Posts Tagged ‘pickups’
The Last Day Of My Electric Guitar Build
Posted by admin in The Fatback Build on July 31st, 2010
Well the time has come to reveal the finish electric guitar build I have been blogging about for 29 days. Okay, so the days were spread out over months. I have only a few hours a day to build right now, so the process took longer than usual. Anyway, check out the results and let me know what you think.
Before we get to the good shots, I should mention that I was careful to properly intonate each string. This step is critical, especially if you have a really good ear.
I estimate total build time was around 85 hours.
That's a Maple and Purpleheart sandwich.
The Bubinga veneer matches the body.
Gotoh tuners, solid and reliable.
The neck heel was carved to maximize access to the upper frets.
The pickups are my own Highline mediums.
This view shows how high the strings are from the body. This is because the neck was elevated a bit more than usual. I did this to reduce the potential for the type of damage that usually requires a pickguard. To make it work, I had to lift the bridge which required a slab of Purpleheart to act as a spacer. Some may find this approach a bit unusual, but I think it works. Also, have you ever noticed how different playing is when you sit rather than stand. This is because when you sit, often you will have a better view of the fretboard. To improve the view while standing, the neck was attached at an angle that allows more of the fretboard to be visible to the player. It's kind of hard to explain, so I'll try and figure out a way to photograph what I'm trying to explain and post on a later date.
Here is a detail of the fretboard"s inlay. The red "berries" are the fretboard markers.
Well I hope you like what you see here. It was certainly a lot of fun to build. Let me know what you think. Hmm….
…what should I build next??
Day 24 Of My Electric Guitar Build
Posted by admin in The Fatback Build on July 8th, 2010
After the holiday weekend, I got back into the swing of things. Basically, I’m in the homestretch. Here is what I did yesterday:
Here is a nasty chip around one of the tuner holes. If the washer covered it, I would worry. However, it doesn't, so I'll have to fix.
I used a brush to dab in some top coat to fill the chip. It took several coats and requires wet sanding from 600 grit to 2000 to smooth and polish.
With the tuners installed into the headstock and position correctly, it's time to drill holes for the tiny tuner screws. I use a bit that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw and mark the hole depth with some masking tape. After drilling the hole, I rub some wax onto the threads to help them turn without breaking.
Since I plan to mount the pickups directly to the body, I decided to enlarge the holes in the baseplate so I could use some larger #4 screws.
Like the tuner screws, I used a bit slightly smaller than the pickup mounting screw and marked the depth with masking tape.
I use a stack of three or four #4 washers to lift the pickup to the correct height before mounting it into the cavity.
This photo shows the pickups installed. The height may need to be adjusted during final assembly.
This is how I positioned the bridge. First I placed a ruler on the fretboard and measured 24-3/4" (628.65mm) from where the nut face will be. Also, I positioned the ruler so the edge would sit where the outer strings will be in relation to the edges of the fret wire. Then, I lined up the appropriate saddles in order to center the bridge.
When positioning the bridge in relation to the scale length, I line up the saddles and measure from the nut face back to the front edge of the saddles.
To mark the holes, I use a drill bit that fits snug into the holes. Then, I use my drill press and a brad pint bit slightly smaller than the mounting screws to drill the holes. Since this bridge has the strings passing through the body, the holes for each will pass through the body.
After drilling the string holes, I enlarge the back of the holes with a 5/16" (8mm) to accept the string ferrules.
Often forgotten is the ground wire to the bridge. I drill a hole at an angle from where the bridges baseplate sits down into the control cavity.
One end of the ground wire is fed into the control cavity while the copper strands are inserted into one of the bridge mounting holes.
After installing the bridge, I noticed that with this design, the fretboard sits so high off the body, I'll need to lift the bridge. That's for day 25.
Building electric guitars is all about experimentation, trial and error and problem solving. If I built the same design over and over, I could do it in my sleep. Where’s the fun in that?
In the next installment, I show my progress as I creep towards completion. Stay tuned!
Highline Electric Guitar Pickups Are Now Available!
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on April 20th, 2010
After months of planning, extensive research and development, the first batch of Highline Electric Guitar Pickups are now available. Initially, I will be offering standard sized humbuckers for both the bridge and neck position. Eventually, I will expand my offerings to include single coil and P90s.
Each humbucker pickup will be priced at $80US each or $150US per set. That’s a pretty good price when you consider each will be hand wound as I receive orders.
Highline Electric Guitar Pickups will be available in three flavors: Hot, Medium and Mild. Below are the specs for each:
• Hot Alnico 5 bridge: 16k DC resistance
• Hot Alnico 5 neck: 12k DC resistance
• Medium Alnico 5 bridge: 13K DC resistance
• Medium Alnico 2 neck: 11K DC resistance
• Mild Alnico 4 bridge: 8k DC resistance
• Mild Alnico 3 neck: 7k DC resistance
• All pickups will feature nickel silver baseplates, bobbins hand wound with 42-44 AWG SPN wire, nickel plated pole slugs and screws and shielded 4-conductor hookup wire.
So what makes my pickups different from all of the other boutique pickups out there? Well, first of all, I’m not trying to clone vintage pickups. Secondly, I am offering hand wound quality for a VERY competitive price.
Almost all of the hand wound pickups on the market attempt to recreate the tone produced by pickups made in the 1950s. The truth is, there are a couple of reasons why this can’t be done. To begin with, no one has ever defined “vintage tone.” There is no industry standard for pickup makers to shoot for. Therefore, one person’s idea of vintage tone is usually different from another’s. The other reason vintage pickups are impossible to replicate is because the materials used to make the old pickups don’t exist anymore. Some makers have resorted to fabricating their own parts, which dramatically increases the cost of the finished product. However, the coil, which is the most crucial part of a pickup, can’t be replicated because the wire made today is substantially different than what was made before 1965. If a boutique pickup maker claims to be using vintage spec wire, they’re stretching the truth. Unless the wire was made before 1965, which is highly unlikely, it’s not the same. And it has to be the same if you want that so called vintage tone.
Instead of chasing after the vintage ghost, I have elected to use modern coil wire and the best quality components I can source. Each bobbin is hand wound to insure a stronger and wider ranging signal than is possible with mass produced, machine wound pickups. Next, I pair the bobbins with the right Alnico grade magnet (magnetized by me) in order to insure the best tone possible for a specific output level. Then, I pot the pickups in a bath of parafin and beeswax.
My goal is to sell hand wound pickups at price that won’t break the bank. And if you’re building a guitar from one of my plans, there’s no better way to finish it off than with a set of Highline pickups!
What’s Up With Vintage Pickups?
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on April 15th, 2010
While doing the research and development for my upcoming line of pickups, I noticed almost all boutique pickup makers are trying to replicate vintage designs made in the late 1950s and early 1960s. So I dug a little deeper and discovered the really good makers are having the parts custom made to replicate not only the tone but the look as well. This got me to thinking about whether replication in terms of tone is even possible.
Making the parts is doable, though expensive. One can source the right composition for the bobbins, baseplates, pole pieces and so on, but when it comes to the coil wire, it’s a no go. It can’t be done. Wire made to day uses a more pure form of copper and a different method for annealing. Then there’s the insulation, which is a different composition and thickness. And since the coil wire plays the biggest role in determining tone, it’s not possible to replicate a 1960 Gibson PAF without the same wire. I checked into the possibility of having custom wire made to the old specs, but no one can do it precisely or in the small quantity I would need.
The other problem I have with chasing this so-called “vintage tone” is the fact that no one has ever defined what this tone is. There is no industry standard to shoot for. Since pickups from that era varied widely in their construction and resulting tone, very few sounded alike. Therefore, some were good and some were bad. The real problem is with the passage of time. Pickups from those days have attained an almost mythical status, which leads many to assume they all sounded good. With so many boutique pickup makers pushing vintage spec pickups, one has to wonder what spec they’re trying to replicate.
Another thought I have on cloning old school pickups is the market for them. I suspect most of the buyers with cash in hand are older generation players who value the tone made famous through the sixties and seventies. I have no problem with this, but what about today’s younger players who want power and tone? Most of them have no idea what vintage tone is.
I can listen to Duane Allman, Jimmy Page and Bill Gibbons and say, “that’s great tone,” but it isn’t necessarily what I want to play. One thing I do know is I want not only modern tone, but I also want wide ranging tone so I don’t feel boxed in when I jump from rhythm to lead.
In the recent past, active pickups have been the choice. While great for grinding drop D rhythm, they send to suffer in terms of tone. Many players complain of flat, narrow ranging tone. But, if you reign in the testosterone, you’ll realize both power, volume and broad ranging tone from passive pickups. If they’re made right.
And that, my good friends is the whole reason behind Highline Electric Guitar Pickups. Power AND tone.
The Latest From My Workbench
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on April 15th, 2010
The Legato electric guitar I’ve been working on is nearly complete. Right now I have most of the assembly done, including the wiring. Hopefully, I’ll have it ready for sale along with my Tomahawk within the next week or so.
Other than my current build, I’ve been deep in product development and testing for my soon-to-be available line of humbucker pickups. So far, I’ve finished with the Hot, Medium and Mild variations, which I’m very pleased with. Next, I plan to record some samples of each design and will add them to a revised Pickups for Sale page that will go live when everything is ready.
Winding up a set of Hots
A full bobbin is a beautiful thing
Stay tuned for more exciting updates as the happen.
Dig the Tone!
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on April 7th, 2010
Paul from New Zealand via Sweden (don’t ask, it’s complicated!) asked me to wind him a set of pickups similar to DiMarzio Super Distortions. The result? Check out his video.
Oh, and by the way, he built the guitar himself. I helped him with the design, which was patterned after an Ibanez RG.
Highline Electric Guitar Pickups
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on March 19th, 2010
When I first started building electric guitars, I wanted total control over every aspect of the outcome. In fact, I had ideas for my own bridge and tuner designs as well. Unfortunately, I lack the tools necessary to fabricate such components. Pickups, on the other hand, are a bit more doable.
Over the past couple of years, I have been studying and practicing the dark art of pickup making. The results have been successful and now I’d like to make them available to anyone in need of hand wound “boutique” pickups.
My plan is to start by offer humbuckers in three varieties; Hot, Medium and Mild. Each will be made using coil wire that has been selected to achieve the correct output and tone. I will also be using a variety of alnico magnets, which I will charge myself in order to fine tune the tone and sustain.
So what makes my pickups different? I’m not trying to sell an overpriced, overpromised product. What I mean is, I’m not claiming to replicate a tone that, in my opinion, can’t be replicated by anyone. For example, when someone claims they sell a pickup that yields a true PAF tone, they’re exaggerating. Why do I say this? Because there is no such thing as PAF tone, I don’t care what people say. If you take 5 different PAF stickered pickups and play them one at a time in the same guitar, they will all sound different. Some sound good and others sound terrible.
When Gibson made these pickups, they constantly tweaked the design by changing magnets, wire, bobbins, baseplates and so on. Plus, the winding patterns changed depending on who was running the winding machines. As a result, there is no standard “vintage PAF tone.” In fact, I could hand you a rock and say it has PAF tone and you couldn’t argue because it’s a subjective opinion.
My goal is to make a high quality product using modern, better made and more reliable materials. I also have some ideas for some less than traditional designs as well.
I’ve ordered all of the materials and hope to be ready to start selling by mid April. I’ll post and tweet when ready to pull the trigger. Stay tuned!
Making A Pickup Winder
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on February 7th, 2010
For some time now I’ve had a hankering to build a new pickup winder. I’ve done the research and I’ve decided to build one based on Jason Lollar’s design. For those of you who don’t know Jason’s work, here’s a link to his web site.
So far, I’ve managed to scrounge up a used sewing machine, which has all the parts Jason recommends. Next I have to fine an oscillating fan to drive the automatic transverse. Then I’ll have to figure out a method for counting the turns. I have a few ideas for this, but I want to keep it cheap. I’ll post some photos of the project as it happens. Stay tuned!
The Tomahawk Guitar Gets Oiled Up
Posted by admin in The Tomahawk Guitar on January 30th, 2010
This morning, I wiped on the 4th and final coat of tung oil. Now it has to sit for a day or two in order to dry. The result will be a flat sheen on top of the crimson red stain. The next step will be to instal the frets and make the nut. Hopefully, the guitar will be ready for sale by this time next week.
In the meantime, I’m waiting for delivery on a slab of hard Maple and some Black Walnut for the next project. I’m leaning towards building a neck through Legato, which will also be available for sale.
Also on the workbench is a stack of templates I made today for three different guitars. One set is for a Legato, the second is for a Tomahawk and the third is a new design I’ve currently named the Fatback. It’s a single cutaway body shape much like a Les Paul, but with forward lean. All three are neck through guitars as I find this approach the easiest to make. Especially when I recess the bridge and keep the neck flat.
My plan is to build these guitars from the best wood available. Then I’ll add top notch components (including custom, hand wound pickups) and offer them for sale on my site. I’m also thinking about using some trick wiring (think onboard, active circuitry here) to help my guitars stand out from the crowd. Should be interesting. Stay tuned!