MOC Series

The Design

When we started designing pickups, we went into it with a blank slate and took a fresh look at things.  Rather than follow the traditional routes by using designs that have been around many years, we decided to start designing from scratch so that we could address the things that we didn't like about pickups and keep the things that we did.  The result is a proprietary design that:

1.  Allows us to easily change the voice of the pickup by swapping core materials, without changing the overall construction.

2.  Provides maximum magnetic power to the strings.

3.  Allows us to change the shape of the coil without being constrained by the dimensions of the magnet.

4.  Keeps all of the internal components protected under the cover, while still providing maximum magnetic power to the strings.

The Core

The most important part of the pickup when determining its voice is the core.  As magnetic flux from the vibrating string flows thru the pickup, the core material imparts a tonal signature into the coil by way of eddy currents.  Each core material reacts to the magnetic flux differently, and therefore impart a "voice" into the coil that is unique to that material. 

The core material also has a great effect on the pickups overall inductance.  Pickups with a high inductance tend to be louder and have an overall lower voice.  Likewise, low inductance pickups tend to sound higher pitched and may not be as loud.

By placing the magnets on top of the cores and closer to the strings, we are given great flexibility to be able to change the core material of any of our pickups, and therefore giving a wide range of voicing options.

The Magnets

Neodymium magnets are powerful rare-earth magnets that pack a huge punch, especially for their size!  Neo's only need to be a fraction of the size of traditional pickup magnets to deliver the same field strength.  This is how we're able to use them at the top of our pole pieces.  They can be thin while still delivering a strong magnetic field.  Neo's are known for delivering a strong low-end punch, sparkling high's, and tons of clarity, and Weldang pickups are no exception.  Our magnets are placed very close to the top of the pickup, in fact there is only about .05" between them and the top of the cover.  By designing our pickups this way, you get a wide range of flexibility when setting the between the strings and the top of the cover.

Magnetic Aperture

The next thing that defines your tone is the magnetic aperture.  When we talk about the magnetic aperture, we're referring to how wide of a magnetic field is being put onto the bass string.  A narrow aperture results in a more detailed and focused sound, while a wide aperture has a bigger, rounder sound.  This is due to the way all of the vibrations that occur on the string when you play it, are either "picked up" or cancelled out.  High frequencies, due to their shorter wavelength, tend to get cancelled out as the aperture is increased, resulting in less definition.  This isn't necessarily a good or a bad thing, just a personal preference.

Humbuckers add another layer of complexity to this with the addition of a second coil.  The distance between the magnetic areas of each coil also changes the sound.  In general, narrow spacings are more mid focused, and as you increase the spacing, the emphasis goes lower until it goes flat, to a point where it starts over again.  This again is due to frequency cancellation.  So, on a humbucker you can adjust each coils aperture, as well as the distance between the coils.  This is a big reason why a music man humbucker will sound different than a soapbar humbucker, even when they are placed in the same spot on the bass and made of the same materials!

The Coils

The wire used in the coils also plays a big part in the frequency response of the pickup.  The more turns of wire you have, the more output you get, while at the same time increasing the resistance.  As you increase the resistance, high frequencies roll off and the pickup becomes warmer sounding.  Some people describe this as having more mid-range, while others say it becomes thicker sounding, or even muddier.  The thicker the gauge of wire that you use, the less resistance you have per turn.  This can be a lot to balance out!  Typically, we like to use as many turns of as thick of a gauge of wire as we can.  Doing so lets us get as much output as possible, while still maintaining as much clarity as we can.  The wire gauge varies per pickup, but is usually 41, 42, or 43.

The Cover

Our covers are cnc machined from walnut, which is then ebonized to give it that almost black color.  Ebonizing is a finish that reacts with the natural tannins in the wood.  Walnut is high in tannins, so the finish comes out nearly black.  However, the tannins aren't spread out uniformly in the wood, so color will be darker where they are more present, and lighter where they are less.  This yields an amazingly unique finish that still allows aspects of the grain to come thru.  Some light coats of lacquer top things off, protecting the wood and giving it a little bit of shine!  Finally, the whole assembly is filled with epoxy to permanently protect all of the fine wires on the inside, and to ensure that your pickup lasts for as long as you do!