The last thing I need....

[Harley Hexxe]

You forgot to mention magnet geometry, that also has a lot to do with how the inductance will vary in a pickup

[Dante]

Probably need to be careful just comparing DC resistance.  If the PUs are the same in all respects except for the number of coil winds, then it probably holds, but as soon as you start comparing different makes and models etc. a whole bunch of variables come into play.  I went to the edge of this rabbit hole a while ago when I was wondering what difference magnet pole (Nth/Sth) orientation makes.  I quickly found there are shit loads of variables to consider, and walked back from the rabbit hole (for now).  So magnet properties (strength, orientation, type (Alnico, Ferris, Neodymium)), pole pieces (strat style (individual magnets per string) vs humbucker, (metal screws magnet(s) at the bottom), wire gauge/thickness, number of turns, wire insulation/coating material; all these things make a difference.  E.g. the same amount of wire (same DC resistance) but with different strength magnets will have different output and sound.

So....just try them out and see what you like, eh?

[rnolan]

You forgot to mention magnet geometry, that also has a lot to do with how the inductance will vary in a pickup

See what I mean, huge rabbit hole, I hadn't even thought about that one LoL.  Now what is magnet geometry? 

Unfortunately, rolling PUs is both expensive and a hassle, not as easy as rolling input tubes.  On the up side, the descriptions you guys are posting are quite helpful  . 

I've started to really like the PUs in my JPLP (allegedly Jimmy Page custom burstbuckers), They are the first PUs I've liked more than the Ultrasonics in my Anderson.

[Harley Hexxe]

LOL, I didn't mean to send you down that rabbit hole again Richard.

     Magnet geometry refers to the cut of the magnet itself prior to winding it. This is more of an issue in humbucking pickups than it is with single coils, because of the fact that you are dealing with the height, width, depth of the magnets and their opposing magnets on the other coil, as well as the dimensions of the base plate they attach to.
   In very general terms, if my reading is correct, the magnets that are shorter and wider will produce more of a warm tone than the ones that are taller and thinner. Then, there is also the spacing to consider, then we get into the wire that we'll use to wind around these magnets, which at this point, I'm sure you know where it goes from here...

[rnolan]

Hey Harley, that's ok, it's not that I'm not interested, I am but that day I was looking for a quick answer only to discover it's way more complicated (of course it is  ).  Of note, neodymium (which are some of the most powerful magnets) I've discovered are quite crisp sounding (not warm).  My messa P112 cabs have ceramic magnets for the 12s, where as my bass player bought the newer messa subway equivalent cabs which are much lighter, partly due to use of poplar plywood, mine are birch (heavier) and the 12s use neodymium magnets (much lighter for the same field as ceramics).  My cabs sound a bit warmer than hers.  She also has neodymium pole pieces in her music man sterling bass PU, and they are almost as high output as active basses. I'm not sure I'd want that sound for guitar  .  Though it would probably suit super distorted high gain stuff, add a bit of clarity  . 

Then of course the guitar also makes a difference.  In the end do the PUs float your boat and work with everything else.

[Harley Hexxe]

In the end do the PUs float your boat and work with everything else.

   That's it in a nutshell.

    I can't really say in my case, what definitely makes the light go on for me in a pickup other than what it sounds like when I play it. I either like it, or I don't. Here's an example: I have both the Dimarzio Tone Zone and the Air Zone. I like the Air Zone, but I'm not fond of the Tone Zone because it sounds too nasally to me. The Air Zone sounds more open and balanced to me. Tone Zone is definitely a more powerful pickup, just not my cup of tea.
    Another example would be the SD Screamin' Demon compared to the SD Pearly Gates. I'll choose the Screamin' Demon hands down even though it's a combination of AlNiCo 5 and Ceramic magnets, it just has the tone that makes the light go on in my head. The Pearly Gates is the thinnest excuse for a humbucker I've ever heard. I think I tossed it in a junk box somewhere years ago.