The Luthier Community

Eben expressed interest in seeing a pickup winder thread so here is a brief run down from some old photos I have. This thread is a bit of a work in progress it's still very brief but next pickups I wind I will add a step by step for a strat style pickup and a humbucker and a whole host of other info.

Dave

How a pickup works

Basically a guitars pickups works on the same principle's as an electric generator,
Coil + magnet + motion = electricity

A vibrating steel (or other ferro-magnetic metal) string causes a flux in the magnetic field created by a pickup's coil, a flux that produces an alternating (AC) voltage (a signal)

More info

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/pickups.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lemme/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.guitar-repairs.co.uk/how_gui ... s_work.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pickup anatomy



Winder

To wind a pickup you are going to need a winder, there are too many turns making it far too time consuming to wind by hand. There are many types of winders pickup maker’s use and most are built by the maker.

Simple and popular with hobbyists is a hand or electric drill 1 2 or a winder using a sewing machine motor. While winders can be much more complicated being fully automated and programmable.

A schatten pickup winder can be bought from Stewmac.

This is my winding set up. I used the table height and depth stop to control the winds; the felt lined clamp was used to guide and to tension the wire. The setup still needs some work. I am currently designing a standalone winder.



Counter

It is necessary to be able to count the winds for repeatability. this site explains how to make a simple counter out of a calculator. Counters can also be made using a electronic counter 2 and a reed switch or hall effect sensor. (Note: I now use a standalone counter built from a kit)

This also shows you how to make counter with their program, a reed switch and a serial port cable.

Parts

Finding parts for winding pickups can be difficult. For hobbyists supplies can be sourced from Stewmac, Guitar Jones, Guitar parts USA, Allparts and AMPGE

Strat style pickup

Now we will go through winding a simple strat pickup, Below are the parts needed.




I used 8000 turns of 42 AWG wire and Alnico 5 magnets.


I magnetized the pickup using the same method as option 2 here http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/I-5967.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Potting

This is my potting setup.


I used a mix of 80% paraffin wax (I used surfboard wax because I had it on hand, it's just paraffin with a few additives) and 20% beeswax. The beeswax mostly stops the paraffin from expanding and contracting with temperature changes and lowers the melting point of the mix.

I used a slow cooker (NEVER use a microwave or open flame) and a tuna can to melt the wax, use a deep fryer thermometer to monitor temperature (140-150 F, 65 C is good, don't let it get much hotter as you can damage bobbins, also paraffin vapor is pretty flammable)

Place the pickup in the wax for about 10-15 minutes; tap the pickup on the base of the container to help any air escape. Remove pickup when bubbles stop coming out and wipe off excess wax off with paper towel.

Finished pickup


Useful Sites/Further reading

http://www.ampge.com/
http://music-electronics-forum.com/foru ... y.php?f=11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://galileo.spaceports.com/~fishbake/
http://designed2wind.alphalink.com.au/
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/e ... uction.txt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://members.lycos.nl/ajgp/pickups.html
http://users.chariot.net.au/~gmarts/pickups.htm
http://europa.spaceports.com/~fishbake/buck/humbuck.htm
http://pickups.myonlinesite.com/programs.php
http://www.diyhappy.com/how-to-make-a-g ... ss-pickup/
http://www.robkidd.homestead.com/PickupWinding.html
http://skguitar.com/
http://home.zonnet.nl/wilmaremy/makingpups.html

Hey Dave, thanks for posting this. I have been interested in trying this at various times and it's great that you have added in all these reference links. Having it all in one place is wonderful. When the urge to explore this hits me again I'll know where to go.

Keep us updated,
Joe

BIG Thanks Dave,
and ditto me on the jones to try it - I've wanted one for a while to be able to repair/rewind old pickups that go gunny bag... being a dedicated tinkerer, I'd like to try building a programmable one in the not-too-distant future!

Chris also has a rig for this, and has said he'll post something up when he gets a bit more free time.

Eben

Cheers guys.

Eben we'll have to throw around some ideas for a programmable winder sometime. For my next winder I am thinking of using two programmable stepper motors (one for turns, one for feed). There are some good vids on youtube of a maker developing his own programmable winder.

Dave

hey, that would be even cooler, Dave!

Yeah, if we could do some collaborative work here,
what a gas and good stuff for all to boot -
Let's give it a spin, (Pun intended)



E

I've been contemplating building my own pickups for a while too and have just been given a mini metalworking lathe by a friend who needed space in his shed for something else, my first thought was I wonder if I could win pickups on this thing?... apparently there is a counter available that attaches straight to the lathe which would help , and its got variable speed in forward and reverse and as a bonus I could probably use it to turn some stuff too, I was thinking rollers for the thickness sander I dont yet have, but as for potting pckups and hide glue, i use an old coffee percolater... the glass pot broke ages ago but the base has a small electric heating element in for keeping the coffee hot and it just so happens to be set at 68degree C so any old tin can smaller than 3"diameter can go straight on there and keep wax liquid of hide glue at a useable temperature without overheating it

I would think you could do that, Howie; I saved the motor and rheostat from an old small bandsaw of mine, with that in mind - The variable speed controller is key, I'm sure - Come to think of it, I'll probably run across that before too long as well!



Urb