Post Type Archives: SWD

Using deep drawn covers made of brass or aluminum and then plated with chrome, nickel or gold plating can reduce the brightness in the pickup and nickel silver is one of the best materials to be used. It is easy to draw (form in deep draw molds) and has less capacitance than brass or aluminum….

There are many combinations of wire and turns for winding pickups but for Gretsch Filtertrons I like using 3,000 turns of 42 Heavy Formvar and you’ll get a nice clear vintage tone. Wind the top of the coil Top Left and Top Coming (the top of the bobbin comes towards you). I never like winding…

I’ve seen this happen many times and it can be difficult trying to glue because of the wax potting solution on older pickups. Some reissue single coil P-Bass pickups are potted in solutions other than wax and I have carefully used a drop of Cyanoacrylate (superglue) carefully at the top of the pole piece using…

Guitar and bass pickups should be kept stock when ever possible. I refrain from rewinding old pickups and try to fix them as a first resort. Many pickups have been taken out of their instrument and either lost or broken while in a drawer. I’ve always suggested that when removing pickups from a guitar or…

Often I repair pickups without submerging the whole pickup in wax. I like keeping the top and bottom of the pickup vintage looking. I like keeping the dust and dirt on the pickup from many years of playing. I mask the top and bottom of the pickup to keep it free of excessive wax residue….

The easiest way to do it is to use a .0047 Mfd. capacitor in series with (in between) the hot output from the pickup and the input on the #3 lug on the volume control. Note: looking at the bottom view of the volume control the #1 lug is grounded to the pot, the #2…

Later Stringmasters have one of the two pickups in each neck reverse wound and reverse polarity. This will make the pickups humbucking and quiet when both pickups are used together. The blend switch located behind the bridge saddle on each neck and can blend in the 2nd pickup when fully turned clockwise and only one…

The best way to reduce microphonics in a pickup is to make sure the components inside the pickup are firmly secure and I believe in using a warm soft wax potting to help reduce unwanted feedback from the pickup. The wax helps reduce mechanical vibrations and gaps within the components. I don’t believe in potting…

The first player I ever saw that removed the covers from their humbuckers was Jeff Beck during the mid 60s while playing in the Yardbirds. Jeff removed the covers on his sunburst Les Paul to get the pickups closer to the strings thus increasing the output of the pickups. It also reduced the microphonic feedback…

The potting solution that’s used to seal the coils can flake when turns of magnet wire are removed. The wax or other solutions can become hardened and dry out with age. The best thing I found to make it look better is to use a hot hair dryer or carefully use a heat gun. The…