Pickup coil tape question

[Down Time]

Does anyone know where I can purchase a high quality black paper pickup coil wrapping tape for humbuckers. The high tack adhesive type that Gibson uses. I've been using Stew Mac and Allparts tape. Not real happy with either of them.

[SkinnyWire]

Black Crepe Masking Tape

[belwar]

This is an endless source of debate. The stewmac stuff is a product called Flat Black Rice paper tape. The allparts one is similar stuff by another company - Both are OK, but you cant pull it really tight..

The original Gibson stuff from the PAF era is Scotch #4 Tape, and is no longer available in Black.. The scotch brand is owned by 3M. If you are not concerned with color, the #12 Scotch Tape is the EXACT same as the original, but cream color. The adhesive is the same, as is the paper type. I've tried it and dont like it though. My favorites are the 3M #235 and #2510. I toured the Seymour Duncan Factory a while ago and saw lots of rolls of 2510 being used.

For myself, I finally settled on the 235, but I have it made with a custom adhesive. Costs me $29 / Roll but man does it work. I can pull really tight. It's a crepe tape, but when pulled slightly it looks like flatback, and even changes color ever so slightly...

bel.

[David Schwab]

This is the stuff I use, but its not exactly in common pickup sizes:

Artist Black Masking Tape - JerrysArtarama.com

[Down Time]

Skinny Wire, belwar and David Schwab many thanks for your replies.

[Possum]

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The stuff Gibson uses and Duncan is way too aggressive adhesive, like rip your coils apart practically if you have to take it off. It doesn't come in pickup sizes anyway so you have to pay to have it slit or buy a slitter. Even Holmes uses it.

[David Schwab]

I have rolls of the Stew-mac stuff which I actually use a lot. I have to slit the wide stuff with a razor blade and straight edge. I'm still on my first roll, so I might get something else when I run out, but it's pretty good tape.

[Down Time]

The stuff Gibson uses and Duncan is way too aggressive adhesive, like rip your coils apart practically if you have to take it off. It doesn't come in pickup sizes anyway so you have to pay to have it slit or buy a slitter. Even Holmes uses it.

Yes I agree, the Gibson and Duncan tape does have a very aggressive adhesive quality. That's what I'm looking for. On my own production pickups I use the Stew Mac or Allparts paper tape and then I cut to size and wrap a piece of the cloth style tape and super glue the seam. This holds up fine for an uncovered humbucker in the field. However, many of my customers are the vintage correct type customer. If I have to do a rewind on an uncovered Gibson pickup they do not want the cloth Dimarzo looking tape on the exposed coils. They want the Gibson style black paper tape that will hold up in the field. No offense to DiMarzio, I personally like the cloth tape look, it gives the finished product a much cleaner look. The Stew Mac and Allparts tape will not hold up on an uncovered pickup in the field, unless you carefully secure it (rubber bands) and then pot the whole pickup.

[belwar]

The stuff Gibson uses and Duncan is way too aggressive adhesive, like rip your coils apart practically if you have to take it off. It doesn't come in pickup sizes anyway so you have to pay to have it slit or buy a slitter. Even Holmes uses it.

Thats the point, mr paf accurate!

[Possum]

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Well you know what I use, already mentioned here, I love that stuff, it stretches, perfect tack, cheap and the right size and the crepe about disappears too when stretched. As for being PAF accurate, thats one thing you can let slip since it has no tonal value......OR DOES IT, duhnnn, duhnnnn, da dunnnnnnn dunnnnn (Dragnet theme music plays in the background...), it could BE the secret

[Down Time]

Well you know what I use, already mentioned here, I love that stuff, it stretches, perfect tack, cheap and the right size and the crepe about disappears too when stretched. As for being PAF accurate, thats one thing you can let slip since it has no tonal value......OR DOES IT, duhnnn, duhnnnn, da dunnnnnnn dunnnnn (Dragnet theme music plays in the background...), it could BE the secret

Oh no! Stop stressing out over the keeper, it's that dang coil tape. That's the secret.

[Possum]

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Well the truth is I've hired a nano-metallurgical-robotics specialist and I have a new nano-keeper that is programmed to hum along with the lead lines from you solos in correct PAF harmonics. The only problem is they have a real problem with chords, I haven't trained them to correctly do I-IV-V chords, they seem to want to do weird heavy metal chords no one ever heard of. I am threatening to put a big neodymium magnet in there, it seems to be scaring them and they are having a conference about whether to cooperate or not and said they will get back to me tomorrow. What have I gotten myself into

[LtKojak]

Well the truth is I've hired a nano-metallurgical-robotics specialist and I have a new nano-keeper that is programmed to hum along with the lead lines from you solos in correct PAF harmonics. The only problem is they have a real problem with chords, I haven't trained them to correctly do I-IV-V chords, they seem to want to do weird heavy metal chords no one ever heard of. I am threatening to put a big neodymium magnet in there, it seems to be scaring them and they are having a conference about whether to cooperate or not and said they will get back to me tomorrow. What have I gotten myself into

Well... if this isn't surreal, I don't know what it is.

[David Schwab]

No offense to DiMarzio, I personally like the cloth tape look, it gives the finished product a much cleaner look.

I like the cloth tape also.

[Possum]

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The problem with cloth tape is it just screams "DiMarzio" uggggggghhhh....