how many wire gauges are used for humbuckers?

[shreddin_ED]

I know the AWG 42 is for P.A.F's, but i have seen the demon,blues saraceno,and others at 10K use other wire?
I have heard that the thicker AWG 42 cannot be used due to it "overfilling" the bobbin being wound at 10K?
so how high of a resistance can a AWG 42 wound pickup be?

 

[Zerberus]

The Custom Seriws uses 43 Polysol IIRC, and other manufacturers/ pickups use others.

Different wire guages give a different tone, not only by being able to wind to a higher/lower resistance. There are probably as many different wire types used in pickups as there are pickups

 

[Lightning]

The Custom Seriws uses 43 Polysol IIRC, and other manufacturers/ pickups use others.

Different wire guages give a different tone, not only by being able to wind to a higher/lower resistance. There are probably as many different wire types used in pickups as there are pickups

I've been trying for 6 months to document that, how did you find that out? Do you know others? Can we make a list?

 

[Lightning]

Dimarzio Super Distortion is 13.6 I think and by the sound of it it's #42.

I have a cheap pickup that measures 10.2 (only tried it with ceramic and it sound like #42) and something is starting to happen in the mids thats very intresting, makes me get Love Tractor all over.

I'm putting in an A4 and will be checking that out thurs or sun AT THE SHED.

If that doesn't open up the Mids more, A2.

I've been looking for a cheap 11, 11.5, 12 Seymour/DiMarz don't make these values).

I'm wondering where #42 tops out for my taste.

There's a Japenese copy of the Super Distortion (lots of guitars came with them) that measures 15.8 w/Ceramic (there is a thread here about unwinding them to a lower resistance)

I like them better than DiMarzio, kinda make's you suspect #43. but ABed to a DD it has to be #42 (probably different coating, bobbin shape, tension or something). a Hybrid of the two is on my hot plate right now.

I need to get out of here and do some modding!!!

Shred I can't remember that Eddie quote about There and Half Way There and I needed it the other day and I thought if anyone would know...I saw it in GP Mag EVH/Slash...Do you know it?

 

[Evan Skopp]

Without giving away the recipe for the secret sauce, I'll tell you that we use everything from AWG 40 to 44, though 42 is the most popular.

In addition to gauges, we use several types of insulation: from plain enamel to heavy formvar to polysol to poly-nylon and some other kinds.

 

[jeremy]

ive wanted to try winding the same pattern with different gauges witht he same insulation. like three 8.5k pups one with 41 awg, 42 awg, 43 awg and compare them. someday...

 

[Lightning]

Re: how many wire gauges are used for humbuckers?

Evan Skopp,

Thanks man…just when I thought I was getting the guages figured out.

Some people buy cars without knowing which motor it has or how much horsepower it has. I'm not one of those people.

I would love for Seymour to provide a sweep graph of DC resistance (impedance) as opposed to the reso peak. I'd also like to know the ingredients.

Describing how a pickup works past the first layer of the winding my require quantum physics but building one is not rocket science. Pickup manufactures are providing after market pickup buyers a service.

Seymour and DiMarzio have done an excellent job of win/win marketing over the years by not adjusting selling price to the hype of the pickup.

We're actually seeing boutique builders coming down to meet Seymour corp.'s Antiquity prices.

I don't know if this is supply and demand or if those builders realize the hype sale (those secret recipe guys) will eventually put them out of business.

I know in order for Seymour to concentrate on pickups he needed to hire a savvy Director of Marketing guy, the board of pickup buyers salutes your past efforts cause none of us ever want to see Seymour go away, or be found improvised as the Seth Lover story goes.

I just hope you play guitar so that you can be on the inside of what I'm saying to you.

Everyone has a web site. Not everyone has a forum and FAQ's such as this site provides and with out question builds loyalty.

Six months ago I read an article by Tom Holmes. I was intrigued but as not to subscribe to such a hype sale I bought what I considered to be a random set of Holmes, Gibson Burstbuckers.

Someone on the forum said yesterday the PG's were imbalanced coils...My first thought...Is that true? (I haven't seen that in writing yet)...My second thought...I could have saved $80.

 

[korinastratkyle]

Re: how many wire gauges are used for humbuckers?

ive wanted to try winding the same pattern with different gauges witht he same insulation. like three 8.5k pups one with 41 awg, 42 awg, 43 awg and compare them. someday...

Well resistance doesn't mean jack Jeremy, it's the combination of inductance and capatance that makes the difference.

Anyways, I have 2 cheap ceramic pickups both measure very close to 8K. One is all the way to the edge of the bottom, so it's probably the close to 41 or 42AWG (although it's probably metric wire) and the others windings have almost 1/4" space from the end, I'm guessing it's around 43 or 44 AWG. I'll have to do an AB for you guys.