How to Make a Guitar Pickup : Are you a guitar enthusiast looking to customize your instrument with guitar pickups? Making your own guitar pickup can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Not to mention, it can also save you some money, you’ll only have to, but the materials like wood, wire from the spool, a screwdriver, some super glue, maybe a bar magnet, soldering iron and a screw! In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of making your own guitar pickup, step by step. So, let’s get started and make a pickup with machine screws! It will fit any guitar, including a Strat.
Table of Contents
How to Make a Guitar Pickup?
Absolutely! And you don’t need to be a professional to do it, anyone can wrap the wire and drill the holes. With some basic knowledge and a few parts, you can make your own pickup right at home. The process involves winding copper wire around a bobbin, placing magnetized pole pieces on top, and wiring it up to your guitar. It may sound complicated, but we’ll break it down for you. First, you need to understand what type of the guitar you have, for example, a single coil guitar. Then plan to make 2 pickups, in case your first pickup doesn’t turn out right. You need to build more than one in your first try.
You can DIY some other things for your guitar as well, like a case for a guitar picks from an old CD case.
Choosing Parts for a Pickup
Before you start, you’ll need to gather the necessary parts. You’ll need a bobbin, magnets, wire, poles, screws, and a shield. You can find these parts at your local guitar shop or online. For magnets, you can use either alnico or neodymium magnets. Alnico magnets are more traditional and produce a warmer sound, while neodymium magnets are stronger and produce a brighter sound. Your Pickup can have either North and South pointing towards the strings, and the coil could be Clockwise or Counter-clockwise.
Creating the Pickup’s Base
The construction of a guitar pickup starts with flatwork, which basically refers to the flat pieces of plastic or fiberboard. To create the base of the pickup, you’ll need to cut a piece of wood to the appropriate size. This will be the top piece of your pickup. Next, you’ll need to cut a bottom piece to the same size as the top piece. You can use any type of wood, but we recommend using a dense hardwood like maple or mahogany. Though, pickups are made from all woods possible.
Fitting a Pickup with Screws
Image by Viktor Forgacs from Unplash
Drill holes into the top and bottom pieces for the poles and screws. The spacing of the holes will depend on the type of pickup you want to make, so drill holes after a deliberation. For a single coil pickup, the poles should be slightly closer together on the neck pickup than on the bridge pickup, so mind that when you screw holes. For a humbucker pickup, the poles should be even closer together and be slightly angled. You can use an electric screwdriver and use metal screws. Before that you need to drill the holes for them. Additional holes on the bridge position with ceramic magnets are usually not needed.
Wiring the Pickup
Once you have your base and poles in place, it’s time to start wiring. Start by putting the wire around the bobbin, and then wind the wire around the poles. You can use a pickup winder to make the process easier. Connect the lead wires to the pickup and use epoxy to hold everything in place. But winding pickups around the coil might be difficult. Start winding and putting wire in place with a help of a friend or a specialist.
How to Make a Humbucker Pickup?
If you want to make a humbucker pickup, you’ll need to wind two coils of wire around the bobbin. Start by winding the wire around the bobbin, and then place a spacer in between the coils. This will create the necessary spacing for the strings. Once you have both coils wound, connect them with lead wires and solder them together.
What is a Guitar Pickup Made Of?
A guitar pickup is made up of a coil of wire, a magnet, and pole pieces. The coil of wire is wound around a bobbin, and the magnet and pole pieces are placed on top of the bobbin. When a string vibrates above the pickup, it creates a magnetic field that is picked up by the coil of wire. This signal is then sent to your amplifier. It kind of makes the pickup act like a microphone. Be careful with the beginning of the coil to prevent the pickup from breaking. Many pickups are broken because of that.
How is a Humbucker Made?
Image by Chris Hardy from Unplash
A humbucker is made up of two coils of wire, each wound in opposite directions. This cancels out the noise and produces a cleaner sound. The coils are also placed closer together and at a slight angle to create a stronger signal.
Tips
– Use a drill to make the holes for the poles and screws.
– Use silver or copper wire (white wire, not the black wire) for a clearer sound. It will saturate the guitar tone, so use wire no matter the material, it is easy to work with. Do not wind the wire too tight, and use fine wires, not thick ones.
– Use Teflon tape to prevent the wire from moving around. Hold it together.
– Fine sandpaper can help remove any bubbles in the epoxy and candle wax for polishing. Melt the wax and apply it, but stop if you see bubbles.
– The potting process (saturating the pickup with wax) can help prevent microphonic feedback.
– The Eyelet Setting Tool lets you install mini eyelets in pickup flatwork with clean, professional results. Many manufacturers often this tool.
Warnings
– When soldering, be careful not to burn yourself or damage your guitar.
– If the wire is wound too tight, it can become microphonic.
– If the poles are too far apart, you won’t be able to pick up the signal from the strings.
– If you’re making a humbucker pickup, make sure the coils are wound in opposite directions.
– Be careful with the spacing of the strings.
Making your own guitar pickup can be a fun and rewarding experience. With some basic parts and a little know-how, you can customize your guitar to your own liking. Just remember to take your time and be careful. By following these steps, you can create your own homemade pickup and take your playing to the next level!
