ASAT Flatwork or specs

[ShannonH]

Hi all,
I'm in need of flatwork or specs for flatwork for G&L ASAT pickups. I'll buy some from you if you have some made already. Thanks in advance.

Shannon

[Possum]

good luck...

I have an ASAT pickup here someone sent me to autopsy. No one sells the flatwork and they just aren't flatwork alone. They have threaded inserts as the pole pieces with small allen head screws sunk into the inserts for adjustability. Very unique idea. big flat ceramic magnet on the bottom with a steel baseplate under that. These pickups were designed in the rockin' 80s and personally I wonder if Leo had lived if he would have updated their design to less shrieky cutting tones.....

[ShannonH]

That's typical G&L

Those threaded inserts seem to feature on most of their pickups including the bass pickups. What I need is dimensions so I can create a different sounding replacement. The guy I talked to doesn't like the tone, because its too shrill for him. I figure I could use Alnico magnets instead and get a more vintage tone with more power, something between a tele bridge and a P-90. If you'r done dissecting, and want to sell the remnants, I'd be willing to buy it from you. Contact me through through the private messaging feature if you want to deal. Thanks!

[Possum]

not dissected

I didn't do more than take the poles out etc. the magnet came unglued so looked there. They also used some unique magnet wire thats black. You could wind it hotter and maybe go to 43 gauge wire but you're stuck with having to use a magnet that has the pole on its top. Or you could get some allen screws that would fit in the bottom and use two bucker alnico bar magnets like a P90 kinda deal if the rout would let that fit in it. The one I have is from the 80s so am keeping it. check ebay periodicially you may find some for sale there....

[David Schwab]

Those threaded inserts seem to feature on most of their pickups including the bass pickups.

Yeah, Leo got a patent on that too. #4220069

He's also doing something with the keeper, which is like a U channel. He states that focuses the field.

I don't know if the production G&L pickups are like that, as I never took one apart.

I don't see why you cant make up some flatwork in the general shape and then use whatever magnet and winding arrangement you want.

I make up flatwork for one up pickups using printed circuit board material.

[ShannonH]

that U channel..

Yeah, Leo got a patent on that too. #4220069

He's also doing something with the keeper, which is like a U channel. He states that focuses the field.

I don't know if the production G&L pickups are like that, as I never took one apart.

reminds me of something the first act pickups (the higher end ones), and for that matter, old fitertrons, do, which is pretty much the same idea, pushing the signal out through an opening in the metal. I'd like to do that to some nickel covers and see what happens.

I don't see why you cant make up some flatwork in the general shape and then use whatever magnet and winding arrangement you want.

I make up flatwork for one up pickups using printed circuit board material.

That is what I want to do, but I need the size of the flatwork, etc. I may buy a Rio grande, measure and then sell it. The printed circuit board material idea is interesting. Are you getting it from an electronics store? I think Radio Shack probably has some. I do have a fellow pickup making friend that has a CNC machine and can make flatwork easily, so If I get a pattern created in Illustrator, I'll just have ten or so made up. Thanks for the great illustration...

[David Schwab]

That is what I want to do, but I need the size of the flatwork, etc. I may buy a Rio grande, measure and then sell it. The printed circuit board material idea is interesting. Are you getting it from an electronics store? I think Radio Shack probably has some. I do have a fellow pickup making friend that has a CNC machine and can make flatwork easily, so If I get a pattern created in Illustrator, I'll just have ten or so made up. Thanks for the great illustration...

Well if the pickup has a cover you can get a measurement of what size the bobbin will be. Is this a pickup you want to rewind?

Right now I just buy PCB material from RadioShack, since I'm not mass producing pickups, and it's convenient. Once I finalize my design, I'll probably get some similar material from some other source... probably thin phenolic board. My bobbins are all sealed up in a cover, so it doesn't matter what they look like.

I also did a pattern in Illustrator. My friend who's working on the covers with me has sources for having stuff laser cut, so I might try that at some point. We just had a cover model made using 3D lithography (from a computer model) and now we have to make a mold. We could do bobbins the same way, but it just seems like a lot of work. The Fender "flatwork" method works well for what I'm doing so far.

Here's an experimental stacked Tele bridge pickup made from copper clad board. (I used double sided copper clad, but I really wanted single sided... looks kind of cool, and it acts like shielding if you ground it. ) What looks like crumpled foil is just epoxy from gluing the assembly up. This was all hand cut and shaped. No pattern other than a drawing.