myspace.com/jessenoah Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 what do you guys think of em? i dont care for zebras, but i have never seen a pair where the Pup colors were reversed, usually the white bobbin is closer to the neck or to the bridge, on my les paul, the white bobbin is on the inside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Martin Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 That's the way you bought it, right? Maybe some dipshit put the neck pickup in the bridge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myspace.com/jessenoah Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 yep, all the soldier joints are clean, the date is stamped into the neck Pup, and the serial number is on the bridge Pup maybe they were installed backwards, but they dont sound out of phase or anything, wouldnt installing them backwards mess up the polarity of the magnets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Martin Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Installing them backwards wouldn't make them out of phase (but I could be wrong, someone please correct me if I am). I am pretty sure that the only difference between bridge and neck pickups of the same make are that they are balanced differently to optimize the tonal differences between the two locations. Installing them backwards would result in a *slightly* different tone simply because it would be balanced differently. I believe I recall an old thread or post on some website where a guy switched his pickups around and there wasn't that big of tonal difference. That being said...your LP was made in the 80's, right? Gibson was going a lot of weird *** **** back then...so who knows. Honestly if it is the wrong one installed, I don't think you'd sonically be able to tell the difference except perhaps you had the proper bridge pickup to reference. Are you thinking of switching your pickup(s) out so they match? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archer993 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 For the fun of it I rotated the neck PU in my 339 to see if it would go out of phase with the bridge - it didn't. I have 2 other LPs with phase switching so I am comparing it to those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrungInstruments Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 I have a 96 Custom Shop LP and that originally had two Classic 57's in the reverse zebra configuration, but before I bought it back, they changed the bridge pick up to a Seymour Duncan (still reverse zebra bobbins). I am desperately trying to buy a Classic 57 Plus for the bridge in reverse zebra, but can I find one? Nope! I do know that use to make (and sell) them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guardcats3 Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 I agree with Ian, think someone put it in backwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrenonfire Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 I read an interview in Vintage Guitar magazine a while back with Seth Lover. He said in the interview that it doesn't make any difference how the pickup is installed. In other words you can't install a pickup backwards. It will work either way. Also, the only difference between the neck and the bridge pickup is usually the bridge has a higher ohm reading because of an increase in coil wire wraps. In some early model guitars the neck and the bridge are nearly the same resistance, so the only real difference in tone would be the position of the pickup on the guitar. Take a peek at the VG website, maybe they have the interview archived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolidGuitar Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Well if the adjustable pole pieces are on the correct side of the pickup than maybe the white and black bobbins were mixed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarlNbutter Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 That could either be upside down zebra or "reverse zebra" (which is the same thing as an upside down zebra but the logo will not be upside down - if a logo is there like Seymour Duncan. pointless otherwise) Anyway, this is like a Jimmy Page No. 3 Les Paul, I think. I know he had a lot of guitars and sported the open coil bridge and covered neck. If I recall correctly, one of them was just like the OP pic. Reverse zebra open coil bridge and chrome nickel covered neck. So there was no "idiot" involved, just someone who is a big fan of Led Zeppelin. And about pickups. Bridge pickups need more output because they are closer to the bridge (weaker vibrations). If a bridge pickup was the same output as the neck, the neck pickup would be considerably louder. Notice neck pickups have lower output and yet they are balanced with the bridge? That is why. Plus, further away from the neck you are, the more snappy trebly sound you get, and closer to the neck, the more full and bassy sound. Thats why bad bridge pickups are usually too harsh and shrill and bad neck pickups are usually too muddy. Thats also why most people use bridge pickups for leads (to cut through the mix with the trebly-ness) and neck with rhythm (to get that chunk from all that bass and round or snarly mids). Thats just my opinion. I personally use neck or bridge for leads (neck for smoother leads, bridge for sharper leads) and middle position for rhythm (best of both worlds: thickness and crunch). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson Gear01 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I have owned a few older Pat# Reverse Zebra humbuckers too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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