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Author Topic: Mismatched coil windings  (Read 4388 times)

Michael A Porter

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Mismatched coil windings
« on: February 04, 2006, 04:24:53 AM »
Does mismatching the number of winds slightly in a humbucker cause it to hum?  I just wound a pickup and I did this because I had heard some people liked it.  This is my first pickup and I dont know if that is the problem or if its something else.  I guess i should have started with coils that were exactly the same.  Any help I can get would be nice.

Tim

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Mismatched coil windings
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2006, 08:24:47 AM »
The theory is that 100% humcancelling is achieved by identical windings on each coil however the practice is that an offset between the windings of each coil allows more high end through. Different coil offsets effect the tone in uniques ways and you'd be surprised how much you can offset before noise is audible.To start with I wouldn't offset more than a few hundred turns.
The earliest PAF humbuckers all had offset coils, in fact the closest the cam to symmetry was within 100 turns of each other although most were at least 300 turns out.
Symmetrical vs asymmetrical coils is a raging debate. I strongly believe that offset coils sound head and shoulders better than symmetrically wound coils in the majority of applications.As always though, experiment!
Tim
BKP - "Wound, made and played the traditional way --- by hand!" Amen.

Michael A Porter

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Mismatched coil windings
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2006, 09:12:13 AM »
Are there any common mistakes that people make when they first start winding them then?  I am getting bad hum but the pickup other than that sounds really good.  I only mismatched them within maybe 20 winds so thats obviously not the problem.  I've been having trouble finding much information on it.  Is there a good website with alot of information?

Michael A Porter

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Mismatched coil windings
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2006, 09:55:22 AM »
I forgot to thank you in my last reply for the information, it helped me out alot where i couldnt find much help anywhere else.