Why not submerged winding?

[Magic Matt]

Hi everyone,

I'm in the process of getting together parts to make my first pickup, which will be for a single string on a bass (ambitious or what, eh?)

I realise this may sound like a stupid question, but if having gaps in the winding can make the pickup microphonic, why aren't the pickups wound while submerged? It seems to me that achieving that would be simpler than many other aspects of the winding mechanism, so what's the reason?

[copperheadroads]

Cause it's easier to submerge the pickup after it is wound .

[jvin248]

Here is vacuum potting of several pickups at once.

[Magic Matt]

Here is vacuum potting of several pickups at once.

That's cool! :-D

I don't need a vacuum though, do I? I was just going to do mine in a soup bowl, sat in a saucepan over the hob! LOL!

[copperheadroads]

If this is you first pickup you are attempting to wind ,I suggest not worrying about potting it right away. if your wind is successful try the pickup as you would in your rig & if there is feedback/microphonic problem but you are satisfied with your tone you can then pot it or adjust your winding recipe & start over .

[jvin248]

That's cool! :-D

I don't need a vacuum though, do I? I was just going to do mine in a soup bowl, sat in a saucepan over the hob! LOL!

Many pickups don't get any wax potting, some get dipped-style potting, and some get vacuum potting. If you are playing high gain stage gigs at max volume then you are more likely to need vacuum potting. Small club or home playing it will be less of an issue. I built a vacuum system out of a pickle jar, some tubing, and a hand vacuum pump so it doesn't need to cost much. If you melt wax make sure you use a double boiler (looks like that is what you are doing).

.

[David King]

Hot wax will penetrate almost any coil as soon as the armature gets up to the same temperature as the wax. Vacuum is overkill unless your production requirements can't wait 20 minutes for a bath.

[Lollar Jason]

"Vacuum is overkill" Not true- I preheat my coils to about 140 and vacuum for as little as 3 seconds. The thing about preheating and vacuum is you can be very precise about how much the wax penetrates- from just the outside layer of the coil - to prevent the coil from shifting due to vibration or shock- to all the way to the inner windings and its easily and consistently repeatable. Soaking alone works but unless I was just potting a handful of coils on occasion I would set up a vacuum. Of course a consistent level of microphonics from one pickup to the next also depends on tension of each coil.