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Copper is pretty expensive right now but I do have a suggestion for a bargain find. Surplus Sales of Nebraska has 4-5lb Electrosol 42 Gauge heavy build wire for $14 a pound. Compare this to $180 for a five pound spool at Mojo tone, it is a bargain. 42 single build is a bit more common for 6 string single coils but I really like heavy build for CBG's. I wind them fat using Alnico 5 magnets and net good output that is less shrill on the top end.
Here are some pictorial tips that might help.
In the first picture I draw the bobbin on the computer, print it out actual size and use a glue stick to fasten it to the bobbin material. I use a scroll saw to cut them out. Make sure you sand and file all the sharp edges as the fine wire can get caught very easily.
The second picture shows my drilling set up. Pretty strait forward. I use a small clamp and drill the first hole. I insert a magnet to help keep the assembly lined up. For .185 magnets I use a number 14 drill bit and for .195 I use a number 10. The screw holes are 1/8" and the wire ferules that come from Mojo Tone use a #43 drill bit.
The third picture shows a bobbin mounted. I use simple double sided tape for this. I cut a small piece of blue masking tape and place it where the wire goes through the bobbin. This is important because the double sided tape will catch and break the wire when you remove it from the winder.
wow don, great pictures and explanation of your process. how much time does it take to make one pickup? seems very labor intensive.
Don Goguen said:
Copper is pretty expensive right now but I do have a suggestion for a bargain find. Surplus Sales of Nebraska has 4-5lb Electrosol 42 Gauge heavy build wire for $14 a pound. Compare this to $180 for a five pound spool at Mojo tone, it is a bargain. 42 single build is a bit more common for 6 string single coils but I really like heavy build for CBG's. I wind them fat using Alnico 5 magnets and net good output that is less shrill on the top end.
Here are some pictorial tips that might help.
In the first picture I draw the bobbin on the computer, print it out actual size and use a glue stick to fasten it to the bobbin material. I use a scroll saw to cut them out. Make sure you sand and file all the sharp edges as the fine wire can get caught very easily.
The second picture shows my drilling set up. Pretty strait forward. I use a small clamp and drill the first hole. I insert a magnet to help keep the assembly lined up. For .185 magnets I use a number 14 drill bit and for .195 I use a number 10. The screw holes are 1/8" and the wire ferules that come from Mojo Tone use a #43 drill bit.
The third picture shows a bobbin mounted. I use simple double sided tape for this. I cut a small piece of blue masking tape and place it where the wire goes through the bobbin. This is important because the double sided tape will catch and break the wire when you remove it from the winder.
You happen to have any other pics of that winder, Sad Sack? There's a very similar one at a local thrift store that I had to tear myself away from buying. But 25 bucks might be worth the investment if they work well. It's not so much the money, but the fact that I was thinking I could make one out of most anything that has a spinning motor. Any info on that would be pretty great, though.
Don,
I sure would like to have a copy of that diagram, It would come in handy in my near future.......
Thanks, Mike
"I purchased a red lion counter on Ebay for $15 and an optical sensor from Newark Electronics. I needed to build a simple power supply circuit for the sensor. I can provide the diagram to anyone that wants it."
thanks for the info don.
i use the same material for my bobbins as well. another name for it is "fish paper" you can see and hear my pickups on my page here and on hollowbelly's page as well. or in some live videos posted of him/me on here and youtube.
i agree with the # of winds for a 6 string not translating to a pickup with less pole, and i've made the same explanation to other pickup builders who have disagreed. i've also under and over wound them to see what the real difference is. i've found that getting between 4 and 5k ohms works best for the sound i'm going for. i like to push the amp hard as you can tell from my recordings. i don't use any effects or overdrive. i plug straight into a two knob tube fender amp and turn it all the way up. a kid at the festival yesterday didn't want to believe that. he insisted i was using a distortion pedal...
i don't count my windings, i can eyeball the proper amount. i also hand scatter wind mine, i use no guide other then my hands.
here a photo of my customized singer pickup winder. all of the guts are removed. i figure it spins at around 1000 - 1200 rpm.
i dig your stuff. have you ever considered top mounting? saves space inside the box.
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