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Topic: Pickup winding machines |
Dwight Lewis
From:
Huntsville, Alabama
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Posted 16 Sep 2014 7:29 am |
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Thinking about building my own single and humbucker pups; how hard is it and what is the best equipment? And where can I get it?
Dwight
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Dekley (PRS-10C), BMI S12 |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Billy Mostyn
From:
Queensland, Australia
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Posted 16 Sep 2014 9:55 pm
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| Dont buy the winding machine from Stewmac. It is way too overpriced for what's inside. It is very easy to make your own winder and turns counter. Jason Lollar has a book on Basic Pickup Winding and there is lots of info on the internet. Just google homemade pickup winding machines. I wind pickups and my first winder was made out of an old sewing machine and the oscillating part of an old fan as per Jason Lollar's Book. |
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Malcolm McMaster
From:
Beith Ayrshire Scotland
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Posted 16 Sep 2014 11:47 pm
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Believe Emmons used to use old Singer sewing machine.
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MSA Millenium SD10, GK MB200, Sica 12inch cab, Joyo American Sound Pedal/ Jay Ganz Straight Ahead amp, Telonics 15inch in Peavey cab, Digitech RP150, Peterson tuner.Hilton volume pedal.Scott Dixon seat and guitar flight case. |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2014 6:25 am
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| I have two winders- one is the one from Stew-Mac that I got used for $200 (Schatten) and the other I got from Roy Ayers from his days at Fender and it is just an old sewing machine motor w a pedal for speed control. I mostly use the Shatten due to convenience and the fact that it has a counter which wouldn't be too hard to figure out how to hookup to Roy's unit. I don't believe that Jason's book is in print any longer. |
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john buffington
From:
Owasso OK - USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2014 6:27 am
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| Jim Clark used a sewing machine motor, Zane Beck gave him the idea and also showed him how they were to be wound! |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2014 8:01 am How do you wind pickups
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| When I was 16 yrs. old, I built a non-pedal steel and used my father's 8mm movie projector to wind the pickup. I ran it on normal playing speed, not the fast re-wind. And it worked. |
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Larry Phleger
From:
DuBois, PA
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Posted 17 Sep 2014 9:33 am
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I made my pickup winding machine from an old sewing machine. I slipped a tuna can over the wheel on the right hand side of the machine, securing it with double sided tape. The can being made of steel allowed the magnets in the pickup to hold the bobbin in place. I used a dimmer switch to control the speed. I got an old adding machine from Goodwill for about $3.00. Inside the adding machine you can find the 2 terminals that are connected to the “+†key. I soldered a piece of small insulated wire to each of the terminals. I then attached one of the wires to the gizmo that holds the sewing machine needle. The other I attached to the base of the machine. I stripped away the insulation from the one attached to the base of the machine and adjusted it so it made contact with the gizmo that holds the needle when it is at its lowest point of travel. Every time the bobbin makes a complete turn, the adding machine adds 1 to the total on the display. This gives an accurate count of the turns on the pickup Bobbin. Hope this is helpful.  |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2014 12:03 pm
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Here is a pickup winder I made several years ago using a small lathe headstock and tailstock. The guide limits are not in the photo, but it is a simple rod with two shaft collars limiting the left/right travel of the hand feed. I have made others using the same lathe parts but with just a sewing machine motor and a pedal and crossing the rubber band drive belt to get reverse.
I do recommend a late faceplate with a slot across the face and a tailstock with a live center. When you are winding at high rpms, relying on the magnets to keep the pickup in place is foolish unless you really wind slack wire.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Billy Mostyn
From:
Queensland, Australia
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Posted 17 Sep 2014 7:07 pm
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| I believe Jason Lollar has reprinted his book with some updates as he got sick of people sending him emails and so on asking about pickup winding. |
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Dwight Lewis
From:
Huntsville, Alabama
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Posted 18 Sep 2014 12:07 pm Pickup winding machines
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So, I'm going from left to right....  ....I guess the Stew brand is the one to get with the assisnce of Jason Lollars book. You all have so many nice inputs. I am a dummy to this but I can read and I consider myself a good mechanic. So keep the inputs coming fellas.
Dwight
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Dekley (PRS-10C), BMI S12 |
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Jerry Jones
From:
Franklin, Tenn.
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Posted 18 Sep 2014 12:58 pm
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This winder started life 35 years ago as a small plywood board - at rear - hand guided and with a sewing machine motor. It evolved over the years into what you see now. Could have made a more refined version but it worked so perfectly for thousands of pickups.
Coweco winders are the Cadillacs if you can find one….have a couple of those too.
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Jerry Jones |
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Dwight Lewis
From:
Huntsville, Alabama
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Posted 21 Oct 2014 12:17 am Pickup winding machines
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I appreciate the inputs fellas. Next question, where can i find the plates that are used for the tops and bottoms of pickups?
Thanks
Dwight
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Dekley (PRS-10C), BMI S12 |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2014 7:18 am
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You make them. Use pick guard material ordered from Stew Mac, or impregnated linen sheet, phenolic sheet, aluminum, plexi glass, bathroom/shower glass door sheet for the early Sho-Bud pickups made by Stratosphere, small aluminum enclosure boxes and suspend the coil in epoxy, wood.
You are making the pickup, make it the way you want.
I suggest you buy a book on making pickups, such as Dave Hunter's Guitar Pickup Handbook. You will learn that there are countless variables and ways to make pickups so you can make pickups rather than copy pickups.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Paul Arntson
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2014 10:11 am
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A lot of pickups use Forbon, also called vulcanized fiber board. Sometimes you can find it surplus for cheaper.
I also use a winder made out of an old sewing machine and an inexpensive electronic counter for the turns (Red Lion). Pretty crude looking but it works.
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Excel D10 8&4, Supro 8, Regal resonator, Peavey Powerslide, homemade lap 12(a work in progress) |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2014 11:37 am
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Good tip on the Red Lion counter. That is what I installed in the face of my counter above.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Joe Naylor
From:
Avondale, Arizona, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2014 6:50 pm I had that idea
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At one point I had the idea I was going to make pick ups too ---- however I found that that is one of those things (in my opinion) to let someone else do.
The variable speed sewing machine was what I was going to use but the Stew-Mac deal looked good and especially a used one.
I know Pally so I am happy to let him do it for me - if I need one.
My idea
Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com
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Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP |
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Paul Arntson
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 24 Oct 2014 12:39 pm
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I agree, Joe. It's best left to somebody else unless one is inclined to be a tinkerer.
It's definitely a bunch of fiddly bits.
Chris - your winder looks so much nicer than mine that I'm afraid to post a snap of my crude gizmo.
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Excel D10 8&4, Supro 8, Regal resonator, Peavey Powerslide, homemade lap 12(a work in progress) |
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Kevin Raymer
From:
Chalybeate, Kentucky, USA
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Posted 24 Oct 2014 8:53 pm
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An old electric drill.
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A rheostat.
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A magnet door sensor like for home security
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cheap calculator from dollar general
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A little ingenuity
=
Pickup winder.
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Kevin Raymer
Zum / Knaggs / Breedlove
Fractal Audio
Last edited by Kevin Raymer on 25 Oct 2014 4:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Chris Lucker
From:
Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2014 1:57 am
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| Paul Arntson wrote: |
I agree, Joe. It's best left to somebody else unless one is inclined to be a tinkerer.
It's definitely a bunch of fiddly bits.
Chris - your winder looks so much nicer than mine that I'm afraid to post a snap of my crude gizmo. |
Paul
It is just a spare Taig lathe headstock and a reject tail stock. The big project box makes it look good.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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