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Author Topic: no American made plain enamel wire?!? Tim, help!!!  (Read 2234 times)

5F6-A

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no American made plain enamel wire?!? Tim, help!!!
« on: October 06, 2007, 08:42:04 AM »
Ive been told by a guy in America that most American companies quit making plain enamel wire due to environmental law about 3 o 4 years ago. Apparently there is ony one company left in America making plain enamel wire, at believe it isn't as good as what used to be made; before all the 42 guage wire measured reliably at .0027" O.D but apparently now most American wire measure  .00265" which makes a difference in tone.

Do you know anything about this, Tim? Where do you get your wire from Tim?
"I now consider atheism to be brutal because it offers neither consolation nor liberty of any kind" Benjamin Constant in 1804
"Practice until you can hear the metronome grooving" Carol Kaye

Tim

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no American made plain enamel wire?!? Tim, help!!!
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2007, 09:43:17 AM »
There have been several wire manufacturers making PE over the years in the US and your source is correct, it's down to just one main supplier now.I've a funny feeling I know who your source is and have to say I wouldn't listen to too much scare mongering.This is usually the sort of thing put about by pickup makers who want to justify using cheap solderable wire over the more expensive plain enamel.
For the record, PE is still readily available.There is a tolerance of @+/- 8% on the wire but we buy in 50LBs at a time and grade it ourselves so that we use the most suitable for the given pickup.There has always been and minimum and nominal tolerance on wire and the industry has always worked with these tolerances. Whilst having PE coming mainly from one source isn't ideal, it simply means spending a little more time grading wire ourselves so not a problem.
Whilst we currently use US made PE there are several other sources outside the US so fear not-it's not about to dry up!
Tim
BKP - "Wound, made and played the traditional way --- by hand!" Amen.

5F6-A

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no American made plain enamel wire?!? Tim, help!!!
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2007, 05:20:17 PM »
thanks Tim. AS always great explanation.  :wink:
"I now consider atheism to be brutal because it offers neither consolation nor liberty of any kind" Benjamin Constant in 1804
"Practice until you can hear the metronome grooving" Carol Kaye