Rewinds?

[infinite1funk]

Has anyone here gotten a rewind from BKP? If so what was the reason and the result.

[PhilKing]

I have several:

Original 1960 Strat pickup which had started to fray and short - result, briliant pickup that matches the rest of the set but actually has a more open sound when you turn down.

Original Gibson Patent Number PAF (PAF coils but patent number on the bottom) - this is one of my favourite picups now.  It had been overwound in the 70's some time, and the rewind (and alnico IV magnet), makes it a beautiful neck pickup with a ton of clarity

Old 50's P-90 where the coil bobin had broken causing the pickup to short.  I had this rewound and the magnet changed to AIV, but I will change the magnet back because it actually lacks power against the ohter pickup in the guitar.  That said, the tone is more open which is what I was looking for.

Tim is rewinding a Chandler Firebird pickup at the moment, this is an experiment in a way as I want to get more output from it so that it can keep up with a MQ bridge!

At some point I will also be sending him a early 70's strat pickup to redo a Fralin Steel Plate rewind.  

Every one they have done has come back sounding the way I asked for it.  I would reccomend it if you have a pickup that is not working, I am not sure if it makes sense if you have a classic pickup which is working fine (all mine needed a rewind or are not classics).

[infinite1funk]

What about a newish pickup that works fine but sound like cr@p?

[Tim]

We do those too although you are limited by the integrity of the original components(pole screws, baseplate, slugs etc)A rewind and new magnet can work wonders though.

[infinite1funk]

pole screws and slugs and plate have integrity? Specifically how so?

[Steve-Mr Pig 2U]

most companys use regular steel pole screws, which hold magnetism (they will remain magnetic when the magnet is removed) We use soft iron which isn't effected so much and passes the magnetism through to the strings better.

[infinite1funk]

Thanks for the info. What of wire? What is formvar wire? Am I extremely misled? I thought all pickups were wound with copper wire. Are all these materials (plain enamel, formvar, the cheap polywhatever) just copper variations or alloys?

[infinite1funk]

bump?

[Elliot]

I am not a pup winder, but my father is an electrical engineer and here is what he told me:

Magnetic wire is usually copper - what it has 'around' it is the difference:

Formvar wire is a trade name for the formal resin that covered magnet wire in the 50s (and beyond)  to protect the wire from oxidizing and to act as an insulator.  Its benefit (IIUC) was that it was uniform and thus did not affect the transmission of current.  My boys book of Fender facts states that Leo used this wire in the early days of the big F.

Plain enamel is another form of insulation - used more in 60s pups.

Polysol is a solderable polyester coating used in the 70s and beyond.

As to the tone - I have no idea except I think this is a good guide:

Formvar - 50s single coils and PAFs
Plain Enamel - 60s tone.
Polysol - Modern mass produced pups

Look at this http://www.mwswire.com/inschar.htm

[infinite1funk]

Awesome info Elliot! Thanks! :o

[Tim]

I'd concure with that although plain enamel was used from the 50s onwards.
The insulation does effect tone in many ways not least by coil size, the main differences between modern polysols and the vintage plain enamel and Formvar is in the mids;modern polysol(solderable) has definate speaks throughout the mids whereas the vintage wires are smoother in the mids and have a wider Q.

[5F6-A]

I'd concure with that although plain enamel was used from the 50s onwards.
The insulation does effect tone in many ways not least by coil size, the main differences between modern polysols and the vintage plain enamel and Formvar is in the mids;modern polysol(solderable) has definate speaks throughout the mids whereas the vintage wires are smoother in the mids and have a wider Q.

I've always thought that the "vintage" factor is very much down to how loose the low end is..the looser the older-sounding.... well, that's only one of the factors.