Winding Problem

[Tele56]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, sorry if this isn't the right place for this question.

I've been winding pickups for about 5 years. I usually only make Tele, Strat, And J-bass pickups. For awhile now I've been having some trouble getting 'appropriate' resistances while winding Tele neck pickups... And only Tele neck pickups. I know resistance isn't the best way to test pickups, but it gets me in the ballpark. When ever I wind Tele neck pickups they come out too low... For example 8500 winds, 43awg, 4.7k with a medium/fast scatter. They sound muffled and have no life to them... with no cover either. I've tried lacquering the poles, and also taping the poles to see if I've been getting some sort of short. Nothing seems to work, yet all other pickups read normal and sound great. Help?

Thank you!

[copperheadroads]

If your counter is correct ,Id say you are applying too much tension & causing your wire to short
43 GAUGE wire needs less tension than 42

[Tele56]

If your counter is correct ,Id say you are applying too much tension & causing your wire to short
43 GAUGE wire needs less tension than 42

Thank you for the reply. The counter is correct. I get this problem with winding with 42awg also... But again, only with Tele neck pickups. I'll try less tension regardless though.

[Magnut]

Interesting that even without a cover this issue exist. Often you will get a stray loop and get it pinched by the cover which can cause this.

If you are using a bottom flatwork that has the eyelets that were sanded flat on one side, it may be cutting the start wire as it gets pulled over the edge. If this is the type of flatwork you have then using a phillips head screwdriver, burnish the eyelets before threading the wire through. The tele neck bottom flatwork is thin compared to other pickups.. This is why these get sanded flat instead of driven deep.

Since you say this only happens with the tele neck I'm trying to think of what is different as compared to others. Look closely at that wire it may not be clearly evident that this has happened.

[big_teee]

If you are protecting the poles, then it must be sharp flawork, or snagging on eyelets or something.
You say it happens regardless of the wire type.
If it only happens with one particular wire, the wire would be in question.
You might try again and go slow, and try less tension and see what you get?
I had trouble with shorted start lead to the magnets, until I started taping.
Got any Photos?
Good Luck,
Terry

[Joe Gwinn]

Unwind a bad pickup by hand, inspecting under a very bright light. The problem is often obvious.

[David King]

My vote is too much tension but you would see either a moderately higher DCR due to stretching of the wire or lower DCR from shorted loops. You have checked continuity between the pole magnets and your start? All it takes is one turn to squeeze past the edge of your tape for a short to occur.

[David Schwab]

Try doing one and don't scatter much at all.