As I write this post, the Legato guitar is hanging up to dry. I sprayed on a quart of Nitrocellulose lacquer the other day and it will need to cure at least a week or two before polishing. Here is some video of me spraying on some gloss black lacquer onto the backside of the body.

Isn’t it funny how complicated pickups seem to get when you are about to layout the cash for a set? With so many to choose from, the selection process can get tedious.

A few of days ago I wrote a post in this blog about some of the basics you’ll need to consider when choosing a set of pickups for your guitar. My goal was to keep it simple, however, I feel the need to go a bit deeper.

When you shop for pickups, you’ll notice how most manufactures rate their pickups in terms of DC resistance. Measured in Ohms, DC resistance give us an idea of how strong the current is passing through a pickup’s coil. The higher the number, the stronger the current. Therefore, a pickup rated at 16k Ohms is more powerful than a pickup rated at 10K Ohms. The reason pickup makers use this measurement is because it’s simple to do with a cheap, digital multi tester. However, the problem with this measurement is that it doesn’t tell you much about the tone of a pickup.

So, how do we measure tone? Is it even possible? I’ve posed this question to people who are experts at pickup design and the answers have been so complicated as to lead me to believe that it can only be done by ear. In the end, tone as we perceive it, is rather subjective. One could argue that there are measurements, which can describe a pickup’s tone in numbers, but what do these numbers mean? A well equipped pickup maker can list measurements for inductance, resonant peak and Q-factor just to name three, but they can only give you an idea of what the tone might sound like. Until you install the pickups, no one really can know exactly how they’ll sound.

When it comes to the tone of an electric guitar, most players and instrument builders have a hard time describing what they’re after. Often times we rely on vague explanations like “that Jimmy Page sound.” Unfortunately, this approach doesn’t tell us much since Jimmy’s sound is so varied. I might be thinking of Whole Lotta Love while someone else might be thinking Achille’s Last Stand. Therefore, it’s important to carefully analyze the tone you want. To do this, I recommend writing a description of what you’re after using words that are as precisely descriptive as possible. Don’t be surprised if this effort requires numerous rewrites as it can be difficult to find the right words to describe a certain tone. Here’s an example of how I would describe the first solo in Zeppelin’s Since I’ve Been Loving You:

Bright, cracking notes supported by a slightly warm bottom end.

It’s that simple. When writing a description of tone, forget about the effects, gain and amp settings. Instead, try to focus on the pickups alone. Keep in mind that the pickups generate the signal, the wood used in the guitar adds shape, the controls and cable have a slight impact, effects and amp settings manipulate the signal and the speaker presents it. With these factors in mind, try to back into the tone you hear by filtering out the presentation, manipulation, impact and shape. Concentrate, instead, on how the tone was generated at the pickup(s). Once you have a solid description of the tone you’re after, you can start a deeper exploration of the pickups that are available.

Start by taking a look at how the pickup you’re interested in was made. Find out what gauge of coil wire was used and how many times it was wrapped around the bobbin. In general, the thinner the wire, the more turns and vice versa for thicker wire. In most cases, this can be confirmed by checking the DC resistance. A high number will mean thinner wire, more turns and greater power output. However, it can also mean less tonal range. A low number will mean thicker wire, less turns and lower output. But as you might guess, this will result in a wider range of tone.

Also affecting tone is the type of magnet(s) used in the pickup. Alnico magnets contribute to a warmer tone while ceramic magnets attempt to boost the weak treble frequencies associated with high power pickups.

To gauge a pickups range of tone regardless of the wire and magnets, one must consider inductance and resonant peak. Inductance is stated in Henries and as the number gets larger, bass tones increase while the treble tones drop. Resonant peak is stated in Hertz and as that number gets larger, the tone gets brighter and clearer. In most cases, as the DC resistance number gets higher, the inductance increases while the resonant peak decreases. By exploring the relationship between DC resistance, inductance and resonant peak, one can compare the potential tone of many different types and brands of pickups.

Even with this information, it can still be a bit tough to accurately determine the tone of a pickup without installing it. It can take a lot of experience to know how these numbers will affect tone. However, knowing how these numbers affect tone can certainly help you to narrow your choices. In the end, I recommend buying your pickups from a manufacturer or retailer who will allow to exchange the pickups if you aren’t satisfied. And if a manufacturer or retailer can’t state the inductance or resonant peak numbers (many can’t do this because it requires special equipment and a robust mathematics education) then it’s back to relying on your ears.

While it may be hard to tell, but that looks like Chris holding a partially finished Legato electric guitar. Our photographer tried to get a closer look, but was beaten severely by the reclusive luthier, who used the guitar as a club. “Felt like Alder,” our dazed shutterbug said as he rubbed the lump on his head. “Not heavy enough to be Mahogany.