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It occurred to me that a little glossary might be useful to the nubes. It would be particularly useful if there were links back to wikipedia for the more complex concepts.
Armature - any combination of magnets and pole pieces held in alignment.
AWG -American Wire Gauge, the higher the number the smaller the wire diameter. Most pickups use either awg 42 or 43.
Bobbin - a mechanical means of capturing coil windings and keeping them in place.
Coercivity - ability of permanent magnet to resist demagnetization. Of the common pickup magnets Alnico II magnets have the lowest coercivity followed by the higher-numbered Alnico alloys; III-IX. These in turn are followed by the ceramic magnet group designated; I, V and VIII. The highest coercivity groups are the "rare earth" magnets, Neodymium; n-32, n-42 and n-52 along with Samarium Cobalt magnets.
Forbon - a Vuncanized Fiber (or fibre) panel that's used to make the top and bottom "flatwork" end caps of pickup bobbins. Comes in 1/16 and 3/32" thicknesses and black, gray or red color.
Formvar - a varnish used on magnet wire as an insulation, first developed in the 1950s, it gradually supplanted Plain Enamel due to it's greater resistance to abrasion. "Heavy Formvar" = 2 coats. This thicker insulation formed a better dialectic for high voltage windings. In pickups the thicker insulation reduces self-capacitance in the coil and results in a brighter tone.
Gauss - a unit of measurement of magnetic field force.
Magnet wire - copper wire with a thin insulating varnish used to wind pickup coils.
Plain Enamel or "PE" -an early magnet wire insulation varnish that was used extensively in the 1950s and 60s. It's color is typically dark brown to purplish black but could also range to nearly clear. MWS is the only wire manufacturer that still produces Plain Enamel and only in 42 and 43 AWG as pickup winders still cling to this otherwise obsolete formula.
Pole-piece - a ferro magnetic conductor used to shape a magnetic field and or add inductance to a pickup core.
Well you get the general idea...
Armature - any combination of magnets and pole pieces held in alignment.
AWG -American Wire Gauge, the higher the number the smaller the wire diameter. Most pickups use either awg 42 or 43.
Bobbin - a mechanical means of capturing coil windings and keeping them in place.
Coercivity - ability of permanent magnet to resist demagnetization. Of the common pickup magnets Alnico II magnets have the lowest coercivity followed by the higher-numbered Alnico alloys; III-IX. These in turn are followed by the ceramic magnet group designated; I, V and VIII. The highest coercivity groups are the "rare earth" magnets, Neodymium; n-32, n-42 and n-52 along with Samarium Cobalt magnets.
Forbon - a Vuncanized Fiber (or fibre) panel that's used to make the top and bottom "flatwork" end caps of pickup bobbins. Comes in 1/16 and 3/32" thicknesses and black, gray or red color.
Formvar - a varnish used on magnet wire as an insulation, first developed in the 1950s, it gradually supplanted Plain Enamel due to it's greater resistance to abrasion. "Heavy Formvar" = 2 coats. This thicker insulation formed a better dialectic for high voltage windings. In pickups the thicker insulation reduces self-capacitance in the coil and results in a brighter tone.
Gauss - a unit of measurement of magnetic field force.
Magnet wire - copper wire with a thin insulating varnish used to wind pickup coils.
Plain Enamel or "PE" -an early magnet wire insulation varnish that was used extensively in the 1950s and 60s. It's color is typically dark brown to purplish black but could also range to nearly clear. MWS is the only wire manufacturer that still produces Plain Enamel and only in 42 and 43 AWG as pickup winders still cling to this otherwise obsolete formula.
Pole-piece - a ferro magnetic conductor used to shape a magnetic field and or add inductance to a pickup core.
Well you get the general idea...