Pickup Bobbin Height and Treble Response

[Brian W.]

With everything else being equal [magnet type, wire type, bobbin construction, DCR, etc] what effect does the height of the bobbin have on the treble response of Strat and Tele. pickups? [of course this also would mean taller magnets] Does the taller coil subtract low end??
Thanx!

[max oersted]

Bobbin construction can't be "equal" if the interior wind area is increased. Same amount of turns into a taller internal area makes for a coil that is more spread out. .450 to .500 in your case, per your recent Strat builds: slightly brighter, mid frequencies shifted upward slightly, slightly less inductance. I hope this is helpful. Keep going and experimenting! Fun stuff, right?! Wind, install, play, listen. You may have some special wind technique or other thing that changes the outcome so TRY IT ALL! Find out what sounds good to you, for you, in the way that you do it. Also, if you dig around in the archives and in the current forum too you'll find answers to these basic questions along with plenty of other helpful tidbits too.

[Brian W.]

I'm building the bobbins myself from magnets and flats [and wire]. The only difference is the taller magnets. I figured the taller coils would take a bit of the bass frequencies out of the neck pickup. Yes Max, helpful indeed! Thank you!
Of course, since I am hand winding the wire each coil will be a bit different ......so that would also affect the sound.

[max oersted]

It won't take it out as much as it will shift it, likely upward. This may or may not be what you want to hear. Only one way to find out! Good luck.

[Brian W.]

One of my goals with Strats and Teles is to work out a [predictable] method of having the bridge pickup make friends with the neck pickup. The use of a taller- then- stock bobbin [magnets] for the neck pickup and a bridge pickup that's over-wound to a certain degree with the right magnets is what I'm working on now. Of course each guitar sounds different so I must allow a degree of flexibility with the pickups' construction in order to work for me. In the past the supposed solution was to have fewer windings on the neck pickup but now I'm considering the actual height of the bobbin.

[Helmholtz]

Coil shape should have little influence on a PU's frequency response. I can't detect/hear a tonal difference between taller or wider coils having the same turns number. But shorter and wider coils give more output.
The most effective way to increase treble response is less turns.

[big_teee]

Same amount of turns into a taller internal area makes for a coil that is more spread out.

I agree, a taller narrower coil will be brighter than a shorter fatter coil.
It also has to do with what type of music, I've not heard you mention that.
Rock and blues players, usually want a fatter sound.
Country players want a bright and twangy sound.
It is hard to do both.
Also how do you wire your strat.
Do you put a tone control on the bridge, and neck.
Or like original tone control on neck and middle.
I keep the bridge pickkup height to .435 or less, middle .435, and .440 - .450 or so for neck.
I don't get any taller than that, and the covers still fit nicely.
Like mentioned you will have to experiment to get your individual preference!
T

[Brian W.]

I'm mostly a rock & blues player. Of course "rock" can span Motorhead to Duane Eddy to Little Richard for me.
It's mostly about getting a good balance amongst the pickups [bridge to neck]. I have 3 Strats and also other guitars that I use depending on the job. Strats are usually wired with no tone control and I use the bridge pickup a lot of the time.

[big_teee]

Strats are usually wired with no tone control and I use the bridge pickup a lot of the time.

When you say strats are usually wired with no tone control?
Are you referring to the bridge having no tone, or all three pickups having no tone?
Strat one volume, two tones?
Strat one volume, no tones?
How about some pictures of what your dealing with?
T

[Brian W.]

When you say strats are usually wired with no tone control?
Are you referring to the bridge having no tone, or all three pickups having no tone?
Strat one volume, two tones?
Strat one volume, no tones?
How about some pictures of what your dealing with?
T

All 3 pickups have no tone control. I prefer the middle and neck pickups "tone free". I think one of my Strats has the bridge pickup wired to the tone control, though. Maybe I should have said "My Strats are wired with no tone controls"

[Leo_Gnardo]

All 3 pickups have no tone control. I prefer the middle and neck pickups "tone free". I think one of my Strats has the bridge pickup wired to the tone control, though. Maybe I should have said "My Strats are wired with no tone controls"

You can select which pickups are affected by tone controls by arranging bridges - short jumper wires - on the selector switch.

[Brian W.]

You can select which pickups are affected by tone controls by arranging bridges - short jumper wires - on the selector switch.

Thanx but I prefer no tone control. I set the overall volume and tone from the amp and turn the guitar volume down for dynamics.

[big_teee]

Maybe I should have said "My Strats are wired with no tone controls"

Yes, we need to know what you are playing, if you want us to be objective about tone.
So your Strats are far from standard.
One Volume, no tone.
Pickup height is .500 with A5 magnets.
Using 41 SP .0030" in diameter.
Volume Pot value? 250 or 500K?
Sounds like a very bright setup.
I have no clue what that guitar would sound like.
I don't make anything like that!
Maybe someone else has some input.
GL,
T

[Brian W.]

Yes, we need to know what you are playing, if you want us to be objective about tone.
So your Strats are far from standard.
One Volume, no tone.
Pickup height is .500 with A5 magnets.
Using 41 SP .0030" in diameter.
Volume Pot value? 250 or 500K?
Sounds like a very bright setup.
I have no clue what that guitar would sound like.
I don't make anything like that!
Maybe someone else has some input.
GL,
T

The 41G with A5 magnets is still in the demo stage. May be good for a "clean" Strat.
I'm also happy with 42G Formvar for the louder stuff. I've always liked the early 60's Strats with Formvar. I'm trying out Alnico 4 magnets to cut down on bridge pickup treble......so far I like them. I most always use 250K volume pots in Strats and Teles.

[big_teee]

A copy of this thread has been moved to Pickup Theory.
https://music-electronics-forum.com/...ad.php?t=51079