Pickup construction

[bobby burns]

Do any of you make your own pickups?

[Bent]

Bobby, I haven't as of yet. I'd like to learn how though. also where to acquire the materials needed...the magnets for one thing.

I'd be very happy if you'd give us a crash course

[bobby burns]

I have made a very few pickups. I have rewound several, but I am far from an expert at it. I was just wondering if there was anyone hanging out here that might know more about it than I do.

[PELEKONA]

Stewart Mc Donald has all the parts required to make your own pickup.these people have a large selection of everything the guitar builder needs,
They are good to deal with and have a good mail order catalogue available on request.
Regards,PELEKONA.

[Allan]

I am slightly interested in trying this too. I did wind a single pole pickup once. A single pole you say? It was an experiment. I have an idea that part of the classic Strat sound comes from the vibration of the trem springs so I tried to make a Strat more Strat-ish by putting a pickup on the spring. It worked after a fashion but I never finished the project because it seemed way too hard to mount the thing. I didn't have routers and those kinds of power tools in those days. Possibly some day, if I have time.

Regards, Allan.....

[Bent]

I have been thinking about trying my hand at this.
Got some questions for you, Bobby, since you done this before.
If you would go to this site:
http://www.magnetsales.com/Alnico/Alrods.htm

I think what I need are Alnico magnets. I read some other place that pickups need grade 5 . Can you confirm this?
I think I need one of these 1/4" magnet rods ("L" means random length between 4" and 8") I think all these magnets are the same except for the lengths which are L, .075, 0.50 and so on. What is the normal length needed for a pedal steel?

CG705 0.250 L Dia +/-0.001
CG705-750 0.250 0.75 Dia +/-0.001
RR16 0.250 L
RR16-500 0.250 0.50
RR16-1000 0.250 1.00
RR16-1375 0.250 1.38

Now for the copper wire. I have read that usual wire thickness is 42 AWG. Can you confirm this?
Besides Stewmac, does anybody know a good source for this wire?

Thanks Bobby!

[bobby burns]

Bent, You may be putting too much faith in my experience as a pickup maker. I have made a few, and a winder, but I am far from expert on the matter. I just used the magnets that stew-mac sells. I made my own bobbins to fit what I had, and would them until they measured the "right" resistance. I have too say, I was surprised at how good even the first one sounded, and I figure if a guy really learns how to do it, the possibilities look pretty huge. I', thinking about trying something along the lines of a fender noiseless strat pickup, but made with the right impedance and size to fit a 10 string steel.

[Bent]

Thanks for your input Bobby. For a total greenhorn like me, any info is valuable.
As to getting the right amount of winding. You say you measure - I take it with an ohm meter (multitester?). So its done like this...? You wind a few 1000 revs and then scrape off insulation an do your testing. Then you rub on a bit of urethane or something, let dry and continue winding?

Youtube movies on the subject say that a counter is absolutely essential. But with the tester I can't see it's that big a deal..What say you?

I am looking around for an old sewing machine & retrofit it for a winding motor. It already has the adjustable speed pedal built in.

[village idiot]

I don't know if this will help anyone and it is probably already common knowledge but the following site has supplies for pickups including magnets, wire and bobbin and flat material for construction. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups.html

Roger-Village idiot

[Bent]

Hey guys I got my copper wire yesterday, the kind for pickups. 42 AWG coated.
Got it on EBay ...125000 feet for $67 CAN including shipping etc. That is 5 times as much wire as what Stewmac sells their 25000 rolls for $30.

So, now all I am waiting for are the magnets. In the meantime I'll try to rig up the winder(sewing machine motor from Eldon) and go get the plastic for the bobbins.
By the way: Could someone measure the thickness of that plastic in one of their single coils? All I have are humbuckers, encased.