Steve Harris P-Bass

TECH SPECS

DCR – Short for DC Resistance, is measured in Ohms and is the total resistance of the copper wire wound around a coil form. The length of the coil form, the number of turns and the gauge of wire all affect the DCR reading. DCR is often used as a gauge of output because as the turns increase, so does the output, though magnet type and the coil geometry also influence output.
Magnet – We use several different magnet formulations: Alnico 2, Alnico 3, Alnico 4, Alnico 5, Alnico 6, Alnico 8 and Ceramic 5/8. In the case of pickups, the most significant characteristic is the gauss strength, which is a measure of the density of the magnetic field. Of the magnets we use, Alnico 3 has the lowest gauss strength. From there in order of ascending strength you have A2, A4, A5, A6, Ceramic and A8. As the gauss strength goes up, so does the output. The magnets at the lower end of the scale tend to produce a softer attack and a degree of “bloom” to the envelope of the note. Ceramic magnets should be considered as an individual case because they do not contain any nickel or iron. This has the effect of decreasing the inductance of the pickup and significantly raising the resonant frequency. It is for this reason that many consider ceramic magnets to have a brittle sound, not their gauss strength. Looking at this from another point of view, ceramic magnets can be said to produce increased clarity, better note definition and faster response to picking.
Output – The overall output of a passive pickup is influenced by several design factors: number of turns of wire on the coil(s), strength of the magnet, coil geometry and magnetic circuit geometry.The output of an active pickup is influenced by the same factors but is predominantly determined by the design of the onboard preamp.