Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Randy Webb on January 15, 2010 at 9:10pm

the top and bottom plates of the coil should be non-conductive and unreceptive to magnets...

-----Not Metal------

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Permalink Reply by Skeesix on January 15, 2010 at 11:41pm

Yes, the wire has to be coated, or it will cause a short circuit. The metal bobbin could be problematic too. Like Randy is saying, non-ferrous, non conductive materials such as wood, fiberboard or plastic will work the best.

Skeesix

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Permalink Reply by jim on January 16, 2010 at 7:22pm

realy? ya think , are you serious with this forum post?

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Permalink Reply by Jerryrig240 on January 17, 2010 at 9:09am

Hey, just wondering.....no such thing as a dumb quistion.....My transformer pickups work great with a peice of tin or license plate on top, so I did not think it would be a problem with anything metal on top. But those transformer pickups I make have a plastic bobin that holds the coil. And the wire on them is not coated. That is why I asked....

jim said:

realy? ya think , are you serious with this forum post?

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Permalink Reply by Jerryrig240 on January 17, 2010 at 10:22am

At least I can not tell if it is coated.

Jerryrig240 said:

Hey, just wondering.....no such thing as a dumb quistion.....My transformer pickups work great with a peice of tin or license plate on top, so I did not think it would be a problem with anything metal on top. But those transformer pickups I make have a plastic bobin that holds the coil. And the wire on them is not coated. That is why I asked....

jim said:

realy? ya think , are you serious with this forum post?

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on January 17, 2010 at 11:46am

Jerry,

Inspite of what you saw, things are not always what they seem. A pickup is an electromagnetic that "picks up" changes in the EM field, transforms it into a current that is processed thru the amp. For a magnet wrapped with wire to become and electromagnet, each "coil" needs to be distinct from each other (although in series)... Uncoated wire would "short" across each coil and thus not produce the electromagnet for the pickup to work.

What you may have seen was the very fine wire of the pickup that didn't look "coated" but was indeed coated by a very fine layer of varnish/enamel or like substance. It is often translucent because it is so thin, but never-the-less it is there.

As far as the license plate on top of the pickup, it doesnt defeat the EM field and is not in contact with the pickup directly because the pickup wire is COATED....

Hope this helps,
don't get discouraged.... we all have holes in our knowledge...
the best,

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Randy Webb on January 17, 2010 at 11:51am

Excellent explanation Sam.

Wichita Sam said:

Jerry,

Inspite of what you saw, things are not always what they seem. A pickup is an electromagnetic that "picks up" changes in the EM field, transforms it into a current that is processed thru the amp. For a magnet wrapped with wire to become and electromagnet, each "coil" needs to be distinct from each other (although in series)... Uncoated wire would "short" across each coil and thus not produce the electromagnet for the pickup to work.

What you may have seen was the very fine wire of the pickup that didn't look "coated" but was indeed coated by a very fine layer of varnish/enamel or like substance. It is often translucent because it is so thin, but never-the-less it is there.

As far as the license plate on top of the pickup, it doesnt defeat the EM field and is not in contact with the pickup directly because the pickup wire is COATED....

Hope this helps,
don't get discouraged.... we all have holes in our knowledge...
the best,

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Mama Mojo on January 17, 2010 at 7:08pm

Indeed, excellent explanation, Sam! I even understood what you said.... and that is saying a lot since my brain seems to go blank when I am reading/hearing stuff like this.... Skeesix got me going with winding some of my own, but I haven't completed the project yet. I'm still learning and I am glad that we have a place to ask questions like these and where knowledgeable folks can give good, strait-forward answers (without judgment). Thanks, y'all!!!

Randy Webb said:

Excellent explanation Sam.

Wichita Sam said:

Jerry,

Inspite of what you saw, things are not always what they seem. A pickup is an electromagnetic that "picks up" changes in the EM field, transforms it into a current that is processed thru the amp. For a magnet wrapped with wire to become and electromagnet, each "coil" needs to be distinct from each other (although in series)... Uncoated wire would "short" across each coil and thus not produce the electromagnet for the pickup to work.

What you may have seen was the very fine wire of the pickup that didn't look "coated" but was indeed coated by a very fine layer of varnish/enamel or like substance. It is often translucent because it is so thin, but never-the-less it is there.

As far as the license plate on top of the pickup, it doesnt defeat the EM field and is not in contact with the pickup directly because the pickup wire is COATED....

Hope this helps,
don't get discouraged.... we all have holes in our knowledge...
the best,

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Jerryrig240 on January 17, 2010 at 8:17pm

I thought about all of this, and I was thinking that the wire on my transformer pickups has to be coated, because if not the dc converter would short out. So yes, I am betting that there is a thin layer of enamal or something coating it. I have one bobin of wire out in the shop that looks just like pickup guitar wire, I am thinking of using it for my next diddley bow.,.......I would not say that I had holes in my knowledge on this one, just needed to make things more clear. I knew that real #42 gauge pickup wire was coated, I just could not figure out how my homemade pups were working so well with out being coated, I thought I stumbled across some strange breakthrough if that was the case. ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on January 18, 2010 at 3:42am

Lana said

"I am glad that we have a place to ask questions like these and where knowledgeable folks can give good, strait-forward answers (without judgment). Thanks, y'all"

Yea Lana...

I don't know many people who learn much immediately after being slapped up the side of the head.... I generally save my 2X4 head shots for real "Axxes".... everyone else get the benefit of my (doubtful) knowledge...

the best,

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Jerryrig240 on January 18, 2010 at 8:11am

Funny you mention that, I try to learn as much as I can from everyone I can. You know the saying "Learn something new every day," I try to tripple that, and like one of my friends tell me all the time, "Your brain never shuts down."

Wichita Sam said:

Lana said

"I am glad that we have a place to ask questions like these and where knowledgeable folks can give good, strait-forward answers (without judgment). Thanks, y'all"

Yea Lana...

I don't know many people who learn much immediately after being slapped up the side of the head.... I generally save my 2X4 head shots for real "Axxes".... everyone else get the benefit of my (doubtful) knowledge...

the best,

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Mama Mojo on January 18, 2010 at 3:49pm

Well said, Sam and Jerry!

Speaking of cutting into license plates, what is the best way to do that? I want to install a Skeesix pup in a quitar with a license plate on the top but don't know how to make the hole. I tried the cutting tool with the Dremel, but it didn't work very well. Can I do this on my drill press? I'm a newbie at some of this stuff.... Seems like we outta do a FAQ about some of these issues and place them prominently on the site.... My other questions that would go along with the "what do you cut a hole in a license plate with?" question would be:

If I am making a diddly bow, what scale and what string do I use?
If I am making a two stringed quitar, what strings and what tunings work best?
If I am making a 3-string cbg, what strings and what tunings are best?

I think you get the picture....

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