Hi. Mind If I Ask A Question?

[Elias Graves]

Long time listener, first time caller here. Let me first say that I'm not a pickup builder. Mostly a wood finish guy, but I can wire a basic circuit. That's the extent of my electronics knowledge.

Been reading the forum for a little while now and have learned a good bit. Some very bright and creative people here. Kudos for that.

My question is that I have a bunch of pickup questions from the standpoint of a player, not a builder. I've been asking some of these questions of many guitarists I know but their knowledge isn't as deep as the questions. As players, we talk more about where you can find cheap strings.

Is it cool to ask questions like that here or is this strictly for builders to talk amongst themselves?

I'd be happy to confine everything to one thread if you guys don't want the place cluttered with "What pup should I buy?" Threads. My questions are more along the lines of "What effect does magnet A have?" Or "How do you enhance or detract certain frequencies?" Kinda stuff. Basic NOOB technical stuff, I guess. I want to learn more about construction and such so I can read the tech stuff on pickups and try to understand better how that will change the sound.

Thanks for the good reading. I enjoy it.

EG

[soundmasterg]

Basically as long as you don't ask the question "What is the best pickup" or "who's pickup should I buy" you are good. You don't want to put any of these makers in a position to where they are trying to compete with each other on this board for your business. This site has always been about knowledge and furthering it among pickup makers and among anyone who is interested in the subject. I would suggest to search and/or read the archives because this board has been here for a long time and many basic questions get asked over and over by newbies who don't take the time to search. That said, ask away. I'm sure someone will be happy to help you understand.

Greg

P.S. There are several good books on pickups that you could get too that answer many of the typical newbie technical questions.

[Elias Graves]

Thanks. I understand.

I hve been reading along for a while and searching some stuff. I find myself asking some tangental question that didn't get addressed sometimes.

Any title recommendations?

EG

[big_teee]

Your a member, and its an Open Forum, so ask away.
Now what answers you will get is anyones guess.
If you don't make Pickups, I wouldn't bother getting to Deep, on the Questions.
Like was mentioned before there is an awful lot of info on the Search Engine.
Good Luck

[Mark Hammer]

While there are a couple of things that just rub me the wrong way, I still find much to recommend in Dave Hunter's "Guitar Pickup Handbook", and the interviews with people (at least one of them a regular here) are a lot of fun.

I can't speak for everyone, but seeing a lot of different examples of something in one place always helps me learn. And to his credit, Hunter takes the view that the only strong opinion one ought to hold when it comes to pickups is that it is pointless holding a strong opinion about their design. Pleasantly nondogmatic.

[salvarsan]

Hi, Elias,
and welcome.

You should be able to ask any reasonable pickup question you want in this forum.

Another member, Big_Tee, has suggested that we subdivide this forum into sections like basic info, building, hobbyist, theory+design, and WildBlueYonder.

I've been mulling this over, think it's a good idea, and would like to sound out folks before whining at the moderator and site administrator for changes.

What would you like to see here, Elias?

[WolfeMacleod]

My question is that I have a bunch of pickup questions from the standpoint of a player, not a builder. I've been asking some of these questions of many guitarists I know but their knowledge isn't as deep as the questions. As players, we talk more about where you can find cheap strings.

Is it cool to ask questions like that here or is this strictly for builders to talk amongst themselves?

I'd be happy to confine everything to one thread if you guys don't want the place cluttered with "What pup should I buy?" Threads. My questions are more along the lines of "What effect does magnet A have?" Or "How do you enhance or detract certain frequencies?" Kinda stuff. Basic NOOB technical stuff, I guess. I want to learn more about construction and such so I can read the tech stuff on pickups and try to understand better how that will change the sound.

Thanks for the good reading. I enjoy it.

EG

The original intent of this forum when it was first started in 1999 was for players to ask the builders - Jason and I at the time - questions just such as this. Wiring, Pots. Caps. Getting better tone. Virtues of high/low output, stuff like that. It wasn't originally intended as a share-all-steal-all between pickup makers.

[Dave Kerr]

Another member, Big_Tee, has suggested that we subdivide this forum into sections like basic info, building, hobbyist, theory+design, and WildBlueYonder.

Drawbacks to fragmenting the forum further include that it can be more of a chore to scan new posts, and that good posts may get fewer eyeballs in the less active areas. It can also lead to (additional) admin headaches for the mods, ex "this thread clearly belongs in the sheep husbandry section, not theory and design"

[salvarsan]

Drawbacks to fragmenting the forum further include that it can be more of a chore to scan new posts, and that good posts may get fewer eyeballs in the less active areas. It can also lead to (additional) admin headaches for the mods, ex "this thread clearly belongs in the sheep husbandry section, not theory and design"

Speaking as the first moderator of PMF, I can authoritatively say that I set the standard for laziness before shrugging that mantle onto David Schwab's shoulders. The bar was set very low, and if the work load becomes onerous, an addition moderator could be drafted.

My suspicion is that two or three subsections would actually make it easier to scan.

How about these divisions?

• General
• Parts Resources
• Theory&Design

A thread might start in General, but if it turns theoretical, then the moderator has to slam it into Theory&Design. "Sheep Shagging" could fit there, too.

[big_teee]

Speaking as the first moderator of PMF, I can authoritatively say that I set the standard for laziness before shrugging that mantle onto David Schwab's shoulders. The bar was set very low, and if the work load becomes onerous, an addition moderator could be drafted.

My suspicion is that two or three subsections would actually make it easier to scan.

How about these divisions?

• General
• Parts Resources
• Theory&Design

A thread might start in General, but if it turns theoretical, then the moderator has to slam it into Theory&Design. "Sheep Shagging" could fit there, too.

It would be good to have one area that is entry level or basic, where things are kept simple and a topic can stay more on a basic subject. Without the topic getting overly complex. If you just make it a general area most would be there and I feel most of the discussions will turn complex. This imtimidates a lot of first timers. The big gap is a place for new winders.
Thanks for listening,
Terry

[Bryan Jeppson]

For people in Texas, sheep shagging would probably belong in Parts and Resources, since most of them have advanced beyond just theory.

[salvarsan]

For people in Texas, sheep shagging would probably belong in Parts and Resources, since most of them have advanced beyond just theory.

Hey!

That is so chauvinistic.

What about Scotland, Wales, Australian Outback, and New Zealand?
Sheep shaggers, the lot of them, and not a Texas Aggie in the bunch.

For an idea of how things can be organized, check out the front page at ScienceMadness.org. They clearly subdivide: general, specific, parts, beginnings, and miscellaneous.

We need to identify the recurrent issues within this forum.
When I look, I often see:

• basics - how do you wind and wire a pickup?
• general - with what wire do you wind a pickup? How do you make bobbins?
• specs & ID - what are the dimensions, DCR, inductance, magnet type of a pickup?
• tools & parts - where do I get parts+tools for making a pickup?
• theory& design - eddy currents, metal selection, impedance, novel designs
• miscellaneous - new products, amusing videos, industry gossip, and none of the above.

This may be too complicated or lacking.
What do you guys see?

[Ronsonic]

So does the OP have a question?

I'd rather not see it broken up any further. The MEF has a lot of that and it takes me awhile to get through my reading.

I say leave as is. It isn't like we've got 40 new threads every day to sort through.

[salvarsan]

Um, okay.

How about only three categories?

• Basics
• General
• Sheep Shagging

Folding Theory&Design into Sheep Shagging seems reasonable, no?

[big_teee]

Um, okay.

How about only three categories?

• Basics
• General
• Sheep Shagging

Folding Theory&Design into Sheep Shagging seems reasonable, no?

I like it. Make sure all the Deep and Abyss falls in the Shaggin Catagory!
And Basics is that! General could fall in between sheep prep and sheep shagging!
The other questions which are main forum categories, and which is sub-Categories.
I think the Basic needs to be a main forum category, like they do in Amplification.
Thanks,
Terry