Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on April 3, 2017 at 9:59am

Magnets for pickups have to be just the right strength, too strong and they will pull too hard on the strings, too weak and they will result in a weak pickup. 

Pickup magnets can be had for cheap these days and they're all over the internet. Mojotone.com  - Stewmac.com sell the Alnico and Ceramic types and there's plenty of Neodymium magnet suppliers.

Do some research on them to make the right decision.

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Permalink Reply by JL on April 12, 2017 at 4:22am

Do you mean too narrow (diameter of the circle) or too thin (height of the cylinder)?

lids from Chinese take-out soup ought to have plenty of flat real-estate for the disks, lots of how-to/how-it-works/history-of-gits videos show that even a hundred turns will produce enough volume for an amp to do something with.

Can't wait to hear the results.

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Permalink Reply by Andy Busch on April 12, 2017 at 5:42am

Thanks for your post, JL.  I'm referring to its height--too thin.  But...it sounds like you're encouraging me to use take-out lids and give it a shot.  OK then!

One more Q:  Specifically what copper wire should I buy--what gauge?  I saw spools of copper wire at Lowe's (LOVE Lowe's--a CBG builder's playground!) but I'm guessing that's too thick.

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on April 12, 2017 at 10:21am

Most likely the wire at Lowes is too thick,pup wire used in commercial pick ups is very fine, around 42 gauge, you can use thicker of course, and get good results, but as to how many winds, that varies with thickness and tone you are trying to get

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 12, 2017 at 8:05pm

In-duc-tion pup: one or more ( say, three) Neodymium disk magnets, side by side, or a thin bar magnet, surrounded by ONE loop of 6 gauge copper wire, with one leg of that run through the center hole of an AS-104 mini transformer. The magnets can be held in the center of the copper loop by wrapping them in with black electrical tape wrapped around both them and the copper loop. Can get everything but the transformer at Lowes.

You get a very flat form factor. I'd point you to the 90+ page DIY thread on these here at CBN, but it got removed when its originator deleted his account. Check with turtlehead for his video of one he built.

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Permalink Reply by Moritz Voegeli on April 13, 2017 at 1:38am

turtlehead's videos on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgCEzGvBElg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F4SBlQqQAM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH-rxzURxNo

his photos:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/low-z-pickup?context=user#!/pho...

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/low-z-pickup?context=user#!/pho...

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/low-z-pickup?context=user#!/pho...

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 13, 2017 at 3:14am

Thanks, Moritz!

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Permalink Reply by JL on April 13, 2017 at 12:46am

Yes I am.  or plastic coffee lids  from smaller tins or the lids on pre-boxed lunchmeat, or other that is big enough to cut down.

One hint,  do not 'coil' it on, spool it on.  coiling twists the wire, you want the pickup to spin to take on wire and you want the source wire to spin to feed it.

Ever hand-wind the trimmer string on your edger and get frustrated it starts twisting itself into tight loops between the spool and your winding hand?

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