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Burstbucker 1&2 with low resistance output values

filski323

New member
Joined
Sep 19, 2021
Messages
1
Hi all, i'm new to the forum and am looking forward to reading through the different threads!

Hoping to understand if the output of my BB's is too low as I've read they should be in the 7.5 KO for BB1 and 8.0 - 8.4 KO for BB2.

What i've found is that my BB1 is 5.61 KO and 5.9 KO for BB2. They came off an es-339 2016 Gibson. Would like to post pics, but haven't figured that part out yet.
 

PaulD

Active member
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
673
Firstly the DC resistance of a pickup is not a measure of it's output, it is simply the resistance of the coil of wire and it depends on what the thickness of the wire is and how long (how many turns) the wire is. The 42 AWG wire used in Burstbucker pickups has a resistance of 1669 ohms per 1000ft and they are manufactured to fairly tight specifications in terms of how many turns of wire they have, the resistances will be in the 75000 - 8000 ohm region that you state. If you are measuring significantly different values then this will almost certainly be due to measurement errors, how are you measuring them?
 

renderit

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Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,950
And what temperature are you measuring them at makes a difference as well.

Not usually huge but more than you'd expect.

5.61 and 5.9 sounds very low though.

How are you doing it?
 

PaulD

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Jun 25, 2007
Messages
673
Temperature will indeed have an effect but would never cause anything like the readings the OP is quoting. My first guess would be that the OP is measuring the resistance with the pickup in the guitar and the volume pot not turned fully up. When you measure a pickup in circuit you are actually measuring the resistance of the pickup in parallel with the volume pot. This will always give a reading less than the true resistance of the pickup, for example an 8K pickup in parallel with a 500K pot will give a reading of about 7.87K. If the volume pot is not turned fully up the resistance of the pot will be much less and result in lower readings.
 

renderit

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Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,950
Agreed.

2 or 3 tenths is about the max I have seen in a 5-10 degree swing

Warmer = higher if memory serves

Which it don't much anymore


Several years back they started a "lower resistance" kick but I don't recall them ever doing it on BB's
 

PaulD

Active member
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
673
Yep, resistance will increase with temperature. Some info on how temperature effects the resistance of copper here https://www.cirris.com/learning-cen...-topics/177-temperature-coefficient-of-copper

If my maths is correct, using the formula given there there, for a pickup that measured 8K at 20 deg C to measure the 5.9K the OP is quoting would need the temperature to be -47 deg C. Possible if the OP is taking the measurement outdoors in Antarctica I guess!
 
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