Flat Response Pickup?

[tbryanh]

I want to wind a pickup that has a flat frequency response in the audio range. This requires using fewwer turns and a preamp mounted on the guitar.

About how many turns of what size wire will give a flat response in the audio range?

[David Schwab]

Try something like 500 to 1000 of 42. You can also use heavier wire and more turns. Alembic uses something like 1500 turns of 40 gauge. You can also try something like 38 gauge wire.

[Mark Hammer]

The old low-impedance pickups used on the Les Paul Recording guitar weighed a bloody ton but reputedly had a very broad clean frequency response. I purchased one from the old Kalamazoo factory years ago but traded it to a guy before I ever instaleld it on anything. Since they're sealed and epoxy-potted (I think), I have no idea what wire they used or what the magnets were, but the magnets were quite strong, and like I say they weighed a LOT.

[tbryanh]

It appears from the info below that a transformer might be able to be used instead of a preamp on the guitar. That would be great. Does anybody know anything about using a transformer?

I'm going to try to get info on the Les Paul LP-12 amplifier. That might help too.

The story of the Les Paul Recording Guitar (and its companion, the Triumph Bass) actually begins in 1969 with Les Paul, who had apparently overcome his disaffection with Gibson over the switch from the real Les Paul to the SG back in 1961. It was in ’69 that Gibson debuted the Les Paul Personal, an LP with a slightly larger body and low impedance pickups to yield quieter recording than with the typically noisy high impedance pickups everyone wants for driving an amp crazy in a live situation. The Personal, following Paul’s preference for mounting his mic on the guitar, had a mic input and volume control, as well! This was followed quickly that same year by the Les Paul Professional, also with low Z pickups and a bunch of electronic switches. These two were both designed for use with the Les Paul LP-12 amplifier, which had both low and high Z (Z=impedance) inputs. A special transformer chord is needed to play these through a regular guitar amp. http://www.vintageguitar.com/brands/details.asp?ID=52

[David Schwab]

The LP recording pickups used something like 24 gauge wire, so they had pretty big coils. They were stacked humbuckers, and some versions had taps.

They probably used big alnico or cobalt steel magnets.

Originally Les Paul took a coil out of an electric clock, and bent it into a pickup shape to make his pickups. I'm guessing he had Gibson copy that coil.

I've always wanted one of those Triumph basses.

[tbryanh]

Here is a good link to a website on the Les Paul Recording
http://www.ntw.net/~w0ui/family_webp...lrecording.htm

Here is a link to the diagram showing the transformer
http://www.guitar-parts.com/images/lespaul.jpg