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What does "calibrated set" mean? A calibrated set of humbuckers(or single coils for that matter) are pickups wound to optimise tone and output for their respective position, ie bridge and neck humbuckers are wound differently and often feature different magnets too. The strings move alot more over the neck pickup and generate more current so neck pickups are often wound to have a lower output in comparison to a bridge in order to achieve better clarity and balance between the pair. The best way to think of a calibrated set is as a matched pair.
What is the difference between braided two conductor and four conductor? Braided two conductor hook up allows series operation only(humbucking!) whereas four conductor hook up allows advanced wiring options such as series/parallel, in/out of phase and coil splitting.
What spacing is right for my bridge humbucker?
Spacing refers to the distance from E pole to E pole on the bridge pickup of a humbucker equipped guitar. Standard spacing, usual with fixed Gibson style bridges is 50mm(it's actually 49.4mm on BKPs as per the original Gibson PAF but is rounded up to 50mm in the industry). Wide or F(Fender) spacing is typical of trem equipped guitars and is 53mm as per original Fender spacing. The majority of Gibson guitars are standard spaced although they have occasionally used a wide spaced bridge on some SG and Flying Vee series. PRS, despite fitting standard spaced humbuckers as stock are actually wide spaced on their trem equipped guitars.Neck pickups are always standard spacing. If in doubt...get the ruler out!
Stock vs RWRP middle single coils.
A stock middle coil will have more mid range on the in between positions of the 5 way selector and not be hum canceling.You'll also notice marginally more volume across the whole set of 3 coils.Fender Strats originally came with 3 stock wound/polarity coils. RWRP middle coil will hum cancel in positions 2 and 4 of the 5 way selector, arguably more versatile than a stock middle coil and popularized by players like Mark Knopfler and Eric Johnson.
Flat magnet profile or vintage stagger?
A vintage stagger handles the heavier 7 ¼" radius of a vintage fingerboard and works well right up to @ a 10" radius.The stagger is how Leo Fender heard the strings to balance the best and we use the more common '56 stagger with the E/A magnets at 17.6mm, D/G magnets at 18.4MM, B magnet at 16mm and high E magnet at 16.8mm. We can also produce the earlier '54 stagger with low G pole on request. Flat magnet profile gives better string to string balance on modern radius finger boards of 10" and flatter. At the end of the day it's a matter of preference and what works best for the individual-some players use a vintage stagger on very flat fingerboard radii of 14" and love it!!
What is four conductor wiring? Individual termination of the start and finish leads from each coil of a humbucking pickup to a cable with four separate conductors plus a shield. This allows extremely versatile switching arrangments such as series/parallel, coil split, in/out of phase and so on.
What is the Bare Knuckle Four conductor colour code?
Black =start of screw coil
White = finish of screw coil
Red = start of slug coil
Green = finish of slug coil
For standard series operation solder the red to the pot tag, the black to ground(usually the back of the pot casing) and solder the green and white together.
Can braided two conductor wire be changed to four conductor? Yes, if you decided after buying a Bare Knuckle humbucker that you'd prefer four conductor wiring, we can change it over for a small charge subject to return of the pickup by registered mail. If you purchased your pickup through a Bare Knuckle Maindealer then make your return through them.
Can covers be added or removed from a humbucker?
We remove covers free of charge as part of our commitment to customer service so that your warranty isn't invalidated as long as the pickup is returned to us by registered mail. A cover can be added to any Bare Knuckle humbucker and we only charge the cost of the covers, fitting is free.
How long is the warranty and is it transferable? The warranty is for life to the original purchaser subject to returning the registration form. The warranty is non-transferable and does not cover damage through misuse or improper handling, normal wear to covers, installation charges or any form of modification or repair undertaken by anyone other than Bare Knuckle Pickups Ltd.
What is DC resistance? It is the resistance to the flow of Direct Current. In practice it is used as a very general indicator of a pickups power with a higher DC reading yielding more power and a darker sound. However the gauge of the wire also has enormous bearing on the sound and different wire with similar DC readings will not have the same power or sound. As always, let your hands and ears be the judge.
What is resonant peak? This is the frequency that the impedance of a pickup is at its highest. A higher resonant peak usually indicates a brighter, more open sound within a certain type of pickup, i.e. humbuckers or single coils.
What is a pickup's impedence? A measure of the resistance to the flow of AC(guitar signal!).
What does RW/RP mean? Reverse wind/reverse polarity is used with reference to a common modification to the middle pickup on a Strat. With a 5 way selector a RW/RP middle pickup will act as a humbucker when combined with the bridge and neck pickups in positions 2 and 4. The magnetic polarity and the wind direction of the pickup is the opposite to the other coils on the guitar. This enables a stock coil and RW/RP coil to be wired together in series allowing hum cancelling operation. This modification is common to Strat®, Tele®, P90 and P&J Bass coils. In fact, anywhere that hum cancelling is required from 2 or more single coils.
What is polarity? This is the relationship of positive and negative electrical current or magnetic poles to each other.
What is wax potting? When a coil has been wound it is immersed in a mixture of paraffin and bees wax to solidify the coils and help guard against microphonic feedback.
What is scatterwinding? Scatterwinding is the process of guiding fine copper wire by hand in a random or scattered pattern around a bobbin that is spun by a machine. True scatterwinding can only be done by hand and requires a degree of skill to get the required tension along with consistent results.
Are all scatterwound pickups unique? To a certain extent each pickup will be unique and have it's own character but within the boundaries of its specification. For instance no two Riff Raff humbuckers will be identical but they'll all have the same number of winds, the same wire, the same magnet and therefore similar overall sound characteristics and performance.
Why do scatterwound pickups sound different to machine wound ones? Scatterwinding by hand can be time consuming but it has many advantages over conventional machine winding, not least a far superior sound. When a coil is scatterwound, the wire isn't as close or even, layer on layer, as with a machine and this lowers the distributed capacitance that exists between the turns of the wire. Lower capacitance allows more top end through, the resonant peak increases slightly and the pickup has a flatter frequency response across its range. The result is a clearer, more open sound that has the impression of being louder purely by the amount of extra detail and dynamics present.
What is the difference between a humbucker and a single coil pickup? A humbucker consists of two coils usually wound in the same direction however the electrical path to ground travels in opposing directions in each coil and the magnetic polarity is reversed. The humbucker is designed to cancel out 60-cycle hum and has a fatter, richer sound to that of the taller, narrower single coil that can be prone to 50/60 cycle hum.
Can Bare Knuckle Pickups be mixed with other manufacturer's pickups? Yes, our pickups are suitable to be used alongside the majority of other manufacturer's pickups although it is always wise to check the polarity and wind direction, especially in the case of single coils, as occasionally the polarity or wind direction may be different. It is always best to get a coil wound correctly and the right magnetic polarity from the outset so if you are in any doubt please contact us and we'll make sure you get sorted out whatever it takes.
Are Bare Knuckle Pickups F spaced? All Bare Knuckle humbuckers are available in 50mm (Gibson) and 53mm (Fender) spacing. Single coils are 52mm spaced as standard. Pole spacing relates to the distance from the centre of the first pole screw to the centre of the sixth.
Is there an optimum height for best pickup performance? Adjusting the height of a pickup is essential to obtain the best sound and volume balance with other pickups on the guitar. More volume and power are present closer to the strings while the pickup will sound clearer further away but have less output. Start by adjusting the bridge pickup close to the strings whilst baring across the strings at the highest fret of the guitar. Adjust the pickup away from the strings until no overtones or false harmonics are heard and the best balance of power and clarity is achieved. Once the bridge pickup is adjusted for maximum performance the other pickups on the guitar can be adjusted by ear to gain optimum volume balance.
How easy is it to install a pickup? If you follow our wiring schematics, pickup installation is quite straight forward as long as you work carefully and methodically. Always use a soldering iron of at least 25 watts and make sure it is at full temperature before starting. Check all surfaces that require soldering are clean and free of grease before separately tinning all wires and surfaces to be connected with hot solder.
If you have any doubts or have never installed a pickup, get a reputable guitar technician to do the job for you. As always contact us and we'll help as much as we can.
Does it matter which way round a pickup is fitted? Bare Knuckle humbucker designs feature both symmetrical and asymmetrical coils. Traditionally the screw coil goes nearest the bridge and nearest the neck respectively, but feel free to experiment for optimum tone.
What is the correct value pot to use? The volume pot is typically 250K or 500K, the higher the value the brighter the sound. Historically Gibson has always used 500K pots and Fender 250K pots but it pays to experiment.
What are zinc plate steel baseplates? Zinc plated steel baseplates for Strat coils add more bottom end definition, clarity and power to the coil. They work on the same principle as a Tele bridge baseplate with tapped mounting holes so height adjustment screws thread directly into the baseplate ensuring it will never fall off. The baseplates are waxpotted with the coil to provent microphonic feedback. Whilst it is most common to fit one to the bridge coil only, the zinc plated steel baseplates work well on middle and neck coils too.
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