Dear Chris, I wonder why You wrap the pickups before waxing them. Wouldn't it better to do the other way around i.e. after the have been waxed ? The wax will easier permeate into the windings.
There are holes drilled into the top and bottom of the bobbins that allow the wax to soak into the coil from the inside out. When I've cut open test coils, the wax has saturated the windings.
will spinning the coils different directions make a huge impact on the sound? Also, instead of using a different gauge wire for the different pickups, could you just add a thousand or so more winds to which ever one you want to have a thicker sound? thanks for the video, very informative!
Hi Chris, I just arrived here by accident. I don't know if missed something, but I noticed you did not fitted the base plate under the bridge pick up. Did you missed it by accident or you just like the tone you get without fitting it?
Chris, do you insulate the alnico magnets from the wire to prevent shorts . Ive seen where people have used tape, lacquer etc. Didnt look like you did anything. Im about ready to wind my first pickup and I just completed building your cnc winder.
Approximately how many turns of 43 gauge wire can fit in a standard strat style bobbin? where can I find this kind of information? there is any recommended bibliography? I've been learning a lot from your videos, thank you for sharing your knowledge and years of experience
No Scatter = consistent traverse speed of 20 inches per minute. Minimum Scatter = random increase in traverse speed by 10 inches per minute. Moderate Scatter = random increase in traverse speed by 20 inches per minute. Maximum Scatter = random increase in traverse speed by 30 inches per minute.
Got it, thanks. Now I just need plans for the winder, a nifty little live center, and of course the software. Looks like a lot of fun, especially the experimental side of things.
I really like your videos, but I just can't find a solution to one thing. I'm trying to use AWG 44 copper wire and I can't solder it. Either enough - I think because of the high heat or I simply cannot separate the plastic layer from the wire. When I try to solder it into the eyelet, the tin doesn't melt the outer layer of the wire, even though it binds. On the Mulitmeter OpenLoop has no connection because of this. Is there a trick to this? Thank you!
Hey Chris, what tonal differences can one expect from either no scatter winding or varying degrees of scatter winding? Also, I've seen a select few pickup winders, that specialize in winding vintage style tele/strat pickups, and claim to make their tele pickups "slightly" microphonic. I just don't understand how they go about doing that? Any thoughts?
Scatter winding or hand winding are marketing gimmicks rooted in physics. Whether it makes a difference you can actually hear, I don't know. I added the feature because I thought it would be a fun challenge to see if it would work. If I ever have the time, I'll make 4 identical pickups with the same number of turns but different patterns just to see (hear) if there's a difference in tone. According to the science, there should be, but I question whether anyone could actually hear the difference. You make a pickup microphonic by winding a loose coil and not wax potting it.
Dear Chris, I've been winding a number of single coil pickups to experiment and to perform some measurements like L, C and R. Number of windings: 6000 and 7000 AWG 42. My aim is to get an as large as possible bandwidth without to much loss of signal. As a result I have to keep the capacitance of the coil as low as possible. Scattering should instigate that. I perform my LCR-measurements before AND after waxing the coil with paraffine wax. And what did I notice ? The capacitance AFTER waxing is about 50% higher than before. This occurs time and again; so I'm quite sure of my measurements. Do You have any idea how come that the capacitance of the coil is much higher after waxing ? Thank You in advance for your reply.
If you measure it right after waxing, coil is still hot and that leads to higher capacitance. When pickups cool down, capacitance is almost same but little bit higher than before. I'm not sure why this happens but I think it's because wax spreads the coil and it comes thicker.
Can you show in a video how to do Tim Shaw T Top Bobbins shawbuster pickups because the bobbin length and wide are different in the Tim Shaw T top bobbins
@@HighlineGuitars I don't because fender stop making Tim Shaw pickups because Tim Shaw bobbins were custom made bobbins that has top and bottom flares to them and different lengths widths and heights. They used smaller magnets A2 and A5 to match the output mV to signal coils so you don't get a big gap jump in volume from humbuckers to single coil. I'm not sure what size is the magnets also
Probably it's a stupid question, but when you put the pickups into the wax, the crock pot should it stay on or it is turned off? Off course after the wax turns liquid
Great video, what kind of magnets do you use on your vise for magnetising the bobbins? These things look huge, where could I get these and what kind are they?
@@bernhardnizynski4403 I use neodymium N52 magnets to charge the Alnico V slug magnets that were preinstalled in the bobbins. The easiest way to magnetize an alnico magnet is to slide it between a pair of much stronger magnets like the neodymium N52s. Normally, the slugs come already magnetized, however, I needed to flip the polarity of the neck pickup from north up to south up. That's why I remagnetized the slugs in the neck bobbin with the super-strong neodymium N52 magnets.
Informative with no BS, serious but with humor touches and respectful; the best channel on guitar matter over this platform.
Thank Ben! Coming from you, that's huge! May the force be with you.
I've often contemplated a modernized pickup winder but CNC with custom software, that's next level, great stuff.
Cool, thanks!
Love your channel, you do it all. I learn a lot here!
I use the mini crock pot too it works great not to hot. Just no fondue while dipping the pickups.
When I was scrolling through YT I saw the thumbnail for this and thought it was a putter! A second look left me feeling like a….
I have a putter in my shop. I don't know why, but it's there.
Dear Chris, I wonder why You wrap the pickups before waxing them. Wouldn't it better to do the other way around i.e. after the have been waxed ? The wax will easier permeate into the windings.
There are holes drilled into the top and bottom of the bobbins that allow the wax to soak into the coil from the inside out. When I've cut open test coils, the wax has saturated the windings.
Hello! Thanks another nice video. Have you ever experienced with using neodymium magnets?
Fantastic thank you, does the pottiing and type of tape affect the sound, great information
Potting prevents micophonic feedback, so yes, it affects the sound. The tape covers the outside of the coil windings but has no affect on the sound.
will spinning the coils different directions make a huge impact on the sound? Also, instead of using a different gauge wire for the different pickups, could you just add a thousand or so more winds to which ever one you want to have a thicker sound? thanks for the video, very informative!
Hi Chris, I just arrived here by accident. I don't know if missed something, but I noticed you did not fitted the base plate under the bridge pick up. Did you missed it by accident or you just like the tone you get without fitting it?
I prefer not to use the baseplate.
Chris, do you insulate the alnico magnets from the wire to prevent shorts . Ive seen where people have used tape, lacquer etc. Didnt look like you did anything. Im about ready to wind my first pickup and I just completed building your cnc winder.
It's totally unnecessary to insulate the pole pieces because the wire is insulated already.
Approximately how many turns of 43 gauge wire can fit in a standard strat style bobbin? where can I find this kind of information? there is any recommended bibliography?
I've been learning a lot from your videos, thank you for sharing your knowledge and years of experience
Between 7,000 and 10,000 turns depending on the wire tension.
@@HighlineGuitars Thank you Chris
Hi Chris, what is the rotational speed you set for winding?
I wind at 1200 rpm.
@@HighlineGuitars thank you
Could you define scatter. (Min-max)
No Scatter = consistent traverse speed of 20 inches per minute. Minimum Scatter = random increase in traverse speed by 10 inches per minute. Moderate Scatter = random increase in traverse speed by 20 inches per minute. Maximum Scatter = random increase in traverse speed by 30 inches per minute.
Got it, thanks. Now I just need plans for the winder, a nifty little live center, and of course the software. Looks like a lot of fun, especially the experimental side of things.
I really like your videos, but I just can't find a solution to one thing. I'm trying to use AWG 44 copper wire and I can't solder it. Either enough - I think because of the high heat or I simply cannot separate the plastic layer from the wire. When I try to solder it into the eyelet, the tin doesn't melt the outer layer of the wire, even though it binds. On the Mulitmeter OpenLoop has no connection because of this. Is there a trick to this? Thank you!
What kind of insulation is on the wire?
@@HighlineGuitars Polyurethane.
@@attilasipeki1418 Okay, that's good. What about your soldering iron and solder? Also, are you checking for DCR output?
Hey Chris, what tonal differences can one expect from either no scatter winding or varying degrees of scatter winding?
Also, I've seen a select few pickup winders, that specialize in winding vintage style tele/strat pickups, and claim to make their tele pickups "slightly" microphonic. I just don't understand how they go about doing that? Any thoughts?
Scatter winding or hand winding are marketing gimmicks rooted in physics. Whether it makes a difference you can actually hear, I don't know. I added the feature because I thought it would be a fun challenge to see if it would work. If I ever have the time, I'll make 4 identical pickups with the same number of turns but different patterns just to see (hear) if there's a difference in tone. According to the science, there should be, but I question whether anyone could actually hear the difference. You make a pickup microphonic by winding a loose coil and not wax potting it.
@@HighlineGuitars Hi. Did you ever find time for that? That would be interesting video.
@@HighlineGuitars Some other PU winder stated that scatter winding give less capacitance, because it get further away from a capacitor.
Dear Chris, I've been winding a number of single coil pickups to experiment and to perform some measurements like L, C and R. Number of windings: 6000 and 7000 AWG 42. My aim is to get an as large as possible bandwidth without to much loss of signal. As a result I have to keep the capacitance of the coil as low as possible. Scattering should instigate that. I perform my LCR-measurements before AND after waxing the coil with paraffine wax. And what did I notice ? The capacitance AFTER waxing is about 50% higher than before. This occurs time and again; so I'm quite sure of my measurements. Do You have any idea how come that the capacitance of the coil is much higher after waxing ? Thank You in advance for your reply.
I don’t know.
Thank you
If you measure it right after waxing, coil is still hot and that leads to higher capacitance. When pickups cool down, capacitance is almost same but little bit higher than before. I'm not sure why this happens but I think it's because wax spreads the coil and it comes thicker.
Can you show in a video how to do Tim Shaw T Top Bobbins shawbuster pickups because the bobbin length and wide are different in the Tim Shaw T top bobbins
Who sells the bobbins? Do you have a link?
@@HighlineGuitars I don't because fender stop making Tim Shaw pickups because Tim Shaw bobbins were custom made bobbins that has top and bottom flares to them and different lengths widths and heights. They used smaller magnets A2 and A5 to match the output mV to signal coils so you don't get a big gap jump in volume from humbuckers to single coil. I'm not sure what size is the magnets also
@@waynegram8907 Without bobbins, it’s a no go.
@@HighlineGuitars try to find the T top bobbins research about them and the specs used.
@@waynegram8907 no room in the schedule. Too many ideas and not enough time.
Is the teflon tape the best product to protect the windings?
Yes. That’s why I use it.
@@HighlineGuitars - Thank you - I was just worried that it might trap in any moisture within the pickup?
Probably it's a stupid question, but when you put the pickups into the wax, the crock pot should it stay on or it is turned off? Off course after the wax turns liquid
I leave it on. If I turn it off, the wax will cool and start to solidify before completely soaking the coil.
@@HighlineGuitars thanks
Great video, what kind of magnets do you use on your vise for magnetising the bobbins? These things look huge, where could I get these and what kind are they?
They are neodymium N52 magnets. 4" long, 1/2" tall, and 1/2" thick. I don't know where you can buy them.
@@HighlineGuitars - how different do they sound to Alnico or ceramic magnets - brighter - duller?
@@bernhardnizynski4403 the magnets in the pickups sound like Alinco V magnets because that’s what they are.
@@HighlineGuitars - oh Good, thank you. I thought they may be NeoDyne magnets which hare very strong?
@@bernhardnizynski4403 I use neodymium N52 magnets to charge the Alnico V slug magnets that were preinstalled in the bobbins. The easiest way to magnetize an alnico magnet is to slide it between a pair of much stronger magnets like the neodymium N52s. Normally, the slugs come already magnetized, however, I needed to flip the polarity of the neck pickup from north up to south up. That's why I remagnetized the slugs in the neck bobbin with the super-strong neodymium N52 magnets.