Ash at Oil City answers pickup questions:

OilCityPickups

Well you need a double boiler and some wax - and a way of keeping the whole thing at about 65 degrees C, then with the cover on you give a quick pot ... the secret is that when the cold pickup goes into the wax it will turn white as the wax solidifies - as soon as the white has disappeared - pull the pickup and set it upside-down on aluminium foil creating a slight 'dish' around the pickup. This way the wax drains to the inside of the cover where it's needed to stop drumming ... but doesn't all drain away outside the pickup. When the wax has solidified to 'rubbery' in the pool at the top of the pickup you can just peel away any that remains and polish the top of the pickup (perhaps using a little splash of white spirit. 
Job done

PS a heavy pot is anything up to 'all day' in the sauce. 

Seziertisch

https://reverb.com/ie/item/72753175-red-rhodes-velvet-hammer-vintage-pickup-plus-extra-frame-joan-jett

Ash, ever come across anything from this maker? 

OilCityPickups

Yep sadly the maker has passed away ... but I rewound some Velvet Hammer Strat pickups a while ago

Seziertisch

OilCityPickups said:

Yep sadly the maker has passed away ... but I rewound some Velvet Hammer Strat pickups a while ago

I only came across them because I saw that his granddaughter is reviving the brand.

Any insights into the design of the ones you rewound? The blurb suggests that these are “built different”.

OilCityPickups

I will slightly mis quote Mandy Rice-Davis in the Profumo case 'well they would say that wouldn't they?'
The Strat Velevet hammers were just normal 'warmed over Strat pickups ... only different in that they were wound with 43awg wire like my Stone Tones.  

CKsam

OilCityPickups said:

Well you need a double boiler and some wax - and a way of keeping the whole thing at about 65 degrees C, then with the cover on you give a quick pot ... the secret is that when the cold pickup goes into the wax it will turn white as the wax solidifies - as soon as the white has disappeared - pull the pickup and set it upside-down on aluminium foil creating a slight 'dish' around the pickup.

I never thanked you for this! Many thanks. It's really useful to know, as I do like a touch of the microphonics... make the guitar seem much more alive.

Sam

OilCityPickups

CKsam said:

OilCityPickups said:

Well you need a double boiler and some wax - and a way of keeping the whole thing at about 65 degrees C, then with the cover on you give a quick pot ... the secret is that when the cold pickup goes into the wax it will turn white as the wax solidifies - as soon as the white has disappeared - pull the pickup and set it upside-down on aluminium foil creating a slight 'dish' around the pickup.

I never thanked you for this! Many thanks. It's really useful to know, as I do like a touch of the microphonics... make the guitar seem much more alive.

Sam

You are most welcome

FelineGuitars

Joan Jett famously used a Velvet Hammer Humbucker pickup and apparently Richie Blackmore had some strat ones around 78/79

OilCityPickups

FelineGuitars said:

Joan Jett famously used a Velvet Hammer Humbucker pickup and apparently Richie Blackmore had some strat ones around 78/79

I find the humbuckers more interesting as it's clear the geezer went to all the trouble of getting custom plastic work made ...

Philly_Q

FelineGuitars said:

Joan Jett famously used a Velvet Hammer Humbucker pickup and apparently Richie Blackmore had some strat ones around 78/79

I'm pretty sure I remember Mick Box from Uriah Heep mentioning them in an interview decades ago, but it didn't go into any detail.  I just liked the name Velvet Hammer and it stuck with me.

Seziertisch

Ash, I came across a post from you from around the time you started making Filtertrons where you said you were considering trying to make a higher output one using Alnico 8. Did that ever happen?

I recently put an A8 I got from you into a Monty’s PAF and I’m digging the results. 

OilCityPickups

Seziertisch said:

Ash, I came across a post from you from around the time you started making Filtertrons where you said you were considering trying to make a higher output one using Alnico 8. Did that ever happen?

I recently put an A8 I got from you into a Monty’s PAF and I’m digging the results. 

I did ... and they are excellent :-) 

Seziertisch

OilCityPickups said:

Seziertisch said:

Ash, I came across a post from you from around the time you started making Filtertrons where you said you were considering trying to make a higher output one using Alnico 8. Did that ever happen?

I recently put an A8 I got from you into a Monty’s PAF and I’m digging the results. 

I did ... and they are excellent :-) 

1/4” magnet?

OilCityPickups

Yep ... almost had its own gravity 

Seziertisch

What kind of wind did you go for?

OilCityPickups

Seziertisch said:

What kind of wind did you go for?

about 6.8k

Seziertisch

Ash, what’s the low down on Alnico 9? Thanks.

OilCityPickups

While both having the same magnetic power ... the tone curve of alnico 8 is similar to alnico 5 , whereas the tone curve of alnico 9 is somewhere between alnico 2 and alnico 4 ... so smoother and more balanced on the mids.  

Seziertisch

What have you built using A9?

OilCityPickups

Seziertisch said:

What have you built using A9?

Loads ... its great for Les Paul bridge pickups when you've used 8 in the neck - used them in hot P90s - used them as split magnets in humbuckers ... say half A9 half A4.