check out this coil winder. seems to work well.

[Mystic]

CNCDudez Production CNC Coil Winder MK1-Winding a Guitar Pickup Coil - YouTube

[the great waldo]

Hi Mystic

That's my one you're looking at, Sean made it a bit smaller for me as I'm a bit stuck for space.(I think the full size one which is not that much bigger would have worked for me as well as the machine is not so big) It works very well and with the new addon pendant hand guided patterns can be reproduced as well. I have been very impressed with the capabilities of this machine and the service time and effort that Sean and some of the forum members (Rewind?) have put into this project. All in all a worthwhile purchase.

Ps. I do'nt have anything to to with cncdudez apart from buying the machine.

Cheers

Andrew

[Mystic]

I found it while looking at cnc routers. Just about everything is made with 80/20 now. I work in a factory and we use it for everything.

[rhgwynn]

It certainly looks like a nice machine, and should work well if you want to make PAF-style humbuckers. I think you'll be a bit disappointed trying to reproduce a handwound sound though. There is so so much that varies during the handwound execution; tension, traverse distance, traverse speed, where you are traversing, winding speed, traverse pattern, it goes on. You can't do it on a machine. You may be able to reverse engineer a turn-for-turn pattern, but you can never reverse engineer the winder. You'll never know how fast or how tight it was wound - which greatly affects the outcome, as 42 and be as thin as 43 or smaller going around the turns if you wind it tight enough. Convince me how they will be any different than a GFS or Dragonfire, which are CNC wound in Korea; because I cant imagine it turning out otherwise.

-Rob

[kayakerca]

Hi Mystic

That's my one you're looking at, Sean made it a bit smaller for me as I'm a bit stuck for space.(I think the full size one which is not that much bigger would have worked for me as well as the machine is not so big) It works very well and with the new addon pendant hand guided patterns can be reproduced as well. I have been very impressed with the capabilities of this machine and the service time and effort that Sean and some of the forum members (Rewind?) have put into this project. All in all a worthwhile purchase.

Ps. I do'nt have anything to to with cncdudez apart from buying the machine.

Cheers

Andrew

Is it really £1,500? (or as Roger D. would put it. . . "1,500 English Pounds"?)

[kayakerca]

It certainly looks like a nice machine, and should work well if you want to make PAF-style humbuckers. I think you'll be a bit disappointed trying to reproduce a handwound sound though. There is so so much that varies during the handwound execution; tension, traverse distance, traverse speed, where you are traversing, winding speed, traverse pattern, it goes on. You can't do it on a machine. You may be able to reverse engineer a turn-for-turn pattern, but you can never reverse engineer the winder. You'll never know how fast or how tight it was wound - which greatly affects the outcome, as 42 and be as thin as 43 or smaller going around the turns if you wind it tight enough. Convince me how they will be any different than a GFS or Dragonfire, which are CNC wound in Korea; because I cant imagine it turning out otherwise.

-Rob

Reference to this unit has been around the forum for a bit. But, if you want to Hand Guide with it, you just add a wire guide (like on a Schatten) to the front and away you go! There is probably nothing this rig isn't capable of. Oh, cause it's pretty much like my CNC winder build. And when Steve gets finished his Open Source winder program. . . Well. . . Oorah!

I am a little curious as to why they ramp up and down on each traverse unless there is just way too much backlash in that lead screw.

[David Schwab]

It certainly looks like a nice machine, and should work well if you want to make PAF-style humbuckers. I think you'll be a bit disappointed trying to reproduce a handwound sound though. There is so so much that varies during the handwound execution; tension, traverse distance, traverse speed, where you are traversing, winding speed, traverse pattern, it goes on. You can't do it on a machine. You may be able to reverse engineer a turn-for-turn pattern, but you can never reverse engineer the winder. You'll never know how fast or how tight it was wound - which greatly affects the outcome, as 42 and be as thin as 43 or smaller going around the turns if you wind it tight enough. Convince me how they will be any different than a GFS or Dragonfire, which are CNC wound in Korea; because I cant imagine it turning out otherwise.

-Rob

I don't agree with that. If all those factors made a big difference, then every pickup you wound would sound totally different. But they don't. And there is no way you can accurately repeat all those parameters when hand winding. You probably can't even get close. But I bet all your pickups sound alike, right?

There are a lot of pickups on the market that sound great and are machine wound, and they sound better than GFS, etc. It's not the tool you use, it's how you use it. For example, why is it OK to machine wind a humbucker but not a single coil?

You find a wind that works, and then you repeat that for every pickup.

[ReWind]

I have been very impressed with the capabilities of this machine and the service time and effort that Sean and some of the forum members (Rewind?) have put into this project.

I know nothing of this machine you speak of.



I did work with Sean on a custom winder, which is based on the same software as the ones shown in the videos, yes. Mine is a different machine though, in all fairness. I can't take any credit for his original design shown in the OP. That's Sean's baby. He's truly an innovative, amazingly fast, and service oriented guy. Nothing but good things to say about the man!

Here's another little project he's been working on for it. In fact, I think these "pendents" are actually in production now and look much more refined. There's another video somewhere.

btw - the ramping per layer is optional. It's useful for other types of coils that use heavier gauge wire than pickups. Every feature in the software is optional. Ramping at start/finish only is probably a more practical option for most pickup coils, and it's available. There is a really nice GUI for easily setting up coil winds with all the common parameters and saving them. Then they appear in a drop down menu to load again later. You can also enter these parameters into a CSV file, if you're handy with spreadsheets, and they will appear in the dropdown. The GUI also has a tab if you want to write commands directly in code, and that tab offers a number of buttons and functions to help generate scripts which make that "advanced" programming actually quite simple. There is no function of the machine that the user doesn't have FULL control over via a very clean and well laid out software interface. A dedicated PC is essentially required to run this though, as it communicates over USB and has a significant flow of bi-directional data.

If you guys have any questions, just email Sean. He always responds immediately. I don't think he sleeps.

[the great waldo]

[QUOTE=ReWind;296167]I know nothing of this machine you speak of.



I did work with Sean on a custom winder,

Hi Rewind

You've got me curious, I might shoot Sean a line to see what he's been doing behind my back
Cheers
Andrew

[the great waldo]

Hi David

The reason I bought the machine was to be able to reproduce winding patterns accurately, be it hand guided patterns (with the pendant) or normal tpl even windings. I have made plenty of great sounding hand guided pickups with a few lemons in between. The nice thing about the winder is that it's able to accurately repeat windings. I'm still in the process of learning all this stuff and am looking for a straight forward way to accurately measure a pickup so that I can get an idea of what changes in winding patterns make to the sound along with all the other variables that need to be taken into account. I make and repair guitars for a living and pickup making is a bit of fun and an extra sideline. I sometimes find it a bit sad that some boutique pickup makers seem to think that their paf pickups will make your guitar sound like Eric on the Bluesbreakers without taking into account the wood and guitar and player (marketing hype maybe ?) I still wind by hand sometimes and enjoy doing it, but i wouldn't want to spend a day hand winding (better things to do) If I can avoid it. I think you've nailed it with you're last comment

You find a wind that works, and then you repeat that for every pickup.

Although pickups do sound different in different guitars. So not everything is written in stone.

Cheers for now

Andrew

[ReWind]

Andrew, download the new firmware/software that Sean just posted, Monday. We went back and forth on it all weekend testing. Absolutely a critical update in my opinion.

[rhgwynn]

For example, why is it OK to machine wind a humbucker but not a single coil?

It is my understanding (from Throbak?) that machine wound is an integral component to the "vintage PAF sound". And it is also my understanding, that the pattern-less approach of scatter-winding is an integral part of the classic single-coil sound.

Of course, anyone can do as they wish, and machine-wind as many SCs as they want; but they may not get the sound they are looking for. It's the very fact that it's nearly impossible to reproduce every variable that give's SC's their individuality, and sparkle. But once you start machining them, you're making clones. My approach is more individualistic. And I make every pickup unique, with a mindful focus of energy put into the work, to make something that is a one and only, made just for the player who requested it. Maybe that's all a bunch of hooey to some of you, but it's just a part of my way of life. I believe that part of the sparkle comes from the spirit of the winder.

-Rob

[big_teee]

It is my understanding (from Throbak?) that machine wound is an integral component to the "vintage PAF sound". And it is also my understanding, that the pattern-less approach of scatter-winding is an integral part of the classic single-coil sound.

Of course, anyone can do as they wish, and machine-wind as many SCs as they want; but they may not get the sound they are looking for. It's the very fact that it's nearly impossible to reproduce every variable that give's SC's their individuality, and sparkle. But once you start machining them, you're making clones. My approach is more individualistic. And I make every pickup unique, with a mindful focus of energy put into the work, to make something that is a one and only, made just for the player who requested it. Maybe that's all a bunch of hooey to some of you, but it's just a part of my way of life. I believe that part of the sparkle comes from the spirit of the winder.

-Rob

Sorry, but your misinformed.
Lots of CBS pickups were machine wound.
A lot of what your hearing about scatter winding is Hype.
Hand winding is valid, but Scatter winding is not always a desireable trait!
Welcome back, I guess they finally let you out of rehab? Just Kidding!
T

[rhgwynn]

Sorry, but your misinformed.
Lots of CBS pickups were machine wound.
A lot of what your hearing about scatter winding is Hype.
Hand winding is valid, but Scatter winding is not always a desireable trait!
Welcome back, I guess they finally let you out of rehab? Just Kidding!
T

I had to bust out, my addiction to winding was just too much to kick! I was referring to pre-cbs though. Scatterwinding isnt really what most people think of when they hear the word anyway. The reason I defined it as being plainly patternless.

-Rob

[the great waldo]

Hi James

Yes I already have. I haven't had any time to check it through. I don't know if your'e using the pendant yet. I suggested to Sean that a stop box might be useful on the record function. Best we keep the technical stuff on the dudez site.

Cheers

Andrew