problem with Hofner pickups

[Peter Naglitsch]

0.050 mm diameter wire is actually closer to 44 AWG than to 45 AWG

My advice is to focus on turns count instead of DC resistance. If the wire used originally was a tad thinner/thicker or of some oterh standard there is no use to try to match the new DCR from the rewinds to the old DCR. Listen to the results and decide from that.

I'm a bit supriced that anyone thinks that it isn't possible to rewind those with 42 AWG. My Hofner fake-buckers (same as SPY's midle and bridge, only one coil inside something that looks like a HB) have bobbins that is extremely close to a Gibson Deluxe style bobbin size-vice. And I can get 4250+ turns of 42 awg on those bobbins and they sound great.

Anyway, SPY, listen to the result. Focus on the mid range, the output and how the pickup/guitar responde to picking attack. If it sounds OK, let it be as it is right now. Only mu 2 cents (Euro-cents that is...)

[spy]

0.050 mm diameter wire is actually closer to 44 AWG than to 45 AWG

Oups, yup you're right! 0.050mm is 44AWG...

I'm a bit supriced that anyone thinks that it isn't possible to rewind those with 42 AWG. My Hofner fake-buckers (same as SPY's midle and bridge, only one coil inside something that looks like a HB) have bobbins that is extremely close to a Gibson Deluxe style bobbin size-vice. And I can get 4250+ turns of 42 awg on those bobbins and they sound great.

That what I thought when I rewound them yesterday. I got 4500 turns and the half bobbin is empty!

[spy]

I took off the other two pups from the pickguard and they're full humbuckers with two bobbins. So I have to wind 4 more bobbins...

The strange is that these coils are placed a little different. The middle and the bridge pups have both coils with the start of the winding at one side so both windings are at the same direction, while the neck pup have the bobbins in reverse.
All the pups have the same wiring. The end of the windings are connected together and the start of one bobbin is soldered at the back plate and the start of the other bobbin is the signal.
Any opinions?

[the great waldo]

Hi Spy

I got another pair of hofner pups to fix. I tried again to wind one with 42 awg but the bobbin was full at about 2.5 k ohms. with the 0.050 wire I got the bobbins up to 9.5 k ohms in series. I have a suspicion tthat the originals were 0.056 or 43 awg. You must be winding quite tight and even to get 4.k turns and have the bobbin half full.

All the best and good luck on the rewinds

Andrew

[spy]

Hi Andrew,
I'll rewind the other two pickups like the first one (neck) with 0.050mm.

Hey can you check your pups, how the bobbins are wired/connected? Did you read my previous post? It's pretty weird that the two pups in my Hofner are different than the third one.

[the great waldo]

Hi Spy

They were wired in series, I noticed that in your photo one of the coils is upside down, all the leadouts should come out of the bottom. I think the main thing is to make sure all three are rewound the same, I made the lead pickup a little stronger,you canīt get the pups high enough sometimes, it depends on the neck angle.

Cheers

Andrew

[spy]

Yup, that's why I got confused. From the other two pickups the leadouts come out from the bottom!

[spy]

Pickups are ready and installed! They sound great and the tone is like the other Hofner with the stock pups. A little bit different but not with huge difference. Let's say mine are kinda better!

After this repair, a bassist friend told me to rewind his pups, too.
It's not a beatle-bass but the pups are exactly like mine but with four poles & screws. The bobbins are exactly the same!
Do all the hum or fake-buckers Hofner pickups have the same number of turns and thicness of wire? It would be great to use the same wire I used with the other pups...

[David Schwab]

Do all the hum or fake-buckers Hofner pickups have the same number of turns and thicness of wire? It would be great to use the same wire I used with the other pups...

If you like the tone you got with the wire you used, then use the same wire again.

[spy]

Yes but now I'd like to rewind bass pickups....go with same number of turns and wire?