Pickup Rewinds

[big_teee]

Very nice Job Jim.
I see you wound it CCW, can you give the Magnet polarity, North or south up.
If you have the Height info between the flats, We can compare to other bridge pickups?
The 8.2k should sound great, I've made some about like that.
Thanks for all the info and pictures.
T

[kayakerca]

Very nice Job Jim.
I see you wound it CCW, can you give the Magnet polarity, North or south up.
If you have the Height info between the flats, We can compare to other bridge pickups?
The 8.2k should sound great, I've made some about like that.
Thanks for all the info and pictures.
T

The original was wound CCW and it's south up. The core was .450" between the flats (well, at least where it wasn't flared).

[Stratz]

I got this 1967 Tele set in last week for repair.
Both are wound CCW and south up.

I'll need to replace the flatwork on the neck pickup.



These rusty magnets are from an early 70's Tele repair.

[Lollar Jason]

got around to rewinding that- 35,000 turns 44 gauge per coil dont recall turns per layer but it was maximum you can do with 44

[SonnyW]

Got in this pair of DeArmonds for repair and rewind. It's a 2000B and 2000T set, owner even sent them in the original box they came in. The neck pickup was dead and while the bridge pickup had an ohms reading, it had a very short lead wire, and the start wire connection had been broken and was only making connection by touching the little brass strip that they have on the bottom. I was able to repair the bridge one by splicing on longer leads, but I had to rewind the neck one. Someone had tried to find the break in it and had untaped it and unwound a few turns, but the main problem was that the start connection had been broken off inside the bobbin. I'll give the bobbin dimensions here shortly, but first I have a question.

These appear to have been intentionally wound out of phase. Has anyone here run into this before on these? They came as a boxed set, I'm guessing as replacement parts. The owner bought them in the late 1960's to retrofit them into a Fender Coronado guitar. I am certain that the neck pickup was wound CCW because I unwound enough additional turns to verify that. Both have south polarity on the magnets. I didn't untape the bridge pickup, but when I do a phase test on them I get positive on the neck and negative on the bridge. I'm using the analog ohmmeter and chunk of metal method to do the phase test. That leads me to believe the bridge pickup is wound CW. I can correct the problem by reversing the polarity on the neck pickup magnets, but first I thought I would ask in the forum.

Bobbin Core Dimensions

Length: 2.301
Width: .520
Height: .175
Flange: 1.125

Bridge measured 11.4K ohms. Wire on the neck pickup looked like #44 poly red. Diameter measured .0023.

[Jim Darr]

Got in this pair of DeArmonds for repair and rewind. It's a 2000B and 2000T...

Bobbin Core Dimensions

Length: 2.301
Width: .520
Height: .175
Flange: 1.125

Sonny,

Are you sure of the coil height at .175?

I'll have to check my notes, but I think I measured a slightly taller coil at about .21 -- My memory may be fading or the number could include the flats (unlikely since the difference between the two are so small). I know the height difference is not that great, but every detail counts.

As I recall, 44 was the gauge used. I think both were wound in the same direction. Could the neck be a rewind??

Anyway, I'll see if I can find my original notes on this design and see what I captured.

Thanks for sharing.

[SonnyW]

Hi Jim,

Just measured again on the neck pickup. Used a different set of digital calipers just in case. Since it has already been rewound I could only check the dimension on the corners but those measure .181- .189 depending on where you measure. I originally measured without any wire on the bobbin and I think there is a little bit of taper to it, so it would be a bigger gap at the outside than at the deepest part. Maybe they had more than one bobbin mold, I didn't measure the bridge pickup's core it was full and taped up.

As far as any rewinds, the owner says he bought them new and as a set, installed them and then took them back out and kept them stored in his basement for a long time. I did email the owner and ask about this. He said that when he bought the set he thought it was supposed to be humbucking, which could have been a RWRP pair to begin with. Part of the reason he took them out is that they weren't humbucking when switched together. The box says 2000-4 so I don't know what that meant, but maybe a RWRP pair was some kind of an option at the time? There were a lot of versions of the 2000's/ Dynasonics. Owner says they were stored together for a long time and maybe that could have caused one set of magnets to be reversed, but I doubt it because they are pretty much full charge. It will be easy for me to reverse the charge on the neck pickup magnets and make it a RWRP pair though, and that's what the owner wanted originally.

Edit: Went ahead and popped open the bridge pickup and did the same measurements on the corners. It measured .184 - .197, again only measuring at the corners and depending on which corner.

[Jim Darr]

...The box says 2000-4 so I don't know what that meant, but maybe a RWRP pair was some kind of an option at the time?...Owner says they were stored together for a long time and maybe that could have caused one set of magnets to be reversed, but I doubt it because they are pretty much full charge.

Sonny,

Thanks for rechecking and the updated measurements. Not sure what the 2000-4 meant on the original box...maybe someone else can chime in on that one.

I agree it is very unlikely to reverse the charge just by getting close to the other pickup. It probably left the factory the way you see it. Your 24C should do the job quickly to make the neck RP.

I'll check for my original notes for this pickup over this weekend. I also have a reissue in the shop somewhere that I'll take some measurements from for a comparison.

Thanks again for your post and insight.

[Jim Darr]

Sonny,

Just measured the Reissue 2000 that I have in the shop. Between the flats measured from .198 to .213. Keep in mind that these measurements are with the pickup wound.

[SonnyW]

Thanks, Jim,

I wonder if that is a difference between the 1960's version and the Reissues? .197 was the most I saw checking on two bobbins, and .198 was the least you saw. Both of my bobbins were wound as well, one a rewind and one original about 1966-1968. Anyway, it sounds like .197-.198 would be a good reference number that's in the middle.

[kayakerca]

I have a pickup from a Bronson Singing Electric Lap Steel (I'm guessing late '50s?) coming into the shop for repair next week. Weak output according to the owner. I've never seen one before and would be grateful for any insights into this pickup. Can't find much out there on them other than that there were a number of brand names the instrument went by. I'll throw up a couple pic's after it arrives and I've had a chance to measure it up.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I have a pickup from a Bronson Singing Electric Lap Steel (I'm guessing late '50s?)

FWIW I repaired a Bronson amp, about 1952-3 made in Detroit. Or at least the company was HQ'd there. Bronson apparently was a sheet music company that branched into selling some equipment.

[big_teee]

IME, pickups that barely work but are weak?
They usually have a broke ground start lead.
The + output is still tied to the whole coil, allowing some signal, but no ground to complete the circuit.
If in reverse, if you still have the ground but no + output, it won't work at all.
That may or may not be what's wrong with it.
GL,
T

[big_teee]

I have a Tele bridge pickup to rewind.
It has the black dyed string on the outside.
I've always just taped mine, so I'm not savvy on the string.
My question is when do you put the string back on.
Before or after potting.
Any tips and tricks would be appreciated!
Thanks,
T

[kayakerca]

I have a Tele bridge pickup to rewind.
It has the black dyed string on the outside.
I've always just taped mine, so I'm not savvy on the string.
My question is when do you put the string back on.
Before or after potting.
Any tips and tricks would be appreciated!
Thanks,
T

I've only done a couple with string, but I pot the pickup without the string first, let it cool, wrap the string and pot a second time for a very short period of time. My thinking was that I didn't want to leave it in my pot too long to possible have little strands dirty up my wax mix. Also wanted a waxed base for it to adhere to as well. Probably doesn't make a difference either way. My issue was finding a string supplier that had string that I thought was thick enough to be extremely close to what Fender was using back in the day. The stuff I initially bought from Mojo was much too thin (in my opinion). Looked around and bought from Uline (I believe) and I think it was much nicer thickness wise.



I thought it came out OK and the owner was very happy. I didn't look into making the string black as the '67 bridge had white string from what I could find.