Stacked Single-Coil Pickup - Charlie Christian Style

[archtopguy]

Thanks Terry. Yes, I now realise it's not that straight forward! I would love to know why it doesn't work though. It's not the end of the world; I might just wind as a single coil and live with a bit of noise. On my first CC pickup I let thin superglue run over the coil every 500 turns instead of wax potting. It let me control the amount of potting and the resulting pickup was not especially noisy.

[archtopguy]

Any humbucker I've made in the past was with both coils wound in the same direction. With the normal placement of the bar magnet, each coil with have a different polarity facing up. I'm finding it hard to visualise the lateral layout of the magnets you suggested - sounds interesting though.

[big_teee]

Another way to make a SC quieter is through shielding.
A good example of this is a Tele Neck pickup in a cover vs. a Strat SC with a plastic cover.
If the Tele covered pickup is properly grounded, it will be quieter than the Strat pickup every time.
So on a CC, use copper foil to cover and ground the pickup.
Also use Shielded Cable, don't use loose wire.
These little things can make a huge difference.
GL,
T

[archtopguy]

Another way to make a SC quieter is through shielding.
A good example of this is a Tele Neck pickup in a cover vs. a Strat SC with a plastic cover.
If the Tele covered pickup is properly grounded, it will be quieter than the Strat pickup every time.
So on a CC, use copper foil to cover and ground the pickup.
Also use Shielded Cable, don't use loose wire.
These little things can make a huge difference.
GL,
T

Actually the pickup on the guitar pic I posted earlier is completely surrounded in copper foil which is also grounded. It made a difference, for sure. However, this still doesn't tell me WHY exactly the current configuration is not hum cancelling!

[big_teee]

If you have it where you can experiment with it?
It may be something with magnet on the bottom and just steel on the top coil.
Can you try a steel blade through the pickup with a magnet on the bottom.
Also try a test putting the magnet on top and the blade on the bottom.
Make sure it is 60hz hum and not RF noise.
Shielding helps with the RF, not the 60hz.
Even humbuckers can pick up lighting, and appliance RF Noises.
Try different amps, and different room locations.
Please let us know what you come up with.
T
** I bet you will figure it out!

[big_teee]

One more thing, then I'll let you be!
Are you using shielded cable to the jack.
And, the most important thing is the bridge and strings grounded.
I've fought issues like this before, when the bridge and strings were not properly grounded.

T

[archtopguy]

One more thing, then I'll let you be!
Are you using shielded cable to the jack.
And, the most important thing is the bridge and strings grounded.
I've fought issues like this before, when the bridge and strings were not properly grounded.

T

You're right, all these things really help with single coils. I tried shielded cable and grounded copper shielding but I still wanted to try and get it quieter if possible, hence I looked into the stacked humbucker option. I'm not a fan of using my body to ground the strings - in some situations where there is potential difference between power sources in a venue, an unhealthy amount of current could pass through you! The Humbucker in my regular gigging guitar doesn't have a string ground and it's perfectly quiet.

[big_teee]

That may be as good as you get it.
A trick I do with pickups.
Take a raw guitar jack and solder a pair of wires with alligator clips.
Then clip the test leads to the raw pickup lead in wire.
Plug it to the amp and wave it in front of the amp.
This does two things, you can test for hum canceling and microphonics.
You will always have some noise, testing like this, but you can compare different pickups and different wiring configurations.
If you have a regular SC, Bucker, and your Stack, you can compare the 3.
I'm out of bullets, GL,
T
**
If anyone else has any Input, or Ideas how to quieten the Stacked pickup, please jump in!

[jack briggs]

It's big alright! If you look at the diagram I posted, there is an eliptical shadow over the side profile of the pickup which indicates the rout. It is 80mmx30mm, so the pickup is put in on its side, then lifted into place to meet the mounting screws. I use rubber piping instead of springs and it's easy enough to instal. The metal blade and pickup cover are attached after the pickup is mounted. The decorative cover will probably be attached with double sided tape while the blade just clicks onto the magnet. I'll attach a pic of the first prototype which is currently installed.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]36396[/ATTACH]

Beauty of an archy there!


cheers,

[Leo_Gnardo]

That may be as good as you get it.
A trick I do with pickups.
Take a raw guitar jack and solder a pair of wires with alligator clips.
Then clip the test leads to the raw pickup lead in wire.
Plug it to the amp and wave it in front of the amp.
This does two things, you can test for hum canceling and microphonics.
You will always have some noise, testing like this, but you can compare different pickups and different wiring configurations.
If you have a regular SC, Bucker, and your Stack, you can compare the 3.
I'm out of bullets, GL,
T
**
If anyone else has any Input, or Ideas, please jump in!

Aw Terry, you're such an empiricist! (note winky eye smiley thing) And I approve 200% ! Better to find out problems before the pickup is mounted in an instrument. I'm gonna have to try this with store-bought pu's my crustomers bring for installation.

Reason I got interested in this, some years back I was given a regular CC-type pickup to install, more or less a copy of the original, with huge U-magnet and all. Sure made it obvious why you never see one in a solid body guitar. So when I saw this stack-HB design you know I just had to pay attention. Possibly with some re design, shorter bobbin f'rinstance, archtopguy you could make one that fits a solid body pickup cutout, and that would be a hit I'm sure. I've been a fan of the stack design since installing some of Seymour's prototypes in a Strat for my employer, early 1980's.

[archtopguy]

Reason I got interested in this, some years back I was given a regular CC-type pickup to install, more or less a copy of the original, with huge U-magnet and all. Sure made it obvious why you never see one in a solid body guitar. So when I saw this stack-HB design you know I just had to pay attention. Possibly with some re design, shorter bobbin f'rinstance, archtopguy you could make one that fits a solid body pickup cutout, and that would be a hit I'm sure. I've been a fan of the stack design since installing some of Seymour's prototypes in a Strat for my employer, early 1980's.

Cool... now tell me how to do it!