Scatterwound Pickups

[Puck]

im no physicist but i can tell you that it does make a difference, at least in single coils.

is it the difference in the shape of the coil? the inducance? the capacitance?

cant tell you, but i can tell you it sounds different

Physically, scatterwinding slightly changes the capacitance of the coil itself, because the more loose random winding adds air as a second dielectric between the insulated wires (the insulation being the other). But in comparison to using different insulating materials for the copper wire the effect is rather small.

[jeremy]

X length of wire, should sound the same however you wind it

if you take an 8k p90 size coil and a 8k strat size coil, they dont sound the same even with the same magnet type.

ive made p90 type pup but with alnico rod magnets and it doesnt sound like a strat pup. it sounds different than a p90 too but the shape of the coil definitely influences the tone.

[PoorMan]

if you take an 8k p90 size coil and a 8k strat size coil, they dont sound the same even with the same magnet type.

ive made p90 type pup but with alnico rod magnets and it doesnt sound like a strat pup. it sounds different than a p90 too but the shape of the coil definitely influences the tone.

Absolutely. Same with pitch, tension and TPLs--they all factor in.

[j9fd3s]

if you take an 8k p90 size coil and a 8k strat size coil, they dont sound the same even with the same magnet type.

ive made p90 type pup but with alnico rod magnets and it doesnt sound like a strat pup. it sounds different than a p90 too but the shape of the coil definitely influences the tone.

neat! #of windings and magnet type is kind of straight forward, but when the PLACEMENT matters, then its getting to an art

[CountFunkula]

Absolutely. Same with pitch, tension and TPLs--they all factor in.

Can you explain what TLP (turns per layer?) and pitch is?

[IanBallard]

but wax potting would take care of any vibration of the coils

Not totally. Vibrations will always enter a coil. Potting them just mitigates the issue. An example of microphonics is simply tapping on the body of the guitar and getting a "knock" sound out of the pickups. Potting doesn't take that away. Not all microphonics are bad, in fact it's the reason you hear "body tone" in the pickup.

[Zhangliqun]

Yes, the coil will still vibrate but it won't squeal or howl.

[Zhangliqun]

ive made p90 type pup but with alnico rod magnets and it doesnt sound like a strat pup. it sounds different than a p90 too but the shape of the coil definitely influences the tone.

I've made a few too. It sounds Strat-ISH...but not truly like a Strat, or P90. The coil is wider and shallower, just a different critter geometrically.

[IanBallard]

Hartly Peavey's article about pickup design and history does a good job outlining the differences between the behavior of a direct-magnet pickup (Strat) and a indirect magnet pup (p-90/humbucker). Certainly the magnet is the force that detects the string movement and the "feel", "EQ" and "timbre" are controlled by the dynamics of the how the magnetic field emanates. So yeah, you'll get a "Strat-ish" tone from a P-90 bobbin with rods, but the coil is essential to transmission of the signal and is also subject to other forces which give it its character. I'm fairly certain the difference with a scattered, less-than-perfect coil, is the subtle microphonics.

[PoorMan]

Can you explain what TLP (turns per layer?) and pitch is?

You got it. TPL is Turns Per Layer. Pitch meaning the angle of the wire accross the winding surface of the bobbin.