Who winds Lipstick pickups like the originals were wound?

[mark]

I was originally looking for a Dano bridge pickup that could compete with the neck pickup. I currently have the neck as low as it will go and the bridge as high as it will go to minimize this issue. The more I looked the more I found that the stuff being currently sold isn't the same as the originals.

All the local pickup winders here don't want to touch building a set of lipstick pickups. I finally found out that a guy called Curtis Novak winds Lipstick pickups like the originals, I've sent him an email, but I haven't received a reply from him.

In case there is no reply how do you guys recommend to wind a set of lipstick pickups?

Thanks for your assistance.

Mark Abbott

[big_teee]

Mark, are you rewinding a pickup, and already have the lipstick tube?
Or are you starting from scratch. I wound one of the kits.
Its all a tight fit after you get it wound.
It had a ceramic magnet that fit in a bobbin, just like a minihumbucker bobbin.
If you already had the tube, I would come up with a magnet that fit, and start winding.
I would lightly tape the magnet and might try glueing on some plastic or fiber side pieces to keep the wire on the magnet.
Before you start winding be sure it will all fit in the lipstick tube.
Also have the magnet charged like you want it before you start.
Terry

[Peter Naglitsch]

big tee, how many turns did you manage to get onto the bobbin? I ask because I have a bunc of tubes laying around that I some day will start to experiment on. And if I have understood things right the originals were not at all wound around a bobbin, but direktry on the manget, like a strat pickup without flanges (and with one single bar magnet of cause). So using a bobbin like a mini HB bobbin seems to make thing so much easier and if that works I might try that.

[mark]

Thanks for your informative reply. Who sells the kits?

Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott

[David King]

I seem to remember that the originals were wound on Alnico 6 bars. Can Magnetic Hold source those?
I haven't seen any kits but perhaps an ebay Asian copy will get you the parts you need for $25 or so.

OK here's a GJ kit link;
http://www.guitarjonesusa.com/catalo...on=show_detail

This diagram shows the magnet inside which looks like a standard humbucker magnet.
http://www.guitarjonesusa.com/images/ls1_flat.jpg

This old discussion shows the insides, very informative:
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t12563/#post98440

Duncan also makes them. Chandler used to make them as well.

You could try to find a used Jerry Jones pickup on ebay, that would be your best bet.

[big_teee]

Here's the kit I built.
Guitar Lipstick Tube Pickup Kit

This is the size tube that fits in a strat pickGuard.
I wound it full of 43 ga Single build.
I forgot what I ended up with.
It had the ceramic magnet, it was really bright.
Terry

[soundmasterg]

I seem to remember that the originals were wound on Alnico 6 bars. Can Magnetic Hold source those?
I haven't seen any kits but perhaps an ebay Asian copy will get you the parts you need for $25 or so.

OK here's a GJ kit link;
Got Guitar Parts? : Guitar Jones USA

This diagram shows the magnet inside which looks like a standard humbucker magnet.
http://www.guitarjonesusa.com/images/ls1_flat.jpg

This old discussion shows the insides, very informative:
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t12563/#post98440

Duncan also makes them. Chandler used to make them as well.

You could try to find a used Jerry Jones pickup on ebay, that would be your best bet.

The originals were an alnico 6 bar. The coil was pretty much scatterwound around the bar magnet, then it was all wrapped in black tape and stuffed in the lipstick tube. I had some made in Duncan's custom shop. There was a misunderstanding about what I wanted. They thought that because I wanted 3 pickups that I wanted them for a Strat, but I actually wanted them for my DC3 Dano. So I ended up buying the three they did for a Strat, and had them do the three I wanted for the Dano. It took them 8 months, and they tried to convince me to use alnico 5 or alnico 2 degaussed, but I insisted on the alnico 6. They ended up getting the alnico 6 magnets from Wolfe. They turned out great (both sets) and I'm very happy with them. They are not quite wound as hot as some vintage ones that I've seen/played, and seem to not be as nice sounding as some of the vintage ones....seeming a little more tight I guess for lack of a better term, probably due to potting, but really I'm not complaining about them. I like them a lot. I wish Jerry Jones would sell theirs independant of their guitars as they are vintage correct, but as far as I know, they don't. Aside from those two makers, I don't know of anyone who does them vintage correct. They're somewhat hard pickups to make....

Greg

[Peter Naglitsch]

I have tried to find out the turn count of the original lipsticks, but I have not been able to do that. Anyone care to share that info?

[soundmasterg]

I have no idea what the turn count might be....the Duncans that I have are not wound as hot as some vintage ones I have measured. The vintage ones usually clock in around 4.4k to 4.7k or so, and the Duncans that I have are more like 4k. The Duncans sound great though so I'm sure anywhere in there is acceptable, thouhg if someone has a turn count that would certainly be more helpful.

Greg

[big_teee]

I have no idea what the turn count might be....the Duncans that I have are not wound as hot as some vintage ones I have measured. The vintage ones usually clock in around 4.4k to 4.7k or so, and the Duncans that I have are more like 4k. The Duncans sound great though so I'm sure anywhere in there is acceptable, thouhg if someone has a turn count that would certainly be more helpful.

Greg

At that DCR It is probably some form of single build 42 ga. wire, I guess?
Terry