Guild Artist Award Pickup Strength Question

[JT339]

So I recently picked up an Artist Award in near mint condition (made in 1996). The pickup is incredibly weak, even compared to the neck pickup on my Strat which I think is around 6k output. I have a Fender Vibroverb I'm plugging into, and the amp volume set to the 3 with my strat is louder than that Guild with the amp set to 4 1/2.

Same thing with my Guild X-180 park avenue, much more output on the neck than the Artist Award, and the strat for that matter. Would you say this weak output is normal for this guitar, or would there more likely be something wrong? Thanks

 

[AcornHouse]

A pic will help. There have been many different pickups on the AA over the years, even in the same year.

 

[JT339]

Sure thing

 

[Rocky]

I would think reading the resistance across the output jack (with the volume knob turned up all the way) would be a good start.

 

[JT339]

Yeah I'm waiting for that to be measured. In theory it should be higher than the 6k output of my Strat right?

 

[Rocky]

Yeah I'm waiting for that to be measured. In theory it should be higher than the 6k output of my Strat right?

I would think so. Abnormally high (>50k ohms) or low (<4k ohms) would indicate a bad pickup or wiring.

 

[GAD]

Those pickups are terrible. The bobbins are super thin and mine measures 4.4k DCR.

 

[GGJaguar]

mine measures 4.4k DCR

Interesting. Mine measures 7.2K.

 

[GAD]

Interesting. Mine measures 7.2K.

That is interesting. What year? Mine is an ‘88

 

[GGJaguar]

What year?

1996

 

[JT339]

Those pickups are terrible. The bobbins are super thin and mine measures 4.4k DCR.

So at 4.4k DCR would you say the pickups have a problem? 7.2k sounds more like what I would expect.

 

[GAD]

So at 4.4k DCR would you say the pickups have a problem? 7.2k sounds more like what I would expect.

The bobbins on mine are easily 2/3 or maybe even half the hight of bobbins in a regular humbucker so 4.4k doesn't surprise me at all. It's entirely possible that they changed the wire gauge during the run which would affect the DCR.

 

[GAD]

Pic:

 

[GAD]

It's also theoretically possible that a previous owner messed with mine, though I'm pretty sure I would have noted that when I had it apart.

 

[AcornHouse]

It's also theoretically possible that a previous owner messed with mine, though I'm pretty sure I would have noted that when I had it apart.

Or even a current owner.

 

[GAD]

Or even a current owner.

Heh. As much as I like to tinker with things in this case I did not.

 

[Walter Broes]

Pic:

Where's the magnet?!?

 

[Rocky]

Where's the magnet?!?

Underneath the wood spacer holding the bobbins apart? Doesn't look like there's a baseplate per se.

Also, never seen those "T" markings on pickup bobbins that weren't Gibson.