DC Resistance Bridge Pickup 76 to 80 STANDARDS

[bmenary]

Hey-

All you old Standard owners- I am wondering what the DC resistance is on average on the Bridge pickup on a Standard from say 76 to 80-

Can you measure yours and tell me or give me a good estimate?

As we say in Chicago- TANKS

[gorch]

Neck pickup values wanted too.

[bubs_42]

8.36 Neck / 8.4 Bridge Set is from a 79

[zenmindbeginner]

I don't think that Hamer had DiMarzio design pickups that were different for every model that they had. Hamer probably just ordered a big ol' batch of OEM double cream bridge and zebra necks (some with magnet reversed for out of phase wiring). I don't think that they differed between models but changed slightly per batch ordered over the years. DiMarzios first PAFs were like the early Gibsons in that they were not exactly uniform in DC resistance like their pickups are today... the materials changed ever so slightly as his business grew. Jol and Paul were starting to get DiMarzio to wind them pickups in 1976.

DiMarzio PAFs started out at the hot end of 8-9K in 1975 and gradually worked themselves down to 7-8K a few years later. By the 1980s, DiMarzio PAFs (with triangle feet) were all nearly uniform but lighter in resistance due to Larry pretty much honing in his production design and methods over several years.

Those with Standards that want to know the output of their pickups can take a little 1/4" jack and crimp the multimeter's alligator clips to the two posts and test the DC resistance that way... just remember to turn the volume pots wide open before you test.

[Gino]

I remember reading somewhere that those early DiMarzios came with a cumstom-spec'ed underwound neck pup. From what I recollect from my 79' Sunburst, the neck pup was somewhere in the 7 something KOhm range...

[zenmindbeginner]

I remember reading somewhere that those early DiMarzios came with a cumstom-spec'ed underwound neck pup. From what I recollect from my 79' Sunburst, the neck pup was somewhere in the 7 something KOhm range...

For 1979, I would say that it would have been in the upper range of 7K... resistance changes slightly according to a few subtle environmental factors. Just taking a pickup out in a warm environment and holding it in your warm hand while reading the resistance can lead to higher readings.

I wouldn't go as far as saying custom spec'd neck pickup though... it was just a slightly underwound bridge with zebra bobbins. DiMarzio could have used different coated wire on the two but that's probably about it for design differences. Both magnets were fully charged (Larry doesn't care for degaussing) Alnico V smooth cast oriented magnets.

On second thought, I guess they were custom spec'd. lol.

Larry and Steve only had three different humbucker pickup models back then. The original OEM Hamer pickups made by DiMarzio were simply DP103 creme/zebra matched sets that Hamer had ordered at a wholesale bulk rate. Seymour wasn't doing OEM pickups then and Gibson and Fender made their own proprietary pickups for their product lines. Unless Jol and Paul were going to wind their own pickups... DiMazrio was the only game in town. Out of the three models that DiMarzio was producing at the time... two were based around ceramic magnets. The DP103 PAF was the only choice if you were looking for an Alnico based pup for your new guitar line.

[Andrew]

I have to admit that this is one of the biggest Hamer myths started by Jol. The Dimarzios they used were simply a bit hotter than those you could buy in 79. I actually went through those I knew to be original with a multimeter. As said above PAFs were in the 7.5 - 8.0 Mohm range, Hamer's were usually just over the 8. I can definitely say that there was no calibration of the sets, the neck is just as likely to have the higher resistance. The difference is purely cosmetic, but a good look none the less.

No diiference, either, between those used in Standards, Sunbursts, Specials and Vectors.

As an aside the single coils used in Prototypes were half just PAFs with slug magnets and have a resistance of about 4.1. This was so the coil matched to give the three-coil look. In fact take any 80s Hamer with single and double black Slammers and you will find that the resistance of the singles is exactly half the humbucker. Slammers got progressively hotter finishing an alarming 15Mohm in 88, hardly PAF spec.

[Disturber]

Most of mine measure over 8, bridge on all measures slightly hotter than the neck pup. One neck pup on one of my two old Sunbursts might be under 8 actually. I have one bridge pup from a 79 Standard that is quite hot, over 9.

[Andrew]

Here are a few examples, guarantied original:

78 Sunburst Br 8.12, N 7.70

79 Sunburst Br 8.32, N 8.63

79 Sunburst Br 7.6, N 8.38

82 Sunburst Br 8.54, N 8.55

80 Special Br 8.24, N 8.28

82 Special Br 7.92, N 8.15

80 Standard Br 8.03, N 8.07

82 Vector Br 8.50, N 8.15

Pretty random and no consistent calibration whatsoever.

Andrew.

[bubs_42]

Thanks for that post.

[Disturber]

And here is what I got:

Bridge Neck

78 4 digit Standard b. w dots- 8,51 7,50

80 4 digit Standard dots 8,73 8,24

79 Sunburst Custom 8,87 8,40

79 Sunburst natural Custom 8,22 8,17

72 Schenker Vector 8,43 7,72

86 Special 8,45 8,28

Seymour Duncan Antiquity 8,51 7,62

03 Monaco Superpr old Dimarzio paf´s 8.20 8.15

[bubs_42]

I have two set sitting just in case I sell my Hamers but I just don't care for the Dimarzio's. I have Old Seymour Duncan's in both my 77 Sunburst and 79 Standard. Well as a matter of fact I have Sd in everything.

[murkat]

All three pair from 79', room temp @75' degrees, Wavetek meterman 5XL

Paired from the actual guitars except for one, from Zen.

Bridge / Neck

8.64 / 7.62

8.50 / 8.43

9.19 / 8.82 (bridge pup from Zen, but make seance to the neck)

[serial]

Excellent post. Every one I've had metered is in the above ranges. Oddly enough, the one that I haven't metered (and should) is my '76, which has an old Dimarzio PAF in the bridge with old Gibson zebra coils and the neck PAF is a straight Dimarzio PAF in double cream. Both have Dimarzio baseplates, but the bridge coils are definitely old Gibson plastic.

[bubs_42]

So through a meter on that bad boy and lets find out!

7.8 Neck and 8.8 Bridge from a Mid to Late 70s Dimarzio Paf with Braided Wire.