Gibson posting specs.

[12xu]

Anyone notice that gibson is posting the wind details of their pickups now.

They have their turn count, coil offset, magnets, polarity and wire type listed for every model.


I didn't think they'd divulge that stuff in such great detail.

[LtKojak]

Anyone notice that gibson is posting the wind details of their pickups now.

They have their turn count, coil offset, magnets, polarity and wire type listed for every model.


I didn't think they'd divulge that stuff in such great detail.

Well, hearing the outcome, it's a good guide of how NOT to make p'ups!

[copperheadroads]

Anyone notice that gibson is posting the wind details of their pickups now.

They have their turn count, coil offset, magnets, polarity and wire type listed for every model.


I didn't think they'd divulge that stuff in such great detail.

Have you got an example of this ?

[salvarsan]

Anyone notice that gibson is posting the wind details of their pickups now.

They have their turn count, coil offset, magnets, polarity and wire type listed for every model.

I don't see it. Can you post a link?

[David King]

At a guitar-building camp I helped out at a couple of years ago we were all taken aback by how good the Gibson pickups actually sounded. Of course they were up against a pile of mostly dismal budget examples. I'd have to say they were every bit as good sounding as the the sets of Lollars and Fralins. Perhaps their aftermarket pickups are better than what they put in their guitars? Price wise they were the most expensive of the lot.

[LtKojak]

Have you got an example of this ?

I don't see it. Can you post a link?

Gibson.com: Gibson Memphis ES-Les Paul Custom

Scroll down. Read.

[David King]

I found this old Gibson article from 2011 with sound samples of all their pickups. Good Tone Hunting: The Gibson Pickup Guide (Now with Audio Clips!)

Pickups Rhythm Lead
Style: MHS Humbucker MHS Humbucker
Winds/Coil: Screw side/Slug side: 4900/5100 5200/5400
Material of Wire (gauge): Enamel (42) Enamel (42)
Coil Dimensions (per coil): 6.6294 cm x 1.7272 mm / 2.61" x 0.68 " 6.6294 cm x 1.7272 mm / 2.61" x 0.68 "
Coil Material: ABS ABS
Coil Winding Process: Scatter Wound Scatter Wound
Pole Piece Material: Nickel plated steel Nickel plated steel
Pole Piece Position from Nut: 47.4218 cm / 18.670" 59.5173 cm / 23.432 "
Slug Material: Nickel plated steel Nickel plated steel
Slug Dimensions (diameter x length): 4.7498 mm x 1.24206 cm / 0.187" x .489" 4.7498 mm x 1.24206 cm / 0.187" x .489"
Magnet Material: Alnico III Alnico II
Magnet Position from Nut: 48.26 cm / 19" 58.42 cm / 23"
Magnet Dimensions: 6.35 cm x 1.27 mm / 2.5" x 0.5" 6.35 cm x 1.27 mm / 2.5" x 0.5"
Polarities: Screw side is the south pole of magnet Screw side is the south pole of magnet
Cover: Gold plated Gold plated
Qfactor: 3.21 3.2
ResistanceDC: 7526 ohms 7963 ohms
Resonant Frequency: 2859.84 Hz 2695.19 Hz

[Mike Sulzer]

But what does it mean? The resonant frequencies are obviously not those of the pickups alone; so without a complete statement of the conditions under which the measurements were made, what good is it?

Gibson.com: Gibson Memphis ES-Les Paul Custom

Scroll down. Read.

[salvarsan]

Gibson.com: Gibson Memphis ES-Les Paul Custom

Scroll down. Read.

Silly me. I expected to find it under "pickups" instead of buried below the lead in guitars.


Interesting that they spec the entire guitar. For one thing, it raises the bar on forgeries and knockoffs.

[Mike Sulzer]

Silly me. I expected to find it under "pickups" instead of buried below the lead in guitars.


Interesting that they spec the entire guitar. For one thing, it raises the bar on forgeries and knockoffs.

And assists you in designing one.

[capehead]

And assists you in designing one.

That's what I was gonna say too; I personally have no use in using their pickup formulas but in other aspects of guitar building, Gibson's recent 'full disclosure' tactic has provided me (and pretty much the entire world) with practically the entire bill of materials needed to build an accurate Gibson clone if one were so inclined to. I don't fully understand the logic of this new marketing technique except for maybe the fact that Gibson seems to underestimate the abilities and resourcefulness of the Chinese companies making those knockoffs.

[big_teee]

I wonder how much of their P/U specs are the truth?
I looked at several of them, and some specs?

[salvarsan]

And assists you in designing one.

It's probably a good time to reiterate that a specification is neither a manufacturing process nor a business plan.

While it is unusual for a big player to be so forthright, the rest of the pickup industry has been so for years. Gibson ups the ante by publishing a windings count, etc. Compare this to Lindy Fralin's site info in which he offers custom builds of by form factor, windings, magnet type, and so forth.

A more nuanced reading is that Gibson just told the boutique industry

1) rewind/repair specs, and
2) how to differentiate itself from OEM offerings.

And, regardless of specifications disclosure, if Gibson buys their pickups from China, it won't be long before same-factory knock-offs hit the market.

Yeah, I can see it: some guy loitering on the corner outside Sam Ash's NYC shop sez,
"Psst. You. Da guitah playuh. Got a 57 Classic heah fuh t'ree Jacksons."

[Tony Bones]

But what does it mean? The resonant frequencies are obviously not those of the pickups alone; so without a complete statement of the conditions under which the measurements were made, what good is it?

Why can't the resonant frequencies be those of the pickups alone? I measure them with an LCR meter where the L, C, and R are all insignificant compared to those of the pup. I'd be surprised if one of the worlds largest pickup manufacturers didn't have access to similar equipment.

[Mike Sulzer]

A resonant frequency of about 3 KHz is achieved with the cable capacitance of a few (but how many exactly?) hundred pfs in parallel with the pickup. The resonant frequency of a PAF type of humbucker alone is more like 12 KHz. (The effects of eddy currents have raised that a couple of KHz.) You have a few Henries and the capacitance of the two coils in series is about 70 pf. There is no way that can be 3 KHz.

Using a meter is tricky. At 100 Hz measurement frequency you get the coil capacitance. At 1 KHz you get a somewhat different value from eddy current effects. You need to use a much higher frequency to get the capacitance.

Why can't the resonant frequencies be those of the pickups alone? I measure them with an LCR meter where the L, C, and R are all insignificant compared to those of the pup. I'd be surprised if one of the worlds largest pickup manufacturers didn't have access to similar equipment.