Magnets & Copper Wire: A Pickup Building Thread

[Matt Liebenau]

Hey TB Pickup thread! I’m a very, very amateur luthier who recently completed a Grabber that looks pretty good. I need a Grabber pickup though. Anyone with any knowledge or could make one, that would be great!

My understanding of the TB rules is that builders aren’t supposed to solicit work on the forum. My suggestion would be to look at some of the work on here and the websites for the folks that have them and directly contact the one who seems to make pickups closest to what you want. @Freekmagnet and @slowburnaz have cool pickups but not Gibson style ones that I’ve seen.


Failing that Sentell makes good pickups and his custom options are, or were at least, affordable.

https://www.sentellpickups.net/

 

[rysker6]

My understanding of the TB rules is that builders aren’t supposed to solicit work on the forum. My suggestion would be to look at some of the work on here and the websites for the folks that have them and directly contact the one who seems to make pickups closest to what you want. @Freekmagnet and @slowburnaz have cool pickups but not Gibson style ones that I’ve seen.


Failing that Sentell makes good pickups and his custom options are, or were at least, affordable.

https://www.sentellpickups.net/

Post withdrawn. Deeply apologize for breaking the rules.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Post withdrawn. Deeply apologize for breaking the rules.

I’m fine with it. You’re naturally still welcome to browse about and contact some of the builders.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Or, ya'know, learn to make your own. Kinda the core mission of the LC.

 

[13ghosts]

That's hilarious and ingenious! You really need to show that over on the pickup making thread, for everyone's enjoyment.

...here we go...

More ridiculous than hilarious and ingenious.

A little background on how I came up with this. I used to make music 30 years ago and was wondering what to do with the old stuff. After fixing up my amp to sell, I decided against selling it and bought more stuff. Well...

Then by chance I saw the well-known video by Jim Lill which inspired me to build my first bass where I could easily change and move the pickups. The logical consequence of this were multi-cool pickups that can be moved separately for each string. A first attempt was a little too ambitious and far-fetched (midi-controlled pickups, mounted on motorfaders, in German but with some videos). I then asked some pickup manufacturers about more conventional multi-coil pickups but they didn't want to - for whatever reason. Then came this incredible machine. A proof of concept. I wound almost 20 pickups with it - with almost no failures. But it's too slow.

Now I've started to build a slightly more stable and automated version because I'd like to experiment more. Unfortunately I don't have any good photos at the moment

Here are a few pictures of my WBO24 entry, for which I need 8 - 12 pickups that can be moved individually.

If there are pickup specific updates I can share them here as well.

Cheers

 

[Honkey tonk]

That is A , pretty cool design...
Having ability to adjust height would be big. are those shims?


Be Intresting to blend pole pieces say like, A2 and A5 on the same single pickup

Tonal Properties of Guitar Pickup Magnets -

 

[13ghosts]

That is A , pretty cool design...

Be Intresting to blend pole pieces say like, A2 and A5 on the same single pickup
Having ability to adjust height would be big. are those shims?

Thanks!
Yes, I am still experimenting with different options to adjust the height. Here is one (with and without an additional base plate) version:

The number of windings is also interesting. I'm currently using two pickups with 4 coils each and 42 AWG wire.

The neck pickup has 12,000 (G), 13,000 (D), 14,000 (A) and 15,000 (E) windings. The bridge pickup has 14,000 windings each. That's quite a lot, but I like the sound very much. However, I will do further tests when the new winding machine is ready. What winding numbers do you use for multi-coils?

 

[Verne Andru]

Thanks!
Yes, I am still experimenting with different options to adjust the height. Here is one (with and without an additional base plate) version:

View attachment 5341512

The number of windings is also interesting. I'm currently using two pickups with 4 coils each and 42 AWG wire.

View attachment 5341513

The neck pickup has 12,000 (G), 13,000 (D), 14,000 (A) and 15,000 (E) windings. The bridge pickup has 14,000 windings each. That's quite a lot, but I like the sound very much. However, I will do further tests when the new winding machine is ready. What winding numbers do you use for multi-coils?

It looks ingenious but I'm curious how you are going to solve the problem of keeping electrical contacts solid. I worked in repairs back in the day and that looks like a lot of exposed contact points that will be subject to damage, dirt, exposure, and etc.

 

[Freekmagnet]

...here we go...

View attachment 5341478

More ridiculous than hilarious and ingenious.

A little background on how I came up with this. I used to make music 30 years ago and was wondering what to do with the old stuff. After fixing up my amp to sell, I decided against selling it and bought more stuff. Well...

Then by chance I saw the well-known video by Jim Lill which inspired me to build my first bass where I could easily change and move the pickups. The logical consequence of this were multi-cool pickups that can be moved separately for each string. A first attempt was a little too ambitious and far-fetched (midi-controlled pickups, mounted on motorfaders, in German but with some videos). I then asked some pickup manufacturers about more conventional multi-coil pickups but they didn't want to - for whatever reason. Then came this incredible machine. A proof of concept. I wound almost 20 pickups with it - with almost no failures. But it's too slow.

Now I've started to build a slightly more stable and automated version because I'd like to experiment more. Unfortunately I don't have any good photos at the moment

View attachment 5341482

Here are a few pictures of my WBO24 entry, for which I need 8 - 12 pickups that can be moved individually.
View attachment 5341483

View attachment 5341480

View attachment 5341481

View attachment 5341479
If there are pickup specific updates I can share them here as well.

Cheers

Haha Legos are the gateway drug of engineering.

 

[13ghosts]

It looks ingenious but I'm curious how you are going to solve the problem of keeping electrical contacts solid. I worked in repairs back in the day and that looks like a lot of exposed contact points that will be subject to damage, dirt, exposure, and etc.

Thanks, good point!
Here I will use 0.1 pin headers on the pickup, shrink tube and thin and flexible silicone cable. I don't think the load will be extremely high because the pickups are certainly not moved back and forth 100 times a day. But it is certainly a point to consider and observe. I'll show photos when I've finished the assembly.

 

[13ghosts]

Haha Legos are the gateway drug of engineering.

Yes, especially when you have a son and the stuff is lying around everywhere

 

[Verne Andru]

Thanks, good point!
Here I will use 0.1 pin headers on the pickup, shrink tube and thin and flexible silicone cable. I don't think the load will be extremely high because the pickups are certainly not moved back and forth 100 times a day. But it is certainly a point to consider and observe. I'll show photos when I've finished the assembly.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops. Any chance of having separate pickup outputs?

 

[13ghosts]

I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops. Any chance of having separate pickup outputs?

This is definitely a goal, or was even the first goal when I started with the multicoils. I still have a few questions and not enough time at the moment, but already some ideas. So first I'll finish the bass with some standard circuit and then add the separate outputs.

 

[rysker6]

Or, ya'know, learn to make your own. Kinda the core mission of the LC.

I hope you have the best day you can

 

[Derek Kay]

What a wonderful thread, Good work.
Can't read it all.

Some thoughts

Magnet Pole Heights
MusicMan used to have staggered pole heights. I found that useful to get a useful balance of string output. Is that still common?
And old soapbar PUs had adjustable pole pieces. Do they help much?

Shielding Passive Basses
Instead of shielding cavities, I shielded my Fender P split coils individually with a brass strip around the windings, and plates top (with holes for poles) and bottom, all earthed. Let's not go epoxy until this is considered.

The internal wiring (PUs-controls-output) was done with coaxial cable to complete the shielding. That improvement was so significant I can't believe passive PUs are still being wired unshielded according to standard tradition.

With an more even output, and with it so quiet, I could drive the gain higher and get better presence with the same volume. The headphone sound said it all. Playing live became more like using a active bass. Cleaner with the same comfortable bottom end.

Apologies if I've entered the topic at an inappropriate time or level, but it seems to have restarted.

 

[NKBassman]

Just out of curiosity, are there any "off the shelf" pickup winding machines out there? Mostly just a curiosity at this time, but I figured I'd ask the question.

 

[Jeff Siddall]

Just out of curiosity, are there any "off the shelf" pickup winding machines out there? Mostly just a curiosity at this time, but I figured I'd ask the question.

Yes, ex: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Just out of curiosity, are there any "off the shelf" pickup winding machines out there? Mostly just a curiosity at this time, but I figured I'd ask the question.

Yeah, there are. But they are mostly just a simple motor driven spindle with a digital turn counter. Okay for a repair shop to do occasional rewinds, by hand. But tedious and clumsy for making any quantity of coils. And they are fairly expensive, as compared to what you can build for yourself. Way back in the first few pages of this thread, you can see some great examples of simple homebuilt pickup winders that folks here on Luthier's Corner have made.

Edit: Yes, the Schatten that Jeff points to is a good example of what's available. It's a motorized spindle with a counter......for $500.

 

[Verne Andru]

Didn't a number of old sewing machines get a new life winding pickups? Used to be able to get them for next to nothing but would imagine they're a bit scarce these days.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Didn't a number of old sewing machines get a new life winding pickups? Used to be able to get them for next to nothing but would imagine they're a bit scarce these days.

Not so much the sewing machines, but their electric motors. You can buy import replacement sewing machine motors for cheap, and they work well for pickup winders.