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Another question about Passive humbucker poles from a newby to these.


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I have a Duncan TB-4 and Dimarzio HS-2 on two Hamer's. I know very little about poles in the pups and never even attempted to adjust one until I picked the guitar back up a couple of years ago, always had the EMG active types or single coil during my early playing days. You can adjust sensitivity with the humbucker's via the screw opposite the pole? If so:

Why does the humbucker have adjustable screws for the poles and the single coil doesn't?

On the Humbucker, turning the screws do not raise or lower the poles, but does something to the sensitivity?

Flushing the screws ='s less sensitivity?

When you adjust, are you talking 1/4 a turn or 2 turns?

Why do the poles of the single coil's protrude out and the humbucker's are flat? Can you adjust these poles too?

I have have adjusted them and believe it makes a difference. Just not sure what is actually happening. Sound like volume to me.

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The screws and solid pieces on a humbucker aren't pole pieces. They're magnetic conductors but not magnets. On most single coils they actually are magnets/pole pieces. Seth Lover said the adjustment screws on a humbucker were put there by Marketing, to show Gibson had more adjustments. Gibson Custom Shop recommends adjusting the screws to match your fretboard radius.

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The screws and solid pieces on a humbucker aren't pole pieces. They're magnetic conductors but not magnets. On most single coils they actually are magnets/pole pieces. Seth Lover said the adjustment screws on a humbucker were put there by Marketing, to show Gibson had more adjustments. Gibson Custom Shop recommends adjusting the screws to match your fretboard radius.

That makes sense, and I appreciate the response. I just have them all a turn from flush and have adjusted a little, will just keep if there in my head or not.

Again, thanks.

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If you have a string which is too loud or too quiet compared to the others you can adjust the screw to balance it out. Other than that I don't ever mess with adjusting pickup screws.

That's what I do. I have a few ringing chords that I calibrate to. Just a little turn here and there. I just wasn't sure what it did, but that is clear now.

By the way, my last post is supposed to be a poor ethnic joke :)

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There is an engineering joke about too many poles in the right half plane. The joke worked back when the Pope was Polish, and if the listener knew about stability analysis of circuits. Man, I used to be such a nerd back in the 80's!

My son is about the graduate as an electrical engineer, he has 110 of 125 hours completed. I love that he's a nerd. I was still in the army at 20, smoking, womanizing and had no concept of cause and effect and basically lived for the day. I was a late bloomer graduating, and I at least was a good example of what not to do with those critical years of energy and stamina between 18-24.

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I wish I'd done some of the living for the day which you did! I was a physics/EE double major, though dropped back to just EE. All my electives were technical courses because I was interested in the topics. We did get to do some partying but between school and work my schedule was overly full. Married at 21, one week after graduating college. Then started wearing the 3-piece suit (with pocket protector!) at IBM.

I miss all the fun I missed.

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