Hi guys!
I'm interested in learning how to hand-wind my own pickups. I'm familiar with the basics, but I'd like to dive in to some real professional-level books/videos/explanations/guides/advice. Do any of you wonderful folks have any recommendations for sources? Thanks in advance!
Jake
Best Sources for Learning to Wind My Own Pickups?
- nikkij
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:21 pm
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- timtam
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 2739
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:42 am
- Location: Melbourne
Re: Best Sources for Learning to Wind My Own Pickups?
I've had similar thoughts, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Pickup winding is one of those things that you can approach at several different levels. Just the winding ? ie the skill possessed by pickup winding staff working to a formula at pickup manufacturers, mostly without any knowledge of how pickups actually work. They need (1) a winding machine, either bought ready-made or custom-built in-house - building one is another skill you may or may not wish to acquire. There are various winding machine designs out there. And (2) they also need the component parts to assemble the pickups, usually sourced from a specialist pickup parts supplier. The specs to build standard style pickups are not too hard to find; manufacturers may guard some of their recipes, although there's no magic involved - there are only a few major variables that one can manipulate (coil wire, wind count, magnets). Or rather than just following stock designs, you may wish to dive into pickup design principles to make more novel pickups, ie the underlying physics. There are a number of sources on that. eg
http://www.buildyourguitar.com/resource ... /index.htm
https://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/board ... -modelling
https://www.gitec-forum-eng.de/the-book/
While there are some books on pickups, check that they are "how to's" rather than mainly just history books like these which seem more common ..
https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Pickups-H ... 0879309318
https://www.amazon.com/Pickups-Windings ... 1574242091
There are a number of sources of pickup winding machines ... eg
https://www.mojotone.com/guitar-parts/L ... lies_x/PWM
https://schatten-pickups.myshopify.com/ ... g-machines
https://www.stewmac.com/electronics/pic ... inder.html
Parts .. eg
https://www.tone-kraft.com/
https://donlisguitarparts.aliexpress.co ... 28764.html
https://www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickup-kits/
There are pickup winding classes in some cities .. eg
https://roberto-venn.com/specialty-clas ... p-winding/
https://www.hawkinsguitar.com/pickup-winding-class
http://www.buildyourguitar.com/resource ... /index.htm
https://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/board ... -modelling
https://www.gitec-forum-eng.de/the-book/
While there are some books on pickups, check that they are "how to's" rather than mainly just history books like these which seem more common ..
https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Pickups-H ... 0879309318
https://www.amazon.com/Pickups-Windings ... 1574242091
There are a number of sources of pickup winding machines ... eg
https://www.mojotone.com/guitar-parts/L ... lies_x/PWM
https://schatten-pickups.myshopify.com/ ... g-machines
https://www.stewmac.com/electronics/pic ... inder.html
Parts .. eg
https://www.tone-kraft.com/
https://donlisguitarparts.aliexpress.co ... 28764.html
https://www.stewmac.com/electronics/pickup-kits/
There are pickup winding classes in some cities .. eg
https://roberto-venn.com/specialty-clas ... p-winding/
https://www.hawkinsguitar.com/pickup-winding-class
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.
- carausius
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 5:53 pm
- Location: London
Re: Best Sources for Learning to Wind My Own Pickups?
I built a DIY DC motor powered winder for about £25 very similar to this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxVLF-m ... ex=3&t=10s
12V DC 3000RPM motor c/w a PWM speed motor controller, LCD counter, power supply, wooden "bird" box, some metal hardware, switch, there's not that much to it. You could buy a winder but they are very expensive compared to this project, even kits are well over £200 plus. Many pup winders cost more than a decent guitar.
I've spent more on a pickup wire spool that I did on the DIY winder, bobbins & pup covers are cheap enough, some cables & a polarity tester for £5.00. Bar magnets & Alnico Rod poles are inexpensive.
Built some Ricky style toasters, using MIC toaster type pups, then cut down some P90 type bobbins to fit inside. Plus a pair of Jazz Bass pups & I'm doing a pair of P90's to fit inside a Jazzmaster covers next. It takes me about 12 minutes to wind a pup but I'm just starting out. Average cost probably around £15 a pup.
Pup winding is not expensive to do, unless you buy a commercially made winder.
12V DC 3000RPM motor c/w a PWM speed motor controller, LCD counter, power supply, wooden "bird" box, some metal hardware, switch, there's not that much to it. You could buy a winder but they are very expensive compared to this project, even kits are well over £200 plus. Many pup winders cost more than a decent guitar.
I've spent more on a pickup wire spool that I did on the DIY winder, bobbins & pup covers are cheap enough, some cables & a polarity tester for £5.00. Bar magnets & Alnico Rod poles are inexpensive.
Built some Ricky style toasters, using MIC toaster type pups, then cut down some P90 type bobbins to fit inside. Plus a pair of Jazz Bass pups & I'm doing a pair of P90's to fit inside a Jazzmaster covers next. It takes me about 12 minutes to wind a pup but I'm just starting out. Average cost probably around £15 a pup.
Pup winding is not expensive to do, unless you buy a commercially made winder.
- nikkij
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:21 pm
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Re: Best Sources for Learning to Wind My Own Pickups?
Wow thanks friends! Those were both really helpful responses. I'm going to look into all those sources, they should be a big help.
- whatisdust
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 200
- Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:07 pm
Re: Best Sources for Learning to Wind My Own Pickups?
Jason Lollar wrote an excellent book about winding pickups that is available for sale again. It was out of print for many years & would bring a small fortune when it would show up on ebay, etc.
Linky do:
https://www.lollarguitars.com/jason-lollar/winder-book
Linky do:
https://www.lollarguitars.com/jason-lollar/winder-book