Post Type Archives: SWD

Typical Fender style flatwork is punched out and pierced out of a material called Vulcanized Fibre. It is made by saturating paper with a chemical solution and compressing under heat. Many layers of paper can be used for the desired thickness and color. Typical colors are black, gray, red, bone and natural. It’s the most…

Pickup covers can be made several ways: Metal covers can be fabricated, bend and soldered to a desired shape. This is especially done when making prototypes and short runs. Metal covers should be made out of a nickel silver rather than brass, aluminum etc. Plastic covers can be injection molded using many types of commerical…

Years ago I pulled apart a Fender Telecaster pickup and saw string wrapped around the coil to protect the magnet wire that saturated with black wax to help reduce moisture from penetrating the pickup and used to eliminate microphonic feedback or squeal. The theory came from the transformer industry to coat the coil and keep…

I get many requests on wax potting guitar and bass pickups so I wanted to give you detailed information and procedures to carefully follow. Get familiar with all the procedures before beginning. POTTING PRECAUTIONS: Always wear eye protection when working on your instrument. When removing pickups and unsoldering it is important to make a schematic…

I talked to John who works for the company Zophar Mills Inc, and they make different types of wax for potting coils and make specialty products for the electronics industry. The company has been around since 1846 and have made various wax potting compounds listed below. It is important to find what type wax you…

Plastic covers are used to protect the coil from damage and to keep the string from snagging the bobbins. They are used cosmetically to enhance the appearance of an instrument and normally do not alter the tone of the instrument. Metal covers used on Humbuckers and Telecaster rhythm pickups are used to reduce unwanted outside…

A bass pickup has similar components as guitar pickups but traditionally had 4 pole pieces as compared to 6 or more on traditional guitars. Now days I’ve seen 3 to 9 strings basses which create a need for modern design pickups. Early Fender single coil Precision Bass pickups had between 8 & 9,000 turns and…

There are many different types of coils wound directly on magnets, paper bobbins, thin fibre bobbins, and rewinding bobbins that have been distorted from hot wax or shrink with age. Most bobbins can be easily wound if using the proper winding fixtures and proper tooling. Winding coils onto magnets such as Dan Electro pickups are…

Covers are usually put on pickups to protect the coils from damage as on Fender style pickups and metal covers are used to help reduce unwanted electrical interference as on Gibson style humbuckers. Plastic covers don’t reduce hum or other electrical interference but add a desired cosmetic look and help reduce the wear and tear…

Fender humbuckers designed by Seth Lover are normally Nickel Silver unless someone decided to change the specifications. Gibson also used a grade of Nickel Silver and I’ve seen Gretsch covers made from brass and chrome or gold plated. The Fender covers are made from a special grade of Nylon. It is quite durable and will…