Pickup covers

9353748080?profile=originalI love brass all nice and shiny.  Here is a completed prototype of my version of the Thin Pickup.  This is one of a few sizes I ended up designing.  This one is wide enough for a 6 string and measure in at slightly over 1/4" thick.  For my typical builds, it is not a problem mounting this on right on top of the box.  Like this one.

9353748495?profile=originalThe bobbin is notched out so that the lead wire can be run through a small hole at the bottom corner of the pickup. A better detail is below.

9353748277?profile=originalI started with sheet brass that I picked up at the hardware store.  I got two thicknesses .010 and .016

9353749457?profile=originalThere is an advantage to using the .010.  If you don't have a bender or good strait metal shears, the thin brass is easy to cut on a paper cutter or even heavy duty scissors. I used a paper cutter for the thin stuff and a pair of strait sheet metal shears for the thicker material.  I use the same paper cutter to cut the fiberboard I use to make the pickup bobbins.

9353749095?profile=originalI have found that if you are going to do something over and over again, the thing that helps best is a pattern.  I like to draw everything out so that I can print as many as I need.

9353750083?profile=originalThe other tip I have is my use of Elmer's repostitionable glue.  It's like post it note glue.  Sticks to the piece while I lay it out then peels right off.  This is the .016 brass so its the tin snips to cut this one out.

9353750469?profile=originalCut then bend.  I used to use a variety of pliers, vise and jigs to perform my bending tasks but recently picked up this Grizzly 12" pan and box brake.  Very handy indeed.  Now I get nice crisp edges to my bending work.

9353751058?profile=originalOne more bend and this one is ready for clean up and polishing.

9353750873?profile=originalThe Nickel Silver I ordered isn't going to be in till next week so I had to make all the prototype covers in Brass.  I'll post an Album on my profile page once I get the Nickel done and install a few into some instruments.

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Comments

  • very awesomely suductively amazingly homemade coolness!
  • That turned out real nice!
  • That is traditional plastic binding stock from Stew Mac.  You can find cheaper on Ebay but the quality make working with it a pain.  Well worth the small premium to get square edge cut binding from SM.

     

  • yeah man, pimpin..
    whats the binding material on your fingerboard there? real nice
  • Awesome work.

     

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