Bulging coils

[kevinT]

Is bulging a bad thing on coils or should the wire of the coil be completely flat and even along the bobbin/coil ends. I see some pickups that are slightly more robust in the middle section of the bobbin and then the wire tends to taper as the wire gets closer to the top and botton flanges.

Would this have any effect on tone?

Spence, i know you have a funny graphic for this one.

[Dr. Guitar]

I don't want to shit talk someones work... but an up and coming boutique pick up maker has this problem. I have installed a few sets of his strap pick ups, where the plastic cover drags on the coil wire. One customer was curious and inspected his pick ups before bringing them in. Little did he know that he cut the coil wire in a few places from sliding the cover on and off.

This is a kind of bulging you want to avoid... obviously.

[Spence]

Is bulging a bad thing on coils or should the wire of the coil be completely flat and even along the bobbin/coil ends. I see some pickups that are slightly more robust in the middle section of the bobbin and then the wire tends to taper as the wire gets closer to the top and botton flanges.

Would this have any effect on tone?

Spence, i know you have a funny graphic for this one.

Check the bulging coil on Zebedee !

fender are quite prone to having a fatter middle section but you can generally flatten it out prior to potting with your finger.

[kevinT]

I don't want to shit talk someones work... but an up and coming boutique pick up maker has this problem. I have installed a few sets of his strap pick ups, where the plastic cover drags on the coil wire.

Hmmmmm is he a member of the forum?... You don't have to give names.

[GlennW]

That reminds me of the Wild & Crazy Guys from SNL. Did our bulging coils scare you away?

[Spence]

Hmmmmm is he a member of the forum?... You don't have to give names.

Come on; dish the dirt.

[Dr. Guitar]

Hmmmmm is he a member of the forum?... You don't have to give names.

I don't think they are, but I have seen others talk about someones work, only to have that person show up.

[Dr. Guitar]

I have always wondered if a bulge in a certain area would make a pick up more responsive to certain frequencies. This would be due to more current passing through a certain part of the magnetic field.

Or am I way off on this?

[Spence]

I don't know if Don still makes a Tele bridge pickup with a bulge in the middle of the coil but he seemed to think it would give the pickup more mid range.

[Possum]

in defense of the bulge...

One some pickups I purposefully have the middle bulging. One problem is if you use StewMac covers or something similar, those covers are too small and will cut the coils on some of my sets. Before I found other sources I would tape the coil to protect it, kinda like a coil condom. I think that bulge does have some effect on single coils but not sure what it does. It could make the coil more midrangey because you have more wire stacked on top of itself, kinda like a shorter coil in a way. Or it could use quantum morphogenic anomalous skraptic magnetic fissule theory to exkrapolate the munifier. This is probably correct.....

[Dr. Guitar]

Just so every one who reads this knows... Possums pick ups are not the ones I have had problems with. And the covers that cut the coils of the ones i dealt with were the original covers out of the guys, some what new Strat, not after market.

[corduroyew]

One some pickups I purposefully have the middle bulging. One problem is if you use StewMac covers or something similar, those covers are too small and will cut the coils on some of my sets. Before I found other sources I would tape the coil to protect it, kinda like a coil condom. I think that bulge does have some effect on single coils but not sure what it does. It could make the coil more midrangey because you have more wire stacked on top of itself, kinda like a shorter coil in a way. Or it could use quantum morphogenic anomalous skraptic magnetic fissule theory to exkrapolate the munifier. This is probably correct.....

I was trying to think of a way to say just that but couldn't think of how.

I too put a bulge on some of my single coil pickups as well as winding pickups so tight that the bobbin warps. If thats what I have to do to get the sound they are looking for, then thats what I do. If the bulge is done wrong then as the coils age they can get loose and turn microphonic so you do have to keep in mind that size and shape matter.

[Possum]

.......

Yeah even though I used to have to cram coils into those metric sized StewMac covers, none of them have ever failed. Thats what taping the coil does, very reliable protection. I don't know if any of you have ever heard of Velvet Hammer pickups, Red Rhodes, he taped all his coils, his coils were also super sloppy, probably had to tape them, he used a yellow type 3M scotch tape stuff made for coil wrapping. I don't use StewMac covers anymore, ever.

[WolfeMacleod]

A bulge is fine, as long as it doesn't go beyond the limits of the bobbins.

[David Schwab]

It could make the coil more midrangey because you have more wire stacked on top of itself, kinda like a shorter coil in a way.

That's what I find also. Kind of simulates a P bass coil I guess.

Or it could use quantum morphogenic anomalous skraptic magnetic fissule theory to exkrapolate the munifier. This is probably correct.....

That's it... exactly!