metal for homemade humbucker baseplate

[rjl001]

I'm relatively inexperienced, having successfully built and wound 2 sets of Tele style single coils.

I want to fabricate my own metal baseplates to contruct a couple of humbuckers. I read somewhere that the baseplate must not have significant iron content, so as not to be attracted to the pickup magnets. Is this a real requirement for proper functional pickups? What will happen if I used sheet steel cut from a desktop computer case? What is an acceptable iron content? .032" brass sheet metal ( > 1% Fe) is available but not cheap. Any suggestions on a scrap source for an acceptable metal sheet?

I did examine an existing purchased humbucker. I noticed that the baseplate had a brass color, and did not exhibit attraction to either pole of my test magnet.

Thanks for any info or ideas.
RJ

[David Schwab]

Nickel Silver (aka German Silver) is the standard material used by Gibson and many others. Some pickup makers use brass, which is the yellow metal you saw. Brass will alter the tone somewhat. You can also use non magnetic stainless steel if you want to get fancy.

[David King]

Brass will be the easiest to get and probably easiest to cut too. I would seriously investigate buying a cheap imported humbucker and pulling the parts from that. HBs start at around $12 though I'm sure even cheaper ones are out there. Brass plate is stupid expensive if you aren't buying it by the ton.

[David Schwab]

Why not just buy a baseplate though?

mojotone.com: Baseplates

[Mike Sulzer]

There are some interesting questions regarding using a base plate made from a ferromagnetic material. It increases the coupling between the coils somewhat, not necessarily bad itself, but I think it introduces a sensitivity to the magnetic field in the direction perpendicular to the coils; that is, along the base plate. This sensitivity does not seem to be canceled out by the two coils. I once made a humbucker with very high coupling using silicon steel transformer laminations joining the two coils on the bottom. It hummed like crazy and was useless. I did not investigate it any further.

Any metal base plate, even nickel silver, affects the sound somewhat by damping the resonance due to eddy currents. This could be what you want, of course.

[rjl001]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm a strictly amateur luthier, and I've done some misc metal working and enjoy mechanical tinkering just for the hobby experience. You are right - it's easiest to order. I may just spend the $6 USD each at mojotone or stewmac for my first attempts. Looks like nickel silver .040 sheet can be ordered for around $24 USD for 12" square sheet, which should make 12 plates, so I may try that material for fabrication when I get ready to build more. I've got a history of doing things the hard way, but I always learn something that way. I'm retired and have lots of time on my hands.

Peace be with you
RJ

[Mike Sulzer]

Exactly. Doing something the hard way is often very instructive!

[rjl001]

Mike, my continued adventures in this area are supported by the fact that my 2 previous pickup builds didn't electrocute me! LOL
But seriously folks, if I am risking injury, someone let me know.

[Dave Kerr]

Well, those nickle-silver edges can be sharp when snipped - use good gloves.

[David Schwab]

I've got a history of doing things the hard way, but I always learn something that way. I'm retired and have lots of time on my hands.

There's nothing wrong with that. I'm getting to the point where I'd like to make every part on a guitar... even the tuners, just to say I did it, and to further agonize over minutiae.

I'm annoyed that we have to keep using someone else's out dated designs.

[the great waldo]

There's nothing wrong with that. I'm getting to the point where I'd like to make every part on a guitar... even the tuners, just to say I did it, and to further agonize over minutiae.

I'm annoyed that we have to keep using someone else's out dated designs.

Yes David

I bought a metal working lathe years ago thinking I could make my own tuners, I then asked one of the old Geordie engineers in my local pub how to make them on my nice shiny new lathe, you can imagine his reply. Anyway it came in usefull for making walnut plugs for strats and other such items.

Cheers

Andrew

[David King]

A "nibbler" would be a good tool to have for making base plates but one could do it a lot faster with a piercing saw /jigsaw and a drill press.

[David Schwab]

A "nibbler" would be a good tool to have for making base plates but one could do it a lot faster with a piercing saw /jigsaw and a drill press.

And speaking of a luthier that makes lots of his own hardware....

[David King]

David, I like to do most things in the slowest, most painful way I can think of. God gave us teeth and nails for a reason.

[David Schwab]

God gave us teeth and nails for a reason.

It must be the name David. My daughter gave me a box to open tonight that was for a jigsaw puzzle. The top label they glue on seals up the box.

I have a zillion and one razor blades and X-Actos, but I chose to use my thumb nail!

I'm actually big power tool fan. If I can't do it with a router, it can't be done! God bless their noisy little hearts. lol