Category Archives:

There is controversy to this subject which I am currently researching. From around 1920-1924 Lloyd Loar worked for Gibson and some of his early pickups were said to be found by Walter Fuller when he joined Gibson around 1933. Lloyd Loar left Gibson earlier to form the Vivi-Tone company and had taken pickup designs with…

Mighty Mite pickups were made at a Southern California company called Turbo-Jet and the bobbins were wound using a bondable wire. After the bobbins were wound, the coils were heated in ovens and the special insulation would bond to each other making a solid coil. The coils were difficult to remove if the bobbin needed…

Many companies such as Fender, Gibson, Guild and Gretsch have designed and build their own pickups. They can use other outside companies to make pickups for a clients particular need or sound. DeArmond made many pickups for other companies such as Gretsch and Guild Guitars during the 50s and 60s. Since I can recall the…

Leo Fender used an industrial wax that included lamp-black. I believe using lamp black which is a form of carbon is conductive and might add to the sound of the older pickups. It’s just a thought but it was also used to identify pickups that have been completed and to cover the lighter string used…

The basic difference is Duosonic pickups have flush magnets on top and slightly raised on the bottom. The alnico magnets are all .625″ long magnet as compared to the Stratocaster poles that are staggered. The bridge pickup is usually south polarity and wound clockwise (TL-TG) and the neck pickup on a Duosonic is north polarity…