Couple questions on Wire for pickup makers

[wizard333]

All things held equal, other than gauge, what aural affect does going to a lower gauge (larger) wire have on a pickup?

Also, which readily available insulation/wire type, ignoring qauge, is brightest/tightest sounding, all other things held equal?

Thanks!

[big_teee]

All things held equal, other than gauge, what aural affect does going to a lower gauge (larger) wire have on a pickup?

Also, which readily available insulation/wire type, ignoring qauge, is brightest/tightest sounding, all other things held equal?

Thanks!

All these things you ask are debatable, and you will get lots of different answers.
As Far as Gauge I try to use 42 if you can get enough on the size of the bobbin.
On Strat blade bobbins I mainly use 42 and 43.
For Tele necks I use 43, because of the bobbin size.
On humbuckers, for most vintage type pickups, use 42.
For Overwound Buckers use 43, and you can also use 44.
As far as Insulation I prefer SPN, and HPN.
It's Cheap, durable, Slick, easy to wind and Readily solderable.
As far as brightness, tightness sounding, Good Luck with that!
Also if a guy is starting out, the PNs are the most reasonable place to start.
Good Place to buy the PN Type wires is here.
Magnet Wire
Good Luck,
B_T

[wizard333]

I'm familiar with standard gauges.

Doesn't really get at what I'm asking though.

If you take X turns of 42ga wire with an A5 vs. X turns of 40ga wire with the same A5....how does tone change? It's already being done commercially, that is 41ga and 40ga wire pickups, but I'm curious to know, from someone who has actually done it, what is the difference in tone as you go down in gauge all other things held constant?

Also, what are the sound differences caused by various insulation types?

[big_teee]

I'm familiar with standard gauges.

Doesn't really get at what I'm asking though.

If you take X turns of 42ga wire with an A5 vs. X turns of 40ga wire with the same A5....how does tone change? It's already being done commercially, that is 41ga and 40ga wire pickups, but I'm curious to know, from someone who has actually done it, what is the difference in tone as you go down in gauge all other things held constant?

Also, what are the sound differences caused by various insulation types?

I did try some 41 Gauge on Strat Neck Single coils.
Was looking for that open woody articulate tone.
The 41 was too bright for me.
The only way I could get a tone I liked was to shorten the bobbin, that just made less area to put wire.
I ended up using 42Ga HPN wire. I found some that was large per gauge. I quit while I was ahead.
The Bigger wire might have some uses in Bass pickups, but not what I'm looking for in standard guitar pickups.
Also if you are selling pickups, customers seem to only be interested in High DCR Numbers.
You spend all your time explaining why the DCR is low even though you have lots of Turns!
Good Luck,
T

[madialex]

I'll chime in. The larger wire will give you more volume, and be brighter, and it wont distort easily. Clean clean clean....

[David Schwab]

I find it's brighter, and has a rounder, looser tone. The mids are kind of hollow sounding. Reminds me of a Fender Jazzmaster.

On the other hand, as you go to thinner gauge wire, you have a boost in midrange, and the highs seem to get subdued. I can't tell if there are less highs, or just more mids masking the highs.

I use different gauge wires in my pickups to get certain tones.

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

I have limited experience with it, but David's assessment is consistent with what I've heard. Smaller = more pronounced mids and fewer highs and lows, larger = more pronounced highs and lows and less obvious mids. I can't say what the actual response is, just what one seems to hear. Often our perception of "mids" depends on how much other stuff is in there for you to hear, so consider these ridiculously over simplified (if useful) explanations.

I've found that I get less volume from thinner wire, but I can't be positive on that. I don't have data to back it up. Some argue that because coil geometry changes the thinner wires are more efficient being closer to the core and that may be true, but I've never found a useful application of this idea.

One thing to remember about larger wires is that they often will require a different pickup design. In part because they get such a big sound (and could be too hi-fi for your tastes) but also because you may run out of winding space. Big wire can be great, but you just can't get up to the wind count with 40 on a strat pickup that you would with 42 or 43.