Pickups - Of Polepieces and Magnetic Fields

[blue4u]

Another cool article that explains pickups: what they do, how to adjust them, etc.

http://www.harmony-central.com/articles/tips/pickups/

[ThrobbyRobby]

Thanks Rich!

[blue4u]

I found this particularly interesting about EMG pickups....

All initial EMG designs use a bar magnet for two reasons - Pole pieces place too much magnetism under the strings and cause the lower ones (primarily low E, A, and D) to go “out of pitch” with a Doppler effect. This is especially true of the Fender Stratocaster where 3 poles under each of the strings push and pull them through a variety of unnatural movements. Poles can also make intonation and tuning difficult. On the other hand, pole pieces have the benefit of a percussive attack giving the pickup much more of a “plucky” sound. Designs featuring a bar magnet have a much more linear (balanced) output from string to string. Its attack is less pronounced than the pole piece design resulting in smoother distortion, and much better sustain. String bending is smoother because the output doesn’t fade when you bend strings. By relying on the internal preamp for gain the bar magnet can also be smaller, further limiting the magnetic “pull” on the strings. And, the continuous magnetic field of the bar allows for any string spacing. Perfect for any multi-stringed instrument, and the less conventional instrument. Most EMG Pickups use a magnetic bar.

[blue4u]

Although, I think I like that "out of pitch" Doppler effect of the Strat

[bjabus]

Excellent read Rich.. Thanks