Musicman bass humbucker specs?

[belwar]

Does anyone have the rough specs on those big musicman bass humbuckers? You know that giant pupply in the sterlings? Im looking for things like number of turns, ohm readings, type of alnico, construction diagram, what size wire, ... anything would help.

b.

[Dave Kerr]

This might be the place to get you started.

[belwar]

Wow, great looking site! looks like I have alot of reading ahead of me.

[David King]

Somewhere I have a set of measurements taken off an early 1978 bass. It had shorter magnets on the outside and longer ones in the middle IIRC. I'm pretty sure the mags are all A-5 and the wire was always 42awg, possibly formvar.

Not a very useful pickup in my view but others will disagree no doubt.

[Dave Kerr]

Yeah, I forget who here pointed to that site a while back, it's got some great money shots of the old stuff. Nordstrand makes a nice clone. Can't quite say I get what's going on with the 3 coil version, I'm assuming those are unmagnetized slugs on that bottom coil.

[David King]

See this older thread too:
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t2804/

[David Schwab]

Somewhere I have a set of measurements taken off an early 1978 bass. It had shorter magnets on the outside and longer ones in the middle IIRC. I'm pretty sure the mags are all A-5 and the wire was always 42awg, possibly formvar.

I had an old 70's Stingray in my shop once that had a pickup with no poles showing. I was curious, so looked under the pickup, and it had double smaller poles like a Jazz pickup. They guy said it was a prototype that was given to him by someone well known, who's name escapes me at the moment.

I guess they were trying new things.

Not a very useful pickup in my view but others will disagree no doubt.

It's not my first choice either. They have an interesting sound though. I think I like the G&L L-2000 better.

[Peter Naglitsch]

I have also always been a bit skeptical towards Mucisman basses. But recently I had a MM Sub 5 in my shop. The owner wanted some serious mods to the electronics. So I installed a Series/Parallel switch on the volume pot (had to cut the preamp board to fit it in there), a passive tone control (traditional treble attenuator) and a Rick style Bass cut on one of the coil (in parallel, of cause on both in series). The customer didn’t want a lot of knobs on the bas so the tone control is operated with a three-way switch (full on, full off and adjustable via internal trim pot) and a simple on/off switch for bass cut.

Anyway, with all those modification the bass really became so much more versatile and were capable of produce a great range of useful and really good sounds.

I have the measurements of that pickup at home. I can provide them if anyone want me to.

[Jure]

Hello,
I will post my question in this old thread since the question is basically the same.
A friend of mine contacted me if I could make him MusicMan humbucker. I got the parts but I have no experience with bass pickups except one J bass.
What is the height of the coil? From the photos on link in second post I would say it is around 6mm. Is that correct? If someone has an estimation of TPL and wire tension will also help.
Thanks!

[David Schwab]

Hello,
I will post my question in this old thread since the question is basically the same.
A friend of mine contacted me if I could make him MusicMan humbucker. I got the parts but I have no experience with bass pickups except one J bass.
What is the height of the coil? From the photos on link in second post I would say it is around 6mm. Is that correct? If someone has an estimation of TPL and wire tension will also help.
Thanks!

Wire tension???

Just wind 4450 turns of 42 gauge wire on each coil. Don't worry about the TPL either; wind neatly and don't scatter at all.

[David King]

Bobbin height isn't that low, I'd guess it was at least 8mm. Need to find my notes…

[Jure]

Thanks David (both )
I was just curious if someone has wire tension info. I know it is impossible to determine it once the pickup is made. I keep records of pickups I wind for the purposes of reproduction (AWG, number of turns, alnico type, DCR, inductance, TPL and wire tension).

[David Schwab]

Thanks David (both )
I was just curious if someone has wire tension info. I know it is impossible to determine it once the pickup is made. I keep records of pickups I wind for the purposes of reproduction (AWG, number of turns, alnico type, DCR, inductance, TPL and wire tension).

I don't think most winders record tension. I hand wind, so my tension is enough to lee the coil tight, without burning my fingers too badly.

But I've rewound these by hand and they come out fine.

[mkat]

Here's an old thread I started on the old forum

Music Man bass pickup specs - AMPAGE Archive

David King's specs in that thread follow:

MK, Here's what I found on this serial B0032xx Musicman Stingray
*bass: (ca. 1977?)
*Coil Height: .246"
*Coil Width: .678"
*Coil length: 2.922"
*Bobbin material: black Forbon, .103" thick
*Top plate .887" x 3.130" with rounded ends
*Bottom plate .883" x 3.385" rectangular with 1/8" radiused corners.
*Bobbin height: .4625
*Magnets appear to be alnico V, .375" dia x 6.25" long
*Outer edges of outer magnets (inside of coil) length: 2.627"
*Cover: .628 tall x 1.896 wide x 3.493" long
*Magnet spacing, center to center .75"
*Tab width: .495"

**location from front of nut to front and back edges of pickup respectively: 29.75", 31.625". **The 3 bolt neck had never been off and seemed to be welded on so I didn't try to force it off to check dates, fearing irreparable damage to the finish. (Also the owner was standing over me and he seemed excitable.)

[David King]

Thank goodness someone around here is paying attention. I'd forgotten all about actually posting that stuff. So 6mm coil height wins the day.