Over-winding pickups

[William Walstra]

Obviously, this would raise the resistance making the pickup hotter, but how would it effect the tone EQ-wise? Also, how much can you over-wind a pickup before it isn't a good idea. Like, could I get a 16k 'bucker up to 22-23k? Would it be a good idea to have the wire in a different guage when it's that high? I have a custom-shop idea in mind and wanted to know a few things before I bug the people at SD about it :smokin:

 

[jeremy]

Re: Over-winding pickups

in general more dc resistance will give less highs and more thickness

there is only so much room on a bobbin. i dont know if you could get 11k of 42 awg pe wire in a bucker, physically it wont fit. maybe 18k of 43 awg. so if you want a 23k pup, theyd probably use 44 awg? im just speculating on those numbers but you get the idea. thats a hot pup!!

 

[William Walstra]

Re: Over-winding pickups

in general more dc resistance will give less highs and more thickness

there is only so much room on a bobbin. i dont know if you could get 11k of 42 awg pe wire in a bucker, physically it wont fit. maybe 18k of 43 awg. so if you want a 23k pup, theyd probably use 44 awg? im just speculating on those numbers but you get the idea. thats a hot pup!!

Awesome. "Stupid hot" is what I'm after here

I figured I would had to have gone to a thinner wire in order to get it fit.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Over-winding pickups

All things being equal, the more turns, the hotter or more powerful the pickup will be. However, if the coil is too hot (too many turns), it increases the distributed capacitance and the effect is

(1) Highs are lost;

(2) Output is actually lost due to excessively high d.c. resistance and impedance;

(3) You lose subtlety, definition and dynamics;

So output is not totally about turns. It's about the right amount of turns combined with the right magnet (or in the case of the Invader, "magnets" -- it has three!).

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Over-winding pickups

So output is not totally about turns. It's about the right amount of turns combined with the right magnet (or in the case of the Invader, "magnets" -- it has three!).

Yeah, I would say that if the Invader isn't hot enough for you, well...

Bare Knuckle makes some kind of crazy pickup over 21k, and I think Seymour has one that hot too.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Over-winding pickups

in general more dc resistance will give less highs and more thickness

there is only so much room on a bobbin. i dont know if you could get 11k of 42 awg pe wire in a bucker, physically it wont fit. maybe 18k of 43 awg. so if you want a 23k pup, theyd probably use 44 awg? im just speculating on those numbers but you get the idea. thats a hot pup!!

It depends on the height of the bobbin (they vary quite a bit in height from maker to maker). Guitar Jones' 49.2mm bobbins are unusually tall and I've gotten 5.5k on them with even a little room to spare, so an 11k bucker and even a shade higher could be made with #42 wire.

As for the 23k bucker, you very likely would have to use #44, maybe even #45.

 

[tone4days]

Re: Over-winding pickups

you could buy an SFX-01 or a louder amp too

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Over-winding pickups

I have some overwound P-100s. At the time I thought they sounded cool. They actually sound better than the stock P-100s- but after I replaced them with Duncan Custom P-90s, I'm much happier with my guitars.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Over-winding pickups

I'm not surprised. P100's were so dull and lifeless that Gibson stopped making them, I assume because nobody wanted them.

 

[gripweed]

Re: Over-winding pickups

It depends on the height of the bobbin (they vary quite a bit in height from maker to maker). Guitar Jones' 49.2mm bobbins are unusually tall and I've gotten 5.5k on them with even a little room to spare, so an 11k bucker and even a shade higher could be made with #42 wire.

As for the 23k bucker, you very likely would have to use #44, maybe even #45.

From the Custom Shop

BG-1400/29-30k for Tele for Tele $140

Insane! I do believe that it was designed for the Rev Billy G. Makes sense, he was the guy that wanted to make a pickup out of a meteorite:laugh2: :chairfall