few questions from a newbie

[black_labb]

hi guys,
im new to this forum, and to pickup making. ive made a guitar and am in the middle of making another and am planning on making the pickups. basically the idea is to make 2 single coil pickups and have them so that they can act like either parts of a humbucker, but have them in the neck and bridge position. this can give me single coil tones in the bridge or neck, or a mixed single coil tone (paralell wiring, removes hum aswell) or humbucker tone by wiring them in series (using a push/pull pot).

the idea is to put the same number of coils (i will measure with resistance to make winding easier) so that they are can remove as much hum as possible, but put stronger magnets in the bridge position to give higher output. would this work effectively to make the same amount of hum from either? or does the magnets also gauge the amount of hum. i was going to use 2 4mm diameter by 20mm magnets per string at the bridge, and a single 5mm by 20mm magnet per string for the neck. this gives a volume ratio of 25:32 (neck:bridge) which seems suitable.

i am going to screw the pickups to the guitar itself, making it easy to make my own dimensions.

another question, i am looking to use some iron cores with a bar magnet for some other pickups i would like to make, and am wondering what grade of steel/iron you would use. i seem to remember seeing someone using a normal bolt with a suitably shaped head, but im not sure if that was me overlooking the details, or if it was infact what was being used. do pickups made in this fashion have less affect on the string as the polepiece is not sd strong as a magnet even if it is magnetized?

thanks for the help, i will post some results up when i get them.

[NightWinder]

You may seriously want to consider getting some sort of counting on your winder. Measuring by ohms is a tough little job, and time consuming.

[David Schwab]

...this can give me single coil tones in the bridge or neck, or a mixed single coil tone (paralell wiring, removes hum aswell) or humbucker tone by wiring them in series (using a push/pull pot).

Both series and parallel would be humbucking as long as the magnets are opposite and the coils are either out of phase with each other, either by wiring them up reversed, or wound CW/CCW. They wont sound like a humbucker in series exactly, more like two single coils in series, because of the distance, but it will be a similar sound.

the idea is to put the same number of coils (i will measure with resistance to make winding easier) so that they are can remove as much hum as possible, but put stronger magnets in the bridge position to give higher output. would this work effectively to make the same amount of hum from either? or does the magnets also gauge the amount of hum. i was going to use 2 4mm diameter by 20mm magnets per string at the bridge, and a single 5mm by 20mm magnet per string for the neck. this gives a volume ratio of 25:32 (neck:bridge) which seems suitable.

I like to wind by count, and not resistance... but it depends on how you are winding. You can get away with not having the two pickups exactly the same and still get hum cancelation. A lot of guys here wind their humbuckers mismatched (and in fact got me into trying that myself! See? I'm open minded. )

i am going to screw the pickups to the guitar itself, making it easy to make my own dimensions.

Cool! Down with the tyranny of having to use preexisting pickup form factors!

another question, i am looking to use some iron cores with a bar magnet for some other pickups i would like to make, and am wondering what grade of steel/iron you would use. i seem to remember seeing someone using a normal bolt with a suitably shaped head, but im not sure if that was me overlooking the details, or if it was infact what was being used. do pickups made in this fashion have less affect on the string as the polepiece is not sd strong as a magnet even if it is magnetized?

You can use any kind of plain steel, and most screws and bolts work also. I make pickups with rail pole pieces and I just use plain steel bar stock like you can get in Home Depot. I've also used the 3/16 steel rod stock.

[Ruel]

Screw pole pieces

I use allen screws instead of fillister head screws. Impossible to get fillister in my part of the world. They used to be pretty common in the old days. Nobody stocks them nowadays.

[black_labb]

yeah the fillister head screws are probably pretty hard to get, im in australia. as for the counting im a bit unsure how easily i can get something to count. i have a metla lathe (not a small one) and am considering using the leadscrew with the highest possible tpi setting and measuring a distance along the bed and determining how many winds this will be, and then repeat a number of times that will give me the amount of coils i need, but that sounds like alot of work, and may not be all that accurate as it may be difficult to watch where the saddle is at the same time as watching the wire. i have a spare calculator, how hard is the method of wiring a switch that is triggered by a magnet to the calculator? is the switch easily purchased at electronic stores (dick smith or jaycar for anyone in australia) does this work well?

thanks

[Ruel]

You can go to John Tirone's (aka John Fisher) "How to build a humbucker the hard way" webpage. He explains how to use a calculator and magnet as a counter.

[black_labb]

thanks, i found the parts for that, just need to get the reed switch attached to the calculator. thanks for the help

[Sweetfinger]

the idea is to put the same number of coils (i will measure with resistance to make winding easier) so that they are can remove as much hum as possible, but put stronger magnets in the bridge position to give higher output.

Personally, I would probably prefer the stronger magnets in the neck position, with the pickup farther from the strings, and a weaker magnet in the bridge, but with the pickup much closer.

[black_labb]

another question, if i were to arrange my pickups so that i had 2 bar magnets next to eachother underneath the poles to magnetise them, and they were both facing north up (or south up, it doesnt matter) would they become demagnetised due to the other magnet (ie the north repeling the north) and start to lose output from the magnets? if it does, how far apart would i have to move them apart to avoid them demagnetizing?

thanks

[Ruel]

two bar magnets

Check out how a P90 is constructed. There are two bar magnets underneath with like poles facing each other, i.e., like poles facing the adjustable pole pieces.

[mick]

Black Labb.. I'm in South Oz...PM me if you want to.. i may be able to help with parts..

Mick

[black_labb]

Check out how a P90 is constructed. There are two bar magnets underneath with like poles facing each other, i.e., like poles facing the adjustable pole pieces.

i know how the p90 is made, im trying to make due with the magnets i can get from this supplier, which are all magnetised from top to bottom. i picked up some 26mm long ones thinking they would be great, but then realised the issue of possible demagnetisation. i have some 50mm long ones, but those may require angled poles to get full contact against the magnet. i know ceramic is pretty resilient to it but thought id check. would putting them about 6mm apart be more than enough?

[black_labb]

hmm, my first wind had a breakage somewhere. it seemed all good, i checked every couple hundred turns and nothing was caught. i used paper on either side of the bobbin so that it would always wrap around the right thing, unless i moved my hand way off. what causes breakeages like this?

ill rewind it tomorrow, might make another bobbin and leave that one for the time being, might find a breakage near the end or something.