Will this work as a sidewinder magnet/bobbin/blade?

[Marko Ursin]

I'm planning to make a sidewinder style bass pickup in a guitar humbucker size. Will this kind of assembly work? There's steel blades inside the bobbins, ceramic magnets on the ends N facing to the blade on both sides of the blade on both blades. In the middle the blade sits between the blades that are in the bobbins. Magnets will be cut to proper length.
Marko

[David Schwab]

I see no reason why it wouldn't work. It's built more-or-less like the Gibson EB-0 "Super Humbucker."

[Marko Ursin]

Well it works. I got the bobbins wound to 3.8kOhms and potted yesterday, then some careful LEGO-setup and a sound sample was born. Sounds fine to me.
Maihinnousu - Lataa - MPU - sidewinder


Marko

[David Schwab]

Sounds great!

[fieldwrangler]

Very nice!

Where do you get those plastic covers with the brass inserts in the ears?

Bob Palmieri

[copperheadroads]

Very nice
Generally ,How do sidewinders sound compared to traditional single or humbucker ?

[David Schwab]

Very nice!

Where do you get those plastic covers with the brass inserts in the ears?

Bob Palmieri

Here's one source:

Humbucker Pickup Covers

Scroll down to the bottom.

[Marko Ursin]

I tried these bobbins as humbucker too. I'd say sidewinder has more air and rounder sound and maybe a bit more lows. Pity I didn't make sound clip as humbucker too.
Marko

[Stealth]

Sounds brilliant.
Will you record a humbucker (series/parallel) sample at some point?

[Marko Ursin]

Sounds brilliant.
Will you record a humbucker (series/parallel) sample at some point?

Thanks for your comments. When I make coils for another pickup I'll try to remember make some sound samples as humbucker.
Marko

[fieldwrangler]

This business of placing the same coils in different arrangements and hearing the results is something that I've found to be verrry educational.

Bob Palmieri

[LtKojak]

Let's for a moment forget the tone... how's this design unefficient as a magnetic circuit?

You've got magnetic pull to the strings from BOTH sides of the p'up from the ceramics, plus the pull from the center bar...

This kind of design would make more sense if the coils they were air coils and the center bar an actual magnet, but opposing magnets sorrounding the slugs, a la P-90 times two, then opposing the assemblies again to magnetize the bar, it seems like overkilling to me.

If you look at the cheap single coils that come from chinese sub € 50.00 strat copies, the ceramic magnet is glued to the bottom of the bobbin; that would've been a better solution the single magnet doesn't pull directly on the strings, plus is cheap in materials. The tone can be adjusted changing the winding turns and pattern recipe.

I know there's more than one way to skin a cat, granted. But, no offense intended, I'm just wondering about the logic behind the design.

Yeah, I know; I'm a grumpy old man...

[Marko Ursin]

I see your point about magnetic fields. I'm planning to make next coils with ceramic magnets inside the coils and test them as normal humbucker and as sidewinder with steel blade between the coils.
Marko

[LtKojak]

I see your point about magnetic fields. I'm planning to make next coils with ceramic magnets inside the coils and test them as normal humbucker and as sidewinder with steel blade between the coils.
Marko

Great, Marko. Looking forward to hear the outcome.

Yours truly,