rating of '65 Mustang pups?

Doug

I'm trying to find the correct ratings for the pickups in the 1965 Mustang (pre-CBS).

If anyone knows, or knows where I can get the ratings, I'd appreciate the info. And I welcome educated guesses, especially if you can tell me how you got your information.

Thanks!

Earth

What do you mean "rating"? Like the output (K)?

If so they are 5.5k give or take a few ohms.

My 66 had 65 pups in it when I bought it, it was 100% original just made at the end of 65 and the start of 66 so its got some mixed 65-66 parts.

I know they are 5.5k cause I measured them myself. I've also read of possibly hundreds of mustang owners who all agree 5.5k is the average K of these pups. Pre CBS or CBS doesnt make a difference to it, 5.5k is the average.

Doug

Thanks, Earth, yeah that's what I'd meant but wasn't sure how to say it.

Now that you provide the info, it sounds familiar. I think I'd once heard 5.5K ("K" is the symbol for ohms, the measure of resistance?) is the measure of the old Mustang pickups' power.

Is there a website where I can learn more details about what this measure of resistance means in pickups?

jacksonjackass

No, the greek capital letter O (The last one in the greek alphabet) is the symbol for ohms.

K is KILOohms

So a mustang pickup is 5500 ohms or 5.5 kilo-ohms 😉

Doug

Thanks for that good clarification, Alex. I think I've seen others use "K" and maybe it's one of those technical errors that's so popular it takes on a sort of "correct" new meaning.

Like, so many USAmericans write "Please RSVP", and everyone understands it okay but the error just makes me want to jump in and correct the person!

Mad-Mike

Actually, K is not incorrect, we're just mistaking the K as the symbol for Ohms and not noticing that the symbol for Ohms (the Omega symbol) is not something easily accessable on a standard computer keyboard.

K stands for the metric system term Kilo. 5.5 Ohms is NOT enough to generate anything in a guitar pickup, 5.5 Kilo-ohms is, hence the K after pickup readings on the internet. That's also why we use uf instead of the U with a q tail and f, which stands for "Micro-Farads" which is what most capacitors are measured in.

Earth

Actually mike uf is micro farads, picofarads is pf. and nf is nanofarads.

Doug

There's dff too. Gettin some deep fried farads goin here, boys.

You guys know so much tech stuff. I'm impressed and way out of my league. But keep it comin....I'm learnin.

Earth

Oh and MFD is also microfarads although this isn't used much any more as ?F is more common. You see "MFD" on a lot of old NOS 50's caps and stuff.

The "F" stands for "farads" and the "?" for "micro"

You can learn a little here:LINK

And with pickups the mustang ones are 5.5k?, or "kilohms".

Theres :

? (ohms)

k? (kilohms)

M? (Megohms)

Standard mustangs pickups are wired in parallel and if each pickup is 5.5k? and you have both on you are cutting the resistance (but not the volume) by half to 2.5k? but if they were wired in series you would be doubling the output (K) to 11k? but the volume doesn't double.

A humbucker is two single coils wired in series, each coil can be as low as 4k? but because there's two in series it makes 8k?.

Whether two pickups are wired in series or parallel is irrelevant as to whether they will be humbucking or not. Providing one pickup is RWRP (reverse wound/reverse polarity) to the other pickup they will cancel hum regardless.

So, resistors or K (which include pickups and potentiometers) in series doubles the value and in parallel it halves the original value.

j0nj0nnz

My '65 pickups (AUG 1965) are 5.8K and 6.0K, they sound awesome.

Doug

jOn and all,

I'm new to electric and learnin alot. Like, to ignore the few hi-tech guitarists who said old Mustang pups are "weak". What I'm learnin is that fewer winds usually produce stronger hi and low tones; more winds usually yield stronger midrange; older magnets lose some power and may give more even, mellow tone; newer magnets may produce sharper, more bold tones.

I'm learnin none of this is always true because there are so many parts making up an electric guitar. Some of these parts affect the performance of the other parts. Then there's the influence of the amp...

I've learned that if I play with my guitar volume almost all the way up and change volume more at my amp, I can then manipulate gain even more and get a greater range of tones, some pretty big sound...bigger than my girlfriend wants in our house anyway...and great sustain from this old axe.

I'm the kind of player who wants to understand the evidence for what I hear...that's just one thing that helps me develop my playing. But ironically, I'm not a hi-tech guy, so thanks mates for the "technical support". This synopsis may bore some on the list, I hope not too many and I hope it helps some who, like me, are still learning the basics.

Doug in Atlanta