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When using a 5 way lever switch in your instrument the switch puts your pickups in a parallel circuit. A parallel circuit is where all the negative terminals are connected to one point and the positive terminals are connected to a common point. In a parallel circuit the total resistance of pickups will be decreased….

This is not always true and much has to do with the design, components and construction of each pickup. Humbuckers are generally louder because of the traditional two bobbin design that senses a wider string area. We’ve made some single coil pickups just as hot as some standard humbuckers. There are many variables including the…

The weight can vary in each pickup and much depends on the dimensions of the magnet and material, construction and hardware and especially the gauge and number of turns for the desired output and tone response. Much is said about the weight of an instrument and the hardware including pickups can contribute to the total…

You normally split a humbucker by shorting out one of the coils. Typical humbuckers have the finish wires from each coil joined in a series connection. By connecting a lead wire where the finish of both coils are joined, it can be used to short out or split the pickup. When the lead wire is…

Typically this happens when two single coil Fender style pickups are combined for example: Both pickups are wound in the same direction either clock wise or counter-clock wise and the beginning of each coil is grounded and the finish of each coil is positive. One bobbin is magnetized “North” top and the other bobbin is…

Coils that are wound parallel with the walls of the bobbin and the coil has the desired number of turns or desired DC resistance. Proper coil shape is also desirable to maintain consistent readings from pickup to pickup.

I basically sit down and analyze each step in the winding process and do one step at a time. One of my oddest situations was when winding an old ’63 Telecaster Rhythm bobbin. Normally the average DC resistance would be about 7.6 K DC resistance for the particular number of turns that I use. Each…

Some early design of pickups the impedance was rated in ohms and 400 or 1000 Hertz (Hz). The majority of guitar and bass amplifiers are designed for high impedance guitar and bass pickups. Low impedance pickups often have a step-up transformer so the player can use low impedance directly into a recording board or high…

The DC resistance can vary from pickup to pickup on the same instrument being measured. The DC resistance is basically telling you what the resistance is for the length of wire being used on that particular pickup. The tone of an instrument is also determined by many factors such as wood, finish, bridge, string gauge,…

This would be a project for you as there are many variations in the number of turns on the many model of Duncan, Gibson, Fender, DiMarzio and other pickup manufactures. Find some old broken pickups and count as you remove the magnet wire turn by turn. It would take you some time but it will…