Used P/ups???

  • Thread starter Thread starter nate_dennis
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nate_dennis

nate_dennis

Well-known member
Is buying used pick ups a mistake? Some p/ups get pretty spendy, so if I could buy used that'd be an option, but is this a "no no?"
 
I don't see a problem with it. It's not like p'ups wear out.
Basically they'll work or not work.
In the vast majority of cases if it works at all then it's working like it's supposed to..
 
I'd use them in a second. As long as I trust the seller.




actually-I HAVE used used P/Us. It's a very affordable way to try different P/Us
 
Absolutely no reason why not. Lots make a hobby out of it. As lt says there are no moving parts and generally they don't wear out.
 
Yup. Pups usually either work or not - so you can tell right away whether they are any good. You will want the opportunity to return them if they don't work.
 
As long as they have enough lead left to install, then you're safe. I've heard of magnets weakening with age, but we're talking like 30-40 year old pickups at that point, and even that's pretty rare...
 
DrewPeterson7 said:
As long as they have enough lead left to install, then you're safe. I've heard of magnets weakening with age, but we're talking like 30-40 year old pickups at that point, and even that's pretty rare...
Click to expand...

Those are the pickups that everybody wants.

Let me go ahead and say that anyone who has some worn out 40 year old pickups with weak magnets....I will take them off your hands.

I'l even send you a few bucks for shipping.
PM me :D
 
Hope this is not off subject, but this does interest me. I have seen pups for sale and a rating of say 6k is given. I assume this is 6000 ohms of resistance??? Will this give an indication of strong the pickup is?

Is there a range that is good, and would the same number be good for different styles, such as single coil and humbuckers. I have seen ratings all over the place, but I would like to know what it means. Also how does one measure existing pickups...I assume that they must be removed from the circuit.

Again, I don't mean to hijack the thread; I believe the answers could help someone who is considering buying used pickups.
 
The 6K is the winding resistance, but isn't 100% foolproof in telling you how 'strong' the pickup is. Ceramic magnets have more output than anything else, Alnico II has less output than an Alnico V, and so on. And remember the Seymour Duncan 'Quater Pounder'? Larger diameter magnets had more of a magnetic field, and had more output for the same magnet type and winding resistance. But knowing the winding resistance is still a good, if rough, 'general' guideline as to what you are getting.
Think 6K for Strat-style pickups, and 8K for PAF-style pickups. A 'super distortion' type humbucker might be 12K or more. But again, that's just one part to the puzzle.
 
ranjam said:
The 6K is the winding resistance, but isn't 100% foolproof in telling you how 'strong' the pickup is. Ceramic magnets have more output than anything else, Alnico II has less output than an Alnico V, and so on. And remember the Seymour Duncan 'Quater Pounder'? Larger diameter magnets had more of a magnetic field, and had more output for the same magnet type and winding resistance. But knowing the winding resistance is still a good, if rough, 'general' guideline as to what you are getting.
Think 6K for Strat-style pickups, and 8K for PAF-style pickups. A 'super distortion' type humbucker might be 12K or more. But again, that's just one part to the puzzle.
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Dude, It ain't all about output, resistance. Really it isn't..

Just sayin..
 
ranjam said:
The 6K is the winding resistance, but isn't 100% foolproof in telling you how 'strong' the pickup is. Ceramic magnets have more output than anything else, Alnico II has less output than an Alnico V, and so on. And remember the Seymour Duncan 'Quater Pounder'? Larger diameter magnets had more of a magnetic field, and had more output for the same magnet type and winding resistance. But knowing the winding resistance is still a good, if rough, 'general' guideline as to what you are getting.
Think 6K for Strat-style pickups, and 8K for PAF-style pickups. A 'super distortion' type humbucker might be 12K or more. But again, that's just one part to the puzzle.
Click to expand...

thanks ranjam, as long as a winding resistance of say 6-12k was given, could one assume that the pickup is working? One may not know how strong it is, or the quality, but would you know that it at least works? I'm guessing from what you and mutley600 have said that one must be familiar with what they are looking at when it comes to pickups.
 
burndog said:
thanks ranjam, as long as a winding resistance of say 6-12k was given, could one assume that the pickup is working? One may not know how strong it is, or the quality, but would you know that it at least works? I'm guessing from what you and mutley600 have said that one must be familiar with what they are looking at when it comes to pickups.
Click to expand...

Seriously. If a pickup has a magnet and a coill of unbroken wire wire around it then the rest is subjective. Don't get hung up on numbers, just try a few out and see where it takes you.

The numbers are just a guide to take you where you might want to be with the next one.;)
 
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