Post Type Archives: SWD

All the vintage pickups I’ve seen, wound and repaired, all have the same winding direction. If the top of the pickup is facing right, the pickup would be wound “Top Right-Top Coming.” If you look at the top of an old Strat bobbin, the magnet wire starts at the bottom left eyelet and wraps clock-wise…

The Jaguar claw helped keep the magnet field in closer proximity to the coil which helped make the coil sound louder and brighter. It also helped reduce unwanted electrical interference from entering the coil.

The first models of Fender Precision Bass pickups used a single coil pickup very similar looking from the top as a Telecaster bridge pickup but with only 4 rod pole pieces. It seemed that during the mid 50s several major guitar companies were coming out with humbucking pickups such as Seth E. Lover with the…

The cover is basically a component that protects the coil and especially helps keep the string from getting snagged under the lip of the pickup. The Duosonic and Mustang have basic single coil pickups using .625″ length rod magnets. The pole pieces are flush with the top of the pickup so there is no need…

Normally the beginning of the coil or black wire is grounded to the guitar circuit. On Jaguar pickups the beginning wire is soldered to the metal claw that surrounds the pickup. The beginning wire on a Telecaster bridge pickup also has the beginning black wire connected to the ferrous elevator plate which in turn grounds…

Most stainless steel rods cannot be used for pole pieces in guitar or bass pickups because they don’t conduct the needed magnetic field to the strings. When you buy screws for pole pieces or a source of directing the magnetic field to the strings, make sure you test to see that they are carbon steel….

Brass pole pieces are non-ferrous and do not conduct the magnetic field to the strings. I have used a row of brass screws to eliminate the magnetic field from one coil in a humbucker to make it act more like a single coil pickup. I’ve used dummy poles (brass screws) in a stereo pickup to…

Companies like Fender, Gibson and Rickenbacker have always made their own pickups for many of their instruments. During the 70s Fender used a company called Turbo-Jet to wind coils for Rhodes piano and humbucking bobbins. Most major guitar companies make their own pickups may use other pickups made from private manufacturers for custom pickups for…

The slugs or studs as they are commonly called are made from a soft iron and are used to conduct the magnetic field from the bar magnet to the strings. The studs are 3/16″ in diameter and are pressed into the non-adjustable bobbin often concealed by a pickup cover. The corners of the studs have…

Here is a brief list of the parts that make up a few models of pickups. Gibson Humbucker: Traditional Bottom plate is used to support all the components of the pickup. Adjustable bobbin is the screw side. Non-adjustable bobbin is the stud side. Bar magnet of a desired material for specific pickup model. 6 adjustable…