PSA: Wilde Pickups (Bill Lawrence) Holiday Sale

[PLX]

Yes and no. With traditional pickup manufacturing (think normal HB and SC construction), the inductance is still the thing that actually matters for output but you can look at the resistance readings as a sort of stand-in that will lead you to the right conclusions about the pickup output. That’s the measurement that was commonly used not because it’s the best measure of output, but because it’s the readily accessible measurement that they were using in builds and mods as I understand it.

When you start getting into alternative pickup designs like bill lawrence stuff, the resistance reading may not be telling you what you think it is. You wouldn’t be very happy to choose a pickup based on a resistance reading only to install it and learn that it’s considerably louder or quieter than its resistance indicated it would be. Or at least I wouldn’t be very happy about that. The inductance answers the output question more accurately, which is why they provide it instead.

D

Dammit Becky, I told you never to call me here.

 

[JoeBfstplk]

Resistance is a false friend. If all pickups were wound with the same spec wire, it would be interchangeable with inductance, but there are differences in resistance per 1000 ft. for different gauge wire that can mess with your resistance readings....

 

[Jarick]

I believe inductance can change with the magnet as well.

 

[JoeBfstplk]

I believe inductance can change with the magnet as well.

Any ferric metal, too.

 

[Blix]

While @Jarick is waiting for his pickups, I reinstalled my Alnico Microcoils in my tele and recorded a quick before and after for anyone interested.

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EMG first going through the pickup positions, then Wilde at 0:24

 

[Jarick]

While @Jarick is waiting for his pickups, I reinstalled my Alnico Microcoils in my tele and recorded a quick before and after for anyone interested.

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EMG first going through the pickup positions, then Wilde at 0:24

Mine should be arriving tomorrow! I'll have to do a quick before and after as I'm putting in both Tele and Strat.

I'm curious about the EGM's myself especially after hearing John Bollinger playing with the Lukather set. Which ones did you have?

 

[Blix]

Mine should be arriving tomorrow! I'll have to do a quick before and after as I'm putting in both Tele and Strat.

I'm curious about the EGM's myself especially after hearing John Bollinger playing with the Lukather set. Which ones did you have?

It was the standard EMG T set. They’re quite low output, sounds fine but a tad too polite

 

[Jarick]

Got them in this yesterday, will put in at some point over the next few days.

Really interesting readings. I was worried they would be really low, but they actually seem pretty healthy output:

Strat Bridge - 10.8k
Strat Middle - 6.4k
Strat Neck - 6.5k

Tele Bridge - 9.3k
Tele Neck - 6.4k

Will have to check them to see if they keep increasing after warming up.

The Tele bridge is cray light, the bobbin is like 1/4 the height as a normal pickup! Although it looks oddly angled, not sure if it's put together incorrect or not.

 

[Jarick]

Apparently I forgot to post, so that was from yesterday morning.

Wired up the Strat this morning, will do some before and after clips and finish installing. I keep trying to work on my wiring cleanliness. I think another 20 years and it might look decent. This time I used some longer interconnects to move them out of the way on the switch. Also had my daughter teach me how to braid so I could get the 3 conductor wires clean!

Side note, I really like the Fender 250k pots and switches. Although I got one in at 230k so that will be my bridge tone, but they are all very smooth taper and seem to last.

Lastly, the pickups are supposed to be white but are a perfect match for Fender Parchment color. The knobs look off so I've got some new ones coming to see if they are a little better.

 

[PLX]

Apparently I forgot to post, so that was from yesterday morning.

Wired up the Strat this morning, will do some before and after clips and finish installing. I keep trying to work on my wiring cleanliness. I think another 20 years and it might look decent. This time I used some longer interconnects to move them out of the way on the switch. Also had my daughter teach me how to braid so I could get the 3 conductor wires clean!

Side note, I really like the Fender 250k pots and switches. Although I got one in at 230k so that will be my bridge tone, but they are all very smooth taper and seem to last.

Lastly, the pickups are supposed to be white but are a perfect match for Fender Parchment color. The knobs look off so I've got some new ones coming to see if they are a little better.


View attachment 35231View attachment 35232

Adjustable pole pieces on Strat pickups !

Nice innovation !

 

[Jarick]

Okay got them installed but need to dial in pickup heights. They sound quieter and a bit fatter and less spiky/bright than the regular single coils. If I always assumed they would be really thin and super bright. Pleasantly surprised. You can hear a lot of single coil note clarity through the gain. It sounds like a clean signal mixed in with the gain almost? It's really interesting.

Quick noise tests, estimates based on levels using a Fractal BE amp sim without a noise gate:

Humbucker ~ -58 dB
Single Coils ~ -42 dB
Micro Coils ~ -48 dB

Definitely lower noise than the single coils but not as quiet as humbuckers.

 

[Jarick]

Adjustable pole pieces on Strat pickups !

Nice innovation !

Yeah I'm not really sure how they work. Seems like there's screws on the top, magnetic slugs on the bottom of the bobbin, a metal spacer, and then what I'm assuming is a skinny ceramic bar magnet on the bottom? And then a really short bobbin of wire. I'm pretty sure there's a lot less wire/turns which is why it's quieter but not noiseless, but not sure how you can get the same general resistance.

 

[PLX]

Yeah I'm not really sure how they work. Seems like there's screws on the top, magnetic slugs on the bottom of the bobbin, a metal spacer, and then what I'm assuming is a skinny ceramic bar magnet on the bottom? And then a really short bobbin of wire. I'm pretty sure there's a lot less wire/turns which is why it's quieter but not noiseless, but not sure how you can get the same general resistance.

There's some cool pickup innovations right now !

 

[JoeBfstplk]

Apparently I forgot to post, so that was from yesterday morning.

Wired up the Strat this morning, will do some before and after clips and finish installing. I keep trying to work on my wiring cleanliness. I think another 20 years and it might look decent. This time I used some longer interconnects to move them out of the way on the switch. Also had my daughter teach me how to braid so I could get the 3 conductor wires clean!

Side note, I really like the Fender 250k pots and switches. Although I got one in at 230k so that will be my bridge tone, but they are all very smooth taper and seem to last.

Lastly, the pickups are supposed to be white but are a perfect match for Fender Parchment color. The knobs look off so I've got some new ones coming to see if they are a little better.


View attachment 35231View attachment 35232

The knobs looking off is normal - different plastic - ages to a different color....

 

[Jarick]

The knobs looking off is normal - different plastic - ages to a different color....

Yeah the original parts on this guitar (late 90's) are kinda crazy. They were all bright white when I got them. I used a little brown shoe polish at some point in the 2000's to give a little off white tint. Now the pickguard is still off white but the knobs are all dark yellow.

 

[bikescene]

I’m kind of tempted by the L500XL/L500R set. I’ve read about the L500XL and the Nuno connection, but how is the L500R? Is that a more traditional sounding humbucker?

 

[PLX]

I’m kind of tempted by the L500XL/L500R set. I’ve read about the L500XL and the Nuno connection, but how is the L500R? Is that a more traditional sounding humbucker?

Dimebag Darnell used the L500XL in the bridge position, as well.

It's a thin, raspy sounding pickup, that doesn't clean up when you roll back the volume.

ymmv

 

[JoeBfstplk]

I’m kind of tempted by the L500XL/L500R set. I’ve read about the L500XL and the Nuno connection, but how is the L500R? Is that a more traditional sounding humbucker?

It (the R) has a good, clear, solid tone....

 

[Blix]

500XL sounds great, and in my experience it's rather full and hot, and cleans up just fine.

But instead of more words here's a clip, first is Wilde 500XL, second (0:15) is a DiMarzio Dreamcatcher and third is a Monty's PAF (0:30)

 

[Diary Of An Axeman]

I love the old L-250's !!!!