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ADB
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 Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 4:19 pm Post subject: 2003 Epiphone Les Paul Custom pickup output? |
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I have just recently got a 2003 Epiphone Les Paul Custom, everything is stock. It all looks good so far except I was slightly upset by the pickup output level not being that high/loud. My main guitar is a 1993 Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro with (I think?) the standard Kent Armstrong pickups (they could have been replaced as I got it second hand a few years ago but have never taken them out to look....). The output from this guitar seems much louder than the Les Paul and I wondered if this was normal?
For some reason in my youth I just wasn't attracted to Gibsons and preferred Jackson/Charvel and Fender guitars - I have a Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro and a New York Standard, a Japanese Fender Telecaster, a Charvel 'super-strat?' and Tanglewood & Ovation acoustics. This is the first Les Paul I have played for any length of time. It's actually a Christmas present so it will be going shortly anyway, however I wanted to be sure everything is right before it goes.
Is there any technical way I can confirm the output level is correct? I was thinking of some sort of electrical meter or something....
Thanks, Andy |
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1bassleft
Lowdown Cack-hander
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 3828
Location: "Hit The North"
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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Andy, I think the humbuckers in there are on the lowish output side compared with an Eggle. If you have a digital multimeter (DMM), you can measure the DC resistance of the coil. As a rough rule of thumb, the higher the resistance the higher the output. If you get around 7.5kOhms, that's about right. Hotter humbuckers have 10+ kOhms. If you're reading significantly below 7, then the magnets may be weak, a short has happened in the coil windings or there's some bad soldering somewhere. If so, you should return the guitar.
It's likely, though, that everything's stock and it's just not your kind of guitar. When I got a Jazz bass, I plugged it into my setup for my active bass and thought the Jazz wasn't working. It's output was waaay lower. Initially, I disliked it but I've got used to it and can appreciate the "vintage" sound for certain songs. |
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ADB
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the reply. I have a feeling it is just how the stock pickups are. I have a multimeter in the garage, I'll take a look tomorrow. Do I need to take the pickups out or can I do this from the rear cavity where the pots are?
Cheers
Andy |
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1bassleft
Lowdown Cack-hander
Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 3828
Location: "Hit The North"
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| Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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Andy, apols for the delay.
As long as you can get the prongs on the hot and ground wires of the individual pups, you should be able to measure the DC ohms without desoldering everything. As you say, they're likely to be in the ballpark and the guitar is simply not your cuppa. |
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