SRV PE WIRE.

[Lpone]

Thanks for the advice all, LtKojak I'm not sure that I agree it is over 43 awg, as I also bought a roll of 43AWG from this seller and that looks definitely thinner than the 'srv' wire (unless that wire is also out of spec!). The info about the Texas special wire being 43 PE i took from this thread - ampage > Music Electronics > Guitar Tech > Pickups : 1 : Questions on Texas Special rewind

So David, as you say wind to turn count - not resistance, if so how would you expect the sound to change at the same turn count between 42 and 43 awg? I expect you would lose highs. With this set though I found slightly increased highs at the higher resistance and lower turn count with just a barely perceptible lower output. I suppose they would have an interesting clarity if I wound them with sufficiently low turns to get them to the classic late 60s DC resistances of 5.7-5.8 K?

[Ward]

I received my srv wire quite a while ago, I wound up a set of strat pickups, 5.7k= 7600. The mojo 42pe to get 5.7k = 8,300. Mojo 42 f/var @ 7.7k= 7700. AWC 42PE @7.7K= 8,300, this is all for a strat bobbin at around 23 degree C.
If you talk to possum about PE he'll say modern wire is thicker or has thicker insulation than older stuff. This srv wire is a classic eg, it's thinner than the modern stuff exactly as Possum has said. For strats I have changed my mind and really prefer Formvar, I find PE of any brand is just a bit cleaner sounding, the formvar seems to sound sweeter IMO.

[copperheadroads]

From what i seen Texas Specials specs, are always the same except the bridge pickup used to be wound to hotter ,I do believe they use to be at one point 7.5k (but i cant find any info ) ......but all the specs i can find now make the bridge 6.7k to 7.2k & the set i have here written on the box its 6.7k
6.2k neck
6.5k mid
unless you find some specs that all the pickups read higher & quite a bit higher they did not use 43 gauge wire for a 6.2 k pickup

[Lpone]

Thanks for the info Copperhead Roads - I believe you are correct to say your TS pickups have 42 awg based on those specs, Do you think they are wound with PE or poly? And Ward thanks for the info I will post some specs and maybe some sound files later.

[copperheadroads]

They are wound with Plain Enamel wire & now they are made in Mexico

[Lpone]

They are wound with Plain Enamel wire & now they are made in Mexico

thanks!

[Possum]

Unfortunately the full information about the hotel autopsy was never published in this country. Somewhere in my stash I still have a UK magazine that carried more information than released here. Most notably it said about the pickups "the neck was the hottest with the other two relatively weak." This is consistent with heavy formvar wound sets from 1959, which is when the pickups are from; I have two customers who own '59 strats with the same specs. Wire from 1988 isn't really going to be any different than what we get now, though it will be slightly larger O.D. as Elektrisola's current wire is on the lean side of things. Other than that there was nothing else different about it. The dramatic changes in PE happened about 1965; the analyses that Elektrisola did for me included samples from about 1951 up to 1972 or so, '65 is when things really changed from the earlier wire we find in PAF's, P90's and Fender singles. Congrats on the wire, its good stuff, though the "story" that goes with it is not verifiable, even if it could be, all his work we hear was done on the original pickups. There are so many stories about his pickups being rewound by Diaz, and that guy in Texas who's name I forgot who has passed on and who's sons run the business now. There simply is no evidence of any of this except internet rumors. SRV's pickups always sounded like typical pre-CBS heavy formvar. We were even told by Fender that Texas Specials are what Stevie used, well maybe he did for ten minutes with his signature strat ;-)

[Ward]

I received my srv wire quite a while ago, I wound up a set of strat pickups, 5.7k= 7600. The mojo 42pe to get 5.7k = 8,300. Mojo 42 f/var @ 7.7k= 7700. AWC 42PE @7.7K= 8,300, this is all for a strat bobbin at around 23 degree C.
If you talk to possum about PE he'll say modern wire is thicker or has thicker insulation than older stuff. This srv wire is a classic eg, it's thinner than the modern stuff exactly as Possum has said. For strats I have changed my mind and really prefer Formvar, I find PE of any brand is just a bit cleaner sounding, the formvar seems to sound sweeter IMO.

I just need to fix up where I say 7.7k on two occasions about, I meant to say 5.7k. Bearing those readings in mind and not withstanding Possum's comments about the PE changing in 65 etc, this wire and or insulation is thinner than the other two mentioned about, maybe not as thin as pre 65? but compared to the Mojo and AWC stuff this wire is quite a bit thinner.

[Lpone]

Hi Dave (Possum), just on the subject of wire - I just bought a 5lb roll of Elektrisola 42 PE from BAE as this SRV stuff is too thin to use for vintage "correct'ish" PAFS, if I wind the correct number of turns I think about 4700- 5000 per bobbin then the DC resistance will be too high. Do you have any tips or info about the Elektrisola 42 PE and have you any comments on suitable uses for the SRV wire. I'm thinking hot rock style pickups or maybe I could reserve it for plain enamel 'Blues' style strat sets and use it only on the bridge pickups overwound.

I think If I use the SRV wire for humbuckers then I would probably make something akin to the Gibson Angus bridge pickup around 10-11K resistance. Come to think of it, I guess it could be good for neck humbuckers ....I'm thinking if wound to 8 k with an A4 mag I think it would be less bassy than regular PE.

Don

Thanks for your comments above - I agree

[Possum]

Have you mic'd the wire? What diameter is it? If its thinner than MWS current nom-min then its 43 gauge. Are you sure the wire from BAE is Elektrisola? The only PE I've seen them sell was made by AWC. AWC wires varies widely in diameters, no consistency, though alot of it that I have came from Wirenetics who sold alot of it that was way oversize diameter.

[Ward]

I got a roll from BAE and it is from AWC, I don't have a decent mic so I can't measure it, I'm sure the srv stuff is thinner than the awc or the mojo stuff which both seem to be the same size? You can certainly get more of the srv shit on the bobbin.

[Possum]

the Mojo stuff I got was oversize and the insulation is heavier than most, there is uses for it, but not in my stock products so far, plus I don't know if they'll have anymore of it later on. Its a good idea to get a micrometer, Elektrisola's wire through MWS is very consistenlty sized, but others aren't. I always mic every new roll of wire I get so I know what to expect. The Mitutoyo IP65 is what I use. Its better to buy one thats new as they get harder to read with age and slop in the screws. But that said, even a used one is better than nothing.

[Lpone]

Hi Dave, I don't have a micrometer and the wire is being shipped so I have not received it yet but it is definitely Elektrisola in the ebay pic attached. I hope its a good size to work with as its 5 lb. Will letyou know if it feels thinner than Mojo or MWS when it arrives as I have samples of those. I agree the Mojo PE seems larger than the MWS PE.

[the great waldo]

the Mojo stuff I got was oversize and the insulation is heavier than most, there is uses for it, but not in my stock products so far, plus I don't know if they'll have anymore of it later on. Its a good idea to get a micrometer, Elektrisola's wire through MWS is very consistenlty sized, but others aren't. I always mic every new roll of wire I get so I know what to expect. The Mitutoyo IP65 is what I use. Its better to buy one thats new as they get harder to read with age and slop in the screws. But that said, even a used one is better than nothing.

Hi Possum

Which micrometer from mitutoyo do you use? IP65 is just the level of protection that the micrometer has and not the model number.

Cheers

Andrew

[Possum]

What do you expect from a half blind guy ;-) Its a Mitutoyo 0-1" model number 293-340