Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

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Molly
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Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by Molly »

Just discovered it's possible to check magnetic polarity with an old school compass.

https://youtu.be/5pi0i0WP4_M

Of course it is! How did I never realise that?

And here's another useful way to determine the phase of your pickups using a multimeter and a steel ruler.

https://youtu.be/OcuvBRZPpow

So, since I'm about to do another Strat assembly I'll invariably end up mixing different pickups and, if the past is anything to go by, I'll have issues between them. Can y'all summarise in this thread what a chap needs to know / check to avoid such problems?

For example, is polarity the factor in getting pickups to noise-cancel in positions 2 and 4? How do polarity and phase relate to each other?

Thanks.

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Re: Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by olegmcnoleg »

Buy a set of Lollar Dirty Blonds, job done.

I’ve had the same issue too. Dimarzio and Duncan (just to name two) use different polarity as well as different wire colours. So getting the hum cancelling to work in positions 2 and 4 requires some reading ahead and planning.

These guys have a mind blowing set of options ready to drop in and are great value:
https://920dcustom.com

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Slowy
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Re: Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by Slowy »

olegmcnoleg wrote:Buy a set of Lollar Dirty Blonds, job done.
:thumbup: :thumbup:
olegmcnoleg wrote:These guys have a mind blowing set of options ready to drop in and are great value:
https://920dcustom.com
Great. My mind immediately said, "We could buy 3 or 4 of those and it'd be soooo easy just to swap them out!" :roll:
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by codedog »

Slowy wrote:
olegmcnoleg wrote:These guys have a mind blowing set of options ready to drop in and are great value:
https://920dcustom.com
Great. My mind immediately said, "We could buy 3 or 4 of those and it'd be soooo easy just to swap them out!" :roll:
We? You and your mind, or the forum collective? I was imagining a KOC type thread for strats where we end up swapping loaded pickguards...

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Re: Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by olegmcnoleg »

codedog wrote:
Slowy wrote:
olegmcnoleg wrote:These guys have a mind blowing set of options ready to drop in and are great value:
https://920dcustom.com
Great. My mind immediately said, "We could buy 3 or 4 of those and it'd be soooo easy just to swap them out!" :roll:
We? You and your mind, or the forum collective? I was imagining a KOC type thread for strats where we end up swapping loaded pickguards...
That is a nice idea, a pick-guard library for Strats! I hereby appoint myself Head Librarian, so send me your pickguards and I'll figure out how to index them using the DeweyDecimal system.

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Re: Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by Slowy »

olegmcnoleg wrote:
codedog wrote:
Slowy wrote: Great. My mind immediately said, "We could buy 3 or 4 of those and it'd be soooo easy just to swap them out!" :roll:
We? You and your mind, or the forum collective? I was imagining a KOC type thread for strats where we end up swapping loaded pickguards...
That is a nice idea, a pick-guard library for Strats! I hereby appoint myself Head Librarian, so send me your pickguards and I'll figure out how to index them using the DeweyDecimal system.
Only if you appoint Molly Distribution Manager.
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by codedog »

Slowy wrote:
olegmcnoleg wrote:
codedog wrote:
We? You and your mind, or the forum collective? I was imagining a KOC type thread for strats where we end up swapping loaded pickguards...
That is a nice idea, a pick-guard library for Strats! I hereby appoint myself Head Librarian, so send me your pickguards and I'll figure out how to index them using the DeweyDecimal system.
Only if you appoint Molly Distribution Manager.
This is coming together nicely!

Oh wait... Molly is leaving our shores :( What's the group opinion on international distributor?

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Re: Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by olegmcnoleg »

codedog wrote:
Slowy wrote:
olegmcnoleg wrote:
That is a nice idea, a pick-guard library for Strats! I hereby appoint myself Head Librarian, so send me your pickguards and I'll figure out how to index them using the DeweyDecimal system.
Only if you appoint Molly Distribution Manager.
This is coming together nicely!

Oh wait... Molly is leaving our shores :( What's the group opinion on international distributor?
He is going to be a hard act to replace, and the international shipping would kill us. We need to promote another member to be the group's Molly--there's important tradition to be upheld. Nominations on a postcard to...

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Re: Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by Molly »

olegmcnoleg wrote:
codedog wrote:
Slowy wrote: Only if you appoint Molly Distribution Manager.
This is coming together nicely!

Oh wait... Molly is leaving our shores :( What's the group opinion on international distributor?
He is going to be a hard act to replace, and the international shipping would kill us. We need to promote another member to be the group's Molly--there's important tradition to be upheld. Nominations on a postcard to...
I think it'll quickly become apparent that you're all as bad as me. ;-)

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olegmcnoleg
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Re: Understanding pickup polarity / phase etc.

Post by olegmcnoleg »

Molly wrote:
olegmcnoleg wrote:
codedog wrote:
This is coming together nicely!

Oh wait... Molly is leaving our shores :( What's the group opinion on international distributor?
He is going to be a hard act to replace, and the international shipping would kill us. We need to promote another member to be the group's Molly--there's important tradition to be upheld. Nominations on a postcard to...
I think it'll quickly become apparent that you're all as bad as me. ;-)
I may be, but I'm quieter about it :-)

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