Paper Bobbins

[David Schwab]

I had to make a set of six string bass pickup, and don't have any parts made for it yet. All my routers and bits were at the workshop, and I didn't feel like going to get them and made jigs, etc., so I thought about the old pickups from the 50's with paper bobbins. My bobbins have a steel blade to support them, so I just needed something to hold the wire in place.

I figured how to fold paper to make a bobbin, and then drew out an exploded view in Adobe Illustrator. I printed it out, and used a glue stick to adhere it to a manilla folder, cut it out with a scissor and x-acto knife, folded and glued it with CA. I also used CA to stiffen the paper.

I used black paper tape to insulate the open ends from the blade, and wound 'er up. It worked really well, and as long as your pickup will be in a closed cover is a viable alternate to work up a custom pickup in a short time.

[David Schwab]

The whole process didn't take long at all.

[John_H]

Nice Work David. Thanks for the pictures.

[RedHouse]

Dang, really giving 'ol Leo a run for the money on that one!.

[David Schwab]

Thanks! Sometimes you just have to be inventive to solve a problem. It's actually kind of fun, and the second set came out nicer than the first.

I wouldn't want to do a dozen pickups that way, but for a few it's not bad.

I kind of had Leo in mind... that kind of use what's on hand, or readily available thing that he did so well.

[RedHouse]

Thanks! Sometimes you just have to be inventive to solve a problem. It's actually kind of fun, and the second set came out nicer than the first.

I wouldn't want to do a dozen pickups that way, but for a few it's not bad.

I kind of had Leo in mind... that kind of use what's on hand, or readily available thing that he did so well.

Well done.

[Possum]

Cool work. I have a couple pickups I use paper bobbins on, well at least the top of the bobbin is. I had been using cardboard from TV dinner packages and was looking for something stiffer. At McMaster I found their fishpaper I think its called, works really well and is real stiff, the best I've found so far. I was trying to find something like you see on the old Kay flat top paper bobbin coils, never found that stuff but this stuff is ideal and comes in various thicknesses....

[Joe Gwinn]

Cool work. I have a couple pickups I use paper bobbins on, well at least the top of the bobbin is. ... At McMaster I found their fishpaper I think its called, works really well and is real stiff, the best I've found so far. I was trying to find something like you see on the old Kay flat top paper bobbin coils, never found that stuff but this stuff is ideal and comes in various thicknesses....It is called fishpaper. It's basically thin Forbon.

[mkat]

Great stuff David. Thicker cardboard should work too I reckon with epoxy also. I noticed we use the same cheap super glue :D

[jonson]

neat one David, now if you could just come up with a glue that sticks polythene then that would take care of those old bobbins as well. 10/10

[David Schwab]

Great stuff David. Thicker cardboard should work too I reckon with epoxy also. I noticed we use the same cheap super glue :D

Yeah, something like fishpaper or thicker cardboard would be good. I just looked around the house for something... it was very spur of the moment.

I picked up a four pack of that glue cheap! I think it was $1. I usually use better stuff, but I thought it would be good for a backup. Seems to work as well as the rest.

I'll have to check out the fishpaper from McMaster. I love McMaster... they are in NJ, so if I order by 10am, I get the order later that day!

[Possum]

A good source for cheap super glue is the Dollar Stores, I buy all my glue from there....

[SK66]

Really nice work.
I've done a lot of Paper Bobbin/Bobbinless restorations and I think it's a PITA. I don't think I'd want to do many of these regularly.
BUT, you might be onto the next greatest thing. Hand Made Vintage Correct Paper Bobbins!

[David Schwab]

Thanks. I wouldn't want to do it on a regular basis, but it wasn't that bad, and the second set of bobbins was easier than the first.

I may just start cutting flatwork out of forbon or something. I found a local plastics shop that does machining and laster cutting, so I'm going to give them a call today.

I have three new sizes of pickups, plus a set I'm making that might end up as a private label pickup for a luthier, so I need to be able to make parts faster!

Even the commercial bobbins I'm using are narrower than I would like.

[mkat]

Even the commercial bobbins I'm using are narrower than I would like.

That's interesting. Will this be Series 4, a new ID for the design change?

[David Schwab]

That's interesting. Will this be Series 4, a new ID for the design change?

No, it's the same design. I just needed a 45 size set for a six string. I have covers but no bobbins. These are based off the dimensions of the plastic bobbins.

I just tested the set out and they sound good... my wife thought they would sound like paper. :rolleyes: (actually she just wondered if it effected the tone)