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Topic: Volume of each string |
Rick Myrland
From:
New Orleans
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Posted 6 Feb 2018 5:22 pm |
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Has anyone else checked the decibel level of each string?
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Mullen G2; Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb; Goodrich L-120 |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 7 Feb 2018 2:00 am
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Rick, I am absolutely certain no-one else has  . Enjoy!
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Rick Myrland
From:
New Orleans
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Posted 7 Feb 2018 4:29 am
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I guess I should be more clear: checked them against each other at the same volume setting. With all the discussion on sound and tone I’d be surprised if someone hasn’t keyed in on this before.
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Mullen G2; Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb; Goodrich L-120 |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 7 Feb 2018 5:13 am
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Many threads on this forum about adjusting PU poles (on PUs that have those), PU height and angle, and so on, to achieve a more even output across the strings. Don't think anyone has actually measured, as most rely on ear for that sort of thing - at least I do.
Measuring will not necessarily tell anything new and useful, as first one will have to decide whether to measure peak or VU levels, and then attack and sustain for individual strings have to be "timed" and/or separated to reflect what is perceived as signal strength. Our ears do that automatically, without us having to list it up in numbers and units that can be discussed and torn apart. |
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Dave Diehl
From:
Mechanicsville, MD, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2018 7:51 am
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| Yes, when I installed my Telonics pickups with the adjustable poles I did measure each string with a decibel meter. Thinking in doing that, the volume would be identical across the 10. That would be true if you pick every string with the same force used as when adjusting by the meter. Actually found out that it's not a good way to do it because of the varying finger/pick strength of each string when picked. In other words, irrespective of the meter readings, when you pick a string, you don't hit every string with the same strength/force thereby creating a difference in volume. When using an adjustable pole pickup, metering is actually not a bad way to "start" but then adjustments will need to occur as you actually play the guitar to compensate for this finger pick strength. |
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Per Berner
From:
Skövde, Sweden
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Posted 7 Feb 2018 7:56 am
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| Maybe Ed Packard? Haven't seen him post in a long time, though. |
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Dave Beaty
From:
Mesa, Arizona, USA
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2018 11:10 am
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| Quote: |
| Has anyone else checked the decibel level of each string? |
Yeah - and what Dave said. You can measure to death but it's irrelevant. the harmonic content produced by the entire reproduction AND receiving systems - string (type age) guitar (string mounting), cables, amp, speaker, environment ("room" or space size, shape and content) and variables in each person's hearing will change how "pole output amplitude" is perceived.
6-string players who generally have pro setups done and have their instruments fine-tuned (for playability and sound) have their pickup height and/or polepiece height adjusted to match what they want to hear from the instrument.
The "fine-tuning" that can be done via pickup/polepiece height adjustment can have very significant affects on tone and sustain. One thing to be careful of is positioning a pickup too close to the strings - it can create harsh "wolf" tones and magnetic pull can screw up both tuning and sustain.
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 7 Feb 2018 12:33 pm Re: Measuring string levels with the ear or with instruments
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| Dave Beaty wrote: |
| "I might add that adjusting the poles with a voltmeter or oscilloscope as some do, will not provide the same results you will hear with your ears due to the way the human aural system works. This is explained by the Fletcher-Munson Curve, which you can Google and gather a deeper understanding than time and print space will allow here." |
Hear, hear! |
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