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What is the reasoning behind the big difference in outputs

The way a pickup works is that the vibration of the string within the field of the pickup's magnet causes the pickup to generate a signal.  There is a much large amount of movement near the neck pickup than near the bridge pickup, so the signal generated is comparativeley higher at the neck pickup.  To counteract this tendency, you can adjust the pickup height to some extent, or you can wind a hotter pickup for the bridge position to compensate for the smaller oscillation of the string.


Consider a jump rope, where the middle moves a lot further than the rop near the handles.  The frequency (pitch) is the same, but the amplitude is much greater at the middle.
 
I like a big difference on my HH guitars - I like to use the bridge for crunchy and neck for clean with just the flick of the switch.  The weaker neck is usually brighter as well.  I like balanced output on my strat and tele because I enjoy the different general tone of the two positions, rather than using the difference in output.
 
I hate when there's a drastic volume drop when switching from the bridge position to the neck. A slightly lower output neck pickup is good, but only slight.
 
Street Avenger said:
I hate when there's a drastic volume drop when switching from the bridge position to the neck. A slightly lower output neck pickup is good, but only slight.
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Agreed, I like my volumes to be consistent no matter where I toggle to.
Problem is, many higher output neck pickups sound too compressed, and I need a lil more quack & bloom, so I'll get a neck pickup with a bit less output, and bring it closer to the strings.

The GFS Neo's are great for this, and they have a bit less string pull than a lot of Ceramic or Alnico loaded pickups.
 
ChristopherG said:
So, I have a trad single coil tele that I am going to replace the pickups in. Bare in mind that I don't love the tele for its sound but for the simplicity of the shape and the way the guitar is balanced. With that in mind this is what I am thinking.

The SD Hot Rails Bridge
http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/hot-rails-tele-bridge

The SD Quarter Pound Neck
http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/quarter-pound-tele-neck

Thoughts?
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I think it's a good combination, just note that the QP is a single coil through and through, no hum cancelling at all, unless you wire it in series with a coil from the Rails in the middle position.    The Hot Rails is a bit of a boast, but it's not an insanely hot pickup.  It can push the front end nicely, but it's no Invader, which to me is SD's equivalent of Dimarzio's X2N, both of which are unGodly hot pickups.

That all being said, I love the Quarter pounder pickup.  I've never heard it in a guitar that it didn't sound good, and I find that it has a very natural home in a tele body.  I've heard it in the bridge and the neck and both positions sound great.  The bridge version, when paired with the right clean amp voicing has an almost acoustic quality about it.  Very open, very organic.  The neck pickup sounds huge, but not uncontrollably.  Play with the height, and you can get quite a variety of character out of it.
 
I think you can love the geometry and simplicity of a Telecaster without being nuts about its sound (although some people also like mustard on pancakes, so go figure).  I happen to find the sound AND the layout conducive to happiness, so I've built a couple Tele-shaped guitars with different guts - including a pair of P90s and one with a pair of PRS Santana pups.  Neither of these latter guitars remotely resemble a traditional in terms of sound, but they have the utility the original T-style axe provides.
 
Bagman67 said:
I think you can love the geometry and simplicity of a Telecaster without being nuts about its sound.
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Absolutely. I have 5 of the little buggers here now, and not a one of them sounds anywhere even remotely like a Tele.

Incidentally, I've never tried mustard on pancakes, but it's surprisingly good on pretzels, sausage and hashed browns. Luckily, mustard often comes in squeeze containers, so you can try a single bite to find out if you wanna do it again. Remember, it's not like ketchup. A little goes a long way.

Another surprising treat is aged balsamic vinegar on French vanilla ice cream. Sounds disgusting, but you'd be surprised. Again, a very little goes a long way.
 
Glad two of you understand.

@TFS, yep I realize the QP is a true single coil. Will have to go hear one to see how much racket it makes. LOL. I'd like to keep a single coil sound in the guitar but I can always go with two telly-buckers and use splits, settling for a single coil-ish sound.
 
ChristopherG said:
Glad two of you understand.

@TFS, yep I realize the QP is a true single coil. Will have to go hear one to see how much racket it makes. LOL. I'd like to keep a single coil sound in the guitar but I can always go with two telly-buckers and use splits, settling for a single coil-ish sound.
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Even with what noise it may present, it is often masked by the other instruments in the band, and a noise gate can take care of what happens when you're not playing.  It's a great sounding pickup, Ritchie Blackmore uses it for reason.
 
Oh, yeah. The stuff from Modena that's old enough to vote is the best. Costs a pile, but as you say - worth every penny. Actually, since you use so little of it at a time, the cost isn't bad. A bottle lasts a long time.
 
Over here at Bagman Enterprises World Headquarters, we sometimes fire up the fresh figs and balsamic with prosciutto.  It doesn't suck, nohow.
 
I used to have a thing for the Red Hot microwave burrito at 7-11, then I'd swirl ketchup & mustard together on a paper plate & sop the burrito in it.

I did that in my teens all the way into my thirties.  Now that I'll be 50 in a few months, I rarely do the microwave burrito's.  In fact, I've pretty much cut out enriched white flour & refined sugar.
 
Ah, the red hot beef 7-11 microwave burrito.  Truly a thing of transcendent beauty, until the bill comes due, if you know what I mean.  So tasty, but they'll go through you like Grant through Richmond.
 
Bagman67 said:
Ah, the red hot beef 7-11 microwave burrito.  Truly a thing of transcendent beauty, until the bill comes due, if you know what I mean.  So tasty, but they'll go through you like Grant through Richmond.
Click to expand...

There's a reason why such items are referred to as "Fast Food". :sad1:

Enjoyed it while I could, those days are over, but since making some changes, I actually feel better, more energy, better sleep, less achey than I did in my 20's.

Nowadays, popping pills & drinking shots looks like a handful of Geritol and a bottle of Glucosamine, and if I really wanted to get high again after all these years of sobriety, all I really need to do is just get up real fast.  That head rush is free and doesn't kill any brain cells. :icon_thumright:
 
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