Is coil winding direction important?

[shawnl]

Hello,

I'm doing some research and getting ready to wind my own blade pole humbuckers for a custom fretless bass I'm building. I know there's the whole reverse wind issue to consider with humbuckers, and my understanding is that reverse winding doesn't always mean that the second coil is literally wound in the opposite direction as the first one, and it's more about how the two coils are wired together. However, I've found some schematics that suggest the coils should be wound clockwise as in the case of the PAF fender humbuckers and others that promote counter-clockwise as in the case of the P90. Does the direction of the coil wind have any bearing on pickup performance? My guess is that it doesn't but I'd like to find out for sure.

[soundguruman]

Hello,

I'm doing some research and getting ready to wind my own blade pole humbuckers for a custom fretless bass I'm building. I know there's the whole reverse wind issue to consider with humbuckers, and my understanding is that reverse winding doesn't always mean that the second coil is literally wound in the opposite direction as the first one, and it's more about how the two coils are wired together. However, I've found some schematics that suggest the coils should be wound clockwise as in the case of the PAF fender humbuckers and others that promote counter-clockwise as in the case of the P90. Does the direction of the coil wind have any bearing on pickup performance? My guess is that it doesn't but I'd like to find out for sure.

One bobbin is turned upside down, now it's going in the opposite direction.
Two coils out of phase, wound in opposite directions, that's a humbucking pickup.

[big_teee]

Hello,

I'm doing some research and getting ready to wind my own blade pole humbuckers for a custom fretless bass I'm building. I know there's the whole reverse wind issue to consider with humbuckers, and my understanding is that reverse winding doesn't always mean that the second coil is literally wound in the opposite direction as the first one, and it's more about how the two coils are wired together. However, I've found some schematics that suggest the coils should be wound clockwise as in the case of the PAF fender humbuckers and others that promote counter-clockwise as in the case of the P90. Does the direction of the coil wind have any bearing on pickup performance? My guess is that it doesn't but I'd like to find out for sure.

Pickups have been wound all different directions through the years.
You can wind your bobbins either CW, or CCW.
Typically gibson style humbuckers have been wound CCW.
On Humbuckers you wind both bobbins the same direction.
When you wire them together you wire the 2 finish leads together.
So by feeding one coils start lead with the output.
The signal goes one way through one coil, then goes the other direction through the other coil.
Ending at the grounded start lead of the second coil.
I got started by using the Stewmac Instructions.
Look, it over.
STEWMAC.COM : Instructions for Humbucker Kit
STEWMAC.COM : Instructions for Schatten Pickup Winder
Good Luck,
Terry

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

My humble advice would be to consider the geometry of your overall pickup and go from there.

Humbuckers have both coils wound in the same direction and the starts are soldered together, the ends going to positive and negative. For practical reasons I did it the same way on one of my own pickup designs, because of how I wanted the wire to lie coming off/going into the coil for safety's sake. I am not a PAF expert, but I'm going to guess that it was done this way because changing direction on the old winders at the Gibson factory may have been a pain in the butt, and they opted to make do with bobbins all wound in the same direction.

But you're right - electrons don't give a *&$& which way you wind, only which way it is wired.*

*there are incredibly subtle things that can change when you play with wind direction AND wiring, but they are so subtle I never bother to consider it.

[big_teee]

My humble advice would be to consider the geometry of your overall pickup and go from there.

Humbuckers have both coils wound in the same direction and the starts are soldered together, the ends going to positive and negative. For practical reasons I did it the same way on one of my own pickup designs, because of how I wanted the wire to lie coming off/going into the coil for safety's sake. I am not a PAF expert, but I'm going to guess that it was done this way because changing direction on the old winders at the Gibson factory may have been a pain in the butt, and they opted to make do with bobbins all wound in the same direction.

But you're right - electrons don't give a *&$& which way you wind, only which way it is wired.*

*there are incredibly subtle things that can change when you play with wind direction AND wiring, but they are so subtle I never bother to consider it.

I never tore an old vintage PAF a part.
However, all humbuckers I've worked on or wound, are wound the same direction, and the Finish leads are tied together.
You tie the output to one of the start leads, and ground the other start lead.
Good Luck,
T

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

I never tore an old vintage PAF a part.
However, all humbuckers I've worked on or wound, are wound the same direction, and the Finish leads are tied together.
You tie the output to one of the start leads, and ground the other start lead.
Good Luck,
T

d'oh, had it backwards!

[big_teee]

d'oh, had it backwards!

No problem!
It was Late.
Just didn't won't to confuse some poor beginning, or Hobbyist winder, like Me!
T

[David Schwab]

If you do want to wind them in opposite directions, then you wire them up finish to start. I wind mine in the same direction.

[shawnl]

Thanks for everyone for the confirmation. Some time ago, I recall reading someone's homemade pickup tutorial in which the person seemed certain that the signal only traveled in a clockwise direction. Now I don't know a lot about electronic engineering other than how to create a basic circuit, but I knew that seemed absurd. The whole direction thing is really only an issue for me because the winder I built only goes counter-clockwise in order to sync up with the mechanical counter mechanism that can only be triggered in one direction. Even if I should ever have to experiment because of geometry, I could probably just flip the bobbin.

[big_teee]

Here's a diagram of how the signal goes through a humbucker.
B_T


You can do your colors how ever you like.
2 wire, or 4 wire.

[R.Madgwick]

I've wound my bobbins in opposite direction on accident a few times, one bobbin one day another bobbin a different day and for whatever reason I reversed direction, and had no issues, start to finish if you make that mistake, that said I generally wind in the same direction. One nice thing I've liked from doing this is both finish leads can come out In between the two bobbins not important but it looks clean.

[copperheadroads]

I never tore an old vintage PAF a part.
However, all humbuckers I've worked on or wound, are wound the same direction, and the Finish leads are tied together.
You tie the output to one of the start leads, and ground the other start lead.
Good Luck,
T

Thats right ,Gibson wound ALL humbucker coils in the same direction