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I made my first pickup!!!!

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12/12/2002 3:17 AM

I made my first pickup!!!!

YEAHHHHHH!!!

I just received a package from Jason Lollar with parts to make a pickup... so I did!!!

I used what's going to be known as "the stompbox maker's pickup winder"... A dremel (type) tool in the drill press placed horizontally, instead of feeding it from 120V I used a ~14v transformer and hooked it up to that to lower it's speed.

I used a piece of perfboard (really!) to hold the pickup and using the dremel chuck for disc cutting I mounted it on the dremel. I used two self adhesive felt pads... one on my thumb, the other one in my index finger to tension the wire...

Rather simple but VERY effective... I only had to splice twice on the first coil, the second one came out perfect!

I did the 3 strings x 2 coil pickup (Yey!)... It's humbucking, three poles are oriented north, three south. Reverse wound... I think, I am not an expert you know! (if it's humbucking with revPolarity it means it's also rev wound, right?)

The pickup has both coils in series for a total of 6.3k... I matched by the DC resistance method to around 5%.

I have ONLY one problem: there's a dead spot in the pickup, right in the middle. If I bend the 3rd string towards the 4th, there's a moment where it's volume drops to almost silence. I think that a metal plate under the pickup would solve this... I have yet to try.

I haven't potted the pickup yet, and if I tap on it you can hear it (microphonics), but there's no squeal at mid gain...(too late for high gain right now)

So far this has been TOO much fun... Add a little success to that and it's a great thing to do.

Comments?

Fp
ps: I'll be taking a few pictures later.

12/12/2002 12:07 PM
James	wow. Like , who hasnt?

12/12/2002 9:16 PM
Wolfe Macleod	No need for any snide remarks here, please.

12/12/2002 1:39 PM
BBML	it's fun ain't it ( speak with heavy southern drawl and pronouce all as one word)

12/12/2002 6:25 PM

quote:
"I used two self adhesive felt pads... one on my thumb, the other one in my index finger to tension the wire..."

That's clever, Fernando

-Eric

12/12/2002 7:40 PM
Fp	Thanks all, The felt pads work perfectly, easier to make than any machine part, but you have to BE THERE all the time. I won't make many pickups so that's fine with me! Fp ps: hey eric, it's Francisco, not Fernando!

12/13/2002 7:09 PM

quote:
"ps: hey eric, it's Francisco, not Fernando!

I have to stop inhaling those solder-fumes...

-Eric

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