Winding with 46 Gauge

[Silence Kid]

I got a response from Lace Pickups on rewinding a very old Fender Lace Sensor - They were very helpful to inform me that the probable spec of this pickup is 5000 turns of 46 gauge (around the world's tiniest bobbin.)

I am about to make myself that 'guy on the couch who thinks he can re-wind pickups' I mentioned in another thread. Lace also indicated the thin-ness of the wire makes a re-wind at 46 AWG very challenging. Is this even worth trying?

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

If it's already busted, what's the harm in trying? Besides - it might work, and you'd learn something.

 

[Artie]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

Not only the winding, but stripping the insulation off the ends, and then soldering on a lead wire could be very frustrating. I've done it, (once), with 42 and it is was a royal PITA. Hope you have steady hands and good eyes.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

Thanks - The funny thing about the Lace is that the coil wire attaches to one end of the (lacquered metal) bobbin, and the leads are soldered to the other; the hookup wire doesn't attach directly to the coil. In fact I won't even touch the hookup wire when I rewind.

Basically waiting for someone to tell me this is a huge waste of time because it's impossible to wind such high gauge wire, or that at least seasoned hands can in fact do it without breaking the coil wire.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

give it a go. youll probably mess up the first time but who cares, youll get it to work eventually

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

I’ve wound a few prototype pickups with 46. Once you get used to the feel it’s not that much different from 44. I was making a sidewinder Strat pickup. Very shallow bobbins!

I don’t strip insulation off the ends. I just wrap the the magnet wire around the hookup wire about 10 wraps and solder it.


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[Silence Kid]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

I don’t strip insulation off the ends. I just wrap the the magnet wire around the hookup wire about 10 wraps and solder it.

I use that basic method to repair coil breaks; never stripped coil wire myself.

 

[Artie]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

The reason I did it was simply because that's what we were taught in soldering class. I didn't know better.
We dipped about half an inch of the end into a tiny bottle of some kind of acid. (Muriatic maybe?) Then the insulation wiped right off without scoring, or scraping the wire. It worked, but it always was a mess no matter how careful you were.

Btw, where can you buy 46 gauge?

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

So far I've located it in very economic quantities; perhaps I don't need to pay $200 for over a pound of it, but I have some leads at least (aka- still not sure.)

 

[Mincer]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

If the pickup is otherwise useless to you, I say, try it! I'd love to hear how it turns out.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Winding with 46 Gauge

The reason I did it was simply because that's what we were taught in soldering class. I didn't know better.
We dipped about half an inch of the end into a tiny bottle of some kind of acid. (Muriatic maybe?) Then the insulation wiped right off without scoring, or scraping the wire. It worked, but it always was a mess no matter how careful you were.

Btw, where can you buy 46 gauge?

Most magnet wire is SPN, which is solderable poly nylon. I set my iron to about 350°F. Formvar (formal varnish) and high temperature poly is harder to solder, but it still works.

There is the stripping solution. I’ve never used that. Back in the 80s I used to pass the flame from a butane lighter past the end of the wire to burn the insulation off. Lol


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