WRHB Bobbins

[jrdamien]

Anyone have a source for, or are making their own, original sized Wide Range bobbins? I'm currently using 53mm humbucker bobbins with correctly sized plates and covers but really need to get my hand on some correctly sized bobbins.

So, if anyone could help point me in the right direction, I would much appreciate it.

[Lollar Jason]

If you are talking about bobbins to fit the aftermarket covers and baseplates which are the ones I designed and are exactly the same as vintage- those were made at 2.125 which is actually something like 53.97 mm. I had that company tool up for them because a cover and baseplate would be over ten grand to invest if I had kept the tooling for myself but they invested in the tooling so they could eventually sell the parts to suppliers. The bobbins I was originally assembling from parts for a long time which you could easily do if you have a drill press and a router, its just gluing flats to a core and drilling. Having an injection mould made costs a lot less than making a deep draw stamp and die-about 3 grand- i dont know anyone that sells pre made bobbins, maybe someone does.

[jrdamien]

If you are talking about bobbins to fit the aftermarket covers and baseplates which are the ones I designed and are exactly the same as vintage- those were made at 2.125 which is actually something like 53.97 mm. I had that company tool up for them because a cover and baseplate would be over ten grand to invest if I had kept the tooling for myself but they invested in the tooling so they could eventually sell the parts to suppliers. The bobbins I was originally assembling from parts for a long time which you could easily do if you have a drill press and a router, its just gluing flats to a core and drilling. Having an injection mould made costs a lot less than making a deep draw stamp and die-about 3 grand- i dont know anyone that sells pre made bobbins, maybe someone does.

Thanks, Jason. I'm not sure if the aftermarket parts are the ones that you designed, or if all of them are derivative of your design. It would not surprise me if it's the latter. Rather, it would surprise me if they weren't.

I found one small pickup maker on Ebay who has custom made bobbins but what he wants to sell them for (and the quantity) reflects the very high amount he must have paid to have them made.

I'll have to find something that's suitable for a core and just put them together from flatwork.

[Lollar Jason]

if it doesnt say fender on it its most likely the ones I designed- thats not the only thing I designed in the last several years and all the places selling those also sell other stuff that makes it obvious where they are getting it.
Lexan, Acrylic or even maple can be used for a core- i typically use forbon and acrylic- you have to scuff the gluing surface of the acrylic with sand paper to get it to permantly bond with forbon using super glue.- Make a jig to line up the parts and they will come out perfect every time. Like i said though- making an injection mould is alot less than having a deep draw stamp made so it would make sense that eventually someone would invest in that because the covers and baseplates are availible.

[jrdamien]

if it doesnt say fender on it its most likely the ones I designed- thats not the only thing I designed in the last several years and all the places selling those also sell other stuff that makes it obvious where they are getting it.
Lexan, Acrylic or even maple can be used for a core- i typically use forbon and acrylic- you have to scuff the gluing surface of the acrylic with sand paper to get it to permantly bond with forbon using super glue.- Make a jig to line up the parts and they will come out perfect every time. Like i said though- making an injection mould is alot less than having a deep draw stamp made so it would make sense that eventually someone would invest in that because the covers and baseplates are availible.

I was hoping someone already made that investment and I could find them here. Might still happen. It's nothing I'll ever do myself. I am as small time as small time gets but I always have someone who wants a WRHB with larger coils so it's time to either track them down or make one proper.

Acrylic is my best bet for a core, I think. Just a matter of finding something of a somewhat decent starting dimensions so I'm not wasting much - my setup for machining would be literally just a router and press.

For example (for others and my own notes): http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24195

[big_teee]

Not vintage, but IMO a good alternative would be to use the after market covers, & Rod magnets for the poles with forbon top and bottom.
Three long and three shorter magnets on each bobbin.
That would be easy enough to make with the drill press, and I think they would Sound good.
Someone else made some like that here earlier, and liked them.
Unless you inspect closely you probably would not tell the difference?
T

[jrdamien]

Not vintage, but IMO a good alternative would be to use the after market covers, & Rod magnets for the poles with forbon top and bottom.
Three long and three shorter magnets on each bobbin.
That would be easy enough to make with the drill press, and I think they would Sound good.
Someone else made some like that here earlier, and liked them.
Unless you inspect closely you probably would not tell the difference?
T

That's precisely what I do now using A2 but with 53mm humbucker slug bobbins instead of flatwork. Despite being just a little too narrow in the spacing, they work well. The rods fit tight but can still be adjusted and they sound better than good.

But the coil shape is what it is and neither wide nor tall enough. The reason for a core and not just using the magnets as a core is so they can be adjusted. No doubt it still sounds good if the rods are static, but it'd be better if they can be adjusted.

[Lollar Jason]

here you go- original bobbins have a core .24 tall.246 wide and 2.38 long so .25 acrylic would work and if you use 1/16 flat work youll have essentially the same thing as a vintage bobbin- dont let making parts get in your way like it does for alot of guys, pretty simple stuff.
oh flatwork is .75 wide by 2.95 long

[jrdamien]

here you go- original bobbins have a core .24 tall.246 wide and 2.38 long so .25 acrylic would work and if you use 1/16 flat work youll have essentially the same thing as a vintage bobbin- dont let making parts get in your way like it does for alot of guys, pretty simple stuff.
oh flatwork is .75 wide by 2.935 long

Amazing. You are, as always, too kind Jason.

[big_teee]

Here's some data I have that supposedly was from a vintage 54mm WR bobbin.
Bobbin core Length = 2.4", width = .256", Height = .375", Flange = .75".
42PE 5300 ohms approx., 11,000 turns approx., per bobbin.
I've not built this pickup, but if you are in a R&D phase, you may want to give this data a try.
The .375" core height, should give less fat, and more jangle!
YMMV,
T

[jrdamien]

Here's some data I have that supposedly was from a vintage 54mm WR bobbin.
Bobbin core Length = 2.4", width = .256", Height = .375", Flange = .75".
42PE 5300 ohms approx., 11,000 turns approx., per bobbin.
I've not built this pickup, but if you are in a R&D phase, you may want to give this data a try.
The .375" core height, should give less fat, and more jangle!
YMMV,
T

Interesting. Jason has the height at .24" which is about the same as a standard humbucker bobbin.

Tee, where'd you get that .375 height measurement?

[Lollar Jason]

Teee means overall height of the bobbin- take .25 - the core height and add .0625 twice- the flat top and bottom- or maybe not, mine are designed off original wide range bobbins

[Lollar Jason]

a core .375 tall wouldnt fit under the cover

[jrdamien]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34836[/ATTACH]

a core .375 tall wouldnt fit under the cover

Jason, I was hoping for something a little more precise.

I didn't doubt your measurement, just curious where Tee got his.

[Lollar Jason]

looks like a .375 tall core would fit under the cover- thats at the limit you could use. If you did that you could make the flatwork smaller.