http://music-electronics-forum.com/ en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:49:43 GMT vBulletin 60 http://music-electronics-forum.com/images/misc/black/rss.jpg http://music-electronics-forum.com/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16225/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:32:03 GMT I am putting together a wiring diagram reference book and just completed my first diagram. I am looking for comments. Would you rather see it... I am putting together a wiring diagram reference book and just completed my first diagram. I am looking for comments. Would you rather see it differently in terms of component design? It will have to stay in black and white due to printing costs, but i am open to other ideas.





]]> Pickup Makers automan http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16225/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16222/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:19:26 GMT Hi there, been directed here as hopefully some of you may recognise these pickups. I don't know a hell of a lot about pickups but had this set about 10 years and haven't a clue what they are - nothing came up in searches.

They are made by a company called "Shin-ei Companion" in Japan. I guess they are made in the 70's but may be wrong. I'll show you some pictures before I go on . . .







Ring any bells? The size and shape suggest to me that they were intended to go in a rockabilly guitar. They have a very fat, plummy sound that is kind of "low end of a piano" like. has strong detailed bass and low mids but not much in the high frequencies. can feel a bit squashy, almost like tube rectifier sag or something.

Here are some blurry pictures of one of them with it's cover off.







The DC resistance of the pair is 6.49k and 6.66k. Despite the seemingly low output, they seem very loud.

To help explain the blurry pictures, there is a single wide coil. The wire used is green.

-- through the centre of the coil is a kind a blade pole piece thing.

-- on one side there are some adjustable pole pieces although aspersions have been cast by an educated source as to how adustable they are or whether they are just for show. They don't seem to be touching anything mechanical aside from maybe the magnet next to them or the base.

-- the magnets themselves are two long, slim bar magnets.

having never built my own pickups or even understand how they are made, i have very little knowledge on pickups. only other experience of non stock pickups was one made by a certain large scale manufacturer which cost a ridiculous amount for the shoddy quality and could never hold a candle to these 2 tacky looking jobs.

however, having had them for 10 years and being so different to anything else ive tried (both tonally and in looks), i am really curious as to what they are, what they are for, what made them sound like that etc.

if you can help at all i would appreciate it.

cheers ]]> Pickup Makers clear and blue http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16222/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16220/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:32:59 GMT I need to order some grub screws for my Sustainer coils ....they're available in two finishes that suits my needs....

Zinc coated steel
Stainless steel.

Now I'm pretty sure I have some zinc coated steel screws in my screw drawer that aren't magnetic in the slightest (there again I could be wrong - they might not be steel inside, but they are bright/shiny!), so can aynone say that if steel is given a zinc coating that it loses some/all magnetism?

Of the two types above, which would be the most magnetic? ]]> Pickup Makers peskywinnets http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16220/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16217/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:57:38 GMT This forum is stupid addicting.

So, I'm one of those "obsessed" people. I'm probably obsessed more with cars that music gear, but that's only because I've got a much firmer grasp on how it all works. I'm a designer through and through. I'm not happy with knowing HOW to make something, but WHY to make something a particular way. I like to really know the details and remove the mysteries that seem to plague the ignorant.

So that being said, I hope to eventually make some pickups for myself, and I've got ideas for building guitars down the road, which would probably benefit from custom pickups since my ideas are so odd anyways.

I've read as many links as I could find on pickup making and I'm still left with a LOT of questions. If anyone has any answers, or links to where I might find the answers I'd greatly appreciate it.

1. What is the exact tonal difference from one gauge wire to the next, if the mass of the wire is the same? Obviously 7000 winds of 42 gauge will sound different than 7000 winds of 40 gauges, but the mass is not even comparable.

2. Why are the common depths of a pickup common? What happens when you make a pickup "deeper", or "taller"? Does a stronger magnet allow a shallower pickup design? Vice versa? I've found very little information on why certain pickup heights are used.

3. Why don't we cover the pickups with a non-magnetic metal like aluminum? It seems to me that if you covered a pickup in aluminum and grounded the cover then that would help shield the pickup from some (not all obviously) noise. Plus it looks b^@$#in'.

4. Why do I have a hard time finding info on other magnetic materials used and how the actually sounded? I'm particularly interested in experiments with rare earth magnets. Seems to me that they might have their benefits.



Well, that's a start I guess. I'm sure I'll come up with more, but that's what's been nagging me lately. ]]> Pickup Makers Gollum http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16217/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16214/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:37:59 GMT I am rewiring a friends OLP MM style bass. The pickup is a little over 6K and sounds lame. Are there any recommendations on the design? What... I am rewiring a friends OLP MM style bass. The pickup is a little over 6K and sounds lame. Are there any recommendations on the design? What frequency should I aim for? I was going to go with a 1.2 H inductor like in the Bill Lawrince system but I as far as I know that is really tuned for a guitar.
I did a search and didn't find anything.
Is there a problem with my question? Is it lacking any information or vague in any way? ]]> Pickup Makers JasonG http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16214/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16213/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:18:00 GMT Does anyone have a decent domestic source for stamping Nickel Silver covers/parts? I'm *considering* having some covers made. I was going to try to do it myself, but I realized its easier to throw money at the problem.

Anyone? ]]> Pickup Makers belwar http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16213/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16208/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:14:51 GMT Of course I found this forum a week AFTER I started winding my own on the wife's Singer Featherweight!

Great to see people in the know helping other folks out in yet another esoteric pastime! Ain't the internet great?

Anyway, I think I'll lurk a bit and glean what I can from the masters. I have built effects pedals, rewired and rebuilt guitars for years, and even did a ghetto fret job that turned out okay.

Now if I had only saved all those dead pickups that crossed my path for the last 30 years...(sigh) ]]> Pickup Makers Superferrite http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16208/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16191/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:32:25 GMT Could you guys recommend some reasonably priced Soldering Stations? Could you guys recommend some reasonably priced Soldering Stations? ]]> Pickup Makers restorationad http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16191/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16185/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:32:10 GMT Well I contacted Sensmag last nite and got a big attitude from them. I asked if there was a way to avoid the $40 wire fee to their bank, they wrote... Well I contacted Sensmag last nite and got a big attitude from them. I asked if there was a way to avoid the $40 wire fee to their bank, they wrote back and said "your needs are too small, please buy from your US distributor." They said nothing about a bank in New York when I asked about that also. So I asked them who my US distributor is and they refused to answer. They DO have a minimum and refused to ship samples for me to try, so if I want to try any bucker magnets I have to buy 125.
I think you EU guys get a better deal being closer to them.

Has anyone tried their new Alnico5L, which they say is like alnico 4/5, probably the mythical "non-oriented 5 ?" Who else besides #$@&* Allstar sells their products in the US? I guess its a big secret :D

I did get samples from them previously of their rough cast alnico 2 and 5, its the exact same stuff Allstar had, the alnico 5 was really shrill and they were too thin, under .125" probably the worst I've seen of the rough cast type. ]]> Pickup Makers Possum http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16185/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16181/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:13:46 GMT where do you guys buy screws like this in 1000+ quantity for reasonable price? Image:... where do you guys buy screws like this in 1000+ quantity for reasonable price?



]]> Pickup Makers clown_luthier http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16181/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16160/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:23:07 GMT Do any of you know of a pickup makers IRC channel on some server somewhere? Do any of you know of a pickup makers IRC channel on some server somewhere? ]]> Pickup Makers automan http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16160/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16150/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:03:34 GMT Everyone, First post here so here goes, thx in advance: I have been itching to wind and experiment with making a low-Z humbucker and have... Everyone,

First post here so here goes, thx in advance:

I have been itching to wind and experiment with making a low-Z humbucker and have HUGELY appreciated the great posts and tips so far on this forum.

I started out by stripping an old GOTOH PAF to start, but sort of by accident I blew up a Joe Barden HB Two/Tone (rhythm PU thank goodness) because his old pickups used FLEA CLIPS instead of eyelets to terminate the coil windings, and the clip motion broke one of the coil wires when resoldering to extend the cable. I couldn't save the winding so cut and stripped the pickup.

Does anyone want specs or pics of the innards of this blade style PU? I don't have an inductance meter yet (plan to get one) but can share dimensions, photos, and approximate DCR for the tap points on this PU. I have the bridge PU intact and can do measurements on that as well.

I plan to rewind this PU with 32 gauge to start and use a Z matching transformer, then moderately preamp that. I would like to experiment with trying to duplicate the tonality switching features if possible in low Z.

The only low-Z pickup setup out there that is even close to what I would like to try to do with a low-Z Two/Tone is the Gibson Les Paul Recording/Triumph bass, which features taps on both coils of a humbucker, with switching that connects together the taps on both coils a la Two/Tone.

It would be interesting to play with this and see if the switch in tonality (humbuckerish/single-coilish) is possible with a low-Z pickup. I am going to try different reactances (R's and C's) on the low-Z side , before the xformer, to see if I can get typical humbucker and single-coil resonance peaks. I am going to use the old Gibson LP Recording and Professional/Personal schems for jumping off places.

I currently have an original set of Les Paul Signature pickups and stock wiring harness /controls that I put in a Ventura ES-330ish mutt guitar; that was what got me onto this low-Z bug.

Of course, if someone out there knows pretty down cold EXACTLY how the Joe Barden Two/Tone works (and it does work pretty well IMHO) an edifying explanation would be fantastic. I am even game for a discussion of how it probably works.

The puzzler for me is how this thing either gets or sounds like it gets, a narrow aperture (single coil width) sound, while still being a humbucker construction with two rails at normal polepiece spacing.

TIA,

Charlie ]]> Pickup Makers charrich56 http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16150/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16142/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:14:43 GMT Hello guys, Im new to the world of pickup making, and am wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of some good guides on making pickups at... Hello guys, Im new to the world of pickup making, and am wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of some good guides on making pickups at home.

I understand the construction method (to an extent) of the Fender style single coil using Alnico Rods.....but really wanted some information on some flat magnet, humbucker and P-90 style.

kind regards

Peps ]]> Pickup Makers peps1 http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16142/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16129/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:25:02 GMT Hi,

Do pickups form a tuned circuit with the Miller capacitance of tube amps???

I'm building a preamp/buffering system for my Tele in order to add a buffered dummy coil.
For all sorts of reasons I descided to:
1. buffer each pickup
2. buffer an extra full pickup (yup, with the magnets) as the hum pickup
3. mix the hum in parallel (and not in series like Ilitch and EB)

I want is to simulate, as much as I can, the actual loads and reactances a guitar pickup sees and respond too... "pre buffer".
There will be the known vol and tone R's, tone cap, the "amp's" input impedance setting R and grid stop R, the guitar cable capacitance and I also made a simple air coil to simulate the few pico henry that the cable have:p

Now what puzzeles me is the input capacitance, the Miller capacitance all tube amps have.
In most guitar amps with input triodes (99.% of them LOL) there is up to 150pF input capacitance. this capacitance is there and forms a low pass filter with the "source impedance". since it's an internal electrode capacitance (about 2.5pF) being multiplied by the tube's gain (hense the 150pF figure), I don't know if the pickups sees it like a capacitance to ground, which effects their resonance peak due to their inductance, or if the pickup's inductance is isolated from this capacitance and the low pass is actualy happening internaly in the tube.



Now why do I have a feeling this post won't generate bazillion responses? :D

Cheers all :)


p.s. I remember years ago Steve Ahola(?) and someone named Arthur(?) both made big coils like the Ilitch patent. Steve also had a picture of his coil, but I can't seem to find any post, from either guy, about how their coils performed.
Anyone else here tried that route? ]]> Pickup Makers Amit http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16129/ http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16128/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:44:50 GMT I've been thinking of compiling a database of pickup information, mostly because I want to compare base data to understand how certain outputs, frequency response, etc. are achieved. As I thought of the possibility, I further thought it would be cool to have images, sounds, and any other data.

Furthermore, why not share the data? Since a wiki is a database with a web front end, it seems like an easy thing to do, but my concern is that you, duncan, dimarzio, etc, would get unhappy about the data being placed in a searchable, customizable, and completely public database.

What are your thoughts?

Peace, Shannon ]]> Pickup Makers ShannonH http://music-electronics-forum.com/t16128/