Just tripped over your vid. At 15 I was attempting every imaginable way of building pickups. Started with SW Bell telephone receivers as I discovered they have a field and would pickup the strings but they were round. Finally just purchased my first electric solid body - that was 1961. This week I purchased a Donner travel electric acoustic but it has a piezo and I am considering adding a pickup or two as it has DeAdarrio SS strings. It sounds horrible with the onboard synth. Man, thank you for taking me way back to when I first marveled at electric guitars. Made my life great. //ji John in Oregon
Love your channel!! Just a note that Eddie Van Halen took the putting pick ups idea among other ideas from Tony Iommi and Jon Birch. In 1970 he needed to solve the problem of his P 90 pick ups squealing too much in front of his Laney stacks. Birch performed an overwound rewind on his bridge P90 and made an overwound neck P90 for him. both were potted.
If you can't find a good source of color coded four conductor with a ground to convert two conductor humbuckers to out of phase switchable or single coil taps. Cut the ends off of USB cables. Cheap and available everywhere.
Bravo! I’ve watched several videos about winding a pickup and none showed how the spool was oriented for the wire to freely come off the spool except this video. He just sits it on the floor.
@@HighlineGuitars OK, but don't you need to understand the winding direction in order to properly orient the magnet poles? (this affects "phase" doesn't it?) I did not see this explained... ?
@@cajoneez9657 No. With a humbucker, you can wire the start and finish of each bobbin based on the magnet's intended orientation. The winding direction doesn't matter.
Tone is the relationship between the gauge of wire, the number of turns, and the strength you charge the magnet to. The stronger the magnet, the more winds it can take. Over winding a weak magnet makes a muddy pickup
Jimmy Pages Alnico2 Neck PAF is Wound to a Hot(ish) 8.6k , but then set below pickup ring to balance the underwound 7.5k Short A5 T Top in the bridge . No Mud .( The Led Zeppelin Set no mainstream manufacturer has ever made!)
Thanks Chris, Your video gave me tips on how to handle the only thing I still struggle with, soldering on the leads to the coil wire and attempting to not short out anything with moving them around. I think your way to deal with that will help me out greatly! I appreciate it very much! I think you should have included a brief bit testing the resistance of the coils to show how to check for a short or partial short in it. I do it about 100 times while assembling because I'm a bit insane about it. I also understand that becomes a rabbit hole based on wire thickness and number of windings, which might be why you skipped it.
It was interesting the commentary on the reasons for the conventional Hotter Bridge Humbucker to create balance which is commonplace .. Jimmy Pages Les Paul tone in Led Zeppelin has been elusive as no mainstream manufacturer has ever created his UNCONVENTIONAL pickup arrangement. Namely a brighter Lower Wound 7.5k T Top with a short A5 magnet in the bridge creating some 'Twang' and a massively different high wind 8.6k Alnico 2 PAF in the Neck for a Buttery /Wood sound (Set BELOW pickup ring to create balance and no mud!)... These crazy pickup extremes create that "Hollow Toppy Chirp" almost acoustic sound in middle position which alludes conventional guitars.. With this setup, you get 3 much more 'radically different' tones than a regular hotter bridge/lower power neck setup.. Even the Gibson Jimmy Page model guitars are "Period Incorrect' pickup wise for Zeppelin, as they are modeled on post 1984 mods with hotter bridge
I just got a 1965 black Hagstrom 1 electric guitar, and the pickups are known to have a special sound that people pay a premium for, even decades old. QUESTION: When I was rubbing the rust off the pole pieces, pressing hard (heavily rusted), I discovered the poles are not one solid piece. The top part (that is visible) is actually a little steel cap that is glued onto the pole underneath. Apparently the rubbing alcohol I used to free the rust dissolved the glue. This happened on two pole pieces. I cleaned the old glue off, and put a tiny pinch of super glue (with pressure overnight) to secure the two caps. Have you ever seen pickups made this way, with metal caps fixed on top of each pole? They were magnetized. If you put them upside down, they would repulse, but the correct way, and it they fit right back in place. They work fine, but I'm curious nevertheless if this strange construction is unique to Hagstrom, or is this a build technique unique to Hagstrom? Thanks for your wonderful video.
Thank you Chris. I always wondered why the neck pickup is constructed differently from the bridge pickup. Thanks for explaining the differences in detail. Now I understand! Fantastic tutorial video!
The best video on this subject I have seen so far. Had all the information I needed to understand how humbuckers are actually made. Just subscribed. I wish you were just down the road. I suspect you would be the perfect guy to ask about dialing in a perfect humbucker tone :-) I look forward to seeing your other videos.
Fender pickups have been wax potted since the late forties. People wax potted humbuckers in the sixties. EVH was a visionary but he didn't invent wax potting.
hey I like the Video and it's pretty informing but there was one part that was not right in terms of the positioning of the Pickup. the most about it was right but a bridge Pickup and a neck Pickup have with the same note played the same frequency. because if they had different frequency the same note would sound different (like a played a note sounds at the neck as a a but at the brige as a b) but the reason why chords sound brighter is the thinner sides have a higher frequency but not so high altitude as the thicker sides and the diffrence between the higher altitude of the thicker sides getts narrower to the bridge so they sound higher
@ Gauss Meter There are quite many inexpensive Gauss Meter plans (based on Arduino + an LCD display) floating on the Web, but Chris just uses his voltmeter... @ 9:45, how come? I mean, we are creative folks, right? What do we make out of this? :) hint: Linear HALL sensors
Ultra- cool, Dude! Many years ago, I dreamed of building my own guitar. In retrospect, I guess I had created in my mind, a hybrid PRS, solid body Classical, and Brian May's Red Special. Anyway - I also thought of winding my own pickups. I had a friend whose Dad wound pickups using a spool and a fishing spinning reel. This entire realm of electronics v acoustics has always fascinated me. Sad thing - I barely passed me Electronics 101 Class in college.
I realized from the video that the finishing ends of the coils are soldered together. Which wire from the beginning of the coils do you use as "hot": the "Start" of the southern coil or the northern one? Thanks, Chris!
Fantastic video thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Could you do a video explaining how to wind a bobbin counter clockwise I’m finding it all a bit confusing that side of it. Thanks
if a winder is spinning clockwise, and you mount the bottom of the bobbin to the winder plate, it will spin clockwise. If you mount the top of a bobbin to the winder plate, the winder still spins clockwise but the winding is in the opposite direction (counter-clockwise) to the previously wound bobbin.
Good video except the only bit I was interested in that you never said anything about was the hook up wires, which one is live, which one is earth and which two get connected together?
Strings are vibrating with the same frequency, no matter which pickup position you pick. The amplitude is the only thing that's different. An open A = 440 Hz. The maximum amplitude is in the middle. So, either in the middle between the bridge and the saddle or between the bridge and the fret that's pressed. When you pick fretted notes this middle position shifts and the frequency therefore increases, but the frequency above the neck and bridge pickup is still the same.
Awesome video, thanks for this! I know it’s a bit older but I actually had a question in regards to wire - when I’m trying to wind, I constantly have to stop to unspool a bit of wire and it makes the winding part take forever. I cannot go quickly. When I unspool a bunch of wire to wind, it’s likely that unspooled wire will pool and knot next to me as I’m trying to wind. I set up the spool on a little pole, in hopes that as I wind, the wire will be pulled, the spool will then turn and feed more wire as it goes, but then I have issues with wire snapping, as the spool is too heavy and is only relying on the pull from the winder to unspool it. How do you go about having enough wire and being able to work at that speed while dealing with a spool of wire? Thanks!
I’ve never had the issue you described nor have I heard of anyone other pickup makers with that same experience. With the spools I use, the wire unravels on its own as the bobbin spins.
@@HighlineGuitars thank you for the response! It must have to do with how I have the spool set up. I set it up expecting the spool itself to roll to unwind while the pickup winder does its thing. I need to set it vertically so the wire can come off freely (how a fishing pole spool would be orientated) and not expect the spool itself to move.
This is a great resource, thank you! Do you press the bobbins in using an arbor press, and do you magnetize them? If so, I'd love to see further instruction on that. A bit more clarification on the steps that happen before winding. Thanks for the great videos!
This video was awesome. Very informative and interesting! Thanks so much for sharing. This is definitely something I want to be able to do in the near future and everything you showed and explained was easy to understand and made a lot of sense.
Thanks for all your vids, your´re great at explaining stuff, can´t count the tips and principles I´ve learned til now. I hope some day you tell us how a johnny smith style mini humbucker is made.
Thank you, sir! I've seen some of your vids, but I'm now subscribed. I hope to make some guitars in the future. I've thought about how nice it would be to make my own pickups. Definitely something I'll try at some point and I'm sure I'll refer back to this as a starting point. Thanks again.
@@HighlineGuitars I would love a HB for the neck of a 25.5, that is not muddy and splits well giving a clear clean sound. I will use both coils separately also, would like each to have different number of winds, enough to sound a bit different. I love the sound of a strat. I play no distortion and love old rock and country music. Is this possible?
Eddie Van Halen was a genius to the degree that he learned extensive musical theory and classical music because his father was a task master and a very capable guitarist who pushed his children to learn as much as he could make them learn about music.
Hear me out… 1 pickup per string. Each run vertically from bridge to neck. Would the fields be to close, or is there another issue with doing that? What about 1 large pickup, how big could you go?
I always hear about 'hand wound' pickups which sounds more time consuming than using a winding machine but may be easier to count the number of wire winds. How are you counting the number of winds using the winding machine to obtain specific and consistent number of winds each time? Also I think and could be wrong but the wire wind itself can be intentionally inconsistent or wound other than evenly back and forth to create a specific wind pattern. I'm assuming this is where hand winding is most effective. I have no experience with this and learning.
My current winder is a CNC winder which precisely controls the number of turns. I can also program the traverse to vary its speed which mimics hand winding (aka “scatter winding”).
Hi,I was wondering if you/someone could help me out here. I was planning to change the cover of my pickups ( Gibson Humbucker 490r e il 498t) in gold tone so I would need to change the Pole Screws too in the same colour. I bought Pole Bolts - Slot Head 5-40 x 18mm (imperial). Did I get the right POLE Screws or did I need to buy different ones? I am still waiting to receive the guitar with those pickups so I can not really tell but these pole screw looks a little too small to my eyes. I am not an expert so I was wondering if you could help me out Thanks!
Hello. After you wind each bobbin and have two copper wire ends....does it matter which end to connect to other bobbin and make the humbucker? Does the inside start end have to connect to the outside finish end of the other bobbin? Does it matter? Thanks
Yes it matters, but you can wire the bobbins in series like you described, or in parallel. In series yields higher output and darker tone. In parallel yields lower output and brighter tone.
@@HighlineGuitars What about in series but instead of connecting the negative pickup side to positive pickup side, connecting negative to negative or positive to positive??? Thanks
Great video. Ty! I've been playing for years and never knew that so much went into a pup. Question: can a passive pup go bad over time? I heard that you shouldn't put your pups near anything metal. My old pups just don't sound like when they were new. Thanks!
Yes, they can go bad. The coil wire insulation can degrade over time, which can weaken the signal and lead to shorts. Also, the magnets can be degraded by blunt impacts and excessive heat, although these issues are rare.
I have a question about the winding direction for each coil. I was under the impression that one of the coils is wound counter-clockwise, and the other clockwise. So, one would be South/Clockwise, and the other is North/Counter-clockwise, and that is what makes it in-phase and humbucking. CCW-N, and CCW-S together would be out of phase. CW-N and CCW-S is in-phase and humbucking. StewMac has a good page describing it, www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/online-resources/learn-about-guitar-pickups-and-electronics-and-wiring/understanding-guitar-wiring-i-4000-2.html. The one thing that I am not sure of is wiring the finish of the first coil to start of the second, or finish of first coil to finish of the second. So, your connection to the series would be either Start(1) and Finish(2), or Start(1) and Start(2). Does that change the phase? The one thing we do know is constant is that, by design, one coil will always be N, and the other always S. So there is just the variables of; winding direction, and Start/Finish or Start/Start. Thanks! (Great channel by the way! Excellent videos!)
You can wind humbucker coils in the same direction. The end result depends on how you wire them together. This site will explain: www.1728.org/guitar1b.htm
Do you have any pickup videos on you connecting a guitar pickup to get a frequency Response measurement to see the frequency response curve of the pickup?
Chris, this is my second time watching this one, and I suspect I'll watch it a couple more times before I attempt my first DIY humbucker. Do you have any tips on where to get the best pickup parts for the best prices? Do you buy in bulk? I've seen some 'humbucker' pickup 'kits' that include all the pieces - are these a good option or do you pick everything separately?
For the guitars I sell on Reverb, I buy kits fro CE Distribution. You have to have a business account to get the best prices. For custom builds I source parts all over the internet.
How about magnetizing the pickups? Aren't humbuckers supposed to be composed of two single coils with opposing magnetic fields? Also how many turns do you usually put in your pickups (both bridge and neck)
I'm sorry I'm so late! LOL I just found you and this video. Thank you for creating this video!! I have a question... You stated that you use 42, 43 and 44 gauge wire. You say that the more turns you put on a bobbin, they higher the output signal, the higher the output signal you clip treble frequencies. To balance this - if you put more turns on the bridge bobbin the less turns on a neck bobbin. I'm learning a lot, but I have no idea how many turns should be a minimum, what's the maximum amount of turns and what is the average amount of turns? If I want to DIM (Do It Myself - similar to DIY lol) and I go buy a 50 foot roll of 44 gauge copper wire, will that be enough for 1 single coil and 2 humbuckers? About how many feet of wire do I need for 1 single coil? And for 1 humbucker? That's the only information that I'm really lacking... How many turns is average for a single coil neck pickup? And how many turns are average for a bridge humbucker pickup? How many feet of 44 gauge wire is normally used to wrap an average single coil neck pickup? And how many feet of 44 gauge wire is normally used to wrap an average bridge humbucker pickup? Thank you so much!!! Not many RUclips creators respond to my comments and questions. I hope you do! I really do!!! Thank you so much!!!
Great video! I had one question though. There is a guitar player you are probably familiar with “Eddie van Halen” who crafted his own pick up. What did he do differently from you to get more of a (screaming tone) this question is very specific sorry, haha.
I think even Eddie would tell you it's not so much about the pickup as it is about the way he plays. In other words, if you played his guitar, it would sound like you. However, if Eddie played your guitar, it would sound like Eddie. That being said, the humbucker he originally used in his Frankenstrat was a Gibson PAF lifted from an ES-335, which was potted with paraffin wax. God only knows the specs of that original pickup, but he has stated in the past that one of the coils didn't work. PAFs are usually wound with 42awg wire to a low DCR and I would guess the magnet was either an Alnico 2 or a low gauss Alnico 5.
Thanks for this video, it's really useful. When you solder the pickup wire to the lead wire do you have to scratch off the enamel coating, or do you just wrap it round a few times and the solder melts it forming a connection? Thanks!
I need to learn more about magnet gauss. The number that came up on your meter ,what is that reading? And are u just matching numbers . Im not quite getting that.🤔🤔
I might go into that more in a future episode. In a nutshell, the number corresponds to the voltage detected by the hall effects sensor. I use a math formula that converts it to gauss. In truth, it takes a lot of testing to match the numbers with a specific tone.
Hello sir i am from india tell me what is the gauge of wire you have taken in this pickup and how much have you done in turn, i play typewriter keys banjo and want to make a pickup for him which does not have humming problem
I just received my Mira se and the tape on the pickup was a mess. to fit can I tape over or remove tape and retape and what size tape do I get. .It would not be an issue except the cobbjob is on the bass side and I see it.
Hi Chris..I really enjoy your videos. Please entertain a question from a non electronic guy. Does the frequency of the string change at the brige or just the amplitude?
We're not really talking about electronics in this instance. Amplitude refers to how far the string moves from side to side and frequency refers to how fast it moves from side to side. At the bridge, the sting moves faster side to side, but over a shorter distance. Without getting into the details, that why the bridge pickup sounds brighter than the neck pickup.
Highline Guitars Hi Chris. The frequency of the string cannot change along its length however the amplitude will change as you approach the “nodes”. Frequency will always be determined by the length of the string, its mass, and tension.
exspes Yes I adopted too simple an explanation by concentrating on the “fundamental” frequency. However I’m not entirely convinced by your explanations either. (My A level physics is nearly 50 years old but I’ll give it a go from memory.) The fundamental is the frequency we tune the string too. A = 440 hz is a good place to start. When plucked the string will vibrate 440 times per second. The string will not move at all at the bridge or nut and will move furthest at the 12th fret - its Centre. The points where the string doesn’t move at all are called the nodes and where the string moves most is the anti node. In this simple model it should be realized that the velocity of the string is different in different places. Near the nodes the string would be moving 440 times a second but over a smaller amplitude than at the antinode and therefore the velocity would be lower. Now you were quite correct that this simple explanation excludes a fair amount of other factors. When a string vibrates it will create “harmonics” on top of the fundamental. The first harmonic generated will be equivalent to half the length of the string, or to put it another way double the frequency - 880hz in the example. A further harmonic will be generated at 1/3 of the string length, another at 1/4 and so on. These harmonics will sit into the western musical scales nicely. Obviously eventually these harmonics will only be noticeable to local dogs! The fundamental frequency will always be the most audible. Although my knowledge is old I think I’m right to say it is not possible to generate harmonics below the fundamental. (Harmonic resonance is another thing entirely. Remove the damper from piano strings and hit A 440 and strings with a lower pitch will vibrate sympathetically, as well as higher notes.) So what is happening near the bridge of a guitar? We all know that the sound of the guitar is different when played nearer to the bridge, and this applies to electrically amplified and acoustically amplified instruments. Although we all call this tone I think it is better to call it by its more scientific name of “timbre”. The best explanation I have heard is that certain harmonics, the higher frequency ones, are enhanced in the timbre whilst lower ones are damped by playing in this position. Interestingly ( to me anyway ) a music lecturer friend advised me to read up n Psycho acoustics which is all about how we perceive sound. It would appear that if enough harmonic information is given that, even without the fundamental present, our brains will still “hear it”. As to the rest of your post the points about a bass and cello are pretty much self evident if you look at the string. Length/ mass / tension. In wind instruments it’s the length of the vibrating column of air that dictates fundamental frequency. I’m off to look for my life now :-)
Hi, hope this is not a silly question but do you solder the two finish wires together or the start and finish wires? I only ask as there seems to be a lot written about this on the net and I can't tell which way is right.
Hi - do you always the same base plate material (looks like German Silver) or have you used a brass material? If you do or can share some insight; what difference do you find it makes on the tone of the pickup, everything else being equal? I would think that they would have some affect on inductance(?) Great video by the way!
I use nickel silver like most quality pickup makers. Brass is usually found in cheapo import pickups. As for tone or inductance, who knows and who cares. If brass is perceived as cheap I'm not even going to bother. How would you feel if you bought an expensive set of Seymour Duncan humbuckers and they came with brass baseplates? You'd think they're fakes.
The beautiful thing about guitar is that you can go full on scientist mode with it. It's a perfect blend of bad-assery and science geek.
That's also what I love about these things
One of the best innovations to happen to arts & science. It's done enormous impact in various cultures for decades.
Just tripped over your vid. At 15 I was attempting every imaginable way of building pickups. Started with SW Bell telephone receivers as I discovered they have a field and would pickup the strings but they were round. Finally just purchased my first electric solid body - that was 1961.
This week I purchased a Donner travel electric acoustic but it has a piezo and I am considering adding a pickup or two as it has DeAdarrio SS strings.
It sounds horrible with the onboard synth.
Man, thank you for taking me way back to when I first marveled at electric guitars. Made my life great. //ji John in Oregon
A video about the DIY gauss meter would be informative and appreciated.
hands down one of the best channels on yt
winding the bobbins sounds like a great title for a song
An excellent and inspiring tutorial;
thanks so much for sharing your comprehensive and extensive knowledge! 🎸
Glad you enjoyed it!
And its art, one way to achive true happiness by creating stuff.
Thank you for posting this! It helped me better understand my instrument. Of course, it also made me want to learn more about building guitars too.
Excellent PUP building tutorial - I have wanted a tutorial like this for years! Thanks HG!
Dude, you do such cool stuff. Thank you for all your effort to share your knowledge.
Thanks that was the best and most comprehensive video on making pickup I’ve seen.
The best pickup winding video I’ve seen.
Love your channel!! Just a note that Eddie Van Halen took the putting pick ups idea among other ideas from Tony Iommi and Jon Birch. In 1970 he needed to solve the problem of his P 90 pick ups squealing too much in front of his Laney stacks. Birch performed an overwound rewind on his bridge P90 and made an overwound neck P90 for him. both were potted.
If you can't find a good source of color coded four conductor with a ground to convert two conductor humbuckers to out of phase switchable or single coil taps. Cut the ends off of USB cables. Cheap and available everywhere.
Bravo! I’ve watched several videos about winding a pickup and none showed how the spool was oriented for the wire to freely come off the spool except this video. He just sits it on the floor.
Oooooo. Do a video on that home made Gauss meter please! Love the video, thank you very much.
AGREE!
What is a gauss again?
@@tarsiousmunalembohol It's a unit of measurement of magnetic flux
@@gabrielezeta7571 that tool is a must in every pick up builder. Or its okey with out it?
@@tarsiousmunalembohol I'm curious too.
Isn't Winding directions of each bobbin important? As well as magnet pole positions? Did not see that explained... or did I miss it??
Only the magnet orientation. Winding direction isn't important since you can connect the leads to accomplish the same thing.
@@HighlineGuitars OK, but don't you need to understand the winding direction in order to properly orient the magnet poles? (this affects "phase" doesn't it?) I did not see this explained... ?
@@cajoneez9657 No. With a humbucker, you can wire the start and finish of each bobbin based on the magnet's intended orientation. The winding direction doesn't matter.
Amazing job, true craftsmanship!!!!
Thanks for the info, it made sense to me finally. Your video are awesome.Loved The homemade pickup winder, and gauss contraption,
Tone is the relationship between the gauge of wire, the number of turns, and the strength you charge the magnet to. The stronger the magnet, the more winds it can take. Over winding a weak magnet makes a muddy pickup
So what is the relationshop exactly? Is it directly proportional?
So should I buy emg 81/60 or just make my own? What do you suggest people huh?
Jimmy Pages Alnico2 Neck PAF is Wound to a Hot(ish) 8.6k , but then set below pickup ring to balance the underwound 7.5k Short A5 T Top in the bridge . No Mud .( The Led Zeppelin Set no mainstream manufacturer has ever made!)
Thanks Chris,
Your video gave me tips on how to handle the only thing I still struggle with, soldering on the leads to the coil wire and attempting to not short out anything with moving them around. I think your way to deal with that will help me out greatly!
I appreciate it very much!
I think you should have included a brief bit testing the resistance of the coils to show how to check for a short or partial short in it. I do it about 100 times while assembling because I'm a bit insane about it. I also understand that becomes a rabbit hole based on wire thickness and number of windings, which might be why you skipped it.
Excellent job, Sir!
It was interesting the commentary on the reasons for the conventional Hotter Bridge Humbucker to create balance which is commonplace .. Jimmy Pages Les Paul tone in Led Zeppelin has been elusive as no mainstream manufacturer has ever created his UNCONVENTIONAL pickup arrangement. Namely a brighter Lower Wound 7.5k T Top with a short A5 magnet in the bridge creating some 'Twang' and a massively different high wind 8.6k Alnico 2 PAF in the Neck for a Buttery /Wood sound (Set BELOW pickup ring to create balance and no mud!)... These crazy pickup extremes create that "Hollow Toppy Chirp" almost acoustic sound in middle position which alludes conventional guitars.. With this setup, you get 3 much more 'radically different' tones than a regular hotter bridge/lower power neck setup.. Even the Gibson Jimmy Page model guitars are "Period Incorrect' pickup wise for Zeppelin, as they are modeled on post 1984 mods with hotter bridge
Very eloquently explained, thanks. ✌🏼
Yeah, this was good. We need more of this. Let's hear the pickups in the next pickup build vid.
Great video BUT I wish you would have shown more detail on how and where the magnets are attached under the coil.
I’ll do it for a future video.
I just got a 1965 black Hagstrom 1 electric guitar, and the pickups are known to have a special sound that people pay a premium for, even decades old. QUESTION: When I was rubbing the rust off the pole pieces, pressing hard (heavily rusted), I discovered the poles are not one solid piece.
The top part (that is visible) is actually a little steel cap that is glued onto the pole underneath. Apparently the rubbing alcohol I used to free the rust dissolved the glue. This happened on two pole pieces. I cleaned the old glue off, and put a tiny pinch of super glue (with pressure overnight) to secure the two caps.
Have you ever seen pickups made this way, with metal caps fixed on top of each pole? They were magnetized. If you put them upside down, they would repulse, but the correct way, and it they fit right back in place.
They work fine, but I'm curious nevertheless if this strange construction is unique to Hagstrom, or is this a build technique unique to Hagstrom? Thanks for your wonderful video.
I know nothing about that brand.
This is incredibly interesting. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Chris. I always wondered why the neck pickup is constructed differently from the bridge pickup. Thanks for explaining the differences in detail. Now I understand! Fantastic tutorial video!
Jimmy Pages set is the opposite. Low Wind Bridge, Overwound Neck. It was in the Zeppelin years. Thats why no ones nailed his Les Paul Tone.
The best video on this subject I have seen so far. Had all the information I needed to understand how humbuckers are actually made. Just subscribed. I wish you were just down the road. I suspect you would be the perfect guy to ask about dialing in a perfect humbucker tone :-) I look forward to seeing your other videos.
Lol Van Halen made these 700 years ago. I cried
Rip Eddie Van Halen
Van halen is a revolutionary and a visionary
Fender pickups have been wax potted since the late forties. People wax potted humbuckers in the sixties. EVH was a visionary but he didn't invent wax potting.
@@neilpincus4667
He never said he invented it first, just did it first on his own
@@neilpincus4667 bro I wonder if you picked up the joke and made a counter joke, or if you took the man's word face value 🤣
I unliked my original like, just so I could like again. Awesome video!
This is art man! Thanks a lot.
hey I like the Video and it's pretty informing but there was one part that was not right in terms of the positioning of the Pickup. the most about it was right but a bridge Pickup and a neck Pickup have with the same note played the same frequency. because if they had different frequency the same note would sound different (like a played a note sounds at the neck as a a but at the brige as a b) but the reason why chords sound brighter is the thinner sides have a higher frequency but not so high altitude as the thicker sides and the diffrence between the higher altitude of the thicker sides getts narrower to the bridge so they sound higher
Excellent video, thanks. Good to have something with real info for once
@ Gauss Meter
There are quite many inexpensive Gauss Meter plans (based on Arduino + an LCD display) floating on the Web, but Chris just uses his voltmeter... @ 9:45, how come?
I mean, we are creative folks, right? What do we make out of this? :)
hint: Linear HALL sensors
Great video lesson, keep up the good work
Ultra- cool, Dude! Many years ago, I dreamed of building my own guitar. In retrospect, I guess I had created in my mind, a hybrid PRS, solid body Classical, and Brian May's Red Special. Anyway - I also thought of winding my own pickups. I had a friend whose Dad wound pickups using a spool and a fishing spinning reel. This entire realm of electronics v acoustics has always fascinated me. Sad thing - I barely passed me Electronics 101 Class in college.
I realized from the video that the finishing ends of the coils are soldered together. Which wire from the beginning of the coils do you use as "hot": the "Start" of the southern coil or the northern one? Thanks, Chris!
North start is the hot. South start is the ground. North and south finish are soldered together.
Fantastic video thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Could you do a video explaining how to wind a bobbin counter clockwise I’m finding it all a bit confusing that side of it. Thanks
if a winder is spinning clockwise, and you mount the bottom of the bobbin to the winder plate, it will spin clockwise. If you mount the top of a bobbin to the winder plate, the winder still spins clockwise but the winding is in the opposite direction (counter-clockwise) to the previously wound bobbin.
Very cool video! Where can I hear it ?
Good video except the only bit I was interested in that you never said anything about was the hook up wires, which one is live, which one is earth and which two get connected together?
Because there are so many options. www.seymourduncan.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/color_codes-809x1024.jpg
Very well done, but is it possible to buy some of your creations?
Thank you
Only if you buy a guitar and I don’t have any for sale at the moment, so, no.
Very informative and insightful video. Thank you very much!
Strings are vibrating with the same frequency, no matter which pickup position you pick. The amplitude is the only thing that's different. An open A = 440 Hz. The maximum amplitude is in the middle. So, either in the middle between the bridge and the saddle or between the bridge and the fret that's pressed. When you pick fretted notes this middle position shifts and the frequency therefore increases, but the frequency above the neck and bridge pickup is still the same.
Hey Chris thank you for your reply. It makes sense and is really interesting. Thank you
Thanks for the video, very informative.
Awesome video, thanks for this! I know it’s a bit older but I actually had a question in regards to wire - when I’m trying to wind, I constantly have to stop to unspool a bit of wire and it makes the winding part take forever. I cannot go quickly. When I unspool a bunch of wire to wind, it’s likely that unspooled wire will pool and knot next to me as I’m trying to wind. I set up the spool on a little pole, in hopes that as I wind, the wire will be pulled, the spool will then turn and feed more wire as it goes, but then I have issues with wire snapping, as the spool is too heavy and is only relying on the pull from the winder to unspool it. How do you go about having enough wire and being able to work at that speed while dealing with a spool of wire? Thanks!
I actually just read that people stand the spool vertically below where they’re working - this seems to be the common trend and works well?
I’ve never had the issue you described nor have I heard of anyone other pickup makers with that same experience. With the spools I use, the wire unravels on its own as the bobbin spins.
@@HighlineGuitars thank you for the response! It must have to do with how I have the spool set up. I set it up expecting the spool itself to roll to unwind while the pickup winder does its thing. I need to set it vertically so the wire can come off freely (how a fishing pole spool would be orientated) and not expect the spool itself to move.
@@Houstnwehavuhoh That is correct.
This is a great resource, thank you! Do you press the bobbins in using an arbor press, and do you magnetize them? If so, I'd love to see further instruction on that. A bit more clarification on the steps that happen before winding. Thanks for the great videos!
The vast majority of humbuckers have non-magnetized pole slugs and screws.
And you can see him pressing them in at 9:15 with a screwdriver.
Excellent video!
Hi Chris!
does it realy matter how you place the magnet, south to the screws or noeth pointing to the screws??
Yes, it does.
This video was awesome. Very informative and interesting! Thanks so much for sharing. This is definitely something I want to be able to do in the near future and everything you showed and explained was easy to understand and made a lot of sense.
Wow amazing video CHRIS thanks !!!!!!!!
Smart man... very solid info.. ty
Thanks for all your vids, your´re great at explaining stuff, can´t count the tips and principles I´ve learned til now. I hope some day you tell us how a johnny smith style mini humbucker is made.
Thanx. Super informative.
Thank you, sir! I've seen some of your vids, but I'm now subscribed. I hope to make some guitars in the future. I've thought about how nice it would be to make my own pickups. Definitely something I'll try at some point and I'm sure I'll refer back to this as a starting point. Thanks again.
Amazing video thanks so much you inspired me to wind my own humbucker!👍
You have the best way of explaining complicated things. Thanks again. Do you sell pickups?
Yes I do!
@@HighlineGuitars I would love a HB for the neck of a 25.5, that is not muddy and splits well giving a clear clean sound. I will use both coils separately also, would like each to have different number of winds, enough to sound a bit different. I love the sound of a strat. I play no distortion and love old rock and country music. Is this possible?
@@Grandpa.Dan8881 I would suggest buying an HB.
C’ mon u can coil tap em but can you reverse your grinder polarity power input to wind the opposite direction
Thank you Sir, Excellent 🤩👍🏆
Eddie Van Halen was a genius to the degree that he learned extensive musical theory and classical music because his father was a task master and a very capable guitarist who pushed his children to learn as much as he could make them learn about music.
Hear me out… 1 pickup per string. Each run vertically from bridge to neck. Would the fields be to close, or is there another issue with doing that? What about 1 large pickup, how big could you go?
Go for it.
I always hear about 'hand wound' pickups which sounds more time consuming than using a winding machine but may be easier to count the number of wire winds. How are you counting the number of winds using the winding machine to obtain specific and consistent number of winds each time? Also I think and could be wrong but the wire wind itself can be intentionally inconsistent or wound other than evenly back and forth to create a specific wind pattern. I'm assuming this is where hand winding is most effective. I have no experience with this and learning.
My current winder is a CNC winder which precisely controls the number of turns. I can also program the traverse to vary its speed which mimics hand winding (aka “scatter winding”).
Chris, do you have any recommendations for an electric screwdriver for adding or removing screw pole pieces? You mentioned using one in this video.
No. I use a cheap Harbor Freight.
Hi,I was wondering if you/someone could help me out here.
I was planning to change the cover of my pickups ( Gibson Humbucker 490r e il 498t) in gold tone so I would need to change the Pole Screws too in the same colour.
I bought Pole Bolts - Slot Head 5-40 x 18mm (imperial).
Did I get the right POLE Screws or did I need to buy different ones?
I am still waiting to receive the guitar with those pickups so I can not really tell but these pole screw looks a little too small to my eyes.
I am not an expert so I was wondering if you could help me out
Thanks!
Hello. After you wind each bobbin and have two copper wire ends....does it matter which end to connect to other bobbin and make the humbucker? Does the inside start end have to connect to the outside finish end of the other bobbin? Does it matter? Thanks
Yes it matters, but you can wire the bobbins in series like you described, or in parallel. In series yields higher output and darker tone. In parallel yields lower output and brighter tone.
Is the hum eliminated both ways series or parallel?
@@nickhlawka7073 both ways are hum canceling.
Thank You
@@HighlineGuitars What about in series but instead of connecting the negative pickup side to positive pickup side, connecting negative to negative or positive to positive??? Thanks
Great video. Ty! I've been playing for years and never knew that so much went into a pup. Question: can a passive pup go bad over time? I heard that you shouldn't put your pups near anything metal. My old pups just don't sound like when they were new. Thanks!
Yes, they can go bad. The coil wire insulation can degrade over time, which can weaken the signal and lead to shorts. Also, the magnets can be degraded by blunt impacts and excessive heat, although these issues are rare.
Chris, you ever hear of a mini humbucker? If so have you ever found any of those little bobbins on your Whatsit?
I have a question about the winding direction for each coil. I was under the impression that one of the coils is wound counter-clockwise, and the other clockwise. So, one would be South/Clockwise, and the other is North/Counter-clockwise, and that is what makes it in-phase and humbucking. CCW-N, and CCW-S together would be out of phase. CW-N and CCW-S is in-phase and humbucking.
StewMac has a good page describing it, www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/online-resources/learn-about-guitar-pickups-and-electronics-and-wiring/understanding-guitar-wiring-i-4000-2.html.
The one thing that I am not sure of is wiring the finish of the first coil to start of the second, or finish of first coil to finish of the second. So, your connection to the series would be either Start(1) and Finish(2), or Start(1) and Start(2). Does that change the phase? The one thing we do know is constant is that, by design, one coil will always be N, and the other always S. So there is just the variables of; winding direction, and Start/Finish or Start/Start.
Thanks! (Great channel by the way! Excellent videos!)
You can wind humbucker coils in the same direction. The end result depends on how you wire them together. This site will explain: www.1728.org/guitar1b.htm
Outstanding video Chris!!!
Thank you!
Would solid copper work better than wound copper? 4:58
It wouldn’t work at all.
Do you have any pickup videos on you connecting a guitar pickup to get a frequency Response measurement to see the frequency response curve of the pickup?
No.
Hi Chris, is there any way to fix the Tobin when the wire breaks through the wiring process, or you have to start over every single time it happens??
I usually just start over. You can solder the break and either tape the joint or lacquer over it.
amazing video!
Chris, this is my second time watching this one, and I suspect I'll watch it a couple more times before I attempt my first DIY humbucker. Do you have any tips on where to get the best pickup parts for the best prices? Do you buy in bulk? I've seen some 'humbucker' pickup 'kits' that include all the pieces - are these a good option or do you pick everything separately?
For the guitars I sell on Reverb, I buy kits fro CE Distribution. You have to have a business account to get the best prices. For custom builds I source parts all over the internet.
How about magnetizing the pickups? Aren't humbuckers supposed to be composed of two single coils with opposing magnetic fields? Also how many turns do you usually put in your pickups (both bridge and neck)
I'm sorry I'm so late! LOL
I just found you and this video. Thank you for creating this video!!
I have a question...
You stated that you use 42, 43 and 44 gauge wire. You say that the more turns you put on a bobbin, they higher the output signal, the higher the output signal you clip treble frequencies. To balance this - if you put more turns on the bridge bobbin the less turns on a neck bobbin.
I'm learning a lot, but I have no idea how many turns should be a minimum, what's the maximum amount of turns and what is the average amount of turns?
If I want to DIM (Do It Myself - similar to DIY lol) and I go buy a 50 foot roll of 44 gauge copper wire, will that be enough for 1 single coil and 2 humbuckers? About how many feet of wire do I need for 1 single coil? And for 1 humbucker?
That's the only information that I'm really lacking...
How many turns is average for a single coil neck pickup? And how many turns are average for a bridge humbucker pickup?
How many feet of 44 gauge wire is normally used to wrap an average single coil neck pickup? And how many feet of 44 gauge wire is normally used to wrap an average bridge humbucker pickup?
Thank you so much!!!
Not many RUclips creators respond to my comments and questions.
I hope you do! I really do!!!
Thank you so much!!!
Start here: www.google.com/search?q=how+many+feet+of+wire+in+a+guitar+pickup&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS749US749&oq=how+many+feet+of+wire&aqs=chrome.2.0j69i57j0l4.9028j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Cheers...
I have a question, sir, what happens if I rewind more one coil than the another in a humbucker?
Gibson did that way unintentionally with their early PAF humbuckers. I do it as well. Usually 5 to 10% difference.
Any chance of showing how you constructed the DIY gauss meter?
www.coolmagnetman.com/magmeter.htm
Would changing gauge of wire or strength of the magnets be a way of balancing the neck and bridge pickups?
ruclips.net/p/PL7TLAFxVOtrVBkmFgpiMwVWmPSzNhK6dw
Why ground the baseplates? What is the science behind it? It doesn't seem to be necessary for the signal loop, so what's the deal?
What’s the general cost for you to make a single coil or a humbucker ?
What a great informative video! Thank you
Great job man!!!!!
Great video! I had one question though. There is a guitar player you are probably familiar with “Eddie van Halen” who crafted his own pick up. What did he do differently from you to get more of a (screaming tone) this question is very specific sorry, haha.
I think even Eddie would tell you it's not so much about the pickup as it is about the way he plays. In other words, if you played his guitar, it would sound like you. However, if Eddie played your guitar, it would sound like Eddie. That being said, the humbucker he originally used in his Frankenstrat was a Gibson PAF lifted from an ES-335, which was potted with paraffin wax. God only knows the specs of that original pickup, but he has stated in the past that one of the coils didn't work. PAFs are usually wound with 42awg wire to a low DCR and I would guess the magnet was either an Alnico 2 or a low gauss Alnico 5.
Thanks for this video, it's really useful. When you solder the pickup wire to the lead wire do you have to scratch off the enamel coating, or do you just wrap it round a few times and the solder melts it forming a connection? Thanks!
The wire I use has insulation that melts when touched by a soldering iron.
Thanks! I'll see if mine melts/test it afterwards
I need to learn more about magnet gauss. The number that came up on your meter ,what is that reading? And are u just matching numbers . Im not quite getting that.🤔🤔
I might go into that more in a future episode. In a nutshell, the number corresponds to the voltage detected by the hall effects sensor. I use a math formula that converts it to gauss. In truth, it takes a lot of testing to match the numbers with a specific tone.
28 single-coil groupies have disliked this video. ;-)
Hello sir i am from india tell me what is the gauge of wire you have taken in this pickup and how much have you done in turn, i play typewriter keys banjo and want to make a pickup for him which does not have humming problem
I use 42 to 44 AWG wire. The number of turns varies between 4500 and 8000 for a humbucker.
I just received my Mira se and the tape on the pickup was a mess. to fit can I tape over or remove tape and retape and what size tape do I get. .It would not be an issue except the cobbjob is on the bass side and I see it.
Great video, very informative! Thank you kindly!!!
Plumbers tape??
Hi Chris..I really enjoy your videos. Please entertain a question from a non electronic guy. Does the frequency of the string change at the brige or just the amplitude?
We're not really talking about electronics in this instance. Amplitude refers to how far the string moves from side to side and frequency refers to how fast it moves from side to side. At the bridge, the sting moves faster side to side, but over a shorter distance. Without getting into the details, that why the bridge pickup sounds brighter than the neck pickup.
Highline Guitars Hi Chris. The frequency of the string cannot change along its length however the amplitude will change as you approach the “nodes”. Frequency will always be determined by the length of the string, its mass, and tension.
exspes Yes I adopted too simple an explanation by concentrating on the “fundamental” frequency. However I’m not entirely convinced by your explanations either. (My A level physics is nearly 50 years old but I’ll give it a go from memory.)
The fundamental is the frequency we tune the string too. A = 440 hz is a good place to start.
When plucked the string will vibrate 440 times per second. The string will not move at all at the bridge or nut and will move furthest at the 12th fret - its Centre. The points where the string doesn’t move at all are called the nodes and where the string moves most is the anti node. In this simple model it should be realized that the velocity of the string is different in different places. Near the nodes the string would be moving 440 times a second but over a smaller amplitude than at the antinode and therefore the velocity would be lower.
Now you were quite correct that this simple explanation excludes a fair amount of other factors. When a string vibrates it will create “harmonics” on top of the fundamental. The first harmonic generated will be equivalent to half the length of the string, or to put it another way double the frequency - 880hz in the example.
A further harmonic will be generated at 1/3 of the string length, another at 1/4 and so on. These harmonics will sit into the western musical scales nicely. Obviously eventually these harmonics will only be noticeable to local dogs!
The fundamental frequency will always be the most audible.
Although my knowledge is old I think I’m right to say it is not possible to generate harmonics below the fundamental. (Harmonic resonance is another thing entirely. Remove the damper from piano strings and hit A 440 and strings with a lower pitch will vibrate sympathetically, as well as higher notes.)
So what is happening near the bridge of a guitar?
We all know that the sound of the guitar is different when played nearer to the bridge, and this applies to electrically amplified and acoustically amplified instruments.
Although we all call this tone I think it is better to call it by its more scientific name of “timbre”.
The best explanation I have heard is that certain harmonics, the higher frequency ones, are enhanced in the timbre whilst lower ones are damped by playing in this position.
Interestingly ( to me anyway ) a music lecturer friend advised me to read up n Psycho acoustics which is all about how we perceive sound. It would appear that if enough harmonic information is given that, even without the fundamental present, our brains will still “hear it”.
As to the rest of your post the points about a bass and cello are pretty much self evident if you look at the string. Length/ mass / tension. In wind instruments it’s the length of the vibrating column of air that dictates fundamental frequency.
I’m off to look for my life now :-)
wow! Great!
That was awesome!
Hi, hope this is not a silly question but do you solder the two finish wires together or the start and finish wires? I only ask as there seems to be a lot written about this on the net and I can't tell which way is right.
Hi - do you always the same base plate material (looks like German Silver) or have you used a brass material? If you do or can share some insight; what difference do you find it makes on the tone of the pickup, everything else being equal? I would think that they would have some affect on inductance(?)
Great video by the way!
I use nickel silver like most quality pickup makers. Brass is usually found in cheapo import pickups. As for tone or inductance, who knows and who cares. If brass is perceived as cheap I'm not even going to bother. How would you feel if you bought an expensive set of Seymour Duncan humbuckers and they came with brass baseplates? You'd think they're fakes.
very usefull..
Awesome 👍
Final assembly; "screw bobbins are oriented toward the South Pole...". What exactly does that mean?
The bobbin with the adjustable pole screws is on the south pole of the magnet. The bobbin with the slugs is on the north pole.
@@HighlineGuitars Oh, it refers to the magnet polarity. Another thing to research... thanks