My first pickup wind: FAIL

[AniML]

After winding about a mile of wire onto a P90 bobbin, I had two fatal problems - the start hookup wire broke off while I was taping (bad soldering job I suspect, easily remedied next time)

The bigger problem though was realizing how loose I wound. Also discovered as I was taping; the coil bulged out from under the tape. This will not be so easily fixed, and will probably take some practice to get the right tension to avoid too much slack *and* avoid wire breaks.

<note to self: don't quit your day job... yet>

[Erlend_G]

I'm very much looking forward from hearing about your next attempts!

Keep winding!

[emilio]

lol don't trip not it is not always that you get it right on your first try!

[PoorMan]

A P-90 is not the easiest pickup to start with. Very narrow wind surface. Fender style single coils are much easier. Humbuckers are easier to wind (but harder to assemble).

Sounds like you need quite a bit more tension. Winding slower may help. What machine are you winding with? What tensioning method are you using? What kind of wire are you using?

Broken lead wires are fairly common problems. Sometimes a bad solder job, sometimes you sand through too much insulation and make the wire so thin past the joint a stiff breeze will break it. In case the latter is the problem try this: After completeing you solder joint get some clear nailpolish and coat the solder joint and about 1/4" up the wire. That way if the wire is weakened dues to sanding, the lacquer will add a little mass and strength to it.

Don't give up. Winding is something you learn by doing. You are going to make mistakes.

[AniML]

A P-90 is not the easiest pickup to start with. Very narrow wind surface. Fender style single coils are much easier. Humbuckers are easier to wind (but harder to assemble).

Sounds like you need quite a bit more tension. Winding slower may help. What machine are you winding with? What tensioning method are you using? What kind of wire are you using?

Broken lead wires are fairly common problems. Sometimes a bad solder job, sometimes you sand through too much insulation and make the wire so thin past the joint a stiff breeze will break it. In case the latter is the problem try this: After completeing you solder joint get some clear nailpolish and coat the solder joint and about 1/4" up the wire. That way if the wire is weakened dues to sanding, the lacquer will add a little mass and strength to it.

Don't give up. Winding is something you learn by doing. You are going to make mistakes.

I am using a homemade rig on a wireless drill. tenisoning thru a piece of felt pinched in my fingers. Maybe I need to go across atensioning bar as well?

Wire is #42 poly. Its supposed to melt off when soldered, which I know it did since I did check the resistance before everything came apart - and it was a perfect 8.24K

The nailpolish soulds like a great idea. I will do that next time around

[NevermindUs]

I am using a homemade rig on a wireless drill. tenisoning thru a piece of felt pinched in my fingers. Maybe I need to go across atensioning bar as well?

Wire is #42 poly. Its supposed to melt off when soldered, which I know it did since I did check the resistance before everything came apart - and it was a perfect 8.24K

The nailpolish soulds like a great idea. I will do that next time around

i appalude you for trying. i was toying with this idea but i dont think i could do it and get a sound id actually like.

[PoorMan]

I am using a homemade rig on a wireless drill. tenisoning thru a piece of felt pinched in my fingers. Maybe I need to go across atensioning bar as well?

Wire is #42 poly. Its supposed to melt off when soldered, which I know it did since I did check the resistance before everything came apart - and it was a perfect 8.24K

The nailpolish soulds like a great idea. I will do that next time around

I used felt only once. It depends on your setup, but in my case, I found I couldn't get enough tension and I just use my bare fingers now.

Sounds like you are on the right track. I suspect you'll have made a very nice pickup within the next couple tries.

[AniML]

I used felt only once. It depends on your setup, but in my case, I found I couldn't get enough tension and I just use my bare fingers now.

Sounds like you are on the right track. I suspect you'll have made a very nice pickup within the next couple tries.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

I read somewhere that the felt serves to protect your fingers from injury since if there is an imperfection (bump, sharp edge etc) on the wire that it can cut like a razor at high speed. Any truth to that?

[jeremy]

i wind pretty fast sometimes and i use my fingers. never had a problem getting cut by the wire

[AniML]

So, I went full nose to the grindstone today and I DID IT!

I went bare fingers (no felt) and quickly learned after breaking the wire ~500 winds in (only once) how much is too much tension.

I wound the P90 bobbin up to around 10000 winds (maybe ~10% over due to counter error) and nailed a perfect-ish 8.24K using a vintage braid hookup. And yes that was probably a mistake for a noob; that stuff is a pain to work with.

BTW I didn't want to make an ordinary P90, so just to keep things interesting before I ever started winding I drilled out the bobbin to accept slugs instead of adjustable poles.

I've been messing around with it with a pair of Alnico 5 bars I harvested out of another pickup. The thing sounds great in the neck and bridge position. Ok a bit microphonic, but not at all unmanagable.

The real reason I went with the slugs, because I also am going to mess around with all shapes and sizes of neos.

Now that I got my first one under my belt the fun begins.

Next up... either a Gibson-esque single for my Melody Maker or a bucker.

Thanks to all in this thread for the advice and support

[PoorMan]

So, I went full nose to the grindstone today and I DID IT!

I went bare fingers (no felt) and quickly learned after breaking the wire ~500 winds in (only once) how much is too much tension.

I wound the P90 bobbin up to around 10000 winds (maybe ~10% over due to counter error) and nailed a perfect-ish 8.24K using a vintage braid hookup. And yes that was probably a mistake for a noob; that stuff is a pain to work with.

BTW I didn't want to make an ordinary P90, so just to keep things interesting before I ever started winding I drilled out the bobbin to accept slugs instead of adjustable poles.

I've been messing around with it with a pair of Alnico 5 bars I harvested out of another pickup. The thing sounds great in the neck and bridge position. Ok a bit microphonic, but not at all unmanagable.

The real reason I went with the slugs, because I also am going to mess around with all shapes and sizes of neos.

Now that I got my first one under my belt the fun begins.

Next up... either a Gibson-esque single for my Melody Maker or a bucker.

Thanks to all in this thread for the advice and support

Congrats!