Scented P90s?

[Deleted]

Here is a fun video on P90 pickups. He wax potted them with scented wax.

EB

[dnic]

To be completely honest (because I'm always holding back) I usually have trouble watching this guys videos. Not because he doesn't know what he's doing or doesn't have video skills. He just goes off on these SiFi adventures that have nothing to do with the guitar process. But he was very straight forward in this one so more power to him.

I've been watching a few winding videos myself lately, not to worry John, I have no inclination to build pups. Although my contribution to your annual gross I'm sure you couldn't feel in your eye. But someday I may want to make an odd shaped pup that doesn't fall into the norm for bobbins. Although with your 3D printer you can make all sorts of oddball bobbins.

Well you know, blah, blah, blah

[Deleted]

Jan 22, 2023 10:03:29 GMT -6 dnic said:

To be completely honest (because I'm always holding back) I usually have trouble watching this guys videos. Not because he doesn't know what he's doing or doesn't have video skills. He just goes off on these SiFi adventures that have nothing to do with the guitar process. But he was very straight forward in this one so more power to him.

I've been watching a few winding videos myself lately, not to worry John, I have no inclination to build pups. Although my contribution to your annual gross I'm sure you couldn't feel in your eye. But someday I may want to make an odd shaped pup that doesn't fall into the norm for bobbins. Although with your 3D printer you can make all sorts of oddball bobbins.

Well you know, blah, blah, blah

I get ya, Dane! I see a lot of videos that are over the top in their ideas. But I found this one funny because he used scented wax for wax potting. It got me to thinking on some guitars I have worked on that have a scent to them, I wondered where the scent was coming from. Never thought it could have been what they were wax potted in. LOL!

 But, I know, I have pretty much stopped watching a lot of videos. Seems that some, once they get over so many subscribers, they seem to go off into a place that is no longer fun for me. Because I don't have a lot to do right now, I watch a lot of videos. There are a lot I won't even give a second look at.

 In the guitar world, there are a lot of guitar makers that are making guitars out of anything and everything. I guess it's alright, but many of them are off their nut! Many of them guitars are non-playable. Some are not even good as wall art.

 One of the big guys on YT guitar videos I quit and unsubscribed from because they talked too much about themselves and drank beer. It's bad enough when people have to sit a drink and eat while making a video. I don't want to see people drinking alcohol while making a video. I will not support them kinds of videos.

So yes, there are always some videos that I will not watch. I deleted like 50 people on YT because they all have gotten too big for their own good.

EB

[dnic]

I know what you Eddie about getting to big for their own good. I really enjoyed Ben Crow when he first started in his garden shed. As he gained a following and grew into his great big shop I think his popularity kinda of went to his head. It was really not fun to watch. I even unsubbed him and would not click on his vids no matter what they were about. I re subbed when I joined the GGBO 2021. He seems more like his old self there days and I have been enjoying his projects lately.

[GuitarAttack Forum]

Jan 22, 2023 10:03:29 GMT -6 dnic said:

To be completely honest (because I'm always holding back) I usually have trouble watching this guys videos. Not because he doesn't know what he's doing or doesn't have video skills. He just goes off on these SiFi adventures that have nothing to do with the guitar process. But he was very straight forward in this one so more power to him.

I've been watching a few winding videos myself lately, not to worry John, I have no inclination to build pups. Although my contribution to your annual gross I'm sure you couldn't feel in your eye. But someday I may want to make an odd shaped pup that doesn't fall into the norm for bobbins. Although with your 3D printer you can make all sorts of oddball bobbins.

Well you know, blah, blah, blah

Dane -- Thanks for that. I use the 3d printer for a lot of projects. I made replica Fender lap steel pickups that were sort of a triangle shape that the strings had to pass through. The other experts in Nashville said it was impossible to make because the originals were made of paper and other technical stuff. I was able to make a great-sounding replica, and that has led to a lot other projects, particularly 1950s and 60s imports that had either paper bobbins or wire wound directly on big magnets.

Alas, pickups are like anything else: you make money - and your name - from execution, not ideas. Going from the cocktail napkin sketch to repeatable, consistent pickups is actually pretty hard.

Thanks for letting me be part of your guitar journey.

John

[Deleted]

I know for me, I would never make pickups at this stage in my life. Not unless someone gave me all the stuff to do it. LOL! Then I may try. I am sure I could make them, given time for a learning curve.

 I know there are some things one has to know to make good sounding pickups. Over the years, I have watched so many videos on the subject. Some seem like they can use just about anything and make a good sounding pickup. Then there are some that can use the best of everything and they sound awful.

 I see a lot of kits for making pickups. But I wonder how good they are. You still need to have a way to wind the pickups. They do seem to be a little time-consuming to me to, make them. But I guess once you have done them a few times it would become easier.

 Yep! Like I said... Going to leave it to those that already know. HA!

 Speaking of things... This time next year, I might go back to kit guitars. We might be moving in with our son next year. That being said, I'll probably be looking at selling off most or all of my wood working tools/equipment. If that happens, then I'll go back to kit guitar or rebuilding guitars. Like I said, we have a lot going on, and some changes are coming. I promise I will not say anything on what we are going through with our health. I am trying harder to keep things about guitars.

EB

[GuitarAttack Forum]

And I do not use scented wax. I have this weird reaction to some scents sometimes; it will just hit me with a strong perfume or odor and it can be almost incapacitating.

I like to make my pickups scent-free...just in case there is a random allergy out there.

John

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2023 13:47:35 GMT -6 GuitarAttack Forum said:

And I do not use scented wax. I have this weird reaction to some scents sometimes; it will just hit me with a strong perfume or odor and it can be almost incapacitating.

I like to make my pickups scent-free...just in case there is a random allergy out there.

John

I worked on this one guitar that someone had put a scent in it. I didn't it was in the pickups. But it had this perfume that made me sick feeling. It was bad! I let the guitar sit out of the case for a few days.

 It still had that smell. I did get the job done. But wow! Was it ever strong smelling. Reminded me of when my daughter was a pre-teen. She had gotten into a bottle of perfume and I think she used the whole bottle on her. Well, you know what happened next? Right? LOL!

 My 1971 LP has a scent to it. But I think it's in the case. It was that way when I got it. But it smells good! It still has that smell when you open the case. Even my son the other day said he remembered that scent. It's not over powering at all.

EB

[dnic]

Jan 23, 2023 9:37:38 GMT -6 GuitarAttack Forum said:

Jan 22, 2023 10:03:29 GMT -6 dnic said:

To be completely honest (because I'm always holding back) I usually have trouble watching this guys videos. Not because he doesn't know what he's doing or doesn't have video skills. He just goes off on these SiFi adventures that have nothing to do with the guitar process. But he was very straight forward in this one so more power to him.

I've been watching a few winding videos myself lately, not to worry John, I have no inclination to build pups. Although my contribution to your annual gross I'm sure you couldn't feel in your eye. But someday I may want to make an odd shaped pup that doesn't fall into the norm for bobbins. Although with your 3D printer you can make all sorts of oddball bobbins.

Well you know, blah, blah, blah

Dane -- Thanks for that. I use the 3d printer for a lot of projects. I made replica Fender lap steel pickups that were sort of a triangle shape that the strings had to pass through. The other experts in Nashville said it was impossible to make because the originals were made of paper and other technical stuff. I was able to make a great-sounding replica, and that has led to a lot other projects, particularly 1950s and 60s imports that had either paper bobbins or wire wound directly on big magnets.

Alas, pickups are like anything else: you make money - and your name - from execution, not ideas. Going from the cocktail napkin sketch to repeatable, consistent pickups is actually pretty hard.

Thanks for letting me be part of your guitar journey.

John

John if I'm not mistaken I think you had to print bobbins for my 335 bass. But it might have been something else I was working on. You've always been very good to me providing pups with as quick as possible turn around and at a very fair price.

Thanks John

[dnic]

Eddie, I've never considered myself heavy handed. But every time I come across a pickup that has a wire hanging out and I try to unwind a few wraps and get back to good wire it just break easier than hair. On top of that I can nearly see the wire it's so thin. Trying to wrap it though the eyelets is very nerve racking for me. Back to motto, if it's not fun you're doing it wrong. Definitely doing it wrong when it comes to pickups.

[antares]

The nearest I have come to grief with pickups is those on my Pacifica 904. The bridge "humbucker" is actually two single coils adjacent to one another hence the nomenclature 904 (model series 9, zero humbuckers, four single coils). The pickguard supplied was (is) mint green (sic) but all the other plastic was garish white and simply looked incorrect. I made a replacement rear wiring cover from a matching mint green S-type "trem" access plate. I swapped the knobs and switch tip. I swapped the two single coil covers for aged covers easily and that's when the fun began. The "humbucker" (two single coils) had the two covers bonded on, perhaps wax potting? I levered, prised, yanked, tore, snipped and twisted away and kept an eye on those hair-like wires, and I got to a point where I thought "give up while the wiring is still intact." I bought a Bare Knuckles "Crawler" pickup and installed it which meant buying a pickup ring to match due to different height adjusting screws topology. The Yammy mess I stored in the BKP retail box. This was probably ten years ago now, and a few weeks ago I took it out and managed to clean off all the remaining chips of plastic. Amazingly, it still works (pole pieces tap test on both pickups). I am wondering about attacking the other one because although the BKP is a first class pickup, I prefer it to be unmodified from factory wiring. The trouble is, I reckon I've pushed my luck way too far already with those hair-fine wires?

でつ e&oe ...

[dnic]

Jan 24, 2023 3:59:23 GMT -6 antares said:

The nearest I have come to grief with pickups is those on my Pacifica 904. The bridge "humbucker" is actually two single coils adjacent to one another hence the nomenclature 904 (model series 9, zero humbuckers, four single coils). The pickguard supplied was (is) mint green (sic) but all the other plastic was garish white and simply looked incorrect. I made a replacement rear wiring cover from a matching mint green S-type "trem" access plate. I swapped the knobs and switch tip. I swapped the two single coil covers for aged covers easily and that's when the fun began. The "humbucker" (two single coils) had the two covers bonded on, perhaps wax potting? I levered, prised, yanked, tore, snipped and twisted away and kept an eye on those hair-like wires, and I got to a point where I thought "give up while the wiring is still intact." I bought a Bare Knuckles "Crawler" pickup and installed it which meant buying a pickup ring to match due to different height adjusting screws topology. The Yammy mess I stored in the BKP retail box. This was probably ten years ago now, and a few weeks ago I took it out and managed to clean off all the remaining chips of plastic. Amazingly, it still works (pole pieces tap test on both pickups). I am wondering about attacking the other one because although the BKP is a first class pickup, I prefer it to be unmodified from factory wiring. The trouble is, I reckon I've pushed my luck way too far already with those hair-fine wires?

でつ e&oe ...

Wish I was confident enough to say go for it. But with my luck I wouldn't do it unless I was prepared to replace them.

[antares]

I was considering taking off the corner of the plastic on the pickup cover with a Dremel, and then unpeeling it like we used to with some fish product tins? Anything a little more considered than my last attempt. It would be good to reinstate the Yamaha pickup because it was the more highly regarded of the selections on that otherwise very fine instrument. If you think Fender but with the attention to detail of woodwork (I always hesitate to associate "lutherie" with solid bodied guitar assembly, but if pushed I simply cannot justify that prejudice) that is self evident in Gibsons, you have a taste of that guitar. Compound radius Warmoth neck with Gibson style set back headstock, Sperzel "tuners", Yamaha attention to detail, what's not to like? It's easily my favourite S-type out of the five I own- Fender Custom Shop take note ... Plays like silk like a well adjusted Gibson. Lush!

でつ e&oe ...

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2023 19:25:47 GMT -6 dnic said:

Eddie, I've never considered myself heavy handed. But every time I come across a pickup that has a wire hanging out and I try to unwind a few wraps and get back to good wire it just break easier than hair. On top of that I can nearly see the wire it's so thin. Trying to wrap it though the eyelets is very nerve racking for me. Back to motto, if it's not fun you're doing it wrong. Definitely doing it wrong when it comes to pickups.

I had some old pickups that I worked on. For what ever reason, the wire/s had come loose on the eye lets. I think I had 4 pickups that were like that. I got 2 of them to work again. The other two were like what you are saying. Every time I touched the wire, it broke.

 Was it because the wire was Old? Or maybe it was the wire was what they call enamel wire? Could have been cheap wire. Cheap pickups, cheap wire.

 I wound up putting the 2 pickups in the trash.

 I had a guy once bring me a USA Fender Start. He told me one of the single coil pickups was not working. He said it was working before he had taken it in to a guitar shop. Then, when he got it back, the pickup was not working. Someone he knew told him to bring the guitar to me.

 I took the pick guard off and the neck pickup was all messed up. It looked like some had taken a razor blade to it and sliced the windings of that pickup. I wound up ordering the replacement pickup. The people he took it to are the same ones that messed up a lot of guitars that I had fixed, back when I lived in AZ.

 I think that guitar shop would mess with things so that the customer would bring their stuff back for more repairs. Or they plain didn't know what they were doing.

EB