1

The Pickup Place / Re: DiMarzio EBMM Music Man Axis Bridge Humbucker

« on: January 11, 2023, 04:08:58 PM »

Did I get you right, that you wired that 150K resistor in series to the lead to the series-wired pickup?

Exactly! Resistor between lead (black) wire of the JB connected to the Switch (or directly to the Pot), JB wired in Series.

I'd assume, that it matters where the resistor is placed: between pot an hot lead, or between ground and green wire.

Actually I tested both and didn't get too much of a difference sound wise.

And of course between red and white.

This makes a difference sound wise. By choosing which coil is "first" in the series connection you can influence which coil to be "reduced" by the resistor (the second coil). Actually, I found something very interesting when trying this with a Tone Zone (yes, the other contendor always compared with the Axis Bridge). When connecting the Tone Zone with the Screw Coil (white wire) to the Output, a resistor between green and red, black connected to ground, the Slug coil is influenced by the resistor. By using a 60K resistor (approximately, was adjusted with a Pot) in this way, I got a result which is again very similar to the Axis Bridge, both in sound and measurement of LC (R of course being much higher due to the resistor). I find this very interesting because the Tone Zone is always said to be similar to the Axis Bridge with one coil (Slug) being hotter than the other one. By "reducing" the output of the Slug coil you can even the two coils, so that it comes very, very close to the Axis Bridge. If you use a Pot as a variable resistor, you can even play with the sound changes.

Before all of that testing with the resistors, I had also already created a Pickup with two Tone Zone Screw Coils with very similar results. This one is virtually identical with the Axis Bridge sound wise.

If I'd need to rank the different mods based on which one comes closest to the Axis Bridge I'd go for this order:
1. Screw Zone (Two Tone Zone Screw Coils)
2. JB w/ A5 RC + 150K series resistor connected between black wire and Output
3. Tone Zone + 60K resistor between Screw Coil and Slug Coil (wired in Series from Screw Coil, then resistor, then Slug Coil).

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The Pickup Place / Re: DiMarzio EBMM Music Man Axis Bridge Humbucker

« on: December 18, 2022, 05:59:45 AM »

Hello Headcrash,

Which coil did you put that resistance in series to?

Actually, I tried the resistor at different places.

1. If put it in "front" of the two coils (black wire or green wire doesn't really make a big difference) it is basically affecting the series connection of both coils. In that position it actually does, what I described before.

2. If connected between the two coils (between red and white) you can kind of "unbalance" the two coils. If you have connected the JB with Black (Slug Coil) being hot, the resistor will influence the Screw Coil. This ends up with a kind of "cocked wah" think like the Tone Zone does. I didn't try the other way round.

Is your JB an older one? I'm not familiar with all the JB history, but kinda recall having read, that there are several versions throughout the years.

My JB was bought in June 2020 at Thomann. So it is a rather new one. Did several tests with different magnets. The reason for choosing the RC A5 for the comparison with the Axis Bridge HB was that I was reading a bit about the Antiquitiy and the 35th Anniversary JB, both using rough cast magnets. Considering when the Axis Bridge was developped and when EVH might be using the JB, I found it quite possible that the original one was an A5 rough cast. Also, the LCR measurements I made with the RC A5 JB in comparison with the Axis Bridge HB supported that assumption.

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The Pickup Place / Re: DiMarzio EBMM Music Man Axis Bridge Humbucker

« on: November 24, 2022, 02:27:32 AM »

Hello,

I'm not here to defend defend DiMarzio by any means.

No need to defend here. There was no intention to offend anybody from my side. I was just curious and surprised. DiMarzio certainly does a great job in producing their specific pickup models with consistent sonic properties.

with all encouragement to your efforts..... wind yourself a few hundred pickups (literally) and discover what anomalies you encounter along the way.  I'm guessing by that time that this random coil will make more sense by then.

Thanks for the advice ... we'll see ...

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The Pickup Place / Re: DiMarzio EBMM Music Man Axis Bridge Humbucker

« on: November 19, 2022, 04:20:28 PM »

Hello Darth,

thanks for your reply.

"there are many statements made that the coils of this Humbucker are balanced."
are those people saying the pickups sound balanced or have a balanced voice/character/tone?  or are they saying the specs off the meter show a balanced wind from one coil to another?

The statements are usually based on DCR.

What would be the inductance of each coil in @darthphineas set?
how would someone else know the readings that I took?  lol! I don't post every single spec that I get off every coil for this very reason.  it can/will confuse and/or obsess people with minutiae that can keep them from seeing the forest for the trees. 

I was hoping to be able to address the question to you in this forum. Also thought that the "@" would trigger a notification maybe ... didn't work. But finally you answered. Appreciate that!

Why is the difference so huge in my set (It is actually quite high to be explained by manufacturing tolerances in my opinion)?
But manufacturing tolerances are a fact.  I have 2 sets of these and none of the coils on the respective positions are identical.  In fact, one set has higher inductance on both pickups than the inductance on the other set.  There could be any one of a half-dozen solid reasons for the offset you are seeing in your readings.  Your answers will probably be found with DiMarzio tech support rather than on a forum.

Based on the statements found in various forums I was expecting to measure each coil at +/- 8.5K. So, it was surprising to me when the measurement was so different.

At the end of the day, it could be simple.  One coil was made on one machine by one winder, and the other made on a different machine by a different winder.  Or one was made on Friday afternoon, and the other on Monday AM after a fresh calibration of the winder.  Or maybe a setting shifted and the pitch or tension were tweaked.  Or it was the same winder on the same machine made back-to-back with the same settings, but one coil was the end of a spool of wire and the other coil was from the beginning of another spool.  Or the winder did one coil before lunch, came back to do the second without getting all the sopressata washed off their fingers and it got on the tensioner felt.

I would have expected more consistency and repeatability from a series production like DiMarzio. I'm not a professional winder, just wound a few pickups by myself because of curiosity. Using a very simple winding rig and guiding the wire by hand, I have managed to wind coils that are really close to each other (DCR, Inductance and Capacitance). Would be strange to me that in a professional process there is that much variation.

Another fun thing that I found: In the DiMarzio article about EVH it is mentioned that the "original" pickup  was a JB with the damaged coil that measured at something around 160K. So, I was just wondering what happens if I put a 150K resistor in series with my A5 Rough cast JB (which then is something like total 166K obviously). Tested it and found that it is even closer to my Axis Bridge Pickup than the JB alone. It reduces Output, Treble and the upper mid Honk of the JB, and emphasizes the low mids and bass response. Replacing the 150K resistor with a linear pot to play around with the resistance got me even closer in a range between 150K and 250K. When rolling the volume down the behaviour of that JB (with A5 rough Cast magnet and the added resistance) is very close to the Axis Bridge Humbucker. It cleans up very similar in terms of Output and retaining treble when rolled down. This, of course, is highly perceptive to what I hear in a direct comparison using my rig. For me it's as close as you can get at the moment. Closer than Tone Zone, Half-Aired Tone Zone, AT-1 or whatever other alternatives you can find in many discussions.

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Everything you wanted to know about .... / Re: Mo'Joe

« on: September 08, 2022, 02:30:18 PM »

According to DiMarzio Tech the Mo Joe is the closest full-size equivalent to the Chopper. I have a chopper in one guitar and wanted to have something similar in standard size in another guitar, that’s why I asked them by email.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Which Pickup Features Which Technique

« on: September 05, 2022, 05:08:54 AM »

Yes, in principle it could be removed but I think it is more convenient for anybody looking up a specific model. Thanks for the Super 3 info - I will update.

Cheers Stephan

Hi, my comment was referring to the question mark (maybe not clear enough)…

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The Pickup Place / Re: Confused about North and South poles on Ibanez HSH wiring diagram

« on: August 29, 2022, 01:16:32 AM »

So, shall I assume that the Screw side is always the South and the Slug the North?

I think that now I understand my confusion: I thought that the North Pole was always at the top, and the South at the bottom. But it seems like that it is inverted for the neck pickup, since the slug poles are at the bottom

Shall I assume that the North (black/red wires) is at the top when I orient the wires output towards the control cavity?

Hi, your assumptions are correct. Slug is always North and Screw (or the coil at the side where the cable enters the base plate) always South.

Regards,
Jörg

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The Pickup Place / Re: Confused about North and South poles on Ibanez HSH wiring diagram

« on: August 28, 2022, 04:35:45 PM »

Hello,
if you tap on the Coils with the screwdriver in positions 2 and 4, is it the Screw Coil or the Slug Coil being active? It should be the Slug coil (North) according to the schematic.
Regards,
Jörg

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The Pickup Place / Re: Which Pickup Features Which Technique

« on: August 27, 2022, 08:37:32 AM »

PAF (DP-103) - none (?)

The old PAF DP103 has none of the techniques mentioned (? could be removed). Also Super 3 could be added with none. Took one of each apart just a few days ago.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Chopper T in tele bridge - 250k or 500k tone pot ?

« on: August 25, 2022, 01:57:09 AM »

Hi,
I use the Chopper T in a Tele with 250K Pots. Usually I roll off the tone a bit, because there is still plenty of treble with 250K pots. If you like it really bright, go for the 500K. If not, the 250K should be fine. Concerning polarity, I cannot tell you exactly, because I don't have any experience with Harmonic Design pickups. However, with a Tele it's so easy to remove the control plate and swap connections, that I would simply try it the way you expect it to be. If it turns out to be wrong, it's a matter of minutes to change it.
Hope that helps,
Jörg

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The Pickup Place / Music Man Luke LIII - New Custom Bridge Pickup

« on: August 16, 2022, 03:09:57 AM »

Hi,

has anybody already reviewed (and maybe measured) the new Music Man Luke III Custom Bridge Pickup? I would be interested in the differences to the DiMarzio Transition Bridge. In the Ernieball forum I found someone stating that this pickup measures 17K (8.5K Split) with an A5 Magnet. Sounds like balanced coils in a value range that is known from another mystic DiMarzio Pickup. Is that just coincidence?

Regards,
Jörg

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The Pickup Place / Re: New Tone Charts!?!

« on: August 16, 2022, 02:59:03 AM »

Bass - everything up to about 150hz
Low mid - from 150hz to about 300hz
Center mid - from 300hz to about 1500hz
High mid - from 1500hz to about 2500hz
Treble - from 2500hz up

Please feel free to disagree.

Cheers Stephan

I would be interested in the frequency ranges as well. Actually I sent an e-Mail to DiMarzio Tech and asked about that. Unfortunately there was no answer at all.

In general I kind of prefer the new ranges. Prefering low mids to high mids mostly, I was always struggeling with the old values because of the missing separation between low and high mids. I believe there are some examples that reflect the differences that I hear based on the new values (which was not so the case with the old values), e.g.:
- Super 3 vs Super Distortion: Super 3 being thicker than SD in the low mids, SD having more high end.
- Super 3 vs Tone Zone: both comparably thick in the bass and low mids, but Tone Zone being stronger in the high mids
- Air Zone vs Tone Zone: Air Zone having slightly less upper mids (sounding more open) and a notch more high end than Tone Zone

However, there are some examples that do not really fit, especially if you compare between the different types of pickups (Humbuckers vs. Single Coils). But this was already the case with the old ratings. It's probably never perfect, also because it is highly subjective. Finally, I find it quite helpful if you compare pickup A to B, especially if you want to distinguish between low mids and high mids. I wouldn't want DiMarzio to change back.

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The Pickup Place / Re: DiMarzio EBMM Music Man Axis Bridge Humbucker

« on: August 15, 2022, 07:33:47 AM »

Hello,

Stephan, thanks for the detailed response. Actually my questions do not relate to the fact that I'm searching for a specific sound. It rather comes from the mystery that is made around this pickup and understanding the parameters of influencing a pickup's sound. I also wired a few pickups on my own, which made me curious to understand some specific pickup designs. The lately published article from DiMarzio about EVH described the development of this pickup and similarities (and differences) to the Tone Zone. As I do not like the voice of the Tone Zone that much, but like the Axis Pickup, I wanted to understand the technical differences. Interesting side fact: I measured a couple of different pickups, also a JB (which is also mentioned in the DiMarzio article) with a rough cast A5 magnet. The measured values of inductance and capacitance of the A5 RC JB are very, very close to the values of my Axis Bridge humbucker. Anyhow, tone wise it's very near and probably usable to mimic VH sounds, but it still does not have the bass and low mids content of the Axis Bridge humbucker.

Coming back to the offset of my Axis bridge humbucker: I cannot see any sign of a defect, rewind, repair or whatsoever on the pickup. What I did to understand the offset, is taking it apart to the pure coils (remove all conductive material, base plate, magnet, screws, slugs, retainer...) and take some measurements. The DCR offset is still there (which is natural), but inductance and capacitance are equal to the second digit (Slug Coil: 1.814H, Screw Coil: 1.82H). In terms of inductance and capacitance the coils are balanced. The difference only occurs in assembled state, so there might be variation in the conductive components!?

Regards,
Jörg

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The Pickup Place / Re: Transition Bridge

« on: August 11, 2022, 12:30:22 PM »

It‘s a thick magnet, like in the Super Distortion

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The Pickup Place / DiMarzio EBMM Music Man Axis Bridge Humbucker

« on: August 11, 2022, 10:51:16 AM »

Again Music Man Axis Pickups ...

based on the post https://darthphineas.com/2016/03/dimarzio-music-man-evh-humbucker-pickups/ I was curious to understand what is going on with the DiMarzio Music Man Axis Humbucker set, especially the Bridge Humbucker. There are many statements made that the coils of this Humbucker are balanced. When measuring my set I found a quite huge offset between the coils (Slug: 8.3K DC, Screw: 9.1K DC). The inductance (measured at 120Hz with Peaktech 2165) of the two coils is quite opposite in difference (Slug: 3.8H, Screw: 3.6H). I would have expected the inductance to be closer, if not greater for the screw coil (based on the higher DCR). This leads me to a few questions:

1. If the coils were balanced, why would I see such a huge difference in resistance and inductance?
2. Other people's measurements are much closer (e.g. Darth Phineas). Why is the difference so huge in my set (It is actually quite high to be explained by manufacturing tolerances in my opinion)?
3. What would be the inductance of each coil in @darthphineas set?
4. Maybe too theoretical: could the offset I see in my humbucker actually make a difference sound wise compared to one that shows more balanced measurements?

Hope this is not too technical ...