completely clueless.

[tonequester]

tonequester here.

I have never attempted to make a pick-up. Can anybody out there recommend a good book on the subject ? Also any tips that would keep me from wasting
any time or money would greatly be appreciated. tonequester.

[big_teee]

tonequester here.

I have never attempted to make a pick-up. Can anybody out there recommend a good book on the subject ? Also any tips that would keep me from wasting
any time or money would greatly be appreciated. tonequester.

Hi Tonequester:
Welcome to the BC.
I compiled this thread to help beginners get started.
Check it out, should cut down on initial questions.
Pickup Resources
Good Luck,
T

[Ward]

Also any tips that would keep me from wasting
any time or money would greatly be appreciated.

How many years do you have

[big_teee]

How many years do you have

Hey Ward:
Probably save lots of money, if you just go out and buy the most expensive pickups you can find!
Would still be cheaper than gearing up to make your own. Wouldn't you agree? LOL
T

[Ward]

Hey Ward:
Probably save lots of money, if you just go out and buy the most expensive pickups you can find!
Would still be cheaper than gearing up to make your own. LOL
T

Hi T, well you never know, a 1/2lb roll of spn, an electric drill and go by DCR, he might jag a decent set of single coils and be very happy and just leave it at that. Problem is, the human condition----GIMMI MORE----
I still can't wind a humbucker to sound what I want. I have another set of woodys to show ya. I'll post em on the other thread soon.

[SonnyW]

tonequester here.

I have never attempted to make a pick-up. Can anybody out there recommend a good book on the subject ? Also any tips that would keep me from wasting
any time or money would greatly be appreciated. tonequester.

I can recommend a couple of good books. One is "Pickups - Windings and Magnets and the Guitar became Electric" by Mario Milan, and another is "The Guitar Pickup Handbook" by Dave Hunter. Both will give you some good background in pickup theory. Each has some things that are somewhat debatable though too. There is also Jason Lollar's book if you can find one. I don't think it is available at the moment though. Jason jump in here if I'm wrong on that. One of the best ways though and it is free is to read all the posts in this forum. It shouldn't take more than three or four years to do that if you stay with it.

[big_teee]

I can recommend a couple of good books. One is "Pickups - Windings and Magnets and the Guitar became Electric" by Mario Milan, and another is "The Guitar Pickup Handbook" by Dave Hunter. Both will give you some good background in pickup theory. Each has some things that are somewhat debatable though too. There is also Jason Lollar's book if you can find one. I don't think it is available at the moment though. Jason jump in here if I'm wrong on that. One of the best ways though and it is free is to read all the posts in this forum. It shouldn't take more than three or four years to do that if you stay with it.

If you can list any links or any other info for the books, I will edit the first 3 posts, of "Get Started" and update it there also.
I am trying to list everything there. I listed Jason's book.
T

[SonnyW]

If you can list any links or any other info for the books, I will edit the first 3 posts, of "Get Started" and update it there also.
I am trying to list everything there. I liksted Jason's book.
T

OK here is the Mario Milan book
http://www.amazon.com/Pickups-Windin.../dp/1574242091

and here is the Dave Hunter one
Amazon.com: The Guitar Pickups Handbook (9780879309312): Dave Hunter: Books

[madialex]

tonequester here.

I have never attempted to make a pick-up. Can anybody out there recommend a good book on the subject ? Also any tips that would keep me from wasting
any time or money would greatly be appreciated. tonequester.

Please don't take this wrong but, no one here especially those of us who have spent years and a lot of time and money perfecting the craft of winding are not going to give away any secrets. I say wind wind and wind and waste wire and time, you will gain an appreciation for it rather than glean free knowledge. Good luck.

[big_teee]

Please don't take this wrong but, no one here especially those of us who have spent years and a lot of time and money perfecting the craft of winding are not going to give away any secrets. I say wind wind and wind and waste wire and time, you will gain an appreciation for it rather than glean free knowledge. Good luck.

In this area we try to provide all the help and knowledge to get started.
We try to help with problems. If you get stuck on something, help get you going again.
Like madialex says, not give out pickup formulas per say.
If your willing to read and dig, there is enough info in the "Get Started" Thread to get going.
Good Luck,
Terry

[tonequester]

I can recommend a couple of good books. One is "Pickups - Windings and Magnets and the Guitar became Electric" by Mario Milan, and another is "The Guitar Pickup Handbook" by Dave Hunter. Both will give you some good background in pickup theory. Each has some things that are somewhat debatable though too. There is also Jason Lollar's book if you can find one. I don't think it is available at the moment though. Jason jump in here if I'm wrong on that. One of the best ways though and it is free is to read all the posts in this forum. It shouldn't take more than three or four years to do that if you stay with it.

tonequester here.

Greetings and thanks, SonnyW ! I really appreciate sharing the info on the 2 books. I will try to order them through my counties inter-library loan. They get books from libraries all over the country, even university libraries. They rarely faIl me. I'm pretty "old school" in that I really like to relax with a good book, especially if it happens to be about a subject that I'm really trying to get into. The most important non-family subject that I have ever had, is my music, my guitars and amps, etc. I roll all of that into one subject because they are all so interconnected to me. I hope to be well versed in every possible aspect of my almost lifetime interest. Guy's like you have humbled and amazed me on this, my first, forum experience.
There is so much more knowledge here than I could ever learn without many years of formal study at some university. It is so much faster than using the library for many topics. it seems that I always want to know about something that no one has taken the time to write about. Here the sky is the limit, or so it seems toi me. Anyway, thanks again SonnyW, and I'm quite
pleaseds to make your "aquaintance". tonequester.

Quote : "Believe that you can, and you are half-way there." Theodore Roosevelt

[SonnyW]

tonequester here.

Greetings and thanks, SonnyW ! ....
Quote : "Believe that you can, and you are half-way there." Theodore Roosevelt

You're welcome about the books, but let me add that it took me a long time to get my brain wrapped around the parts of pickup theory that I think I do understand, and I am constantly having to go back and look things up in my books and notes. I agree in some ways with the comment made by madialex, that the best way is to get to winding. Not just winding, but winding with good notekeeping and lots of installing and listening. I don't consider it that much of a waste of wire though, just the price of learning. I was very lucky that the second stratocaster pickup that I made years ago (which was from a stewmac kit, btw) sounded good enough to me that I kept on going. But I wouldn't want to sell one like that one today. I don't really know if I would give away any of my secrets either, since I hardly have any of my own, and I'm not too comfortable giving away some of the ones that I have been lucky enough to notice when others have accidentally let them slip. On the other hand there are very few real secrets to this. But there are some and if you need them you will have to dig them out for yourself. Wasn't it Einstein that said genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration? Bobbins and magnets can usually be saved, and it is just a matter of undoing and redoing. My advice is get a sharp hobby knife and a pair of tiny scissors and you might have some fun and satisfaction while you make yourself one of these..

[jmaf]

no one here especially those of us who have spent years and a lot of time and money perfecting the craft of winding are not going to give away any secrets.

We're past the age of "secrets", IMO. You either hold a patent, in which case it's no longer a secret, or you are probably just fooling yourself believing your technique isn't out there already.

A friend of mine built a special machine for woodworking he thought nobody knew. Soon as he contacted some Chinese tool providers for another unrelated part, he discovered accidentally that they had his "secret" machine for sale.....he bought 10.

So you're better off sharing your "secrets", at least honest folks will give you credit for the discovery. IMHO.

[tonequester]

tonequester here.

Thanks SonnyW for your support and avice. I have no problem pouring ove a subject that I"'m wanting to get "into". As for reading and re-reading, that's my standard
M.O. I won't ask for any secrets, but I might ask you to set me straight about something that I don't understsand. I can only hopr to have the luck to succeed as you have !
tonequester.

Qoute : "Ability is of little count without opportunity." Lucille Ball.

[big_teee]

tonequester here.

Thanks SonnyW for your support and avice. I have no problem pouring ove a subject that I"'m wanting to get "into". As for reading and re-reading, that's my standard
M.O. I won't ask for any secrets, but I might ask you to set me straight about something that I don't understsand. I can only hopr to have the luck to succeed as you have !
tonequester.

Qoute : "Ability is of little count without opportunity." Lucille Ball.

Good Evening Tonequester:
Keep an Eye on the "Get Started Thread"
I'm posting more material there daily!
T

[SonnyW]

We're past the age of "secrets", IMO. You either hold a patent, in which case it's no longer a secret, or you are probably just fooling yourself believing your technique isn't out there already.

A friend of mine built a special machine for woodworking he thought nobody knew. Soon as he contacted some Chinese tool providers for another unrelated part, he discovered accidentally that they had his "secret" machine for sale.....he bought 10.

So you're better off sharing your "secrets", at least honest folks will give you credit for the discovery. IMHO.

About "Secrets" (IMO)
I guess the way I look at this is it depends on the definition of "secret". I would agree with the part about the techniques being out there already for the most part. And I think it is great to share most things. I have gleaned a ton of useful information from this forum, and I like to give back. And I am still amazed at how much useful information does get shared here by experts that make their living doing this and don't have to answer our questions at all unless they want to help. But I also realize that when people have spent a large amount of effort and money on their research they aren't going to want to share all of that knowledge. An example might be digging out details of P.A.F. construction or something like that. And some things aren't really secrets, they just are not easily put into words, as an example say a certain technique of hand motions for scatterwinding. It isn't a "secret" because anyone can buy a few of the pickups and tediously unwind them, or get the data when rewinding them. That's what the big name guys did plenty of. But that kind of information isn't often offered when questions that are posted are answered. So someone might post DCR and turns count but not TPL and variations in TPL. I think most questions about things like parts availability or details and even techniques are or have been answered here. In short, it doesn't hurt to ask, but don't expect that everyone that knows the answer is going to log in and post, or dig it out of the forum for them. Worse, it has sometimes happened that the answers that were posted have been misleading, I remember a thread about that a few years ago. Some of that may just have been wrongheaded information, and I hope that no one here would intentionally post misinformation, but either way one still needs to verify and experiment.

[big_teee]

About "Secrets" (IMO)
I guess the way I look at this is it depends on the definition of "secret". I would agree with the part about the techniques being out there already for the most part. And I think it is great to share most things. I have gleaned a ton of useful information from this forum, and I like to give back. And I am still amazed at how much useful information does get shared here by experts that make their living doing this and don't have to answer our questions at all unless they want to help. But I also realize that when people have spent a large amount of effort and money on their research they aren't going to want to share all of that knowledge. An example might be digging out details of P.A.F. construction or something like that. And some things aren't really secrets, they just are not easily put into words, as an example say a certain technique of hand motions for scatterwinding. It isn't a "secret" because anyone can buy a few of the pickups and tediously unwind them, or get the data when rewinding them. That's what the big name guys did plenty of. But that kind of information isn't often offered when questions that are posted are answered. So someone might post DCR and turns count but not TPL and variations in TPL. I think most questions about things like parts availability or details and even techniques are or have been answered here. In short, it doesn't hurt to ask, but don't expect that everyone that knows the answer is going to log in and post, or dig it out of the forum for them. Worse, it has sometimes happened that the answers that were posted have been misleading, I remember a thread about that a few years ago. Some of that may just have been wrongheaded information, and I hope that no one here would intentionally post misinformation, but either way one still needs to verify and experiment.

I agree with you Sonny!
If it is just gathering and reposting info that is already out there, I'm all about sharing.
Everyone has there little things that they do that makes their Craftsmanship special and different.
Like JMAF said, Nothing much about tubes, and pickups that is new by any means.
I have been updating the Get Started Thread daily.
There is more than enough info available there, to make someone "Armed and Dangerous"!
Haven't said it in a While.
Keep Rockin!

[tonequester]

tonequester here.

Greetings Rob. I can't remember which part of the foryou might be alluding to, but SonnyW(great guy) recomends 2 books on the subject. They are : Pick-ups-windings and magnets and the guitar became electric., and The Guitar pick-up Handbook, by Dave Hunter. Also another great guy is big---tee, who has made many pick-ups, and excels in wiring
beautifully, assembled pickguards. I've seen pictures of his work and it's great. He maintains lots of info, kept up to date on some threads he maintains. I,figure that you could mention you are interested and drop his name, in either the guitar tech forum or the music electronics forum and he would reply. You might tell him tonequester sent you his way. He has helped me on many ocassions with various questions. Don't know his age but he calls himself an the forum. "Old Timer". I myself can't help you for we are in the same boat here. I've got so many irons in the fire that pick-ups will have to wait a little longer. , Pleased to make your 'aquaintance" here on the forum. Good luck. tonequester.

[big_teee]

tonequester here.

Greetings Rob. I can't remember which part of the foryou might be alluding to, but SonnyW(great guy) recomends 2 books on the subject. They are : Pick-ups-windings and magnets and the guitar became electric., and The Guitar pick-up Handbook, by Dave Hunter. Also another great guy is big---tee, who has made many pick-ups, and excels in wiring
beautifully, assembled pickguards. I've seen pictures of his work and it's great. He maintains lots of info, kept up to date on some threads he maintains. I,figure that you could mention you are interested and drop his name, in either the guitar tech forum or the music electronics forum and he would reply. You might tell him tonequester sent you his way. He has helped me on many ocassions with various questions. Don't know his age but he calls himself an the forum. "Old Timer". I myself can't help you for we are in the same boat here. I've got so many irons in the fire that pick-ups will have to wait a little longer. , Pleased to make your 'aquaintance" here on the forum. Good luck. tonequester.

tonequester:
You misunderstood Rob's Post.
He was trying to give some more options and advise.
He is already a valid accomplished Winder, and pickup maker!
You may want to read his post again.
With your Guitar project, Amp Project, and trying to get started in pickup winding?
Your plate is very full.
Good luck in your research of all 3 projects.
Terry

[David Schwab]

Wasn't it Einstein that said genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration?

Thomas Edison (in 1903)

Another good one from him:

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

My advice is get a sharp hobby knife and a pair of tiny scissors and you might have some fun and satisfaction while you make yourself one of these..

[jmaf]

Thomas Edison (in 1903)

Did Edison really coin that phrase or did he buy it from a Canadian ?

[SonnyW]

Hey! that box looks a lot like mine. And you're right it was Edison that said it first. By the way I added 3 more wads of wire to my box today trying to set up a program on my winder for a new bobbin that I hadn't used before. You would probably like the design David, - a blade humbucker. Finally got it to look right on the fourth try. Now I have to put it together and listen to it and see if I need to do it over.

[tonequester]

Did Edison really coin that phrase or did he buy it from a Canadian ?

tonequester here.

jmaf, if you can keep a secret,................He stole it from George Westinghouse ! Have a "good 'un" my friend !
tonequester.

[copperheadroads]

Thomas Edison (in 1903)

Another good one from him:

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

I need a box like that that

[big_teee]

It's a shame you can't put that much wire back on the roll!
T

[tonequester]

I need a box like that that

tonequester here. It looks like my sister is cutting hair again.

Qoute :" Half the lies they tell about me aren't true Yogfi Berra. toneguester out.".

[copperheadroads]

Remember Mrs Slocombe from that English show "Are you being served"

[rjb]

I need a box like that that

OK, I know this is a dumb noobie question, but.....
Why do you guys save that stuff?

[big_teee]

OK, I know this is a dumb, noobie question, but.....
Why do you guys save that stuff?

Do you guys not Recycle and sell scrap metals in Merlin?
It also looks impressive!
How's RJB tonight?
T

[rjb]

Do you guys not Recycle and sell scrap metals in Merlin?

Yea, we do. We even compost.
But saving wire in a cardboard box is not recycling; it's just using your house as a landfill. IMO.
And in the Boss's opinion, for sure. :^)

It also looks impressive!

I reckon.

How's RJB tonight?

About to turn in. We're going to the Newseum in DC tomorrow, to see a piece of the Berlin Wall. Or something.

[David Schwab]

But saving wire in a cardboard box is not recycling; it's just using your house as a landfill. IMO.

Well what do you expect, we would bring several ounces of wire at a time to recycle? You recycle copper for money. You don't toss it in the municipal recycle bins! It doesn't go in a land fill either, that's not recycling. You want to save it up until you have enough. I have 16 pounds of scrap copper in that box. That won't even pay very much. That's taken me several years to accumulate.

[big_teee]

I don't ever have that much, but I have a Son, & Grandson that collects scrap metals to sell.
I give him what I have when He comes by.
If nothing else they can buy a fishing plug or two.
T

[rjb]

You want to save it up until you have enough. I have 16 pounds of scrap copper in that box....That's taken me several years to accumulate.

So, when do you think you'll have enough?
OK, sorry, I'm just yankin' your... wire.

[rjb]

I don't ever have that much, but I have a Son, & Grandson that collects scrap metals to sell.
I give him what I have when He comes by.
If nothing else they can buy a fishing plug or two.

Now, that sounds reasonable.

[SonnyW]

Remember Mrs Slocombe from that English show "Are you being served"

I see the resemblance now that you point it out. Some of it has that color like the pink hair.