Post Type Archives: SWD

The bobbins are usually wound with the same number of turns and not equal DC resistance. The 3 pole bobbin is longer than the 2 pole bobbin with both bobbins hooked up in series. The bass side 3 pole bobbin is usually wound “North” polarity and the treble side 2 pole bobbin is wound south…

I am currently doing research on this one and am winding bobbins made of different materials to see how it affects the inductance or Q of the coil. I know plastics have different a dielectric constant and I am working on how it affects the sound of a pickup. Below is the dielectric constant of…

This is a winding process I have been doing since 1977 when I built pickups for Jeff Beck. I used two different types of magnet wire and wound them both at the same time. I experimented with both beginning wires connected together and then decided to hookup each seperately to do some fancy wiring combinations….

Gibson used covers on their original humbuckers designed by Seth E. Lover. It was use in combination with the two coils to reduce unwanted 60 cycle hum often associated with single coil pickups. Seth used nickel silver covers to help eliminate unwanted outside electrical interference from entering the coil. The combination of two coils hooked…

Wax potting is done for several reasons. It reduces unwanted mechanical vibration within the pickups components like screws, metal spacers, magnets etc. Another important reason is to keep the moisture from penetrating the coil and reduces moisture that could eventually cause the poles to rust on single coil pickups. Single coil pickups after time have…

If you are looking at Fender pickups from the top the coil will be wound either clockwise or counter clockwise. Depending how the bobbin is put on the winding machine the coil is wound either Top Coming or Top Going. When Top Coming, the top of the bobbin travels towards you. When Top Going, the…

There can be several factors that can give you different DC resistance in your pickups. Most likely you’re hand winding the coils where you guide the wire onto the bobbin being turned by some mechanical device such as a variable speed motor like a sewing machine motor with a foot pedal. Hand winding can cause…

You often hear the term series/parallel/split associated with humbucking and single coil pickups. It’s a way to change the character of your pickup by using different wiring that change the impedance and inductance of a pickup. In series, a combination of coils are put end to end and in parallel, one side of two or…

Magnet material: grade The magnet material comes in several grades and dimensions. Earlier articles in VGM show various grades of magnetic materials supplier Depending on what supplier the fabricator gets the raw stock before grinding and cutting will determine the quality and standards used in making the magnet. how magnetized Magnets can be magnetized by…

George W. Creighton Jr. who was the Material Engineer for the National Vulcanized Fibre Co. writes: Vulcanized fibre is produced in a number of different grades. The final grade depends upon the starting material. Saturating a grade of absorbent paper is the base material for Vulcanized fibre and may be made form cotton rags or…