Peavey Wolfgang Pickup exposed [Pictures]- created 02-01-2009

Searcy, Clint - 02/01/2009.22:39:19
MIMForum Staff, Nashville

I had a Peavey Wolfgang pickup come in for a rewind this week. I thought you guys and gals might like to see what makes it tick.

Check out the little solder lugs on the bottom flange of the bobbin. Neat!

That would sure beat the heck out of attaching flying leads to coils... that's always been my least favorite part of making humbuckers... getting those leads taped up and secure without breaking the coil wire is frustrating sometimes. Sometimes it's easy others its just brutal.

I like the way Tom Anderson makes his pickup bobbins too. You should check those out.

I've worked on pickups with bobbins like that and I find it a pain, because the little pins get hot and melt the bobbins very easily. maybe it's just me and the way that I was soldering but man, it was difficult for me.

It might be possible to "pre-melt" the insulation, tinning a little spot that's ready to just drop into place quickly. (I tend to pre-tin everything in nearly every connection I make, anyway; this is an extension of that.)

It's also possible to burn through the wire itself... I will never regret a major investment in a fancy soldering iron with digital temperature control at the tip! Being able to dial it down (almost instantly) for tiny wire, and up for, say, a big lug or the back of a pot, makes my heart soar like a hawk.

Nathan, I found humbuckers a pain too, but now I solder the magnet wire to the start lead and tape the connection, and then tape the wire to the inside of the bobbin so it's sticking out. Then I wind the coil and do the same thing with the finish lead, and then tape that to the coil.

I haven't broken a single wire since.

Donl, I strip the insulation on the end of the magnet wire with a butane lighter. Just a quick pass does it. I tin all my wires as well.

Mark, I agree with you about the solder lugs. I have some Fender/Squier humbuckers laying around and they are made that way. When I tried to use the bobbin they lugs melted.

Be careful Clint!

I got it fixed and back to the owner with no problems. Hot Iron, Move fast! That's moto. However... I think these bobbins were made from a type of nylon. The were not ABS that's for sure. I expected them to get a little loose when I soldered but they didn't solid as rocks

Clint, do you know the specs on the original (before the rewind)

Yea, the coils were 7 K each with 44awg

Interesting. Are you using 44 ga to keep it to specs, or stepping back a size or two? This is the first pup I personally know of using that small of a wire diameter, but then again, I live in a broom closet with no sunlight <bg>.

I've thought about using thin fiberglass (like PC board material) for bobbins, if I can smooth the outer edges enough (CA, or wax?) for winding. Heat is less of a factor.

I've been using the PC board material far almost all of the pickups I made and it works great

Do you use single sided material with the copper away from the coil? I thought this would work great, then you could ground the copper sides and have a shielded coil. Would this work

That's interesting. I wasn't expecting 44AWG! Do you know if that's an Alnico V or 2? (I'm assuming it's an Alnico... looks like one.).

Jonathan, Rickenbacker uses 44AWG for all of their pickups.

I was just winding a pickup with 44. Boy that stuff is thin!

Do you know if that's an Alnico V or 2? (I'm assuming it's an Alnico... looks like one.).

Actually it was a thin ceramic. Here's a better picture of the magnet.

I was just winding a pickup with 44. Boy that stuff is thin!

I just sent off a pair of pickups to Greece that I made with 46AWG. Things are getting crazy! <g>

Huh! Guess I learned something about Ricks I never knew, but that's not surprising. I'm still playing catch-up on a bunch of this stuff.

I've seen lots of ceramic magnets used - I have a few pups in use with ceramics, and I like them. YMMV on that one.

But 46 AWG?! Did you call the itsy-bitsy spider to help wind that one? <bg> That seems insanely thin, but I've seen one magnet wire site that goes down to either 50 or 60 AWG - the mind wobbles at that prospect. I'm not there yet <lol>.

>I just sent off a pair of pickups to Greece that I made with 46AWG. Things are getting crazy! <g>

I need some wire like that! I was working on a pickup today using 44, and I need something thinner. The thinnest wire I have is 45H. I need to get some 50 AWG.

That EVH reminds me of a DiMarzio Evo neck.

I suspect that Peavey is having Dimarzio make these. But I'm not 100% sure

2 little old ladies wind the pickups at Peavey. They have their 10x10 corner with 2 winding machines.

S

Damn Steve, I forgot that you have inside info on the Peavey operation. I'd love to see their pickup operation sometime. The base plates on this one look like a few DiMarzios I've seen. That's what got me thinking

I need to get some 50 AWG.

David, have you been to www.mwswire.com before? They go down to 60 AWG insulated round.

I'm guessing you have some sort of contrasting background or lighted magnifier arm to be able to even see that thin of a wire, let alone wind it. The winding part itself must be slower and gentler, at least to my novice mind.

I use a bright light over the winder to see the wire. I wind the thin stuff about the same speed as the thicker stuff. I used to wind slower, but after a while you get a feel for it. Now I wind about as fast as my Schatten winder will go.

Yes, I have been to www.mwswire.com before. I just haven't ordered anything from them yet.

Thanks to a tip from Clint, I have a roll of 46AWG on the way. Thanks Clint!

Clint, I spoke with Hartley Peavey once, he leaves one with the clear impression that he does not like out sourcing at all, and doesn't have a lot of use any other company that makes anything Peavey makes. He reminds me of a red headed Caesar. I'll bet he was just as self assured before Peavey became a household name. I don't think he's a bad guy, just don't cross him.<G>