comparisons between 42# gauge and 43# gauge plain enamel.

[guitar_slinger8]

ive been havin problem when winding hotter pickups around 9k with 42# plain enamel. ive been running out of space in the coil, so i am wandering if choose to go with 43# to make it easier to wind to 9k, will it sound very different to winding it with 42#?

[big_teee]

ive been havin problem when winding hotter pickups around 9k with 42# plain enamel. ive been running out of space in the coil, so i am wandering if choose to go with 43# to make it easier to wind to 9k, will it sound very different to winding it with 42#?

About 9k is pushing the limit for standard 42 and regular humbucker bobbins. You can get more turns of 43ga on the bobbin, which makes more inductance.
You might want to try the coil estimator and do some calculations. It takes less 43ga wire to read as much DCR because more ohms per foot of 43ga.
So to have the same turns of each size, the 43 ga will read more DCR.
Here's the link Coil Estimator. Play around with that, you will see how the different gauge wire reads differently.
43ga is supposed to sound brighter. The experts will be on in a little while.
Later,
Terry

[LtKojak]

ive been havin problem when winding hotter pickups around 9k with 42# plain enamel. ive been running out of space in the coil, so i am wandering if choose to go with 43# to make it easier to wind to 9k, will it sound very different to winding it with 42#?

If you wind tight enough and with enough pressure you can go up to 9.2K with #42... but I'd rather not go over 8.5-8.7K myself; there 'bout lies kinda "sweet spot", tone-wise for a bridge p'up, but due to the specific wire specs, you may or may not like it; there's no other way than to make it and hearing'it installed in that specific guitar.

If you're using #43 wire, then the DC readings will change notably; for a bridge p'up the "sweet spot" lies between 13-14.5K. UOA5 and A8 magnets sound great with winds lying between the boundaries. To a lesser extent, Alnico 4 and Alnico 2 as well.

Mind you, any kind of Alnico would work, I'm just stating my personal favorites.

To save you a little bit of time on your process, use a known well sounding ballpark, the fine-tune with magnets once set in the particular instrument. You'll find more times than not that certain "recipes" would work well in most instruments. That's what the well-known winders have found out some time ago.

HTH,

[madialex]

Also remember, for the same number of winds of 43 as 42 the coil with 43 is going to be smaller as well and brighter as Lt Kojak eluded to I think. Coils are funny, the wider you make them the less highs, the smaller wire will have more power for the same turns and may be brighter but the inductance goes up and more inductance in theory should darken things. Tension will affect the tone as well as the way the coil is built up and how the wire is laid. It's all kinda contradictory to each other but you have to play with all factors to see what you like and what works. Took me 4 years to finally have a small grasp on things. Good luck and have fun

[David Schwab]

ive been havin problem when winding hotter pickups around 9k with 42# plain enamel. ive been running out of space in the coil, so i am wandering if choose to go with 43# to make it easier to wind to 9k, will it sound very different to winding it with 42#?

First, don't wind to a resistance number. Wind by turns count. The reason for this is if you want to get more than say 5000 turns on a humbucker bobbin, and then switch to 43, you will hit 9K a lot sooner than with 42, but it will have less wire on it.

The thinner wire has a higher resistance per foot.

Most hot humbuckers are wound with 43 and 44. If you wind the same humbucker of turns as with 42, 43 will sound a little brighter or tighter with more mids. As you wind past regular humbucker specs you get more mids and a tighter low end.

[guitar_slinger8]

thanks guys its just what i thought , i really aprreciate all the good info. im gonna try to improve my winding so i can get tighter winding with #42. i will report if i success =)

[copperheadroads]

you need a spool of both .....cha ching

[David Schwab]

you need a spool of both .....cha ching

Yep. I have 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46. Oh and 28.. but that's another story.

Each has a use for a certain tone, though I have only used the 46 once. I mostly use 42 and 43, and sometimes 44.

[guitar_slinger8]

definetly planning on getting both.....ihave some 42# but i have ran out, i was thinking about mixing them both and windin one coil with 42 and one with 43. i think it might be interesting.

[David Schwab]

i was thinking about mixing them both and windin one coil with 42 and one with 43. i think it might be interesting.

DiMarzio does that on a bunch of their pickups, like the Tone Zone and Air Norton. They had a patent on it (4501185), which has expired.

[guitar_slinger8]

DiMarzio does that on a bunch of their pickups, like the Tone Zone and Air Norton. They had a patent on it (4501185), which has expired.

might have to be the way to go, ive been havin problems with the mojotone humbucker bobbins, im tired of the bobbins overfilling . especially when the humbucker im winding its only 8.5k

[David Schwab]

might have to be the way to go, ive been havin problems with the mojotone humbucker bobbins, im tired of the bobbins overfilling . especially when the humbucker im winding its only 8.5k

No one winds more than that with 42. All the commercial overwound pickups switch to 43 and up.

[David Schwab]

These are pretty well mismatched, but really I don't detect anymore hum than normal.

Mismatched in turns, or resistance?

[big_teee]

Mismatched in turns, or resistance?

Yes!
A great deal of Both!
Terry

[big_teee]

Mismatched in turns, or resistance?

Hey David:
Do you remember this thread? http://music-electronics-forum.com/t20673/
I wonder what happened to this guy and idea?
This is the Thread that inspired me to build my blade Hybrid.
Glad I did. I wish someone would make some wider magnets!
Terry