Formvar humbuckers, anyone?

Zhangliqun · 06-01-2009, 11:34 PM

Anybody wound some buckers with formvar? If so, how does the sound differ from PE?

Possum · 06-02-2009, 01:29 AM

You just have to try it for yourself. I tried it and I don't sell pickups made with it, they sound ok I guess. You get a fatter coil which softens it up more than I personally like....

David Schwab · 06-02-2009, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Possum

You get a fatter coil which softens it up more than I personally like....

Is that heavy formvar, or regular?

Possum · 06-02-2009, 03:37 AM

Heavy, I've also used single and its a softer sound, I don't like it in a neck pickup it kills come clarity for me....

Possum · 06-02-2009, 03:38 AM

I meant SOME clarity not "come" clarity

madialex · 06-02-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Possum

I meant SOME clarity not "come" clarity

Dirty ol Possum

Possum · 06-03-2009, 01:48 AM

Brain fart, I thought I was on the nekked chicks porn site

Zhangliqun · 06-04-2009, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Schwab

Is that heavy formvar, or regular?

Double-build, which is "heavy" according to MWS. I'm a formvar virgin but I just bought a spool because I get a lot of requests for formvar Strat pu's but was curious how it would sound in a 'bucker.

David Schwab · 06-05-2009, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zhangliqun

Double-build, which is "heavy" according to MWS. I'm a formvar virgin but I just bought a spool because I get a lot of requests for formvar Strat pu's but was curious how it would sound in a 'bucker.

I've never used it. I was tempted to buy a roll one day. I do have some heavy build 45AWG SPN though. That's an odd combination!

voodoochild · 06-05-2009, 04:52 PM

I have used it and it sounds great. You have to pull more tension on the formvar than the PE because the insulation is slick compared to PE which will automatically give you a softer build if you try and keep the tension the same. Once you get the tension right you won't tell a difference between PE and formvar given that the insulation build is the same.

Zhangliqun · 06-05-2009, 05:29 PM

But it's not the same build. The formvar I have is double, the PE single. I figure that will put a lower limit on the number of turns I can get on a bobbin but was wondering what else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by voodoochild

I have used it and it sounds great. You have to pull more tension on the formvar than the PE because the insulation is slick compared to PE which will automatically give you a softer build if you try and keep the tension the same. Once you get the tension right you won't tell a difference between PE and formvar given that the insulation build is the same.

voodoochild · 06-05-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zhangliqun

But it's not the same build. The formvar I have is double, the PE single. I figure that will put a lower limit on the number of turns I can get on a bobbin but was wondering what else.

In that case it will build up more and yes it will sound completely different.

Possum · 06-06-2009, 02:54 AM

It will make the coil significantly fatter, the fatter a coil you have the softer it starts to sound, the smaller the coil is the more of the coil that is immersed in the magnetic field where the hot action is, so hotter quicker tone.....

Zhangliqun · 06-06-2009, 10:58 PM

Might be interesting to make one coil formvar and the other PE. We'll see how it goes...

Possum · 06-07-2009, 01:22 AM

Yeah have done that too...

JGundry · 06-07-2009, 02:10 AM

I did an 8.2K 42PE PAF style pickup on the Leesona 102 and a 8.2K heavy Formvar PAF style pickups with the same coil offset, wound on the Leesona 102... And the heavy Formvar pickup was a mud machine on the low end compared to the 42 PE pickup.

Possum · 06-07-2009, 05:11 AM

Yeah its mostly because the coils are larger plus formvar seems to be a darker sounding insulation judging from the single black formvar I have and a neck pickup I wound with it. I did one with heavy on one coil and PE on the other it sounded OK, kinda confused, it didn't know what to be

This really brings into question the "formvar" Peter Green rewind on neck. I seriously doubt it was heavy formvar if it even WAS formvar at all. For all we know it was single 43 guage formvar, about the only thing that makes sense.....

Electricdaveyboy · 06-15-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zhangliqun

Anybody wound some buckers with formvar? If so, how does the sound differ from PE?

Hello Zang,
yes you can hear a formvar neck position pickup in the video I posted on the showcase site- it is my Greeny Blues Set.
You shall not wind it to hot - means go for less windings than the regular PAF PE type pickup.
Cheers
david

Possum · 06-16-2009, 04:21 AM

The problem with that is that the Peter Green neck pickup is reputed to be wound to 8.2K If you wind one with heavy formvar to that and put it in neck it would sound like mud. WCR is the source for that supposed PG specs. I suspect that pickup was wound with regular PE. We'll probably never know for sure....
Other possibilities are that it was wound with only one bobbin and maybe it was single formvar. I mean when a humbucker goes dead it usually is only ONE bobbin not both, right?

Zhangliqun · 06-24-2009, 01:14 AM

If it's that dark, it might make for some smoother sounding sub-8k bridge pu's. Hmmm....

06-01-2009, 11:34 PM	#1
Zhangliqun Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 589	Formvar humbuckers, anyone? Anybody wound some buckers with formvar? If so, how does the sound differ from PE?

06-02-2009, 01:29 AM	#2
Possum Old Timer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Planet Mongo in the country of PAF Posts: 3,140	... You just have to try it for yourself. I tried it and I don't sell pickups made with it, they sound ok I guess. You get a fatter coil which softens it up more than I personally like.... __________________ http://www.SDpickups.com Stephens Design Pickups

06-02-2009, 03:37 AM	#4
Possum Old Timer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Planet Mongo in the country of PAF Posts: 3,140	.... Heavy, I've also used single and its a softer sound, I don't like it in a neck pickup it kills come clarity for me.... __________________ http://www.SDpickups.com Stephens Design Pickups

06-02-2009, 03:38 AM	#5
Possum Old Timer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Planet Mongo in the country of PAF Posts: 3,140	.... I meant SOME clarity not "come" clarity __________________ http://www.SDpickups.com Stephens Design Pickups

06-03-2009, 01:48 AM	#7
Possum Old Timer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Planet Mongo in the country of PAF Posts: 3,140	... Brain fart, I thought I was on the nekked chicks porn site __________________ http://www.SDpickups.com Stephens Design Pickups

06-05-2009, 04:52 PM	#10
voodoochild Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 182	I have used it and it sounds great. You have to pull more tension on the formvar than the PE because the insulation is slick compared to PE which will automatically give you a softer build if you try and keep the tension the same. Once you get the tension right you won't tell a difference between PE and formvar given that the insulation build is the same.

06-06-2009, 02:54 AM	#13
Possum Old Timer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Planet Mongo in the country of PAF Posts: 3,140	... It will make the coil significantly fatter, the fatter a coil you have the softer it starts to sound, the smaller the coil is the more of the coil that is immersed in the magnetic field where the hot action is, so hotter quicker tone..... __________________ http://www.SDpickups.com Stephens Design Pickups

06-06-2009, 10:58 PM	#14
Zhangliqun Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 589	Might be interesting to make one coil formvar and the other PE. We'll see how it goes...

06-07-2009, 01:22 AM	#15
Possum Old Timer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Planet Mongo in the country of PAF Posts: 3,140	... Yeah have done that too... __________________ http://www.SDpickups.com Stephens Design Pickups

06-07-2009, 02:10 AM	#16
JGundry Supporting Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 644	I did an 8.2K 42PE PAF style pickup on the Leesona 102 and a 8.2K heavy Formvar PAF style pickups with the same coil offset, wound on the Leesona 102... And the heavy Formvar pickup was a mud machine on the low end compared to the 42 PE pickup. __________________ www.throbak.com

06-07-2009, 05:11 AM	#17
Possum Old Timer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Planet Mongo in the country of PAF Posts: 3,140	... Yeah its mostly because the coils are larger plus formvar seems to be a darker sounding insulation judging from the single black formvar I have and a neck pickup I wound with it. I did one with heavy on one coil and PE on the other it sounded OK, kinda confused, it didn't know what to be This really brings into question the "formvar" Peter Green rewind on neck. I seriously doubt it was heavy formvar if it even WAS formvar at all. For all we know it was single 43 guage formvar, about the only thing that makes sense..... __________________ http://www.SDpickups.com Stephens Design Pickups

06-16-2009, 04:21 AM	#19
Possum Old Timer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Planet Mongo in the country of PAF Posts: 3,140	... The problem with that is that the Peter Green neck pickup is reputed to be wound to 8.2K If you wind one with heavy formvar to that and put it in neck it would sound like mud. WCR is the source for that supposed PG specs. I suspect that pickup was wound with regular PE. We'll probably never know for sure.... Other possibilities are that it was wound with only one bobbin and maybe it was single formvar. I mean when a humbucker goes dead it usually is only ONE bobbin not both, right? __________________ http://www.SDpickups.com Stephens Design Pickups

06-24-2009, 01:14 AM	#20
Zhangliqun Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 589	If it's that dark, it might make for some smoother sounding sub-8k bridge pu's. Hmmm....

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