Two more - solder and baseplates.

[EFK]

(1) Is there something inherently wrong with soldering a break in the wire when winding a bobbin? Assuming good solder and soldering technique, does it affect anything? Should the solder be taped? Varnished? I can understand why someone such as a customer may view this as a 'repair' and perhaps be unhappy about a splice on a new set of pickups, however if winding for yourself is one opening a can of worms in any way?

(2) Is there a supplier out there who is selling the HB baseplates with screw-coil holes small enough to tap 5-40 so that the coil screws can be threaded into the baseplate? Burstbucker baseplates are done like this but I have not seen it on aftermarket plates thus far. Mojo baseplates have two rows of holes, and GP USA are really nice w/ only one row of holes but they are too large to tap. Anyone? I don't think it really affects sound in any way but it is neat.

[PoorMan]

(1) Is there something inherently wrong with soldering a break in the wire when winding a bobbin? Assuming good solder and soldering technique, does it affect anything? Should the solder be taped? Varnished? I can understand why someone such as a customer may view this as a 'repair' and perhaps be unhappy about a splice on a new set of pickups, however if winding for yourself is one opening a can of worms in any way?

(2) Is there a supplier out there who is selling the HB baseplates with screw-coil holes small enough to tap 5-40 so that the coil screws can be threaded into the baseplate? Burstbucker baseplates are done like this but I have not seen it on aftermarket plates thus far. Mojo baseplates have two rows of holes, and GP USA are really nice w/ only one row of holes but they are too large to tap. Anyone? I don't think it really affects sound in any way but it is neat.

1. Nothing wrong (IMO), maybe if you make a living from pickups it is...I use clear nailpolish as insurance against shorts if I break the wire.

2. Although I've not tried, probably Stewmac. Their baseplates are made for smaller metric screws.

[EFK]

Thanks! Anyone know if the Stewmac plates are brass? For some reason I had thought that they were.

[David Schwab]

Thanks! Anyone know if the Stewmac plates are brass? For some reason I had thought that they were.

They are nickel silver. I think maybe their covers are brass, but I haven't used them.

I've never had good luck trying to splice a break. If you get a good splice there's probably nothing wrong with it. I just never got a working splice, so I don't even bother anymore... though I stopped breaking wire a while ago. Broke a lot in the beginning though.

[Chadheckler1]

though I stopped breaking wire a while ago. Broke a lot in the beginning though.

Unrelated question to this thread: I have not broken the wire yet on any of the 10 or so pickups I have wound...does that mean that I am not winding the coil "tight" enough?

[David Schwab]

Unrelated question to this thread: I have not broken the wire yet on any of the 10 or so pickups I have wound...does that mean that I am not winding the coil "tight" enough?

No, it might mean you have good technique. I don't break wires anymore unless I do something dumb like stepping on the loose wire as it unspools from the roll on the floor!

Are you wound coils loose and spongy?

[chevalij]

Agree with David. I only break wire if I'm not paying attention and catch it on something. And then it's been probably 100 pickups since I did. At the beginning it got wrapped around everything! Well, not everything

[PoorMan]

They are nickel silver. I think maybe their covers are brass.

Correct.

[Chadheckler1]

Are you wound coils loose and spongy?

No they feel pretty tight...but I haven't done any unpotted HBs yet...I guess that will be the ultimate test.

[EFK]

I would imagine the whole issue of loose vs. tight, spongy to varying degrees etc. is probably a whole issue in an of itself. Duncan's 'Seth Lover' pickups felt pretty spongy to me - by design?

[madialex]

I would imagine the whole issue of loose vs. tight, spongy to varying degrees etc. is probably a whole issue in an of itself. Duncan's 'Seth Lover' pickups felt pretty spongy to me - by design?

Ah you may be onto something young grasshopper Wind and you shall see the truth

[Zhangliqun]

I don't like splicing because I'm paranoid about shorts and put tape over the splice, which takes up space and affects the coil shape -- which can be a problem on a higher output pickup where you need all the room you can get for those extra turns.