I’ve got into pickup winding! I had a moment where I was trying to find a suitable pickup for my Epi Les Paul and figured, why don’t I just try making my own.
So as you can see in the photos I put together a crude winding machine, using fence clips for a motor mount But it works well enough. I didn’t want to spend too much in case I didn’t want to carry on with it.
Wound my first pickup this week and after making numerous mistakes it amazingly works! Doesn’t sound too bad either, but pretty weak though. So more parts are on the way so I can wind another and compare. I think I’ve caught the bug!
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The end bell was from an Edcor Transformer, it arrived a bit rusty and so they sent me replacements. It felt like a waste just chucking them away so I held onto them. Building the winder I needed something to mount the control onto and so I have now found a use for one of them!
I must admit the motor is a bit rickety, as is my makeshift motor mount. I think I ideally need a beefier motor and a much more sturdy mount. For now I'm going to try winding at a lower speed to smooth it out a bit. Because it's so rickety I was basically scatter winding!
dorrisant wrote: ↑Fri Aug 05, 2022 5:18 pm
On the subject of pickup weakness... What is the Gauss of the magnets?
I haven't got that far yet! I need to get myself a gauss meter. It was a polished A2 magnet I know that. Right now I'm just trying to wind a pickup that sounds respectable. I've improved the winding machine a lot as it was a bit wobbly, so hopefully now I can keep experimenting and actually learning what affects what.
The reason I ask is that a lot of magnet rods, whether separate or assembled as a bobbin kit are not charged and will give weak output until charged. Easy enough to charge, even while installed.
"Education is what you're left with after you have forgotten what you have learned" - Enzo
dorrisant wrote: ↑Mon Aug 08, 2022 9:24 pm
The reason I ask is that a lot of magnet rods, whether separate or assembled as a bobbin kit are not charged and will give weak output until charged. Easy enough to charge, even while installed.
Are you thinking of Single Coils? As I haven't attempted them yet. They're on the list though as I do have a strat style guitar with just one humbucker in it at the moment
How many winds did you go and did you match or mismatch the coils?
So far I've done 5500 turns on each and now on 5800 turns on each. I think I need to notch it up to 6000 turns on each to get the output I'm after. I haven't tried mismatched coils yet, but I will have a go at making a PAF at some point. Already got some ideas on what I want to try for that. Transformers would be fun! I don't think my little winding machine would handle that though
send me your address and receive a strat pickup in the mail that needs rewinding
I think you might want to go to someone else for this Roe, someone who has wound more than 6 pickups! Out of 6 I'd say only 1 has sounded decent!
But it works well enough. I didn’t want to spend too much in case I didn’t want to carry on with it.
