Humbucker question

[Justwannano]

I wound a set of HB's with poles/screws and my first set of blades for two guitars I built for myself.
They are wired identical. (unless I somehow messed up) I did use 4-wire but as a 2-wire setup. (just in case)

Before I take the one apart with a problem I wanted to ask here first because I have no idea what the problem could be.

The problem is that the blade HB's sound off when they are tapped with a guitar pick. Loud too. Tap the plastic bobbins and wow. Like tapping a mic.
They are not potted. I didn't think that was a reason- I didn't pot the screw pups and they don't have the problem.

Thanks for any help with this.

Michael

[big_teee]

Are we talking strat sized blades?
Or are these full sized humbucker blade pickups?
T

[Justwannano]

full size

[big_teee]

So, you have a full sized blade humbucker, with a 4 wire hook up cable.
We probably need pictures.
If one magnet is used, you have to shim between one blade and the magnet with a piece of steel.
Because of the Difference in width of the blades, compared to slugs and keepers.
If small ceramic magnets are used, you don't need the shim.
Here's the different ways to use a 4 wire cable wiring.
Wiring Diagram
More info and pictures should help us figure it out.
T

[Justwannano]

I was wondering and questioning if that is something that one knows what the problem is BEFORE having to take the guitar apart.
I think my question has been answered so when I get a chance I'll take it apart and troubleshoot.

When I found the problem the only thing I could think of was I thought I remembered seeing a picture where the blades were connected with
a ground strap..which I didn't do...maybe that's it?

Thanks Terry.

[big_teee]

I used to not pot pickups, then I got to selling a few.
Now I pot everything sold and for myself.
They are so much quieter all the way around potted, IMO.
Especially if they are uncovered.
Things to keep in mind with microphonics, and wrong polarity.
I have had pickups when switched that make a loud pop.
That is usually a sign of polarity issues.
and on microphonics, especially tele bridge pickups not potted, you can touch the body and it is noisy and loud to the touch.
All signs of microphonics, and needing potted.
The Strat blades are really microphonic if you don't pot them.
To offset the over potting on humbuckers, try taping the coils good with paper tape, before assembly and before potting.
You can come up with a good happy medium.
GL,
T

[Stratz]

I wound a set of HB's with poles/screws and my first set of blades

Screws and slugs are usually a pretty tight fit in a HB bobbin. Blades can fit a bit loosely.
Play the guitar loud or through a distortion box or stacked overdrives. If it squeals it needs to be potted.

[big_teee]

Here's some pics of my Micro-phonics, Hum canceling test set.
It amounts to a jack with alligator clips.
That way you can hook your pickup to the amp and see what level of micro-phonics, noise, and hum canceling you have.
Keep a known good pickup nearby to compare to.
I move the pickup around in front of the amp, to check for noise, hum, and micro-phonics.
IME you will find the most noise and micro-phonics, when you get the pickup near the Power Transformer in a tube amp.
Compare a hum-bucker with a single coil, and you can see how well the hum-bucker really does cut back hum.
I tap a piece of steel on each pole piece, I tap on the pickup to test the potting for unusual noise.
This test removes all other elements of the guitar, just raw pickup, to raw amp!
I do this with all pickups that I sell or ship, this is the next best thing to mounting the pickup in the guitar or bass.
Also I included a pic of my Hybrid blade.
The Hy-blade is several years old and has been used a lot, so it don't look new.
T

[Justwannano]

Two full size HB's, unpotted with poles/screws- Two full size HB, unpotted with blades.

Both are wired identically and installed in two identical guitars- when the bobbins of the pole/screw HB's are tapped on with a guitar pick it can be heard but very little - when the bobbins of the blade HB's are tapped on with a guitar pick the taps are loud.

The only difference between the sets is the pole/screws vs blades. ( and very little difference of the wraps on the coils)

Is there an obvious reason?

[big_teee]

Is the blade pickup touching the body.
Make sure the pickup is suspended from the screws, but not touching the body.
If it is touching you can have a vibration making it microphonic.
Unless the pickup was not working properly, I would just pot the pickup and be done.
If the pickup is thin or weak, I would check to see if the polarity is correct.
When there is a problem, you have to make changes to figure out what is wrong.
Check all your grounds and wiring.
If you take the pickup in question out, then try the micro-phonic jack test, I described earlier.
I bet you will figure it out.
T

[Justwannano]

Is the blade pickup touching the body.
Make sure the pickup is suspended from the screws, but not touching the body.
If it is touching you can have a vibration making it microphonic.
Unless the pickup was not working properly, I would just pot the pickup and be done.
If the pickup is thin or weak, I would check to see if the polarity is correct.
When there is a problem, you have to make changes to figure out what is wrong.
Check all your grounds and wiring.
If you take the pickup in question out, then try the micro-phonic jack test, I described earlier.
I bet you will figure it out.
T

So there are some obvious reasons?
If the pickup is touching the body tapping the bobbins with a pick will be very loud.
When bobbins are tapped on with a pick and they are wired wrong the tapping will be loud.

The pickups sound great- both sets. Both of the blade HB's react the same to tapping on them.

I agree Terry- I will figure it out. I'm certain now that an obvious reason is not known for this problem and troubleshooting is required. Thanks.

[Stratz]

Terry, how do you mount the blade bobbin to the nickel base plates?
There are no matching screw holes as far as I can tell.

[Jason Rodgers]

Here's some pics of my Micro-phonics, Hum canceling test set.
It amounts to a jack with alligator clips.
That way you can hook your pickup to the amp and see what level of micro-phonics, noise, and hum canceling you have.
Keep a known good pickup nearby to compare to.
I move the pickup around in front of the amp, to check for noise, hum, and micro-phonics.
IME you will find the most noise and micro-phonics, when you get the pickup near the Power Transformer in a tube amp.
Compare a hum-bucker with a single coil, and you can see how well the hum-bucker really does cut back hum.
I tap a piece of steel on each pole piece, I tap on the pickup to test the potting for unusual noise.
This test removes all other elements of the guitar, just raw pickup, to raw amp!
I do this with all pickups that I sell or ship, this is the next best thing to mounting the pickup in the guitar or bass.
Also I included a pic of my Hybrid blade.
The Hy-blade is several years old and has been used a lot, so it don't look new.
T

No comment on the topic at hand, but I saw your Hybrids and got excited: I have two sets that look like this under the hood, except I put slugs in the white bobbin. Ceramic on the blade and neos on the slugs. I'm super excited to put them in a couple guitars that should be finished up in the next month or so. I plan to wire them up with a Super 5 switch so I can isolate the blades and slugs in humbucking with neck+bridge. Glad you've had success with them!

[big_teee]

My old HyBlade was built before they had all the parts available, that they have now.
I bought the bobbin and blade from Guitar Pars USA, before big Mo had them.
I built mine on a regular 50mm baseplate, and I drilled additional holes to mount the blade bobbin.
I also used a regular A8 bar magnet, and put a piece of guitar string between the blade and the magnet edge to make it a tight fit.
I used to do tons of tinkering, I still do, but most of it is on bass pickups right now.
T