P90 Humbucker Size Pickup- Part I

P90 Humbucker Size Pickup- Part I

Winding pickups give you the chance to do someting outside the standard off the shelf options. One such option is to combine the two classic pickups, the p90 and the Humbucker.

P90/humbuckers are growing in popularity as they allow retro fitting of a classic sounding pickup in to  a humbucker equiped guitar. The photo essay below shows the basic process.

The p90 has a much larger footprint than the humbucker and to fit a p90 style bobbin into a humbucker case requires some modification and a bespoke bobbin.

First thing is to make up the bobbin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this case it was fashioned with hand cut Forbon flatwork and a maple spacer drilled out to give a pole spacing of 50mm. The pilot holes are threaded to take the pole pieces.

Everything has to be drilled out and marked to zero tolernance or the pole screws wont fit the cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some final sizing and tinkering to maximise the area available to wind on…. The maple spacer is shaped before the bobbin is glued up and the final shaping done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bobbin has to be glued together and cut to fit the humbucker cover and see if there is still enough room for the magnets…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bobbin, once glued up and the final sizing done is checked so that it fits in the humbucker cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The image above shows the bobbin, spacer and magnets test fitted into the cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part II will show the bobbin being wound with copper wire..