Can a flipped pickup hurt sustain?

[Rollin Hand]

When I was putting new pickups in my Watson Wolfgang copy, I rotated the neck pickup (as evidenced by the locations of the "Warman" logo on the respective pickups) to keep the "proper" Wolfgang look.

My question is, would this cause issues with sustain (magnetic field slowing vibration)? I am noticing that I have lost a lot of high end, notes are not ringing out for very long at all, and I have a hard time getting pinch harmonics to happen.
Sounds great aside from that.

I don't know much about phase/polarity and the like.

The other option is it's the nut, which is aan all-steel Musiclily Pro.

[mickey]

When I was putting new pickups in my Watson Wolfgang copy, I rotated the neck pickup (as evidenced by the locations of the "Warman" logo on the respective pickups) to keep the "proper" Wolfgang look.

My question is, would this cause issues with sustain (magnetic field slowing vibration)? I am noticing that I have lost a lot of high end, notes are not ringing out for very long at all, and I have a hard time getting pinch harmonics to happen.
Sounds great aside from that.

I don't know much about phase/polarity and the like.

The other option is it's the nut, which is aan all-steel Musiclily Pro.

Chet Atkins flipped his bridge pickup from the 1960's on & it never seemed to hurt him. I've talked to his guitar tech about it and was told they did it to mellow out the bridge tone as much as possible (give it more of a jazz tone.) Makes me think it ought to work for you.

When I installed the EMG pickups in my strat I rotated them because they use 3 pin non-locking Molex connectors. Being a lefty if I did NOT flip them they would be subject to falling off thanks to gravity.

[Partscaster]

I believe, with humbuckers, the effect of flipping/rotating the pickup would depend on the two coils and whether they are balanced, or off balanced. If they are off balanced windings, then the rotation may put a higher or lower wound coil in a new place relative to string motion. And adjustable pole head coil may be a bit different than covered coil due to cover effect, even if both coils are balanced, I think.
Also, of course, pole pieces may be set/ staggered to the particulars of strings, and get flipped to different effect.
Sustain... IDK.

[redman]

I accidentally put a SD SH-1 in upside down in the neck of my PS-900 and it sounded great so I never "fixed" it. Stayed in there a year or 2 until I got some GF Classics with goild covers.


A nacnuD ruomyeS (backwards Seymour Duncan)

Gold covers

[Buddha Pickups]

In my experience, the slug coil is thought to be warmer and the screw coil brighter. Take from that what you will.

The magnet will still be in the same position no matter which way you orient it.

I'd have to take some measurements, but not sure what carries the magnetic charge better, the screw coil or the slug coil.

I'm glad nobody believes the "it'll be out of phase" talk that people used to say if you flip a pickup.

Because the screws are generally closer to the strings than the slugs, reversing a neck or bridge pickup would affect the tone based on how you adjust it afterward...based on screw vs slug proximity to the strings in the new position.

[andrewsrea]

It depends. Typically flipping the pickup will not create string-pull. Pickup HEIGHT (close distance to the strings) can, especially with single coil or Firebird type pickups.

Try moving them farther from the strings.

For most humbuckers, the slug side induces more magnetism than the pole side. This has to due with mass and proximity to the bar magnet. As @Buddha Pickups said, the poles sound brighter and that is correct, due to a more focused magnetic induction and distortion (very high harmonics) created by the steel polepiece.

With single coils and FB types, the magnet is the polepiece/slug. Very easy to get 'wolf-tone' over tones from the string pull. if the pickup is too close.

[Rollin Hand]

Thanks for the help folks.

Sigh...I will try another couple of things, but I have a suspicion that this will need a new nut. Which means getting my nut slot lowered. Which means $$.

[Rollin Hand]

An update:

I put a new nut on the guitar which greatly improved the unplugged tone, but the plugged in tone still isn't what I want. The Warmans are all mud, all the time. Do not like!

So....I guess my next move is to try to find another pickup. I am hestant to go the cheap route again, so I am trying to find a good price on good stuff (remember, I am in Canada, so what is cheap to you might not be so good when you add in shipping and the exchange rate).

So...Custom Custom, Dimarzio AT1, Planet Tone Poundcake and others are on the list.

[Rollin Hand]

...aaaand just like that, I have a set of OLP MM1 pickups, bought from a guy who put Pariah Poundcakes in his MM1.

I will try the bridge. If that doesn't work, I will go for something pricier.

[Tonray's Ghost]

"Re: Can a flipped pickup hurt sustain?"

If you're driving whilst playing, it might.

[Partscaster]

"Re: Can a flipped pickup hurt sustain?"

If you're driving whilst playing, it might.

Good one.

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[Rollin Hand]

"Re: Can a flipped pickup hurt sustain?"

If you're driving whilst playing, it might.

Good one.


Unknown.jpeg

Talk about overdrive....

Anyway, the bridge pickup was a big improvement. Not screaming hot, but at least pinch harmonics are easily attainable. The neck pickup will go in too.

And may I say that 2-wire pickups are a pleasure to work with? If I do up the ante on pickups for this beast down the line, I might look for 2- wire jobs.

[Rollin Hand]

Problems again.....

I have another case of mud. It was fine until I put the pickup switch back in its hole and threw the cover on. Now I have mud again.

I pulled it back out and if I touch one of the pickup lugs I get massive amounts of noise. I will resolder the grounds to try to take care of that, and maybe switch to a box-style switch to get more space (the Switchcraft is tight in the space).

Maybe the warmans were not as bad as I thought. Most annoying that this is happening, but part of the point is to learn how to do this so it isn't annoying in the future.