Hum - Stack Coil Questions

[Velikaneca]

Hey guys!

So I am in the process of building a custom guitar and I had the genius idea to make everything custom including the pickups. I tried the whole "winding your pickups with a drill" and after failing like 50 times I set the pickup winding process aside. I couldn't give it up all together since I already routed the the custom sized pickup cavities Buying pickups at this point was not an option. Fast forward I made a pickup winder with the great help of my friends shown below:



I am about to start winding my pickups which are as follows humbucker bridge and a stack coil neck pickup. I intend to have a coil split on either of the pickups with a push/pull pot such that the mid position on the 3 way switch would activate a single coil of each pick while retaining the humbucking effect. Having the switch on either the neck or bridge pickup along the coil split would give true a single coil experience. My custom bobbins have the following dimensions:

I got alnico 5s poles for the stack and a ceramic magnet for the humbucker and I got enameled copper wire 42AWG.



I got the stacked coil part according to this model:
I go the metal plate and everything.



SO.... I was intending to get some high gain metal sounding guitar with a versatile twist, hence the splittable stacked single coil.

I was hoping you guys can give me advice about the number of turns and approximate resistance I have to get to attain this metal/versatile pickups.
The other thing is I couldn't find info about matching a humbucker with a stacked coil as it is a rather uncommon configuration.

As a starting point I have a failed attempt of the stack where I wound ~9000 turns on the and that did not give a resistance reading however, through pointlessly complicated calculations, i concluded that 9000 turns on one of the coils of the stack should give approximately 7.96 kOhm and 9K turn on the hum coil should give about 8.45 kOhms

Can you guys help me, given the materials I have, get a high gain/metal humbucker with a stacked coil to make a good match or at least come close to this?

Thank you in advance!

[big_teee]

The bobbin turns can be calculated.
This is a typical 7 string bobbin. (see below).
To calculate your custom bobbins, I need the length, width, height, flange.
I need those dimensions in inches, like the bobbin shown below.
As far as the stacked design you show, I'm not familiar with that design.
I can also calculate that bobbin with dimensions in inches.

For new winders, I always recommend starting with something simple, like a strat single coil.
My wife who has taught sewing, recommends starting with a napkin, handkerchief, or a pot holder, not a fancy dress or dress shirt.
GL,
T
** If anyone has any input or ideas, please feel free to jump in!

[Velikaneca]

The bobbin turns can be calculated.
This is a typical 7 string bobbin. (see below).
To calculate your custom bobbins, I need the length, width, height, flange.
I need those dimensions in inches, like the bobbin shown below.
As far as the stacked design you show, I'm not familiar with that design.
I can also calculate that bobbin with dimensions in inches.

For new winders, I always recommend starting with something simple, like a strat single coil.
My wife who has taught sewing, recommends starting with a napkin, handkerchief, or a pot holder, not a fancy dress or dress shirt.
GL,
T
** If anyone has any input or ideas, please feel free to jump in!

Hey T, here's the sketch with dimensions in inches, I should have thought you guys would need them.




About the humbucker, I was thinking of replicating an existing humbucker, as much as my limited knowledge allows me (making it with the same DC resistance ). This is what I stopped at:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup...=5d1e783b818b2

DCR: 16.7 kOhm
ceramic magnet

What would go along well with such a humbucker?
What number of turns and DCR should I be aiming for?

According to my calculation 8900 turns per bobbin for the humbucker should amount to 16.7 kOhm, given that they are connected in series.

[big_teee]

I don't see the bobbin height.
The bobbin height is the area between the flange flats.
usually ranging from .25-.5 inches.
L, W, H, Flange
T

[Velikaneca]

Oh sorry!
Humbucker bobbin height is 11mm (0.433in)
Stack bobbin height is 9mm (0.354in)

[big_teee]

First the Humbucker.
You should be able to go up to 9000 turns, on these, maybe a bit more.
Here are two different examples.
If you see any errors, let me know.
T

[big_teee]

Here's calculations of the stacked neck pickup.
Max somewhere around 9000 turns.

On your coils that read no resistance, you must have a broke wire.
T

[Guitarfix]

Hey guys!

So I am in the process of building a custom guitar and I had the genius idea to make everything custom including the pickups. I tried the whole "winding your pickups with a drill" and after failing like 50 times I set the pickup winding process aside. I couldn't give it up all together since I already routed the the custom sized pickup cavities Buying pickups at this point was not an option. Fast forward I made a pickup winder with the great help of my friends shown below:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]54185[/ATTACH]

That is a pretty cool looking winder Do you have any details about the construction/parts used?

[big_teee]

That is a pretty cool looking winder Do you have any details about the construction/parts used?

I'm interested also, but that would need to go in a new thread here.
https://music-electronics-forum.com/...splay.php?f=18
Thanks,
T

[Velikaneca]

Thank you T,

I decided that I will go with the following resistances:

16.7 kOhm for the humbucker (8.35 kOhm per coil) as we discussed.

13.4 for the stacked pickup (6.7 kOhm per coil) this way I would have the same resistance ratio as other pickup sets have and having tapped the stack I would get a 6.7 kOhm true single coil which is pretty close to a classic strat.

Big T could you make one last calculation, if it not too much to ask? For a 6.7 kOhm winding for the neck.

Thank you for the great help and compliments for my winder. I will make a thread soon and elaborate on the build.

[big_teee]

Here you go.

A typical Strat 6 string neck Single Coil, has around 7800-7900 turns, and reads around 5.8-5.9k dcr.
Your pickup will be 7200-7400 turns, per bobbin, due to the length, and height of the bobbin.

As far as terminology?
If you have a two bobbin pickup, and are switching to one coil?
That is called split, or splitting a pickup.
A tapped coil is when you wind a coil, install a tap, then wind over the tap?
When switched you have one or both coils on the same bobbin.
Be sure and split to the top coil, your two coils will sound different, and the top one will usually be the loudest.
You will have to get the polarity, and wind direction of the two coils correct.
If winding directly over the magnets, without a plastic bobbin?
Be sure and tape the magnets, or severely dip the bobbins in lacquer, or similar product.
Or the coils will short out, or cut the wire, and read either open, or shorted.

Another thing to consider on the estimating a coil, is wire size, and ohms per foot.
You will notice the size of the wire at the bottom of the estimator.
If your wire is larger, and less ohms per foot, then that amount of turns will read less resistance.
If the wire is smaller, and reads more ohms per foor, the same amount of turns will read higher resistance.
So mic your wire if you have that capability?
You will need a one inch or similar micrometer for that, not a dial caliper.
GL,
T