Uneven Coil Winds
- Thread starter rrhoads17
- Start date
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Uneven Coil Winds
The magic of unbalanced coils. With HB's, there's a tolerance limit as it's difficult to get both coils to have exact resistance. At some point the difference becomes audible. When the coils are similar, the 'humbucker effect' kicks in which increases volume and mids, and reduces noise, high-end, and clarity. Unbalanced coils mean the entire humbucker effect isn't 100% present, so some single coil sound comes thru. That means a certain degree of more treble and clarity, and less midrange, depending on the difference between coils. I particularly like that for neck HB's, which can be on the warm side, and sometimes muddy. Clears them up. I make hybrid HB's by pairing up coils of existing PU's, as do some of the other members here.
The '59/Custom hybrid is a bridge PU with a huge difference between coils 4.1K vs 7K. That makes for a bright, clear PU, then figure in the A5 magnet which itself is bright and mid-scooped. It's popular with a lot of players, but not a PU for everyone. For me, a bridge HB with significantly mismatched coils needs a warm magnet, like an A2, UOA5, or A8 to have a balanced EQ.
I'd encourage you to use unbalanced coils in the PU's you wind. There's some nice benefits.
The magic of unbalanced coils. With HB's, there's a tolerance limit as it's difficult to get both coils to have exact resistance. At some point the difference becomes audible. When the coils are similar, the 'humbucker effect' kicks in which increases volume and mids, and reduces noise, high-end, and clarity. Unbalanced coils mean the entire humbucker effect isn't 100% present, so some single coil sound comes thru. That means a certain degree of more treble and clarity, and less midrange, depending on the difference between coils. I particularly like that for neck HB's, which can be on the warm side, and sometimes muddy. Clears them up. I make hybrid HB's by pairing up coils of existing PU's, as do some of the other members here.
The '59/Custom hybrid is a bridge PU with a huge difference between coils 4.1K vs 7K. That makes for a bright, clear PU, then figure in the A5 magnet which itself is bright and mid-scooped. It's popular with a lot of players, but not a PU for everyone. For me, a bridge HB with significantly mismatched coils needs a warm magnet, like an A2, UOA5, or A8 to have a balanced EQ.
I'd encourage you to use unbalanced coils in the PU's you wind. There's some nice benefits.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Uneven Coil Winds
He's actually talking about coil geometry, the title is a bit misleading.
He's actually talking about coil geometry, the title is a bit misleading.
hamerfan
Well-known member
Re: Uneven Coil Winds
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html and scroll down!
If you look at these pics, you will see that even machine wind have an uneven coil geometry. Nothing to worry about. The impact to tone is probably little, but the reason why some boutique winder ask bigger money than SD. Rant over.
https://www.throbak.com/paf-pickups.html and scroll down!
If you look at these pics, you will see that even machine wind have an uneven coil geometry. Nothing to worry about. The impact to tone is probably little, but the reason why some boutique winder ask bigger money than SD. Rant over.
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blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Uneven Coil Winds
Differences in wind pattern and tension will change the sound, just ask any PU winder. You can make hybrids/unbalanced coils with diffrent patterns and tensions. For those of us won't don't wind (and use coils from stock PU's), we tend to go by resistance as a measurement of differences, because PU makers rarely share any secrets about their PU's. Two stock PU's of the same resistance may or may not have much different in the wind and tension.
Differences in wind pattern and tension will change the sound, just ask any PU winder. You can make hybrids/unbalanced coils with diffrent patterns and tensions. For those of us won't don't wind (and use coils from stock PU's), we tend to go by resistance as a measurement of differences, because PU makers rarely share any secrets about their PU's. Two stock PU's of the same resistance may or may not have much different in the wind and tension.
Hollywood Rock
New member
Re: Uneven Coil Winds
I've been playing my Fralin mini hums for a week and they sound really vintage. They hand wind their pups but I have no idea what factors ultimately cause the vintage sound. :dunno:
I've been playing my Fralin mini hums for a week and they sound really vintage. They hand wind their pups but I have no idea what factors ultimately cause the vintage sound. :dunno:
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: Uneven Coil Winds
Agreed, some asymmetry is normal if you're hand-guiding the wire (modern, fully automated setups used by bigger manufacturers tend to be more uniform)
Assuming everything else is equal (tension, turns, wire, etc), the geometry of the wind can make a small difference in the final sound. These differences will tend to be more apparent on taller coils compared to shorter coils, such as humbuckers.
Agreed, some asymmetry is normal if you're hand-guiding the wire (modern, fully automated setups used by bigger manufacturers tend to be more uniform)
Assuming everything else is equal (tension, turns, wire, etc), the geometry of the wind can make a small difference in the final sound. These differences will tend to be more apparent on taller coils compared to shorter coils, such as humbuckers.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Uneven Coil Winds
The original 1950's PAF's were all over the map on resistance and coil geometry, which meant that the coils were usually unbalanced, one part of giving them their 'vintage' sound (I've seen pics of really lop-sided winding). I'm surprised that most recent-production PAF replicas have balanced coils.
The original 1950's PAF's were all over the map on resistance and coil geometry, which meant that the coils were usually unbalanced, one part of giving them their 'vintage' sound (I've seen pics of really lop-sided winding). I'm surprised that most recent-production PAF replicas have balanced coils.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Re: Uneven Coil Winds
Not a pickup winder myself so this may be dumb or ignorant or both. But it seems to me that a slightly hourglass-shaped wind on singlecoils with rod mags would put more wire into the stronger areas of the magnetic field. No idea how that might affect tone or whether it would make any difference at all.
Not a pickup winder myself so this may be dumb or ignorant or both. But it seems to me that a slightly hourglass-shaped wind on singlecoils with rod mags would put more wire into the stronger areas of the magnetic field. No idea how that might affect tone or whether it would make any difference at all.
