Gretsch T'Armond: Post pics of weird pickup insides!!

[verhoevenc]

I've often wondered what some of these "stranger" looking pickup designs have going on inside. Particularly this TV Jones T'Armond:
TV Jones Guitars and Pickups
How about we post up some pics of the insides and workings of alternative pickup designs?
Chris

[Peter Naglitsch]

I made these a while ago:


to go into this guitar

[verhoevenc]

I would love to hear more about this design and how it works.
Chris

[mondo]

That looks like 16 gauge wire wrapping the slugs! Inneresting indeed. I'll post some pics of the TV Jones HiLoTron that I disassembled recently. It is a strange specimen as well.

[Earl Norton]

Not 16 gauge wire. I'm sure they are spings to mechanically raise, lower the slug magnets.

[big_teee]

Not 16 gauge wire. I'm sure they are spings to mechanically raise, lower the slug magnets.

That would be correct.
He didn't show a picture of the other side where the Screws attach to the Slug mechanism.
Those are single coils, and the small screws raise and lower the magnets, or slugs.
The Springs provide the tension so the magnets will return when the screw tension is let off.
Great Job.
GFS sells a cheap version.
It might be worth while to buy one to tear apart to know how it all works.
GFS Retrotron Series
A little different, but could get some valuable working knowledge.
Terry

[verhoevenc]

Heck, I'd settle for knowing where to buy just covers for stuff like those GFS ones. I love the retro look in pickups.
Chris

[Peter Naglitsch]

Terry got it right. The magnets are long 6mm rods, at the bottom there is aluminim "tabs" (on the originls it is brass with a pres fit hole but for the proto this worked fine) glued to the magets with a threaded hole for the adjustment screw and what looks like wire is indeed springs for the individual magnets. The bobbin on the original Dynasonics were made out of plastic or bacelite or similar. I made mine from wood and pick guard material. The cover comes from... a canibalized GFS pickup. I originally ordered them as I thought that they were actual Dyn-O-s that I could if necesary rewind, but they were simple single coils a la Fender hidden inside those covers and completely fake pole screws sitting outside of the coil! I'll try to post better pics.

To build those pickups was a hard job, as no parts were availible and I hade to reinvent the weel all the way, but it was well worth it. The sound is nothing but sensational, different from any Fender or Gibson pickup I have ever heard. Clean, clear but still with output to push the tubes of a good amp (ok, no metal from this guitar but I think you get the idea...)

[verhoevenc]

I actually found some of those types of covers on the 'Bay. Keep an eye out, they exist. There's also a site selling them but they are MAD expensive from him.
Chris

[marku52]

wow, that is *so* cool! Great work. where did you find 6mm Al rod magnets?

[Peter Naglitsch]

TNX. I got the magnets from HYAB in Stockholm:
ALLT I MAGNETER! - Hyab Magneter AB
Standard size and length and available in A5! Pretty expensive but I use the shorter versions in my LowRider bass pickups so I added a few longer for experiments.

Disclaimer: I'm not 100% sure that DeArmond used 6mm rods in the original DynaSonics. It might have been 1/4" magnets but the difference would be 0.35 mm or .0138"... I used what I had available

And no better pics, sorry guys