I can answer any kind of question that is guitar related - from choosing the right guitar/amp for
your needs, musical style & budget, to effects usage & placement, & most technical questions related to guitar set up & repair.
I do not specialize in dating or appraising vintage gear, so please don't ask me to appraise the value of your instrument.
Experience:
I am a professional recording/performing artist & producer/engineer with 29 years experience in performance & writing, & 21 years experience producing & recording music.
Education/Credentials Musician's Professional Workshop Scholarship (CHOM FM)
Vanier College (Classical Music - Guitar)
Herzing Institute (Micro-Computer Electronics)
Have taken numerous online courses in recording/engineering
Expert: Jason Fryer Date: 6/16/2008 Subject: electric guitar pickups
Question when a pickup is rated at 9.8k or something like that, what is the significance of that number?
Answer Hi Bill, 9.8k is a resistance reading taken from the pickup with an Ohm Meter. (.8k means that there's 9800 Ohms of resistance coming from the pickup when an electrical current is applied to it. Higher resistance values translate into more output from the pickup, which give more overall volume & drive the front end or pre-amp section of an amp more. Single coil Strat pickups are generally somewhere between 5 & 7k, P-90's & humbuckers are between 7 & 8k. These values are for more of the vintage tones with the lower values being a little closer to the originals. Some pickups even go as high as almost 14k, but those are really hot & I've never used 'em so I can't tell you how they sound. I can tell you this though: I play a Gibson Les Paul with '57 Classics & a Gibson Blues Hawk with Gibson P-90's & for vintage tone, you can't go wrong. You can also check out custom makers like Sheptone & Stan Hinesley. They both make amazing pickups. Hope that helps, if you have any other questions, just drop me a line.
Peace - J.
