Free Online Utility: Guitar Pickup Evaluator Lite
Finally - a "horsepower rating" for guitar pickups!
For electric guitars with passive pickups, evaluating them usually boils down to one metric before you’ve even heard them: DCR (resistance in kΩ). Unfortunately, DCR alone tells you almost nothing about output or tone. The real picture depends on:
- Inductance (L) - in Henries
- Capacitance (C) - in nanofarads
- Magnet type - Alnico 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, or Ceramic
- Pickup geometry - bobbin width, length, height, number of coils
After months of studying sine wave curves and logarithmic formulas, I created a 6-sheet Excel workbook that fully analyzes pickups given their L, C, R, and magnet type. It’s robust, but a bit heavy for casual use.
That’s why I developed a “quick and dirty” metric - one number that gives you:
- Relative output (volume) - taking L, C, R, and magnet type into account
- Musicality assessment - based on resonant peak, Q factor, and other measurable factors
It’s simple enough for beginners, yet accurate enough for seasoned players to recognize it reflects what they actually hear.
So it really is like the ‘horsepower rating’ for pickups that the guitar world has never had!
🎸 Pickup Evaluator (Manual Entry)
If you already know your pickup's measured values, enter them here.
🎸 Pickup Evaluator (Estimate L & C)
Don't know your Inductance and Capacitance? We'll estimate it from your Pickup Type, Magnet, and Resistance. It won’t be exact but is far more informative than relying only on DCR.
Yes - the L and C estimates are only approximate. Think of this resource as a “supercharged DCR.” It gives a quick ballpark figure while baking in resonance and magnet type, making the number far more meaningful.
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