Bobbins for an M1/X2N-alike pickup?

[Stealth]

It's high time I wind something soon, so one of the first things I intended to make is a DiMarzio M1/X2N-alike pickup for a four-string bass, but as several variants (hex-screw polepieces, silicon steel blades and a sidewinder variant of each).

Laminating silicon steel won't be a problem, as I've got an old delaminated transformer core that should do well, and I've seen bobbins specifically made for blades. The problem is, I'm not sure which bobbins would be best for, say, using M5 hex set screws. The only place I've looked at so far is Mojotone, but I can't see the blade channel width listed anywhere so I'm not sure the M5s would fit in, and if forced in, if they would break through the sides of the bobbin and potentially become a problem for the winds. Another option would be to use standard six-string coils, but I'm not sure if they'd be as easily machinable for proper pole position.

What do you guys suggest?

[David Schwab]

It's high time I wind something soon, so one of the first things I intended to make is a DiMarzio M1/X2N-alike pickup for a four-string bass, but as several variants (hex-screw polepieces, silicon steel blades and a sidewinder variant of each).

Laminating silicon steel won't be a problem, as I've got an old delaminated transformer core that should do well, and I've seen bobbins specifically made for blades. The problem is, I'm not sure which bobbins would be best for, say, using M5 hex set screws. The only place I've looked at so far is Mojotone, but I can't see the blade channel width listed anywhere so I'm not sure the M5s would fit in, and if forced in, if they would break through the sides of the bobbin and potentially become a problem for the winds. Another option would be to use standard six-string coils, but I'm not sure if they'd be as easily machinable for proper pole position.

What do you guys suggest?

You can use this bobbin, Mojotone Humbucker Blade Pickup Bobbin Black


with this blade Mojotone Blade for Humbucker bobbin

The blade is 1/8" thick.

There are bobbins made for the thicker blades, but Mojo doesn't carry them. But the X2N makes for a lousy sounding bass pickup, so you are better off with the thinner blades.

One thing to note is you need a wider magnet for these bobbins, and there are no baseplates that fit without modifying them. I'm using the fiber baseplates with these.

[Stealth]

Right, I remember you describing the X2N and how it doesn't work well with basses, both on TB and here.

So the Mojotone bobbin can fit a .11" blade, or, say, four 2,79mm set screws, which is a bit on the thin side. If you have a bobbin handy, are the walls of the bobbin thick enough that I could, say, drive four 5mm set screws through if they were well-centered along the width of the channel and a properly spaced? Or in other words, could you please measure the thickness of the bobbin at the center where the wire normally goes?

Alternately - don't Firebirds use wide blades? Maybe I could use those for screw-models and normal ones for blade-models...

[David Schwab]

Right, I remember you describing the X2N and how it doesn't work well with basses, both on TB and here.

So the Mojotone bobbin can fit a .11" blade, or, say, four 2,79mm set screws, which is a bit on the thin side. If you have a bobbin handy, are the walls of the bobbin thick enough that I could, say, drive four 5mm set screws through if they were well-centered along the width of the channel and a properly spaced? Or in other words, could you please measure the thickness of the bobbin at the center where the wire normally goes?

Alternately - don't Firebirds use wide blades? Maybe I could use those for screw-models and normal ones for blade-models...

Don't use the set screws, use the blade! The beauty of blades is you can make them thin if you want, and not have to worry about bending the string away from the blade. And as you make poles larger in diameter you change the tone. You want wider poles, not thicker poles. So blades are perfect.

Firebirds use an alnico magnet as a blade. I think it's about 1/8" thick at the most.