Top mounted mag pickups--basic info

[LARRY KLOSE]

I recently got an '03 Steve Andersen Vanguard archtop with top mounted magnetic pickup.  I haven't looked under the cover but it looks like a humbucker or P-90 (from what little I know).  single row of pole pieces under a gold cover.

In searching for some online history, it appears that the guitar originally came with a Kent Armstrong handmade PAF (two rows, black).

Once I get the guitar back from repair (thanks, FedEx!) I'll want to explore what it has, but in the meantime, I would like to read up on what I've got and what it had.  I'm a novice at this type of pickup so I'm looking for information.

Is there a good online "primer" on magnetic pickups, their characteristics and mechanics?  I just need more info on what these are and what the differences are.  I'm a total novice at these although I have another guitar with a KA floater.

Thanks,

Larry

[Russell Vance]

Hi Larry,

Google "archtop jazz pickup" and you'll open up the pathway to a lot of threads.  I've captured an image of a good conversation starter  and after that go on to the Seymour Duncan website and into the support area for everything to do with pickups 101.

R.

[John]

This is my goto forum for pick up winding. Some of the guys in this forum have been winding thier own pickups for decades. You'll find lots of info just poking around the threads.

http://music-electronics-forum.com/f11/

[Jeff Highland]

It's mounted to the top with a ring around?

If the single row of polepiece screws is offset to one side it is probably a humbucker

If the polepiece screws run down the middle it may be a B90 which is a humbucker sized P90

[LARRY KLOSE]

That's it!   6 Pole screws are under the strings near the fingerboard with a lot of open real estate in the direction of the bridge.  The ring looks like most of the humbuckers I've looked at on line.  

can I just remove the ring and look inside to see if there's any manufacturer ID on the pup?

Once I find out what I've got, I can start to get an idea of where I might go.

Larry

[Jeff Highland]

Just take out the 4 corner mounting screws and lift the ring and pickup up out of the body

There will be two coils there  but the metal cover will be soldered in place covering them