The Cryogentic treatment we use is a industrial process which stress relieves and modifies the molecular structure of metal to a far more uniform grain alignment. We have been using it since 1996 to increase our cutting tool life and on all our electronic components. Nearly all major manufacturing industries use this process on their tooling to increase performance of their products. Every major NASCAR team treats their engine components and parts of their electrical system for added horsepower.

Cryogenically treating our pickups has made such a difference that now I cannot listen to untreated pickups without it bothering me. We can measure an 18% increase in output but more importantly the tone especially overdriven is smoother and has more sustain. Overtones are produced in tune and thus create a fuller rounded sound. Overtones from untreated pickups are dissonant and create a beating that drives me crazy especially when playing overdriven.

Why is this important? Because single coil pickups do not sound good when they are overwound. Strat and Tele players especially those who play blues and rock are looking for more sustain and volume without having to work their fingers to the bone to get it. Playing with Humbucking pickups is easy, not so with single coils. Cryogenic treatment makes single coils play easy with faster response and feel. So many people make the mistake of trying "hotter" pickups and buying something that has a large (over 7.0k) resistance value, thinking that this will give them sustain.

First, the resistance measurement of a pickup DOES NOT indicate how "powerful" or "hot" the pickup will perform. For some reason pickup manufacturers do not relate performance in terms of voltage, current, or watts. I'm not going to try to buck the system, but do not get caught up in the idea resistance as a measure of power.

What does happen when traditional single coils become overwound is response is slowed (because of increased resistance), bass response becomes muddy (because of increased inductance) and lastly highs become thin and bright (because of a decrease in capacitance). All of which are bad in terms of musical tone. It doesn't matter if you are playing 50's country or hard rock, a muddy bass and thin high end does not work.

The pickups I have Fralin wind for us are done specifically to have a clear bass and a warm high end with a wide flat frequency response. The cryo treatment is the icing on the cake. Our bridge pickup with the base plate is as close to a humbucker for sustain and feel as you can get with a single coil. And with a roll of the volume knob everything cleans up for the piano like tones and clarity associated with great single coil pickups.

Cryogenics started with the Super Conductor / Super Collider to accelerate particles to the speed of light. Like many discoveries made by science it works its way down to the common man, or in this case, guitar players and improved guitar tone.