Humbucker @ 50

[WGTP]

Hey, I'm younger than the Humbucker.  Seymour Duncan is celebrating the HB 50th.  If you are a guitar player and haven't experimented with pickups, you need to.

Isn't it funny how we are still using/figuring out some of this ancient technology.

PureTube pointed out that the Mu-Amp/SRPP are 65.

It's like finding a lost/hidden art form.

I think it is interesting to mix that latest transistor design tech with these old designs, i.e., Mosfet Fuzz Face.  

[Johnny Guitar]

Hey, I'm younger than the Humbucker.  Seymour Duncan is celebrating the HB 50th.  If you are a guitar player and haven't experimented with pickups, you need to.

I'm younger too! (but not much) :oops:

I have never done my own PUs, but with the thread in the lounge about how great the Epiphone 335s are, except the PUs, I've thought about it a bit; buying a 335 and changing the PUs with some old Gibson HBs I have around here.

But rather than selling the Epi PUs (and feeling I was ripping someone off) or throwing them away, I was thinking I might rewind them and maybe change out the magnets too. Try to make a silk purse kinda thing.

I've never thought about doing this before since it's so labor intensive. Pickups were something you just buy.

[JimRayden]

You know, for alot of people, stompboxes are the things you "just buy".

Don't hesitate. If the pickups suck, go and rewind them. Becareful with the hair-thin wire though. Break it and buy a new roll. There are lots of pages on the net with winding machines etc. you might want to use the half-automatic way, so you guide the wire and a motor does the winding.

Actually, I've thought of rewinding the pickups on my ESP too. Some extra mojo for the sound can't hurt ya.

------------
Jimbo

[Fret Wire]

Winding pickups can be a whole hobby itself. You'll end up with 10x more time spent fiquring out/building your winding rig than actually winding. Unless you GAS out and buy a winder. If your down with it, Stew Mac has the supplies:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Kits.html

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Parts.html

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickup_winding_and_repair/Schatten_Pickup_Winder.html

Alot of the foriegn LP and Strat copies just need some new electronics to really shine. Switches are cheap, the pots usually have the wrong taper and value, and the pu's are usually basic ceramic.

For HB's, you can replace the ceramic magnet with an Alnico 5 magnet. That, and potting will give you a nice improvement over the stock sound.

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/dip.htm

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/barmagswap.htm

And if your just looking for good, vintage sounding Alnico pu's that don't cost more than the guitar, check out the Golden Age pu's. I've tried both the single coils and HB's and they sound very authentic.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/Golden_Age_Pickups.html

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data2/Stewart_MacDonald/

[Johnny Guitar]

Thanks for the links Fret Wire. I knew about StewMac and PU kits. I was just thinking about how I might wind them if I was going to try this out. I was thinking of hacking an old phonograph; I notice a big speed difference between that and the winding machine that you linked to.

I do like the idea of just changing out the magnets though -- that might be a good first step.