Strat Blade Single Coil Construction

[David Schwab]

I'm fixing to order some parts.
I Will Just start with one pickup of this type to prototype.
See how I can get the small bucker to sound.
Without the parts in hand, still having a little difficulty visualizing how it all goes together.
Tom says to glue to the bottom???
Looks like nothing attaches the bobbin and rails to the baseplate?
Thanks Dave for all the Help and pictures.
Terry

It makes sense when you have the parts in hand.

Here's the parts needed:



So the blades go into the bobbins so they extend out the bottom the same thickness as the magnet:



The blades are a little lose, so I wrapped some clear tape around them. You can glue them in if you want also.

With the magnet on the bottom, it looks like this:



The opening on the bottom of the flatwork is the same size of the magnet/blades. The current Mojo magnets are too long, so I had to file the flatwork a little:



It fits right over the magnet.





You want to press it down from the top against a flat surface to get the blade ends flush with the bobbins and extended out the bottom the right amount:


So after the bobbins are wound, you would glue it to the baseplate. Of course everything has to be in place, and the wires from the bobbins have to be lead out to the eyelets.

What I did was to solder hookup wires to the bobbins, which were lead through holes I drilled in the bobbins and blaseplate, and then to the eyelets.

You can hook the magnet wire up to the eyelets, but it's tricky for the coil farthest from the eyelets, and that wire has to go under the closer bobbin.

[David Schwab]

As an example, here's an older (broken) Duncan CoolRail:



You can see that the 4 conductor cable is connected right to the bobbins. Then the wire leads out the bottom of the blaseplate:



The newer version has the bobbins mounted to a circuit board, and then the 4 conductor cable attached to that.

Notice that the blades are grounded. The easier way to do it is to stick some copper shielding tape to the blades and solder your ground wire to that.

[big_teee]

Thanks David:
Was that one just taped up or did it originally have a cover?
T

[David Schwab]

Thanks David:
Was that one just taped up or did it originally have a cover?
T

The Duncan? That was the older one that is just taped up. I have one here with the cover too. Both are broken. This one obviously needs to have the leads resoldered. On the other one the pickup kept falling out of the cover, and then when the guy removed it he broke off the circuit board.

So I have them here to repair.

[big_teee]

I received my Blade parts yesterday.
The base plate has 4 eyelets.
I guess I put the 4 bobbin wires in the eyelets, along with the 4 wires from the hook up cable.
Do You put the eyelets facing up or down on the base plate?
Thanks,

[David Schwab]

I don't connect the coil wires directly to the outlets. What I do is the same as the Duncan above, I drill holes in the basplate at the ends and run hookup wires through the holes underneath, and then to the eyelets. Then I solder the 4 conductor cable to the eyelets.

You can have the eyelets up or down, doesn't matter.

[big_teee]

Here are the parts Needed according to Tom Brantley at Mojo.

You need:
2- 2115476
1- 2115484
2- 2115464
1- 2115374
There is also a new version that will be available soon that uses:
2- 2115458
and a new magnet.
The bobbins are glued down to the fiberboard.
We do not have a cover available yet.
There may be one in future.

I used the parts above and made a prototype, to test.
I wound the bobbins and got it all put together with the long bobbins.
I knew it wouldn't fit in a single coil cover, but it will not go through a standard pickguard hole.
I'm not about to whitle on my pickguard, so I'm stuck with a long bobbin blade bucker that won't fit.
None of these Parts fit Right.
I can see why not too many guys are making them.
Has anyone else run into this?
T

[David Schwab]

I'm using these bobbins. The baseplate doesn't fit, but Tom said they are going to make new ones, so I had to modify the one for the other bobbins.
They now have the magnets that fit these bobbins.

[big_teee]

A new Dawn, and a New Day!
I was able to get the long bobbins through the pickguard hole with just a little filing and coaxing.
I was very surprised how good the Pickup sounded in the neck, and was pretty strat sounding.
I am going to order some more Parts.
Mojo has the right magnet now for the Tele bobbins.
I have a couple of local players waiting to try the blades if I can get it all worked out and sounding right.
I'm going to make some of all types, I will report back later.
T

[copperheadroads]

What specs did you go with for the neck ?
When i was playing with them i tried to sweeten & get rid of some mid range n settled on the low 5k ,which i figured sounded the best

[big_teee]

I used 43 on the bridge, and either 43 or 42 on the neck.

[copperheadroads]

Thats my intention too mainly as a bridge pickup ,But curious as a cat i am
I have a set of the gfs lil killers n they dont really compare to real singles .
I only tried 250k pots With the rail strat pickup that i wound

[big_teee]

Thats my intention too mainly as a bridge pickup ,But curious as a cat i am
I have a set of the gfs lil killers n they dont really compare to real singles .
I only tried 250k pots With the rail strat pickup that i wound

It's work in progress.
I did see enough potential to want to do more.
My test strat.
I had the 9k blade in the neck, a Grey bottom A5 in the middle and a full sized Humbucker in the bridge.
T

[David Schwab]

Mojo has the right magnet now for the Tele bobbins

Yes, that's what I'm using. I had one of those neos in there, but I like the ceramic better because it's stronger.

Tom just needs to get the baseplate adjusted because the opening is too small.

They aren't really Tele bobbins either, but you can use them for Teles. They are Strat sized.

[David Schwab]

Thats my intention too mainly as a bridge pickup ,But curious as a cat i am
I have a set of the gfs lil killers n they dont really compare to real singles .
I only tried 250k pots With the rail strat pickup that i wound

Most of the dual rail pickups are wound too hot! I think they are trying to sound like full size humbuckers.

Joe Barden winds his on the low side and they are nice and bright.