Post Type Archives: SWD

This is information from the Engineering and Publications department. In addition to a source code, it may be desired to identify the date of production. This can be done by adding, following a hyphen (-), the last two digits of the production year plus the number of the week of that year. Here is hypothetical…

Determining the age of various guitars and pickup models can be difficult; knowing the approximate age of the instrument can determine the specifications on pickups made during that time frame. I have used this for years in determining the type of pickup in a certain year of production. When at all possible use the dating…

When I tap a coil I use several different methods. If I need an extra tap I have to install an extra eyelet in the bobbin. If I’m winding a Stratocaster and start with: 7,600 turns of 42 Plain Enamel. Insert the beginning magnet wire in the eyelet and wind the bobbin “top going” with…

Here are some of terms I frequently use when talking pickups. I will give general answers as some can be quite elaborate. Also some of the terms will have different applications to different manufacturers. Calibrated: I do this when winding two or more pickups to be used in one instrument. Calibration can be done with…

When pickup manufactures measure pickups for their catalogs they usually put down the average D.C. Resistance. Pickups are usually wound to a desired number of turns with a particular gauge of magnet wire. When using magnet wire from different suppliers, the magnet wire can have many tolerances such as this example: Diameter of the bare…

In some cases this is true for 8 to 12 string pedal and lap Steels. The 6 string lap steels can use a traditional guitar style pickup with standard winding specifications. On instruments with extra poles the pickup is usually longer as it takes a longer length of magnet wire to wrap around the wider…

I would use a small amount of Silicone thinly wiped around the stud and inserted back into the bobbin. Never use a permanent glue as you may want to have the pickups repaired and the glues could alter the shape of the bobbin. A thin layer of wax could coat the stud and insert it…

Talking to the patent office in Washington DC, they state that once a patent has been applied for, you may use the “Patent Applied For” decal or sticker during the term till the patent is granted. Once you have manufactured your product during the time allotted in the term of the patent, you can not…

A humbucker will be fuller and have more output in the neck position compared to the single coil in the bridge position. The single coil is usually thinner sounding and have less output than the humbucker. The humbucker has two coils usually side by side and picks up a larger string area. The single coil…

On the bottom of my pickups, I use a code or abbreviation on pickup models for identification as many models can physically look alike and when removed from the box or when it’s in an instrument will help identify it. Many of the pickups have several numbers or letters. For example: DD-J is a Duncan…