Does anyone know how to...

Fanboy · Post by **Fanboy** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:32 pm

Wire a bass pickup? I'm not talking "By a new one from Fender and attach these wires here and those wires there

" I wanna know how to wire a pickup custom. like, make the actual pickup. I'd also kinda like to know how to make the actual connections to the Tone and Volume knobs, etc... The specific kind of pickups is pretty much... ANY KIND YOU CAN FIND! It doesn't matter if it's jazz or anything else, but JSYK, I usually play a standard split pickup (yes for those of you that are wondering, I do intend on building my own bass

)...

Post by **gannon** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:43 pm

I think it's a lot like making your own transformer, just some magnets and lots of wire wrapping.

Fanboy · Post by **Fanboy** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:46 pm

I know that much, but I'm looking for a specific guide on wiring all needed parts...

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:51 pm

Making your own pickup? Just buy a nice new one. It would take SO much time to wind the wires, and then there's the problem about aligning the strings with the pickups.

And it wouldn't sound very good. Just buy a nice shiny on from warmoth or something.

As for building a bass, go warmoth. I wuold, 100%. If you're willing to spend the money, build a gecko bass. Those things are amazing.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:36 pm

most commercial pickups have an incredibly strong, rectangular magnet with 6 metal poles resting on top of it, like this..

Code: Select all

poles v
  ____    ____    ____    ____    ____    ____
  |  |    |  |    |  |    |  |    |  |    |  | 
  |  |    |  |    |  |    |  |    |  |    |  | 
  |  |    |  |    |  |    |  |    |  |    |  | 
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
magnet ^

perhaps you already knew that. im pretty sure the magnet is polarized in a peculiar way, such that the TOP is north/south, and the BOTTOM is the opposite, not end-to end like we are used to. this ensures that all the poles have the same polarity. if the poles have alternating (or gradually changing) polarity, a problem arises. "dead" zones are created inbetween the poles because of how the magnetic field lines are going, and if you bend a string, it will pretty well go silent. you want to aviod this.

i think you can buy the magnet on their own though.

the wire they use to wind them is approximately 302308324 guage wire. im serious. its like hair. i tried to unwind one once but gave up for 2 reasons

1) i estimated that there were approximately 10,000 windings
2) the wire broke after the first 100

im sure you can use thicker wire, in fact, this largely determines (along with the number of windings) the sound you will get out of it (the more windings, the 'hotter' it is)

so with that information, you could probably make a rudimentary pickup. they are also usually dipped in wax after they are finished to seal them. (to unseal them, stick them in a pot of boiling water

)

this is not an easy task at all. but it has been done (brian may of Queen did it... and he did that thing with the magnetic poles all wrong... i read about it on the internet once)

wiring diagrams for stock strats (and therefore most normal guitars) here:

www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/menu.php

(the site was down at the time of posing, i really hope its not down for good)

good luck.

Fanboy · Post by **Fanboy** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:41 am

If I can't get instructions, does anyone have a guide on allignment and the electrical arrangment? I'm actually thinking of using 2 guitar pickups in split-pickup formation... But the main point of this expedition is to say: A) I can do this, man I'm ub3r 1337

!

and: B) To tell people who ask, "Where'dja get that?" That I built it myself, and it's the only one like it...

EDIT: Nevermind, I found a link http://riograndepickups.com/~wiring/bas ... agram.html Sorry, it's a little long

(EDIT:Shortened it

), but the only thing I'm curious about is why it shows the ground wire going to the body of the potentiometer

...

EDIT:Instead of talkin' 'bout who does and sings and gets the most attention and what-not, could you answer my question... Why does the wire go to the bottom of the pot? Could someone 'splain it to me?

MaDnEsS · Post by **MaDnEsS** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:58 pm

bass hmm so u dont like center stage then

and every time i have to repair my guitar i just do a google search, but my guitar got so crappy i orderd a yamaha pacifica

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:02 pm

What a stereotype!

The instrument you choose doesn't determine how shy you are. Don't believe me? Google it! (Don't actually google it.)

MaDnEsS · Post by **MaDnEsS** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:05 pm

i know its just most of the time the bass is in the backround unless your Geddy Lee

MilkMonster · Post by **MilkMonster** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:15 pm

dude, you're stupid I play bass, and I'm the lead singer, you've never been in a band have you?

MaDnEsS · Post by **MaDnEsS** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:17 pm

dude are you stupid duh the lead singer gets atention Thats why i said unless your Geddy Lee

MilkMonster · Post by **MilkMonster** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:31 pm

But I'm not Geddy Lee, It's not what instroment you play, Its how you play it. There's this local band and they have a mandolin player, and they rock better than anything you have ever heard. Please, for your own sake, think before you throw out mindless comments.

Post by **Skyone** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:36 pm

HEY!

STOP.

STOP.

\/

Fanboy · Post by **Fanboy** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:39 pm

A lot of bassists are lead singers, and if they aren't, they usually share a lot of the glory anyway, even if there is a second guitar player. AFAICT, band popularity usually goes like this

1. Lead Singer (sometimes guitarist, sometime bassist, sometimes vocalist by itself)

2. Bassist (or first guitar, depending on who's lead singer)

>3. Only when they're there, Second Guitar

4. Drummer (except when it's Phil Collins

).

And if you want an example of a lead-singer bassist, look at blink182, sometimes it's guitar, sometimes it's bass

...

MaDnEsS · Post by **MaDnEsS** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:58 pm

ok lets think about this AC/DC angus young(lead guitarist) is always center stage, Triumph you got gil moore(drums/lead singer, rush geddy lee(basist/lead singer), Reo speedwagon dave amato(lead guitar/singer),rolling stones, jagger(singer), KISS(gene simons), Ozzy+band ozzy(singer) or zak(guitarist) depending on the part

i think my point is made