Bobbin Flatwork Material... does it really matter?

[MichaelScottPerkins]

I am an avid woodworker, and am brand new to looking at making a guitar pickup. I was watching an interview with Jason Lollar on "The Doug and Pat Show" on YouTube, and they talked about how old 1950's and 60's PAF pickups, when you take them out now to have a look at them, a lot of the time the flatwork has just rotted away like cardboard or the foam inside an old speaker cab.

I was wondering...
A.) What IS modern day pickup "flatwork" like from StewMac made from?
B.) Could it be made from wood, or anything rigid, or is there some targeted reason the old guys used this material?

 

[Adieu]

Re: Bobbin Flatwork Material... does it really matter?

What do you mean, flatwork? Spacers?

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Bobbin Flatwork Material... does it really matter?

Most humbucker bobbins are ABS these days. Some of the boutique winders use Butyrate bobbins which was what they originally were made of. Duncan and Dimarzio use it still on some of their "PAF" repros as well. Those are bobbins.
I believe that "flatwork" refers to the tops and bottoms of single coil pickups like those found in strats. Where the bobbins are formed by the rod magnets anchored into/through the bottom and top "flatwork". Those were originally some type of fiber. I have no idea if the fiber ones used today are the same material as the originals.
And I've only seen plastic used on the cheapest of single coils these days.

I'm sure that some of the pickup guys can elaborate.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Bobbin Flatwork Material... does it really matter?

you mean fender single coil flatwork or paf style plastic bobbins? the paf bobbins were butyrate

 

[MichaelScottPerkins]

Re: Bobbin Flatwork Material... does it really matter?

What do you mean, flatwork? Spacers?

When I say "flatwork" I am refering to the stiff board-material that the pole pieces of a single-coil pickup are shoved into and then wound. When you buy a Single-coil kit from StewMac, it comes with the six alnico 5 or 2 magnet pole pieces, and the two pieces of what they call "flatwork." I was just wondering if, other than the brass eyelets that must be conductive, could you use any rigid material i.e. wood, or does that material have some kind of mythological reasoning, like... "Man, if you want your pickups to sound like Clapton, you have to use the same flatwork!"

As you all probably know, the guitar pickup world is full of that kind of thing.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Bobbin Flatwork Material... does it really matter?

you can use anything you like that is inert. does it have an effect on tone? if it does, only my dog car hear it.

you mentioned paf in your initial post which is what made it confusing

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Bobbin Flatwork Material... does it really matter?

I supposed technically everything will have some effect on sound, but as Jeremy said, no one can hear it.

Most winders use some kind of fiberboard because it is both cost effective and a nod toward vintage pickups.