncan pickup.  I am used to mV.  They only provide k...15.8 in this case.

If that's what you're after the most accurate way is to measure it.  Because it's an inductive device any use of basic ohm's law will not give meaningful results.

I imagine it will be pretty hot mind you.
 
If I understand correctly you are trying to figure out how many mV a 15.8k ohm pickup will produce. It is not possible to calculate it properly. Only testing will give good results.

There is not a standardized test. The type of magnet, wire, size and shape of the coil, metal content etc. will all effect the outcome, as does the method of testing. So for every manufacture there will be different results. mV should only be used as a ballpark number, but even then it can be misleading.
 
Not only what everyone else said , but also, the output of a pickup depends on the circuitry of the amp as well, when you plug in your guitar to an amp you are basicaly completing a part of a larger circuit
 
Alfang said:
Not only what everyone else said , but also, the output of a pickup depends on the circuitry of the amp as well, when you plug in your guitar to an amp you are basicaly completing a part of a larger circuit

That's usually insignificant.
Most amps have a high input impedance, which means that there is little loss in output voltage.  While pots do attenuate a pickup's output, turning your controls all the way up places a resistance parallel to the pickups only. This resistance doesn't have much of an effect on the low frequencies.

If you want to simulate a real world load, try a 220k resistor across the pickup. This is about the same as the load from a volume pot, and the input impedance of whatever you are measuring with shouldn't be too far off from that of a guitar amp. If it's too high, drop the resistance a touch.
 
...somewhere within this Thread I think my head imploded... :sad:

Still regret leaving high school so early. This conversation shows me that there was so much more to learn.
 
I guess my ultimate question is what is the output of Duncans Stacked P-90?  We can leave the rest of this conversation to the Physics gurus.  I was lost after my 1st question.

The good news is there is TONS os knowledge lurking behind the scenes with the board members.

Now is someone can just explain the possability of TIME TRAVEL to me so I can go back and buy a '52', '57 thru '60 Les Pauls new that would be great.
 
DMRACO said:
Now is someone can just explain the possability of TIME TRAVEL to me so I can go back and buy a '52', '57 thru '60 Les Pauls new that would be great.
Napoleon's Uncle had a time machine, perhaps you can find one on the internet like he did.  :tard:  :laughing7:

 
There is no way to convert k to mV because they are measuring completely different things. You can't really use Ohm's law, because in PU's the current isn't known/constant.

I believe the best way to get a mV reading would be to read it directly, starting with a consistent, reproducible, predictable disturbance of the PU's electromagnetic field. And to compare 2 PU's output in mV, you'd need to do an identical test on each PU.
 
15.8 k dc resistance is probably a really hot pickup. In general I'd expect to be midrangey, loud, lacking dynamic range, and to not clean up well. That is assuming it's got a pretty standard type of construction.  Does that help?
 
DMRACO said:
Now is someone can just explain the possability of TIME TRAVEL to me so I can go back and buy a '52', '57 thru '60 Les Pauls new that would be great.

home_01.jpg


Actually, time travel isn't tough at all with the new Binford 6000 Turbo Time Deframulator.
 
tfarny said:
15.8 k dc resistance is probably a really hot pickup. In general I'd expect to be midrangey, loud, lacking dynamic range, and to not clean up well. That is assuming it's got a pretty standard type of construction.  Does that help?

yes...sounds right since it is a p-90...kind of.  As I read it, it is a stacked p-90, with two coils and it has 4 wires so it can be tapped.  Once taped output in increased but you look the hum canceling effect.
Here...what you you think?
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/specialized/progressive/stkp1_p90_stack/
 
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