What Affects a Pickups Tone?

[Chistopher]

I've gotten into winding my own pickups in the past year and have gotten a sense for what the obvious differences in pickups are. As in how wire gauge, dcr, scatter winding, and obviously the magnet affect pickup tone. What I'm wondering is what are the other smaller parts that attribute to a pickups tone.

Recently I wound a bridge pickup identical to another one I wound (~.01k difference) and even in the same guitar they sound different. I understand that you can't give out any deep dark trade secrets just because some fella on the internet asked, but what else makes a difference? Please include how it affects the tone and what the reason behind it is.

 

[AlexR]

Re: What Affects a Pickups Tone?

I think you will find the specifics of the wind pattern does get into the edge of trade secrets.
Not being a winder I have no idea of the way the patterns of the wire make a difference. But looking at all the pickups I own that are different tone but close in DCR......and putting that together with the info from winders there is obviously a lot more going on around the bobbins than simply wire length, gauge and insulation type.

 

[Davii]

Re: What Affects a Pickups Tone?

I'd suggest coil shape. It can be tricky repeating it, especially when working tight to the limits of the bobbin, and all too easy to create unintended asymmetric patterns.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: What Affects a Pickups Tone?

I was also thinking tension and insulation probably come I to play somewhere, but I don't have the skill to experiment with tension and I don't feel insulation has a big enough effect to spend money on it.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: What Affects a Pickups Tone?

I'm not a winder either, but I'll tell you Strat pickups wound with Formvar do sound different than those with Plain Enamel.

I'm curious what Frank would be willing to contribute.

 

[Discharged]

Re: What Affects a Pickups Tone?

Recently I wound a bridge pickup identical to another one I wound (~.01k difference) and even in the same guitar they sound different

If you wind by hand, even using the same spool of wire for both p'ups, the answer should be obvious: wind pattern and tension.

/Peter

 

[Chistopher]

Re: What Affects a Pickups Tone?

I find tension has a most noticeable affect on bass, and the wind patrern affects the treebles and mids, which is fairly obvious.

 

[esandes]

Re: What Affects a Pickups Tone?

Even the plate material makes a difference.

 

[freefrog]

Re: What Affects a Pickups Tone?

Here are a few links that you might find interesting:

http://www.skguitar.com/SKGS/sk/pickup_factors.htm

https://sites.google.com/site/liamsresearch/humbucker-pickup-design

https://alexkenis.wordpress.com/201...ry-6c-blog-coil-shape-part-3-coil-sense-area/

Oh, and... an inductance meter and a gaussmeter are useful tools.