What Pickups and Projects Are You Working On?

[David Schwab]

I have made StewMac Kits, it has been a While, but I remember liking them much better.

But that was strictly for Japanese heavy metal music, right?

[big_teee]

So far my experiment with the parts above, have produced a Pickup that is IMHO too bright and harsh.
Don't know if it is some of the composition of the parts or Other Factors involved.
Stay Tuned!
B_T
**Edit
FYI: I have tried different magnets, and different Gauss.
Different amount of total turns, or DCR.

So in my quest for a good tone with the above parts, I have done the following.
Because of the over brightness, I have been detuning things.
I started with a fully charged A2 Magnet, I degaussed the A2.
It was still too bright, So I have gone to the weaker A3 Magnet, with medium Gauss.
Much better.
I have experimented with the amount of wire on each bobbin.
Two things that I think would help is a nickle cover, and potting.
I won't pot it, because trying to stay more with the Original PAF building techniques.
I will have to purchase a 49.2 Cover to install, At present I only stock 50mm Mojo Covers.
The cover along with the proper gaussing will help, in controlling the tone.
Terry
Stayed Tuned

[copperheadroads]

I will have to purchase a 49.2 Cover to install, At present I only stock 50mm Mojo Covers.
The cover along with the proper gaussing will help, in controlling the tone.
Terry
Stayed Tuned

Have you ever sized up Mojo's nickel 49.2mm & 50mm covers you can fit the 50mm cover on the 49.2mm pickup bobbin very easily

[kev]

Yo big_tee.

Are you not an older retired gentleman with wisdom?

Let a young whipper snapper help you out.

You don't need to drill out the base plate, try this.

Tap your bobbin
Run two screws just enough out so you can line up the keeper bar
Attach the bobbin to the baseplate with the magnet in place with the brass screws.
Then run all of your screws down.
Some may tighten up a bit as they pass through the baseplate some won't.
The base plate is thin enough to give a little so you don't strip out the screw.


All of the holes on the Butyrate bobbins are smaller than the ABS stuff if you are using Mojo. Even .187 slugs are gonna be a tighter press. I drill them just so they are easier to put together.

As for the brightness. Something is funky in your wind. They should be bright but not harsh. Tighten up the TPL and mess with the stagger between the coils. I haven't had any of the problems you are having. Even with an A5 in the bridge.

[big_teee]

Yo big_tee.

Are you not an older retired gentleman with wisdom?

Let a young whipper snapper help you out.

You don't need to drill out the base plate, try this.

Tap your bobbin
Run two screws just enough out so you can line up the keeper bar
Attach the bobbin to the baseplate with the magnet in place with the brass screws.
Then run all of your screws down.
Some may tighten up a bit as they pass through the baseplate some won't.
The base plate is thin enough to give a little so you don't strip out the screw.


All of the holes on the Butyrate bobbins are smaller than the ABS stuff if you are using Mojo. Even .187 slugs are gonna be a tighter press. I drill them just so they are easier to put together.

As for the brightness. Something is funky in your wind. They should be bright but not harsh. Tighten up the TPL and mess with the stagger between the coils. I haven't had any of the problems you are having. Even with an A5 in the bridge.

Thanks for the Reply.
Yes I am retired, don't know about the gentleman Part!
And, on the tapped base plate, I did all that.
Still if the threads don't lineup when the screw exits the bobbin and enters the baseplate, you have a gap that your stuck with!
I have 2 of the baseplates, one I left as is and the other I drilled out to a tight tolerance.
I like the fit of the later much better.
Like I said earlier, I didn't say I Couldn't, more of if done again I wouldn't, and I Didn't!
As far as the sound difference, one drilled, one tapped, there is none.
I'm still working on the Sound.
So If you like all the aggravation of a Tapped Base Plate, By All Means Go For it.
It is not a better Mouse Trap.
I normally buy some other base plates for half the price, IMO are better.
Good Luck,
T

[big_teee]

Update to this ongoing dilemma of the Replica PAF.
I took PAF Replica #2 and removed everything as is from the AFX Tapped base plate, and slid it over to one of my other Nickle base plates, that I've used several years. (#2 is the one I drill out with tight tolerance)
I left everything as it was, only difference was the new base plate.
As soon as I moved it over the A2 Round tone came back.
The brittleness and harness I was hearing was coming from the Base Plate.
This is just my experiment and my findings.(Yours may differ)
So I assume the metal alloy is different from the AFX base plate, and my other brand Base plate.
These other Nickle base plates I've used for sometime, and I can't get over the difference, from one, to the other.
If you have a very dark sounding guitar and want to brighten it up, then by all means give the new tapped AFX base plate a try.
The tone I prefer, (and tone is a subjective thing) was not there.
The whole purpose I documented this is not for argument, but as a comparison of what you may encounter and find.
I welcome others to log anything new here, that they try.
We all learn from what Others find and do.
Good Luck,
Keep Rockin!
Terry

[copperheadroads]

interesting

[big_teee]

I make a few Loaded Pickguards and Put them in a local Vintage Guitar shop on consignment.
Here's one I just listed.
It has all mint Green Plastic.
Built basically from all Mojo Parts.
Later,
B_T

[copperheadroads]

I make a few Loaded Pickguards and Put them in a local Vintage Guitar shop on consignment.
Here's one I just listed.
It has all mint Green Plastic.
Built basically from all Mojo Parts.
Later,
B_T
[ATTACH=CONFIG]17715[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]17716[/ATTACH]

Is that the .1uf disc that Mojo sells.
How are they ?

[big_teee]

Is that the .1uf disc that Mojo sells.
How are they ?

Those are the .1uf 100V Caps I bought at StewMac.
I have some that I bought from Mojo and they look similar, and same specs.
They should be the same electrically.
STEWMAC.COM : Capacitors
The stewmac Caps are a little redder color.
That is the same type cap they used 60s, 70s in all strats.
I tell customers if they want a more expensive type to go for it!
The foil I use to give a bigger shielding area is heavy duty cooking foil.
I spray it with contact cement.
Haven't figured out how to put it on wrinkle free yet.
T

[copperheadroads]

The foil I use to give a bigger shielding area is heavy duty cooking foil.
I spray it with contact cement.
Haven't figured out how to put it on wrinkle free yet.
T

Thanks....
The foil is a neat ideal
I have used the duct work tape for shielding

[big_teee]

Joe, it's a sidewinder, so it's like a stack on its side. There is no lower coil. The divider plate is the pole piece.

David, ground your blade and add some copper shielding. They will be buzzy without doing that. If you are winding both bobbins in the same direction on your winder, i.e., with the magnet's S toward the winder on both, one will be reversed when you put them together on the pickup, so wire them start-to-finish (or vice versa). If you are winding them in opposite directions on the winder, wire them start-to-start.

If you want to change their tone, try winding them different.

I've got an idea for a sidewinder, and need help!
If I take 2 small blade bobbins and wind them alike, say CCW.
I am going to have the 2 blades touching a keeper and screws in the middle.
???, do I put a magnet on the outside of each blade?
Are the 2 Bobbins laying side by side CCW, or do I flip one over?
I think you said above to wire them start to finish with one flipped over?
So the magnet on each end, ends up what polarity?
Sorry about all the questions!
B_T

[copperheadroads]

If it has poles in the middle like a p-90 then i thing you will have magnets oposing like a p-90
Wire them start to finish ....oR is it start to start ...................lol:confused:

[big_teee]

If it has poles in the middle like a p-90 then i thing you will have magnets oposing like a p-90
Wire them start to finish ....oR is it start to start ...................lol:confused:

I re-read the above posts?
I think I have it figured out.
They are winding them around magnets, I was going to try a bobbin with a steal blade in the middle.
It should still work the same, with the same polarity in the middle.
I will get back to you on how it works.
Looks pretty easy.
T

[Chris Turner]

Here's a sidewinder design that I'm testing out:


Two coils wound to 6000 turns each with 43AWG, each around a C8 magnet. Solid 3/8" steel keeper bar, complete with off-center holes () for the set screw pole pieces.

General question about grounding, if anyone cares to respond: Would it be enough to stick a small patch of that conductive copper tape to the bottom of the center bar, and solder a wire to that patch to effectively ground this pickup?


To the questions above about how to wire these for noise cancellation:
As far as I know, and have been told, with the same polarity facing inward, coils wound the same direction, they should be hooked up start to finish for series humbucking. That's what I'm gonna start with... we'll see how that turns out.