After months of testing in my own super heavy relic 'The Bastard' strat a new set of pickups is ready to be unveiled. I am proud to present the Masterwound Route 66
@PVO_Dave contacted me re pickups for his wonderful Monterrey Strat project you have probably drooled over in 'Making and Modding'. What he wanted was pretty much exactly what I had been working on for the Route 66 Masterwound. So here is the story of making his pickups ... so you can see exactly the labour that goes into making a humble Strat pickup.
Firstly we start with the magnets. In this case alnico 5. For a early/mid sixties vibe they need to be in vintage staggered pattern.
Here are all 36 magnets laid out according to length and position, and all matched for gauss and divided up for polarity.
The next is hand beveling the magnets ...
I do this by hand, and by eye ... exactly as it was done in the old Fender factory. By the mid sixties they were phasing out hand beveling, very labour intensive. I still prefer to do it ... sharp magnet edges can really bugger your fingers ... especially on a middle pickup.
Now to give em a polish ... again by hand to take off any grinding marks.
I've used water and a sponge to clean the brown gunk caused by laser cutting from the proper gray 'Forbon' bottom flatwork. The eyelets are in place, but need setting so they grip the flatwork securely and don't stick up and grab the wire while winding.
The tool I am using is from Stew-Mac in the US and is invaluable.
The flatwork is rough in the magnet holes too ... so they are reamed to be a tight 'interference' fit
Then the magnets are 'set' using my drill press.
To be continued
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Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
https://www.facebook.com/rendallsrestorations?fref=ts
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
I would agree with that. I have done a few for the experience, and it is possible to get working pickups that sound good for less money, just needs a bit more ingenuity.
Consistency is a whole different story, thats really what you pay for
pickup kits an parts are more eaisly available these days, and wire can be had in smaller spools than the ones Ash would purchase.
My first were made on a slowed down drill press, but there are many other DIY winders on the internets which are suitable for mucking about with... less suitable for regular production
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Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message