re: an overwound p-90, will screwing the poles down offset the overwind?

[Scott0]

I have a 10k output p-90 neck pickup that I would prefer to be closer to 8k. If I screw the poles down will that reduce the output?

 

Also, how to determine the output of 2 pickups? If I have a 8k neck and a 10k bridge, what is the total combined output with the toggle in the middle position? is it 18k or 9k? or?

[Scott Marlowe]

Inductors in parallel add up the same was as resistors, i.e. you add the inverse of their values, then invert again. Basically this means that two inductors rated at 10h are in parallel, then the total inductance is 1/(1/10+1/10) or 5h. However in this case they're acting more like two transformer secondaries than like plain old inductors, and their ourput adds regularly, not with inversion addition like above. So theoretically the output should be increased by having two pickups in parallel output together. However, they tend to act as resistors as well and therefore absorb some of each other's output. I'm sure there's a mathematical treatise on this somewhere.

[Pin]

Inductors in parallel add up the same was as resistors, i.e. you add the inverse of their values, then invert again. Basically this means that two inductors rated at 10h are in parallel, then the total inductance is 1/(1/10+1/10) or 5h. However in this case they're acting more like two transformer secondaries than like plain old inductors, and their ourput adds regularly, not with inversion addition like above. So theoretically the output should be increased by having two pickups in parallel output together. However, they tend to act as resistors as well and therefore absorb some of each other's output. I'm sure there's a mathematical treatise on this somewhere.

 

And in terms of what to do with the screwdriver...means?

[Scott Marlowe]

I'd lower the neck pickup height pretty low and put the pole pieces level with the top and hope for the best. Also OP could look at just keeping the bridge pickup at < 7 or so on the vol dial. Note that modern wiring tends to steal some treble when you do that, so a 50s re-wiring might be in order as well.

[vomer]

And you can try taking the screws out. Never tried it myself but came across it mentioned recently, ymmv.

[Scott0]

Thanks for the input on the output!