Double Decker Wide Range HB
- epizootics
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 719
- Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 10:29 pm
- Location: Lyon, France
Double Decker Wide Range HB
Hey guys,
I just finished prototyping an idea I'd had for a while for a Jazzmaster humbucker. The idea was to retain as much of the JM single pickup design as possible, ie. alnico poles, AWG 42 copper wire and flat coils. Thing is, when you start dividing the bobbin size, you end up having to increase the height of the bobbins if you want to keep the same output. Here is what I came up with -
Two slightly wider bobbins stacked on top of each other, thus allowing a slight overlap in the middle. I'm not quite there yet - I could have gained a bit more width by bringing the magnets a tiny bit closer to the center - but it works!
(I really hate potting pickups but I usually melt some paraffin with a hairdryer on the outer coils, sorry for the excess showing in the picture)
I wound it to be slightly unbalanced (top coil measured at 3.9K, bottom at 4.4K) to compensate the bottom coil being farther away from the strings. Overall, it reads at 8.3K, so we're in vintage HB territory. Here is what it sounds like in the bridge position on my apricot Firemaster:
https://soundcloud.com/not-i-records/do ... rhb-clean1
https://soundcloud.com/not-i-records/do ... -saturated
Sorry for my playing! It is not a completely humbucking pickup, but it's quiet enough. I am quite pleased with the result - it has a fair amount of growl, but retains a lot of clarity. I'll be experimenting further to see how I can make it any flatter...
I just finished prototyping an idea I'd had for a while for a Jazzmaster humbucker. The idea was to retain as much of the JM single pickup design as possible, ie. alnico poles, AWG 42 copper wire and flat coils. Thing is, when you start dividing the bobbin size, you end up having to increase the height of the bobbins if you want to keep the same output. Here is what I came up with -
Two slightly wider bobbins stacked on top of each other, thus allowing a slight overlap in the middle. I'm not quite there yet - I could have gained a bit more width by bringing the magnets a tiny bit closer to the center - but it works!
(I really hate potting pickups but I usually melt some paraffin with a hairdryer on the outer coils, sorry for the excess showing in the picture)
I wound it to be slightly unbalanced (top coil measured at 3.9K, bottom at 4.4K) to compensate the bottom coil being farther away from the strings. Overall, it reads at 8.3K, so we're in vintage HB territory. Here is what it sounds like in the bridge position on my apricot Firemaster:
https://soundcloud.com/not-i-records/do ... rhb-clean1
https://soundcloud.com/not-i-records/do ... -saturated
Sorry for my playing! It is not a completely humbucking pickup, but it's quiet enough. I am quite pleased with the result - it has a fair amount of growl, but retains a lot of clarity. I'll be experimenting further to see how I can make it any flatter...
- Shadoweclipse13
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 12435
- Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:22 pm
- Location: Stuck in the dimension of imagination
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
I'll have to listen to it later as I'm at work, but this is really cool!!
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384
- dylanafghjkl
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 421
- Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 8:59 am
- Location: Melbourne
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
Wow, these sound amazing!
Love the idea and it sounds great!
Love the idea and it sounds great!
- Deed_Poll
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 3209
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:24 am
- Location: Brighton, UK
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
Sounds really similar to a JM pickup from those samples! Very nice.
Owner Operator of GuitarForm - Custom Offset Guitar Bodies
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form
- kdanie
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 4412
- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:07 am
- Location: On the road
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
Cool concept, I like the sound too.
ken
ken
Life is an adventure, not something to be suffered through. Don't like your life? FIX it!
- s_mcsleazy
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 18424
- Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:30 am
- Location: glasgow
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
sounds very dry in a good way
offset guitars resident bass player.
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'
- Shadoweclipse13
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 12435
- Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:22 pm
- Location: Stuck in the dimension of imagination
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
Finally listened to them. Definitely sounds very Jazzmaster-y. Very articulate and not muddy. It almost reminds me of JM with a mix of Filtertron and Tele mixed in. Very nice! Planning on making it fit a JM cover, or something else?
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384
- Ben17e
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 672
- Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:19 am
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
Very nice and articulate sounding. Very cool!
- daCod
- PAT. # 2.972.923
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- Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:14 pm
- Location: OMA-NE
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
i keep checking this thread anticipating the start of a list for the first production run.
your paranoia must be weapons-grade.
“I have terrible hearing trouble. I have unwittingly helped to invent and refine a type of music that makes its principal proponents deaf.” ~ PT
“I have terrible hearing trouble. I have unwittingly helped to invent and refine a type of music that makes its principal proponents deaf.” ~ PT
- s_mcsleazy
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 18424
- Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:30 am
- Location: glasgow
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
hey man, if you want someone to test em, i can put one in one of my guitars
offset guitars resident bass player.
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'
- nateispro
- PAT. # 2.972.923
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- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:33 pm
- Location: Utah
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
Woah awesome! Any plans to make production runs of these!?
- Embenny
- PAT. # 2.972.923
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- Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
Amazing concept. Amazing execution. Amazing sound clip. It has Jazzmaster characteristics and Wide Range characteristics. Disagree on the Filtertron someone mentioned - I've got two TV jones-equipped guitars and this has more midrange (in a very flattering way IMO) plus that "rod magnet" string attack. I find filtertrons to be more scooped and with a different string attack.
The tinkerer in me is dying to know what this sounds like in parallel. But I think you have yourself a winner there. If ever there was a "Jazzmaster humbucker" in both tone and design, this is it.
The tinkerer in me is dying to know what this sounds like in parallel. But I think you have yourself a winner there. If ever there was a "Jazzmaster humbucker" in both tone and design, this is it.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.
- epizootics
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 719
- Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 10:29 pm
- Location: Lyon, France
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
Hey guys,
Thanks for the enthusiastic feedback! I am replying a bit late as my wife and I took a week's holiday in my hometown in Provence...
I honestly didn't think about any commercial production for this one initially, but I can make a few if people are interested. I have no idea how members usually go about it on this board, I hope I am not going against forum policies here?
I had the opportunity to test drive the pickup live while I was down South - I must say I really like this one. It handles both clean and OD really nicely, and it turned out pretty quiet. The one thing I need to sort out is the feedback issue, which I think it is fair to assume has to do with the really thin forbon I used (1mm) on the prototype. I'll trying potting it a bit further, but I think a thicker flatwork will take care of the problem...
I am thinking of ordering JM covers with no polepiece holes, so I can drill them myself in the right position. Here's what it looks like in the meantime:
A strip of red velvet between the magnets, under the cover! It looks cheesy as hell
Thanks for the enthusiastic feedback! I am replying a bit late as my wife and I took a week's holiday in my hometown in Provence...
I honestly didn't think about any commercial production for this one initially, but I can make a few if people are interested. I have no idea how members usually go about it on this board, I hope I am not going against forum policies here?
I had the opportunity to test drive the pickup live while I was down South - I must say I really like this one. It handles both clean and OD really nicely, and it turned out pretty quiet. The one thing I need to sort out is the feedback issue, which I think it is fair to assume has to do with the really thin forbon I used (1mm) on the prototype. I'll trying potting it a bit further, but I think a thicker flatwork will take care of the problem...
I am thinking of ordering JM covers with no polepiece holes, so I can drill them myself in the right position. Here's what it looks like in the meantime:
A strip of red velvet between the magnets, under the cover! It looks cheesy as hell
- s_mcsleazy
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 18424
- Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:30 am
- Location: glasgow
Re: Double Decker Wide Range HB
ok, this sounds like something i need now...... complete with velvet.
call it the velvet brick
call it the velvet brick
offset guitars resident bass player.
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'