M-75 Pickups question

[Rich Cohen]

Can someone telle what is the difference between the Franz pickups on the M-75 and those on other 50s Guilds, such as the X-500? My American Patriarch X-500's pickups appear different than the American Patrarch M-75's pickup. The middle two single coils are somehow connected together, no? They would produce a different sound than the pups that don't have that feature. Right?

 

[GAD]

Can someone telle what is the difference between the Franz pickups on the M-75 and those on other 50s Guilds, such as the X-500? My American Patriarch X-500's pickups appear different than the American Patrarch M-75's pickup. The middle two single coils are somehow connected together, no? They would produce a different sound than the pups that don't have that feature. Right?

Franz pickups are single coils. I’m not sure what other pickups you’re referring to, but if they’re humbuckers then the middle two coils would not be connected. The pickups could be in/out of phase, though that is also true of single coils.

 

[BradHK]

They are the same other than how they mount. The aristocrat has that screw in the center that holds the pickup cover to the pickup. You remove that screw, then remove the cover and you can see the four screws at the ends of the pickup holding it down to the guitar. On the surface mount Franz pickups (like on a X500) with ears the side screws hold the cover and pickup down so no screw in the middle. Not sure if that explanation answers your question.

 

[mavuser]

i think Rich is calling the pole pieces "single coils"?

No, that screw does not connect the 3rd and 4th pole pieces. it is just a mounting screw for the cover, as Brad explains above.

the "coil" on a pickup is basically the bulk of the entire pickup. there is a winding that goes around the bobbin and all 6 pole pieces (but I am far from an expert!) A humbucker has an extra coil, and therefore is not a single coil pickup.

 

[GAD]

Rich we need more information about the pickups to which you are referring on the X500s.

 

[Rich Cohen]

Brad has answered my question. I was mistaking the center mounting screw on the M-75 as something more than just a mounting screw....something to do with phasing the coils. But, I was wrong. I'm straightened out now. Thanks to everyone for responding. Still, I'm curious whether or not I'm hearing a different sound achievable on the M-75 in comparison to the X-500 with its single coil pups. I mean, they're the same type of pickup as those on the M-75. Maybe it's the construction of the respective guitars that's responsible for the different sound; or, also the way they're being played in the demos. You can find them demos on the Music Store Live website.

 

[GAD]

Glad you figured it out. The M75 is a very different guitar than an X500 so I’d expect them to sound different.